Issue 123 Winter 2019 ISSN: 2204-938X
Spring 2019 Issue 123 Issue 123 Winter 2019 ISSN: 2204-938X
Grounded in Truth, Walk Together with Courage
Inside this issue
The Regulars 04 Junior School Mathematics in the PYP 12 Teaching and Learning US Study Tours 16 Visual Arts The Rule Breaker 18 Design and Technology Learning through Fun and Games 26 Drama It’s Just a Stage I’m Going Through 31 BCPA USA Tour
The Features 01 From the Head of Barker Phillip Heath AM
54
02 From the Chair of Council David Charles 56 OBA President’s Message Vanessa Bennett
20 33
Jenