News - Perth Modern School

in this issue 

> 

Exceptional schooling. 

Exceptional schooling. Exceptional students. 

Exceptional students. 

Perth Modern School 

> News 

Former Student 

New WA 

Governor 

Page 4 

Rowing 

Success 

Page 16 

April 2011 

Centenary Celebration under the Stars 

Monday, 14 February 2011 was a special day for Perth Modern School. The school day started with 

students, teachers and support staff receiving the School Centenary Pin at the commemorative 

Centenary Assembly. The day concluded with past and present members of the school community 

celebrating 100 years of public secondary education at the Centenary Gala Dinner under the stars. 

Guests were welcomed on the school 

concourse for pre dinner drinks by 

Principal, Ms Lois Joll, Emma Dyce and 

Sakinah Munday, President and Vice 

President of the Student Representative 

Council. As the 155 guests met many 

former friends, many of whom had 

travelled from interstate, they were 

entertained by the student String 

Quartet. Among the many distinguished 

guests were the former Principal of 

the School and her husband (a former 

teacher at the School), Dr Robyn White 

and Loren White, former Prime Minister 

of Australia Bob Hawke, Mrs Janet 

Holmes a Court, former Senator John 

Stone, prominent Western Australian 

political historian Professor David Black 

as well as Tonya and Malcolm McCusker 

QC, the Western Australia Governor – 

designate. 

Memories of school days past were 

recalled by many as the School 

Choir commenced the formal dinner 

celebrations with Moderna Schola, 

L-R Carolyn and Tim Carey; Tonya McCusker; 

Arnold Wong 

the school song. Modernians were 

transformed to their former school 

days as they listened to the Choir 

on the school steps under the 1909 

date on the original school building – 

marking the date when construction 

commenced of the original school. 

The oldest alumni member, John Down 

(96), welcomed the opportunity to 

meet Emma and Sakinah and share 

with them memories of his school days. 

Ms Andrea Mitchell MLA, read a 

message of congratulations from 

the Minister of Education, the Hon 

Dr Elizabeth Constable MLA, who 

was unable to attend. The letter of 

congratulations from Dr Ken Michael 

AC, Governor of Western Australia was 

read by Principal, Ms Lois Joll. As a 

former student, he stated that ‘Perth 

Modern School is an extraordinary 

school and it can be immensely proud 

of its exceptional record that has seen 

a commitment during the decades to 

academic excellence and outstanding 

achievement. The School’s Alumni are 

testament to this with many former 

students holding high positions in 

local, national and international 

environments’. 

Mr Malcolm McCusker QC, 

representing former students, reflected 

and spoke about his school days and 

the impact the ‘modern’ education 

pioneered at the school had made on 

his life. His reflections captured much 

Bob Hawke with Lois Joll 

of the school’s remarkable history and 

traditions. He made many parallels to 

how in 2011 the school continues to 

foster students’ individual skills and 

abilities and provide an exceptional 

curriculum for exceptional students. 

In making the toast to the school, the 

Principal asked all to acknowledge 100 

years of public secondary education 

and past and present students – the 

school’s rich heritage and significant 

achievements – and to look forward 

to the future of Perth Modern School 

continuing to make a difference. 

Fogarty 

Scholarship for 

Michael Taran 

Page 5



Exception 

2 

From the Principal 

The 2011 school year has had a very smooth start, despite the very 

hot weather in the first weeks, with students engaging quickly with 

their program, the timetable working well and very few students 

reconsidering their course selection. 

The staff has returned to the 2011 school year with the usual enthusiasm 

and commitment to the students. Given the excellent 2010 results, the 

first meeting of all staff was a time of celebration and affirmation. 

Whilst ensuring a swift and effective 

start to the delivery of the curriculum 

in class time, many staff members 

have been actively supporting the 

co-curricular and enrichment events 

offered at the school. 

We welcome a number of new staff who 

have joined Perth Modern School this 

year including: 

Steve Hounsome – English/Drama 

Felicity MacLeod – Home Economics 

Evelyn Doerenberg – Mathematics 

Alex Banyard – Science 

Joanne Dobb – Science 

Krista Jordan – French 

Glen McClelland – Mathematics 

Louise Secker – HOLA Society 

and Environment 

Lisa Kim – Mathematics 

Students at Perth Modern School are 

encouraged to engage in a range 

of co-curricular activities whilst 

maintaining a balance with their 

commitments to classroom learning 

and homework and extra-curricular and 

out-of-school activities. As adolescents, 

there are huge opportunities available 

to meet individual interests. It is 

important for all students to engage in 

a range of activities – and to learn to 

manage these. 

There has been a variety and quality of 

events that have taken place during the 

term including: 

• the outstanding success of the school 

swimming team at the Interschool 

Swimming A Division, 

• our students representing the state in 

Beijing, 

• a gold in Rowing, 

• the success of many debating and 

sporting teams, 

• the fun and community spirit of Mufti 

Day, 

• the wonderful Centenary Concert, 

• the very moving ANZAC 

Commemorative Service and 

• the fun Year 8/9 Club Mod evening 

These events are just a sample of the 

wealth of opportunity available to 

students at Perth Modern School. 

Year 8s have settled in well generally and 

along with new students in other Year 

groups, are being monitored to support 

their transition into the school. I do hope 

that your child has settled into school 

feeling confident and engaged in the 

learning program. If you are concerned 

at progress, or wish to talk with a teacher, 

please contact the classroom teacher or 

advocacy teacher through the School 

Reception on 9380 0555. 

A very enjoyable House Swimming 

Carnival was held in the first week with 

students actively participating and 

supporting their House. The carnival 

was won by Parsons. Students selected 

for the Inter School Swimming enjoyed 

an evening of training and bonding 

finishing with a sleepover in the school 

refectory. The team went on to retain 

their place in A Division achieving a very 

commendable fourth place. 

Year 12 students enjoyed a wonderful 

School Ball which was held at the C 

Restaurant and dazzled everyone with 

their beautiful dresses and attire. 

The 2011 Student Council President 

is Emma Dyce and the Vice President 

Sakinah Munday. 

Perth Modern School > NEWS April 2011 

These students have ably managed 

their many duties including as speakers 

and student representatives at the 

Centenary Dinner, Master of Ceremony 

at both the Centenary and ANZAC Day 

Commemorative Service assemblies 

and leading the Student Council in the 

organisation and successful running of 

the annual Mufti Day to raise money for 

charity. 

Achievements of 2010 Leavers: 

Outstanding results were achieved 

by many students in the 2010 WACE 

Examinations including Michael Taran’s 

winning the Beazley Medal for the top 

WACE Examination Candidate and both 

Michael Taran and fellow student Mark 

Chia achieving General Exhibitions (of 

40 top students for WACE Examinations). 

Tessa Richards gained the Course 

Exhibition for English. 

In addition Jacob Collier, Mark Chia, 

Sasha Dawson, Michael Taran and Peter 

Trinh gained an ATAR (Tertiary Entrance 

Ranking) of 99 or more thus joining the 

prestigious 99ers club. 

Certificates of Distinction were achieved 

in Chemistry (Michael Taran), Design 

(Carli Steyntjes), English (Dominique 

Maberly, Tess Richards, Sam Scaife), 

Mathematics: Specialist (Michael 

Taran) and Philosophy and Ethics 

(Jacob Collier). 

Several courses were listed in the TOP 

10 across the state. These included: 

Design, Drama, Economics, Literature, 

Mathematics – Specialist, Media 

Production and Analysis, Modern 

History, Music, Philosophy and Ethics 

and Visual Arts.

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These excellent results were 

acknowledged at the Curriculum 

Council Awards Ceremony and at a 

High Tea function at Parliament House 

held by the Minister for Education 

to congratulate Principals of high 

performing public schools. Past 

Principal, Dr Robyn White, also attended 

both functions. 

2011 is the first year that all 934 Students 

currently enrolled in the school have 

been selected as academically gifted 

and talented. The incoming students at 

Year 8 come from around 100 different 

primary schools. Applications for Year 

8 2011 entry totalled 1505 and 196 

students were enrolled. 

Parent Information Nights have been 

held this term. These included: 

The Year 8 Information Night provided 

information on organisational skills, 

homework policy, co-curricular 

opportunities as well as outlining 

pastoral care and general support which 

is in place to support students in the 

transition from primary school to the 

more challenging secondary school 

environment. 

The Year 12 Information Night focused 

on explaining the complexities of the 

WACE requirements for Graduation, 

the WACE Examinations (previously 

TEE) and the data processes applied 

in the compilation of the ATAR 

(previously TER) for University entrance. 

Presenters covered a range of issues 

including ensuring a life balance, stress 

management, support strategies and 

‘tips’ for study from Year 12 students of 

2010. The PowerPoint presentation will 

be available to parents via email. 

The Year 11 Information Night focused 

on preparation and requirements for the 

WACE and senior secondary life. 

Parent – Teacher Interviews: A very 

positive atmosphere is evident as 

parents of students in Years 11 and 

12 recently talked to teaching staff to 

discuss student’s progress. This reflects 

the commitment of staff to ensure there 

are clear channels of communication 

with parents. 

Two Presentation Evenings have 

attracted over 600 people. The focus 

was to inform parents of prospective 

students of the opportunities at Perth 

Modern School prior to the 21 March 

closing date for applications for 2013. 

The School Council has met twice this 

term. Arnold Wong has been elected 

Chair for 2011. The School Council 

confirmed its support of the school 

applying again in 2011 for Independent 

Public School status. 

2011 is Centenary Year for Perth 

Modern School as it celebrates 100 

years of public secondary schooling in 

Western Australia. 

A series of events have been held 

and others planned to celebrate and 

acknowledge this special year. 

A Centenary Assembly was held on 

Monday 14 February for students, staff 

at the school and special guests. The 

occasion saw all participants presented 

with a Centenary Pin to acknowledge 

the significance of the year. At the end 

of the assembly everyone present sang 

Happy Birthday to the School. 

The much anticipated Centenary Dinner 

was held on the concourse in front of 

the Heritage Building on the evening of 

14 February. Despite a threat of a storm, 

the evening was a delightful success 

with perfect weather and a relaxed 

atmosphere. Nearly 160 guests enjoyed 

an evening of reminiscing with school 

friends, chatting to current parents 

and staff whilst acknowledging the 

celebration of 100 years of secondary 

schooling in WA. The beautiful singing 

from the school’s combined choirs 

added a wonderful dimension to 

the evening. 

A Picnic held on Friday 11 March to 

welcome new students was well 

attended with over 500 people 

enjoying a relaxed day at the school. 

Congratulations to the P&C who did a 

fantastic job organising it. 

The Centenary Music Concert, the final 

Centenary event for this term, was 

held on Saturday 9 April at the Perth 

Concert Hall in front of 1200 people 

including the Governor, Governor 

Designate and Minister for Education. 

After many months of hard work 

from all concerned and the added 

dimension of international artists and 

commissioned works, the evening was a 

wonderful success. 

A Staff Cocktail Party is being organised 

by staff member Walter Wilson on behalf 

of the Staff Association on Friday 20 

May. This will be a terrific opportunity 

for staff, past and present, to enjoy 

collegial company whilst celebrating the 

significance of 100 years of teaching at 

Perth Modern School. 

The planned Centenary Summit will 

occur on Saturday 23 July, the last 

Saturday of the July holidays. The 

Summit, organised by Modernian Dr 

David Black, is intended to provide an 

opportunity for around 60 members 

of the Perth Modern community to 

help shape the future of the school. 

Interested parents and community 

members will be invited to nominate to 

be part of this event. 

The Parent and Citizen (P&C) meeting, 

which is held on the third Monday of 

each month at 7.30 pm in the library, 

has met twice this term. Deb Cook was 

elected president and Ruth Thatcher 

Vice President. The P&C endorsed the 

school applying for Independent Public 

School status. 

In addition, the P&C undertook to 

develop and submit a response to the 

School Funding Review in support of 

government schools. 

The P&C also endorsed the concept of 

growing the number of parent groups to 

support various aspects of school life (in 

the model of Friends of Music). An insert 

to this newsletter is seeking nominations 

from parents and community members 

who would be interested in supporting 

one of these groups. All interested 

parents are encouraged to attend. 

Continued page 4 

Perth Modern School > NEWS April 2011 3



Exception 

4 

Continued from page 3 

The Perth Modernian Society has met 

twice this Term. The Society, although 

only having a small number of active 

volunteers, is very supportive of 

the School. Thanks to their efforts, 

scholarships are being provided 

to students in need (the Sphinx 

Foundation), historical material has 

been provided for the P&C’s Centenary 

book, records of past students are being 

kept and archived, pieces of furniture 

and memorabilia have been or are 

being restored by a working party and 

a selection of items is being produced 

to promote and build the alumni to 

raise money. 

Independent Public School: Much 

discussion, several meetings and 

consultation has been undertaken with 

the school community in regard to the 

school’s consideration to apply again to 

become an Independent Public School. 

Inevitably there are many different 

perspectives and positions to be 

considered with a particular focus on the 

identification of benefits to the school 

whist acknowledging and working to 

clarify and alleviate any concerns which 

have been raised. With the support of 

many staff, the School Council and the 

P&C the school will go ahead and submit 

an application to the Department of 

Education to be part of Phase 3. 

School Buildings: As many of you will 

be aware, the gymnasium remains 

one of the biggest challenges when 

it comes to ensuring a high quality of 

Former Student is New WA Governor 

Former Perth Modern student, respected Barrister and Philanthropist, Malcolm McCusker AO QC was 

announced as the next Governor of Western Australia on 21 March 2011. Premier Colin Barnett made the 

announcement at Government House after her Majesty The Queen approved the recommendation for the 

appointment of Mr McCusker to succeed another former Perth Modern School student, Dr Ken Michael. 


Mr McCusker is currently a Senior Barrister, and together 

with his normal commercial and criminal legal practice, 

has lent his skills to several well-known public interest 

cases demonstrating a strong commitment to justice and 

equality. He is also a long-serving Chairman of the Legal Aid 

Commission and the Advisory Board of the Western Australian 

Constitutional Centre. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel 

in 1982 and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 

2005. He was the WA Citizen of the Year in 2005, WA Citizen of 

the Year in 2010, Philanthropist of the Year in 2010 and WA’s 

Australian of the Year nominee in 2011. 

Mr McCusker, 72, is married to Tonya and has three children. 

He will formally take up the appointment from 1 July, 2011. 

Janet Holmes a Court and Malcolm McCusker 

building for students. There have been 

many plans and hopes for change over 

the past few years but unfortunately 

the Department’s financial constraints 

have seen little progress. Some further 

investigation is being undertaken with 

work in progress to gauge the possibility 

of sponsorship but the challenge is 

significant. 

Several science rooms are receiving a 

$1.3million government funded upgrade 

during this year. The school is working to 

identify and plan for the refurbishment 

or re-purposing to meet the current 

needs of staff and students in particular 

learning areas. 

With 2011 already off to an impressive 

start, I look forward to the remainder of 

our very special Centenary year.

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Katy Champions Graphic Novel Literary Genre 

The Graphic Novel elective course in Year 10 English inspired Katy Bunn to be the first in the Girls’ Brigade to 

submit a proposal to the National Board to accept the Graphic Novel as a suitable genre and academic project 

for part of her application for the Queen’s Award, the highest international award in the organisation. 

Katy is commencing the two-year 

application process for the Award this 

year and will finish prior to turning 17. Her 

participation in the Graphic Novel Year 

10 English elective helped develop her 

passion for storytelling and art, which she 

is now channelling into a Graphic Novel 

that will be an allegorical tale. 

Katy’s involvement in the Girls’ Brigade 

requires many hours of participation 

outside School. Completion of the seven 

part application for the Queen’s Award 

will take two years and requires six 

months of Community Service; a two 

hour written examination on national 

history, systems of Government, the 

history of the Commonwealth and Girls’ 

Brigade; two initiative tasks designed to 

provide service and support to the Girls’ 

Brigade; Church service for two years; 

weekly service to Girls’ Brigade and a 

final interview with the State Panel. The 

seventh part of the application is an 

academic assignment requiring at least 

six months’ work. Katy wanted to create 

a Graphic Novel, but it was outside any 

of the current academic offerings. It 

crossed over ‘illustrated book’, ‘creative 

Michael Taran Wins Fogarty Scholarship 

Volunteer Host Families Needed 

Overseas students will be arriving in July 2011 and require host families. There are two different programs, ranging from five to 

11 months. Students will be arriving from countries including Chile, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany and many more. 

Gain friendships that can last a lifetime. So – whether you have cattle or poodle, six children or none, you have the perfect family. 

For more information please call Joyce on 9534 5823 or visit www.afs.org.au 

work’ and ‘visual media’ categories. This 

is what led Katy to make her successful 

appeal to the State Panel. She is now 

appealing to the National Board. 

Katy credits the Year 10 elective course 

with fuelling her interest in the Graphic 

Novel. In the course, she learned more 

about the process and skills required 

to create a Graphic Novel, and she has 

since built on those skills. Katy uses 

Photo Shop and Manga Studio to add 

to her inked drawings. She shared this 

process with the State Panel which led 

to her successful appeal. 

Recent Year 12 graduate from Perth Modern School and 2010 Beazley Medalist, Michael Taran has been 

awarded a university scholarship worth over $100,000. 

The University of Western Australia 

recently announced that Michael 

was one of 200 students recognised 

from around the state in the Fogarty 

Foundation Undergraduate Awards. 

Principal of Perth Modern School Lois 

Joll said that Michael was deserving of 

the scholarship. 

“Michael was an exceptional student at 

Perth Modern School and was named 

Dux of his year in general mathematics, 

specialist mathematics, economics, 

chemistry and physics.” 

“We are delighted that he has been 

awarded a scholarship and congratulate 

him on his academic achievements,” 

Ms Joll said. 

Michael’s scholarship, valued at over 

$100,000, includes payment of Higher 

Education Contribution Scheme course 

fees (HECS) and $1,000 per year. 

He plans to study medicine, inspired 

after a car crash in which he was injured 

when he was 12 years old. 

“I’m hoping to do maxillofacial 

surgery to do facial reconstructions,” 

Michael said. 

“If Michael’s study ethic continues in the 

same vein as when he was a student 

at Perth Modern School, I know he will 

do extremely well. He is an incredibly 

gifted and talented student and I’m sure 

that will transcend into his chosen career 

path,” Ms Joll said. 

Perth Modern School is proud to have 

helped develop a student of Michael’s 

calibre and the School community 

wishes him well in his future academic 

and career pursuits. 




Exception 

6 

Modernians Welcomed into 

Hall of Fame 

Three Perth Modern School Alumni were recently entered into the 

first 100 women in the Virtual Hall of Fame, announced at this year’s 

International Women’s Day. Irene Greenwood (nee Driver), Janet Holmes 

a Court (nee Ranford) and Margaret Nadebaum were honoured. 

Irene Greenwood (nee Driver) was a 

student at the School between 1913 

and 1916. Broadcaster and advocate of 

women’s welfare, Greenwood was an 

active participant in Mock Trials and 

Debating competitions during her time 

at Perth Modern School. She was a 

prolific writer for the School magazine 

and after leaving the School, remained 

a strong contributor to the Modernians 

Society. She was awarded an AM in 1975 

in recognition of her contribution to the 

welfare of women. During her career, 

she was writer and editor of Dawn, the 

official organ of the WA Council for Equal 

Pay and Opportunity. As one of the 

first women to be employed by the WA 

Government in a professional position 

after WWI, she became a passionate 

supporter in the fight for women’s 

rights. This led to her developing a 

public profile as a broadcaster as well 

as holding official positions with the 

Women’s Service Guilds and the League 

of Women Voters. During the 1940s, 

Irene organised the Annual International 

Women’s Day Rallies. She was also a 

representative to Congresses of the 

International Women’s Suffrage Alliance 

and the International Alliance of Women. 

Janet Holmes a Court (nee Ranford) was a 

student at Perth Modern School between 

1956 and 1960 and was a teacher in 

1965 and 1966. Her well documented 

career includes involvement in the 

establishment of husband Robert’s 

Law Firm, Board memberships of the 

WA Cancer Foundation, the Australian 

Television Foundation, the Diabetes 

Research Foundation and King Edward 

Memorial Hospital for Women. Holmes a 

Court has also served as a member of the 

UWA Senate and the Board of Australia’s 

Reserve Bank. A committed contributor to 

the Arts in Australia, she is recognised for 

her philanthropic activity in this sphere. 

In 1995, Holmes a Court was awarded 

the AO for services to Business, the Arts 

and the Community. She was awarded a 

Centenary Medal for service to the Arts. 

She is Chair of WA Symphony Orchestra 

and the Black Swan Theatre Company. 

Margaret Nadebaum was a student at 

Perth Modern School between 1958 and 

1959. She received a Teacher’s Bursary in 

1958 and was a School Prefect in 1959. 

She graduated from Claremont Teachers’ 

College in 1962 and after teaching at 

several high schools, embarked on 

an exchange to the UK in 1971. In the 

following year, she became Principal 

Mistress and later Deputy Principal at 

Thornlie then Willetton High Schools. 

Nadebaum had a lengthy career in the 

State Education Department with roles 

including Superintendent of Education, 

Regional Officer, Director of Operations 

and Chief Executive of the Ministry of 

Education. In December 1992, she took 

up a position as Principal of Methodist 

Ladies’ College. 

Excellent Results in Tennis 

10 weeks of hard training paid off when Perth Modern School 

Year 8 boys won the Lower School Cup in the Grand Final 

against CBC Fremantle on Thursday 7 April. Dylan Wood, Paul 

Burnett, Ben Hotchkin, Mitchell Gill and Thomas Almeida were 

the members of the Champion Team. 

Perth Modern School Upper School Boys’ team played off on 

Tuesday 12 April in the semi finals against Applecross to make it 


Drama 

Students 

Experience 

Trauma 

It’s hard to imagine the emotional 

trauma and terror people 

experience when involved in a 

national or local disaster. With 

this in mind, the Year 11 Drama 

Class performed a 60 minute 

improvisation which looked at how 

a class of students would react 

when the School was in lockdown. 

The students took on stereotype 

roles of Cheerleader, the Geek, 

the Sporting Jock and alternative 

teens in an American High School 

in the 1990s. They had to dress 

accordingly and improvise realistic 

scenes in an attempt to understand 

how people would cope with a 

traumatic situation. There were 

outstanding performances from 

the Teacher, Eliska O’Connor and 

the Sporting Jock, Afro-American 

Tom Bolton. This was a unique way 

for the students to learn the skills 

of creating believable and genuine 

characters. A great start to the year. 

into the Grand Final. The team lost in overtime after a draw. 

In a nail biting game, they came very close to winning. 

This is an outstanding effort when it is considered that the boys 

were competing against specialist tennis schools. Students in 

the Upper School Boys’ team included Stefan Raovic, Jimmy 

Campbell, Kieren Bell, Lawson Smith, Eduardo Arteaga and 

Mark Teo.

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A Hard Hitting Performance Visits 


Drama and English students were given a taste of professional theatre recently thanks to a visit by 

Barking Gecko Theatre Company. 

Staging the award-winning play Hoods 

on March 16 in the Drama Room, 

Barking Gecko’s actors Sam Longley and 

Andrea Gibbs showed how much can be 

achieved with versatile acting skills and 

just a few tech nical effects. 

At times confronting, at times amusing, 

Hoods tells the story of three children 

abandoned in a car-park by their 

mother. Two narrators are able to jump 

into the characters’ lives and play their 

story, influencing what could be a 

potentially disastrous outcome. 

After the one hour show the audience 

was able to direct questions to the 

two talented actors, giving students a 

rare insight into the rehearsal process 

and tips on launching a career in the 

performing arts. 

Year 11 student Alex Darcy described the 

show as “absolutely brilliant”. 

Lighting and sound director Craig 

Williams was equally impressed with the 

Perth Modern School students. 

“You could tell by their enthusiastic 

questions they were engaged through 

the whole show, which really helped the 

performers,” he said. 

Students are now set the task of writing 

a review, analysing the many aspects 

which contribute to a successful 

production. 

Meanwhile, Year 12 Drama students are 

busy preparing the school production, 

The Laramie Project, which runs for 

two nights on 30 June, 1 & 2 July (only 

suitable for senior students and adults). 

Dealing with the aftermath of a young 

man’s murder in small town USA, 

The Laramie Project promises to be a 

powerful piece of theatre. Bookings on 

9380 0572. 

Actors Sam Longley with Jacob Kotzee (Year 9) Madeleine Gibson (Year 10) Sam Minchin (Year 8) 

and Alex Darcy (Year 11) 

Chaplaincy at 


It’s the end of Week 8, and I’m blown away by how fast this term 

has gone! Highlights so far have been welcoming our new students, 

attending the Year 12 Ball and running a seminar entitled ‘Looking 

After Yourself’ on the Year 11 Focus Day. 

I also attended our YouthCARE State Conference this term, and really enjoyed the 

workshops I participated in on emotional intelligence, art therapy and dealing 

with grief. It’s always great to come back to school with a few more tools in your 

belt! 

This term I have been working with about 25 of our students to run a Quiz Night, 

with the aim of raising money for an Oxfam project in India. The event will be held 

on Saturday 14 May at the Cambridge Bowling Club, and will include a yummy 

feast of curry, chai and Indian sweets. The major prize is amazing – return airfares 

plus accommodation to Broome! It will be a night not to be missed – please 

contact me for tickets. Hope to see you there! 

Janina Cousins (Chaplain) 




Exception 

8 

Donate Your 

Favourite 

Books to Your 

School Library 

Do you have a favourite 

fiction book? Would you 

like to share this book with 

other members of our school 

community? 

All you have to do is donate a 

copy of your favourite book to the 

library and we will make it available 

to students, parents and staff to 

borrow and share your enthusiasm! 

Donated books need to be in good 

condition and suitable for our 

students to read. If you are not sure 

if your choice will fit in with our 

collection please bring it in 

and show it to the library staff. 

Our students are such voracious 

readers that we need to build up all 

parts of our collection to cater to 

their needs. 

Don’t forget that everyone in our 

school community can borrow 

library resources, so please come 

and browse our collection and make 

your reading selection! 

Graeme Wood Shield 

The Perth Modern School cricket team qualified for the second round of 

the Graeme Wood Shield after comprehensive victories over Newman 

College and John XXIII College. These results place the School in the 

final 16 schools. 

Reuben Holt starred, averaging 92 with the bat and an incredible three with the ball. 

All players contributed to the performances, with captain Daniel Lucey ensuring 

each member of the Squad had their opportunities. Unfortunately, the team fell 

20 runs short in the first elimination final against Ballajura Community College. 

Congratulations to all participants for the way that they played and behaved. 

An excellent effort by all: 

Daniel Lucey 

Reuben Holt 

Lachlan Shakeshaft 

Christopher Chamberlain 

Joseph Elliss 

Tarquin Stone 

Jonathan Israel 

Radomir Kobryn-Coletti 

Aditya Banerjee 

Ian Kong 

Kieren Bell 

Myles Dennis 

Cameron Duncan 


Endorsed 

Programs 2011 

Enrolment for Endorsed Programs must 

be completed with Mrs Baljic by Monday 

6 June 2011. Evidence of completion 

(eg Certificate, portfolio) must be 

returned by Friday 30 September, Year 12 

students, or by Friday 2 December, Years 

10 and 11 students. Endorsed Music 

Programs within the school are handled 

by Mr Hey.

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Remembering the Holocaust 

On 31 March, Year 10 ‘Square Pegs’ English students got the chance to meet Holocaust survivor and writer, 

Hetty Verolme. 

For over an hour, 80 year old Hetty talked 

openly about her experiences as a Dutch 

Jew in her home city of Amsterdam. She 

shared tales of discrimination following 

the surrender of Holland to Germany. 

The students listened, horrified and 

fascinated, to her account of how she 

and her family were banished from their 

homes, herded into one area of the city 

with other Jewish people, labelled with 

the yellow stars and eventually spirited 

away on trains to various concentration 

camps in Germany. 

Chairperson 

Vice Chairperson 

Treasurer 

secretary 

Auditor 

Bookkeeper 

executive Committee 

Canteen Liaison 

website Liaison 

wACssO Delegate 

school Council Representative 

Friends of Music 

Ballet support 

Buildings and Grounds 

Hetty was 13, the age of many of our 

Year 8s, when she was taken to Belsen 

with her family. She told of dirty rags 

posing as meat, 10 months of watery 

soup, and her amazing return trip from 

the firing squad. We learned how over 

45,000 people died in the camp where 

she was kept and her amazing, against 

the odds, survival. 

Unfortunately, time wasn’t on our side 

and the session ended too soon, but 

a few students got the chance to ask 

Perth Modern School P&c 2011 

Deb Cook 

Ruth Thatcher 

No nominations 

Katrina Tap 

Volunteer Auditor required 

for next year 

Annette Symonds 

Julie Pegrum; Jenny Fay; 

Alicia Brown; Paula Munt; 

Arnold Wong; Barry France 

Not elected at AGM 

Not elected at AGM 

No nomination 

Deb Cook 

Jenny Fay 

Liz Bell 

Deb Cook 

Uniform library 

Uniform Committee 

Year 8 social Organiser 





Centenary Book Committee 

Football Parking Liaison 

questions about what it was like to live 

through such times, what it was like to 

feel rejected by your own community 

and how hard it was to return to her 

home town after the War. 

Hetty now lives in Perth and it was 

obvious her life in Australia with her 

children and grandchildren had helped 

her heal enough to be able to tell her 

story all these years later. In fact, she 

told us that she has recently returned to 

Bergen Belsen with her grandson. 

Hetty’s two books (Hetty, A True Story 

and The Children’s House of Belsen) are 

both available in the Perth Modern 

School library. Some students and 

teachers took the opportunity to get 

their copies of her books signed. 

It was a fantastic opportunity to meet an 

amazing woman who has lived through 

such life, and world changing times. For 

all of us the Holocaust came that much 

closer to home with Hetty’s visit. Hetty 

asked the students to remember her story 

and to tell their children, so an event this 

terrible could never happen again. 

Absorbed into Uniform 

Sub-Committee 

Rose Clapin; Rebecca Lee 

(Gorman); Ruth Thatcher; Libby 

Durk; Noi-teng Hia 

Debbie Glass; Libby Durk 

Robyn Fary 

Jackie Hair 

Kate Bunney 

Julie Pegrum 

Arnold Wong; Alicia Brown; 

Jacqui Macliver; Julie Pegrum, 

along with Val Furphy and Lois 

Joll; Charmaine Cave (Designer); 

Alison Woodman (Editor) 

Kate Bunney (Interim) 




Exception 

10 

National Youth 

Science Forum 

– International 

Program 

Congratulations are extended 

to Ashley Ellis (Year 12) who 

has gained a place at this year’s 

June – July Russian Scientific 

Study Tour which is part of the 

International Program of the 

NYSF. The Russian Study Tour 

was created especially for the 

NYSF by the All-Russian Youth 

Aerospace Society, ‘Soyuz’. In this 

tour, six students are hosted by 

a Russian family and visit a wide 

range of institutions in Moscow 

and St Petersburg. The Tour has 

an aerospace and engineering 

flavour and features visits to 

some famous but restricted 

facilities including Star City, the 

home of Russia’s Cosmonaut 

training program. 

Applications for this Scholarship were 

restricted to students who had earlier 

attended the NYSF Summer Schools. 

Ashley was one of 26 students to 

represent WA at the ANU Canberra 

Summer School for two weeks in 

January 2011. During her time in 

Canberra, Ashley attended lectures 

given by leading Scientists, visited 

scientific institutions and enjoyed the 

many organised social activities. 

She thoroughly enjoyed the experience 

and has offered to encourage current 

Year 11 students to apply to attend the 

next Summer School. Application 

details for the Australian NYSF 

Summer Schools can be found at 

www.nysf.edu.au/application with 

applications closing Monday 30 May 2011. 

Have Sum Fun 

Mathematics Quiz 

On the evening of 18 March, 56 tables of students from around the 

metropolitan area met at St Hilda’s to compete in a Maths Quiz Night. 

Perth Modern School entered two teams in both the Senior and Junior 

divisions. The competition was intense but lots of fun (and sugar) was 

had by all our students. 

The Quiz consisted of four rounds of eight questions to be completed in 20 minutes with a 

tie breaker round to help place the teams. The questions ranged in degree but were quite 

difficult. Both Senior teams worked hard and were well placed throughout the night. 

At the end of the evening the places were awarded. First was St Hilda’s with a score of 27 

and a win in the tie breaker. Second place went to Hale School which led the competition 

for most of the evening. Perth Modern School Team 1 comprising Stuart Gould, Wilson 

Ng, Silas Otto, Yongzi Lau, Kimberley Krish and Aditya Banerjee came third with a score 

of 25. Congratulations go to all participants who represented our school with dignity. 

Have Sum Fun 

On Friday evening, 25 March, 12 students from Perth Modern School 

attended the Have Sum Fun Junior Mathematics Competition 

organised by the Mathematics Association of Western Australia 

(MAWA). They formed two teams, each comprising of two Year 8 

students, two Year 9 students and two Year 10 students. Students in 

Team 1 were Jet-Kye Chong, Chelsea Xu, Zhixian Wu, Seamus Carey, 

Audrey Lee and Jacky Lin. Students in Team 2 were James Arcus, 

Theo Vickery, Henri Do Van, Satthya Krishnasivam, Conway Li and 

Daryl Chung-Wah-Cheong. 

It was a fun filled evening in which approximately 50 teams from dozens of 

WA Schools competed in a quiz format, completing four 20 minute rounds of 

8 questions each. Our teams did very well on the night, with Teams 1 and 2 taking 

out third and fourth place respectively. 

Perth Modern School > NEWS April 2011

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Beware – 

Pirates in the 

Library! 

Ahoy there! Cap’n Barr and the 

library crew welcomed Year 8s 

aboard for their Pirate Library 

Orientation this term. The 

budding buccaneers worked their 

way around 10 stations solving 

piratical puzzles and searching 

for clues to the whereabouts of 

the hidden treasure. During their 

hunt they learned all about the 

wide range of library facilities 

which will enhance both their 

academic research and personal 

reading. 

Science students across the year 

groups were introduced to the two 

online databases to which the school 

subscribes – EBSCO and World Book 

online – through the new Database quiz. 

This gave each student the opportunity 

to explore the databases, set up their 

own personal accounts within them and 

discover some of the features which 

will help them locate and use quality 

online resources. 

Tony Buzan’s ranking of the ‘Greatest 

Geniuses of All Time’ is proving to be 

a useful starting point for Year 8 Social 

Studies classes and their ‘Beautiful 

Minds’ research. Library staff are 

currently targeting research tools in their 

introductions to the research process 

including the location of high quality 

resources and the Harvard Referencing 

System to accurately record resource 

details. These class introductions are 

being supplemented by displays on the 

Habits of Mind, Biographies and the 

Buzan rankings. 

The Our School in History Project is an 

initiative of the State Library of Western 

Australia Foundation. Selected Year 9 

Society and Environment students have 

been invited to participate. 

This involves their registering on the Our 

Page in History Website and creating a 

link to the Perth Modern School Page. 

They then choose an aspect of the 

school to research and write an article 

about. This is then up-loaded with some 

appropriate pictures and becomes 

part of the School’s contribution. As 

registered users, individuals may also 

post personal histories about their 

families or their suburb on their own 

personal pages. If you would like to 

view the current (or future) entries 

(as time progresses) visit 

www.ourpageinhistory.org. 

Click on Explore Themes then click on 

View Theme Groups and then on Perth 

Modern School. It is hoped that we will 

eventually have at least 50 vignettes 

prepared and posted by students. 

Current Event displays this term have 

included: ‘Cybersafety’ to coincide 

with Safer Internet Day in February, 

‘Chinese Year of the Rabbit’ and ‘Maths 

Day’ (2 March). ‘To read is to know’, 

‘The Guardians of Ga’Hoole’ book 

series and ‘Beware of Pirates’ were 

the emphasis for literature promotion 

displays. Photographs of students are 

also featured in the ‘2010 in Review’ and 

‘Year 8 Beware of Pirates’ displays. 




Exception 

12 

New Leader for 

Social Science 

Department 

Dr Elizabeth Constable and Ms Louise Secker 

Ms Louise Secker has commenced her 

appointment as Head of the Social Science 

Learning Area. In her 19 year teaching 

career, Ms Secker has been an outstanding 

practitioner and her achievements clearly 

demonstrate her talent. 

Ms Secker has been involved in 

the development of Curriculum for 

Ancient and Modern History in WA 

and throughout Australia. She is 

currently a member of the Advisory 

Committee on National Curriculum, a 

position she has held since 2008. Ms 

Secker is Vice President of the History 

Teachers’ Association of Australia and 

has been a marker of the TEE and WACE 

examination for more than 10 years. 

These and other successes saw her 

recognised by WACOT (Western 

Australian College of Teaching) in 2009 

when she received a Mentor Award. Ms 

Secker was also named DET’s Woman of 

Achievement in that year. She followed 

these major achievements with Runner- 

Up place in the 2010 Premier’s Teacher 

of the Year Award. 

The Social Science Learning Area 

enthusiastically encourages students to 

participate in extra-curricular activities 

such as debating, UN events and Mock 

Trials and Ms Secker has an exceptional 

record in advancing such pursuits. 

Perth Modern School can look forward 

to many further benefits from the 

addition of such an outstanding leader 

at the School. 


SCIENCE NEWS 

Mr John Day; Ailsa Brown; Clare Moran (St Hilda’s); Prof Barry Marshall (Nobel Laureate), Prof Lyn 

Beazley (Chief Scientist) 

BioGeneiuS coMPetition 

Year 11 students Bonnie Paul and Ailsa Brown have made the Semi Final of 

the Statewide BioGENEius competition. They delivered a presentation at the 

Department of Commerce on Wednesday 30 March. At the Awards Ceremony on 

31 March, all participants were able to see the girls’ poster displayed along with 

those of the other Semi Finalists. The two Regional Finalists were announced during 

the Ceremony and they will travel to the US in May for the International Finals. The 

Regional Finalists were given the opportunity to say a few words and thank those 

who supported them. Aasha Riordan also participated in the Competition but was 

unfortunate to have not made the Semi Finals. 

AuStrAliAn BrAin Bee coMPetiton 

Science PrActicAlS 

If you look along the corridor or in the Science Classrooms of the East Building, you 

will very often see a range of investigations taking place. Recently, Year 9 students 

were growing seeds as part of the Thinking Science Program. Years 11 and 12 

Chemistry students were involved in distillation, separation and chromatography 

experiments. Year 12 Human Biology students were dissecting brains and 

discovering the effect of repetition on learning new tasks. Years 11 and 12 Physics 

students were using the corridor and classrooms to conduct investigations into 

forces and motion with ramps, trolleys and catapults. Practicals are an important 

part of the Science Curriculum and give students an opportunity to engage in the 

scientific process. 

BeijinG Youth Science creAtivitY coMPetition (BYScc) 

Two students, Eve MacDonald and Richard Pienaar were selected to participate 

in the BYSCC 2011 Competition which was held in March. The two students were 

selected as a result of the work they did through the UWA / Perth Modern School 

student-scientist partnership, which took place during Skills Week 2010. Their 

presentation and report was deemed to be the best from amongst outstanding 

pieces of work from Year 10 students.

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Oxfam Quiz Night 

Feeling competitive? Haven’t had your fix of winning 

lately? Want to prove that you’re The Man? Want to 

prove to your mates that you are, in fact, better at 

EVERYTHING! Then the Oxfam Quiz Night is for you. 

On 14 May (put it in your diaries now, competitors), Oxfam and 

Perth Modern School are collaborating their exceptional talents 

for you, the exceptional students, to shine. Family and friends 

are also welcome. If you are not the competitive type, come 

along to show your support of Oxfam’s project to increase 

access to education, health and social protection for poverty 

stricken areas throughout India. Our fundraising will help 

people overcome poverty by earning a decent livelihood with 

fair-trade opportunities and to deal with the impacts of climate 

change and natural and man-made disasters. 

Join us for the fundraising for a worthy cause. Bring some 

friends, bring your competitive edge – but don’t forget it’s not 

all about winning .... Just kidding – Be The Man! 

Abby Haslehurst and Jamilla Giles 

Oxfam Quiz Night 

Details 

Supported by Perth Modern School 

when: Saturday 14 May 2011 

where: Cambridge Bowling Club, 

Chandler Ave, Floreat Park 

Dinner: 6.00pm Curry Bowls and Indian 

treats for purchase 

Quiz: 7.00pm questions start 

Tickets: $20 adult, $15 student / 

concession (under 10 free entry) 

Project: Funds raised will support Oxfam 

projects in India 

Purchase Tickets: caronye@iinet.net.au 

or 0427 970 836 

Thomas Serves 

His Community 

Perth Modern School student, Thomas Russell, 

is a committed and valued member of the Swan 

Communications Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade. 

Like his father, Thomas is involved with the 

Communications Brigade and has been a cadet 

member since 2008. He has attended a number of 

fires and played an integral role in the fighting of the 

Red Hill bush fire in February this year. 

The role of the Communications Brigade is to establish a 

forward command post at fires that are attended by more 

than five fire fighting appliances. They not only provide radio 

communication between the incident management team 

and the fire fighters, but also provide support in operations, 

planning and logistics. 

As a volunteer, Thomas has received training and developed 

skills that will be valuable in the future. These skills include: 

• Teamwork 

• Listening and communication 

• Responding in a constantly changing environment 

• Staying calm in pressure situations 

• Following a chain of command 

• Providing timely response 

• Managing priorities 

• Organisation and time management 

• Reading and interpreting documentation 

• Record keeping 

• Equipment operation 

• Senior First Aid 

• Occupational Safety and Health Awareness 

Thomas became a member of the Brigade to actively help 

protect people whose homes and personal safety is under 

threat of fire. Being a member of the Brigade gives him a sense 

of pride and accomplishment whilst serving his community. He 

is keen to pursue his involvement in a volunteer / career capacity 

in the area of community safety. Thomas has an ultimate aim 

to fly Helitac (fire bomber) helicopters and actively pursues 

experience in the aviation industry including work experience 

with Rotorvation Helicopters during the school holidays. 




Exception 

14 

United 

Nations Youth 

Association State 

Conference 

Four Perth Modern School students 

attended the 2011 UNYA State 

Conference in February this year. 

Daniel Glamorgan, Ariel Mroz, Jaron 

Lee and Jonathan Israel participated 

in the Conference which was themed 

‘International Action and Justice’. 

Students were allocated a member 

nation of the United Nations and were 

required to represent their interests in a 

Mock General Assembly Debate. 

They explored the international justice 

system and how to achieve international 

action on issues that affect the world. 

Issues of sovereignty, self-determination, 

social and cultural identity and the 

environment were discussed. 

The student participants also focused 

on the role of youth in our society 

and discussed their concerns and 

ideas for the future on domestic and 

international issues. 

The United Nations’ Youth Association is 

an organisation run by young adults for 

young adults to promote an awareness 

of the role of the UN and develop skills 

such as public speaking, negotiation, 

debate and research via investigating 

international issues. The annual State 

Conference involves students in 

Years 10 to 12. 

At the conclusion of the 2011 State 

Conference, 10 students were selected 

to represent Western Australia at 

the National United Nations Youth 

Conference in Adelaide during July this 

year. Congratulations to Ariel Mroz and 

Jaron Lee who have been selected to 

represent WA. 

Evelyn Snook uploads a story to the Our Page in History website 

Year 9s Bring History to Life 

To celebrate the School’s Centenary Year, students in three Year 9 

History classes have been given the opportunity to engage in hands-on 

History research at Perth Modern School. 

Armed with cameras, recording devices 

and a keen eye, the students have been 

researching aspects of the School that 

may prove interesting and useful for 

those interested in the life and times of 

our most illustrious School. 

The classes, taught by Mr Conway and 

Mr Lowry, have compiled the results of 

their research on the My Page in History 

website. 

“It is a wonderful opportunity for 

the students to engage in their own 

historiography” said Mr Conway. 


“Too often History is associated with 

tasks that are not student-centred” 

added Mr Lowry. “This allows students 

to go beyond this in a wonderfully 

differentiated way.” 

The Our Page in History website was one 

that Library Head, Mr Barr, identified last 

year as of potential for Perth Modern 

School students in this significant year. 

Now, all three teachers are working 

collaboratively to provide an exciting 

enrichment activity for the Year 9 Social 

Science Program. 

It is a wonderful opportunity for the students 

to engage in their own historiography.

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Youth Sport and Recreation 

Committee Representatives 

Five Perth Modern School students have been selected to serve on the 

Youth Sport and Recreation Committee. Liam Tapsell and Amelia Toyne 

from Year 10 and Leah Vlatko, Sarah Lewis and Bonnie Larsen from 

Year 11 attended a two-day camp at Woodman Point during January 

where they were introduced to the other Committee members and 

participated in training and team building exercises. 

Each year the Department of Sport and 

Recreation invites nominations for their 

Youth Sport and Recreation Committee. 

Perth Modern School has many students 

who are natural leaders and are passionate 

about sport and we are proud of the 

students selected for the 2011 Committee. 

The Committee comprises students 

from various schools who meet monthly 

to provide feedback on youth issues, 

programs and initiatives within sport and 

Parents’ Day 2011 

recreation. This year, Committee members 

will have the opportunity to gain insight 

into many areas within the sport and 

recreation industry, provide feedback 

on issues and current programs, meet 

professionals, athletes and other industry 

leaders, develop important leadership 

skills and meet like-minded students from 

other schools who are similarly passionate 

about this field. The YSRC meets once a 

month during school hours. 

The University of Western Australia, in conjunction with the WA Health Department Centre for Clinical 

Interventions, is proud to support a one-day professional development initiative for all WA parents. 

Parents’ Day 2011 will be held at the 

Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle on Saturday 

14 May. This inaugural event coincides 

with National Families’ Week and has 

been timed to complement the United 

Nations International Day of Families 

on 15 May. Parents’ Day promotes the 

development and enhancement of 

positive community with a firm emphasis 

on developing positive family ties. 

Internationally acclaimed experts in 

parenting, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and 

Steve Biddulph, will lead the day’s live 

main stage presentations and hands-on 

Lina Andonovska: 

The Magic of 

Flute 

Former Perth Modern School 

student, Lina Andonovska, 

is making a name for herself 

in music circles with her 

outstanding talent as an 

emerging Flautist. 

Lina has performed all over Australia, 

Europe, Asia and North America – 

playing in concert halls, community 

halls and dusty village squares. She 

has recently spent time teaching music 

to Timorese children in the remote 

mountain town of Lospalos. Lina 

currently juggles her commitments with 

the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and 

concert engagements around Australia 

while collaborating with artists such as 

Sudanese singer / songwriter Ajak Kwai, 

who will perform at this year’s Blues and 

Roots Festival in Byron Bay. 

Recently, 23 year old Lina was 

recognised as an emerging talent for 

an ArtStart grant from the Australian 

Council for the Arts and in keeping with 

her journey so far, will use the money 

to study with Wissam Boustany – a 

Lebanese flautist who uses music as 

a catalyst to support humanitarian 

projects around the world. 

workshops. Other presenters include 

eating disorders expert Professor Sue 

Byrne, who will talk about the need to 

promote a positive body image. 

For further information and booking 

details, visit: 

http://www.parentsday.com.au/ 




Exception 

16 

Perth Modern School Student Rows to Victory 

Perth Modern School is one of the few public schools to offer rowing as an extra-curricular sport. 

To counter the financial challenges of purchasing row boats, the School has established a strong community 

link with the Swan River Rowing Club. 

The Perth Modern School rowers had a 

very successful inaugural season after 

training consistently hard at the Swan 

River Rowing Club last year and they 

gained some excellent results at the 

2010 Head of the River competition. 

They came home with two Consistency 

Pennants and a superb trophy for the 

Freshman’s Quad A. In a sport where 

traditionally private schools dominate 

the field, the Perth Modern School girls 

made a strong impact on the rest of the 

competitors and will be a force to be 

reckoned with in 2011. 

From Monday 7 March 2011 to Sunday 

13 March 2011, five Perth Modern 

School students participated in the 2011 

Australian Rowing Championships in 

Adelaide – Lilly Tinapple and Gemma 

Kimberley (Year 11) and Lauren Schillaci, 

Zoe Thornton and Ashleigh Blechynden 

(Year 12). The girls did extremely well 

in what was the biggest and most well 

attended Nationals regatta to date. They 

represented the Swan River Rowing 

Club and Perth Modern School in a 

range of events across the program. 

The outstanding result came from Lilly 

Tinapple in the Under 17 Single Scull 

who came from behind in the last 200m 

to win gold and claim the National 

Champion title for the event. Her time 

would also have seen her take out the 

Under 19 event. Both Perth Modern 

School and the Swan River Rowing Club 

are very proud of the efforts of Lilly and 

her team members. 

Perth Modern School Principal, Ms 

Lois Joll, said that the girls displayed 

professionalism and dedication 

throughout their training for the 

Nationals Competition and their excellent 

results pay tribute to their hard work. 


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House 

Swimming 

Carnival 

Parsons House was the winner 

of the first major House 

Competition of 2011 when it won 

the House Swimming Carnival 

followed by Sampson, Brown and 

Downing. It was encouraging 

to see so many parents and 

supporters cheering swimmers 

during the carnival. 

Congratulations to the following 

individual Year Champions: 

Connor McPhan (Year 8 Boy) 

Naqia Lawtie (Year 8 Girl) 

Aaron Leighton (Year 9 Boy) 

Jacqueline Darmago (Year 9 Girl) 

Liam Tapsell (Year 10 Boy) 

Katherine Langford (Year 10 Girl) 

Trond Vlot (Year 11 Boy) 

Lilly Tinapple (Year 11 Girl) 

Jack Scott (Year 12 Boy) 

Lauren Schillaci (Year 12 Girl) 

Swimming Carnival Results 

Outstanding performances from Perth Modern School students resulted 

in the School maintaining its standing in the Division A Swimming 

Carnival for the first time. Perth Modern School finished fourth on 

515 points. Perth Modern School won Division D in 2004, Division C 

in 2005 and finished second in Division B in 2006, thus competing in 

Division A for the first time in 2007. 

In 2007 we finished eighth and were 

relegated to Division B for 2008. We 

came second in 2008 and, competing 

in Division A again in 2009, were once 

again eighth and relegated to Division 

B. After winning Division B in 2010 and 

competing in Division A again this year, 

we scored more than double our 2007 

point score. 

Congratulations to all our Squad 

members and to Chien Yi Loo 

(Runner-Up 14 Years Girls’ Champion) 

and Trond Vlot (Runner-Up 16 Years 

Boys’ Champion). Our morning training 

sessions at the UWA pool, swimming 

camp and PE swimming sessions have 

all been important in our improvement. 

Special thanks to our Swim Coach, 

Mrs Robyn Winter, who has worked 

extremely hard in developing our squad 

with innovations like the 5 Year Club 

and specialist stroke coaches. Robyn’s 

daughter, Lauren, who has recently 

returned from a university swimming 

scholarship in the USA, also made 

a huge contribution by coaching at 

morning training sessions and giving 

valuable advice to students on the 

Carnival day. 




Exception 

18 

State Sports Representatives 

The following students have demonstrated outstanding physical skills and have been selected to 

represent the State in their respective sports in 2011. The School congratulates these students and 

commends them for their achievements. It is pleasing that these successful young athletes also represent 

the School in competition and mentor other students. The Health and Physical Education Learning Area 

will house an Honour Board to recognise all students selected to represent WA in sporting competition. 

AthleticS: 

Emily Gill (Year 12) 

John Newcomb (Year 8) 

volleYBAll: 

Simona Koncarevic 

Adin Pansing 

Manu Nair 

Henry McNulty 

Tim Chee 

Jonathan Thai 

Kieren Underwood 

(All Year 11) 


Back: Tim Chee; Jonathan Thai; Lilly Tinapple; Stefan Raovic; Manu Nair; 

Front: Simona Koncarevic; John Newcomb; Adin Pansing; Henry McNulty; 

Katherine Langford 

Perth Modern ARTchibald competition 

Visual Arts runs its own version of the Archibald Art competition in 

which all Year 12 Visual Art students take part. Perth Modern Schools 

version is called the ARTchibald competition run by Adrian Norton and 

the Perth Modern School library. All Perth Modern students and staff 

are encouraged to vote for their favourite piece. 15 self portraits were 

hung in the library and admired by staff, students and parents over 

several weeks. It received a great deal of publicity and attention. The 

Perth Modern ARTchibald winner was announced in the same week as 

the real Archibald competition in mid April. 

This year’s works were exceptional. The 

winning entry was from a very talented 

Tiffany Burridge. Tiffany comes from 

a family of artists and her very proud 

grandmother – Rosemary Pratt is the 

schools Art curator. Rosemary is so 

impressed with each of the ARTchibald 

pieces she wishes to use each piece for 

the end of the year art exhibition and 

purchase several of the pieces for the 

school art archive. “Tiffany is a hard 

working and dedicated art student. 

She is practical and passionate about 

achieving attention to detail, in particular 

form and a general outstanding result. 

tenniS: 

Stefan Raovic (Year 11) 

SwiMMinG: 

Katherine Langford (Year 10) 

SAilinG: 

Virginia Horn (Year 10) 

BASeBAll: 

Tom Beyer (Year 12) 

rowinG: 

Lilly Tinapple (Year 11) 

FencinG: 

Lachlan Bunney (Year 8) 

Eden Rokich (Year 10) 

Technically she is brilliant” says Adrian 

Norton, an artist in his own right. He 

has seen Tiffany mature into the young 

concentrated artist she is today. Tiffany 

won a autographed picture from Rolf 

Harris and a $50 art gift voucher. 

2nd prize went to Georgia Payne also 

a very talented artist, who Adrian says, 

would be an amazing art teacher one 

day. She is an enigmatic passionate artist. 

All ARTchibald pieces will be on display 

during the Arts Technology showcase in 

week 4 and at the end of the year for the 

Year 12 final Art exhibition.

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Please fill out this form to notify us of your interest and return it to the school reception by Friday 27 May. 

contAct detAilS 

NAME _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

PARENT OF ___________________________________________________________________________________ YEAR ____________ 

EMAIL __________________________________________________________ PHONE NUMBER _______________________________ 

eStABliShed or recentlY ForMed GrouPS 

(PLEASE TICK AREA(s) OF INTEREST) 

Music Group Current Leader Jenny Fay 

Aquatic Current Leader Belinda Loneragan 

Information Technology Current Leader Grant Fisher 

Social Science Current Leader Barry Francis 

Visual Arts Current Leader Alicia Brown 

PoSSiBle roleS 

(PLEASE TICK ONE OR MORE) 

Group Leader 

General Participant 

Presentations to/Mentor students 

Plan an Event 

Run a Session 

Fundraising 

Perth Modern School Parent Groups 

On several occasions, particularly at the recent Centenary Picnic, I have had parents ask me “How am I able to get involved with Perth 

Modern School? How can I help? How can I meet other parents?” Well, here is the ideal opportunity. 

For years we have had the Friends of Music parent group, the Ballet Parents and more recently we have a Rowing Group and there 

is soon to be an “Adventure” group relating to our World Challenge and similar teams. Now we wish to start some other “Friends of” 

parent groups organised through the auspices of the P&C. 

Our Principal and teachers are extremely supportive of this plan. They would be delighted to have support groups in all learning 

areas and wider. In the future I can see friends of Social Sciences, Mathematics, Science, Languages, Visual Arts plus areas such as 

Library, Technology and Building and Grounds. The list is extensive. 

If you would like to become involved in an area of interest please complete the details below. We are not asking for enormous 

amounts of time, just hope that you will seize the opportunity to become involved. Please tick the area(s) that you would like to 

consider. If you would be prepared to lead one of the groups don’t forget to tick that box. 

Please complete the interest form below and return to the School Reception by Friday 27 May. 

I look forward to lots more people getting involved in the Perth Modern School community soon. 

Deb Cook 

President Perth Modern School P&C 2011 

GrouPS to Be ForMed 

English 

Mathematics 

Science 

Languages 

Italian 

Chinese 

French 

Japanese 

Information Technology 

Building and Grounds 

Visual Arts (Design/Photography) 

Library 

Sports Sport of interest _______________________________ 

Other _____________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________ 




Exception 

20 

Centenary Celebrations

News - Perth Modern School

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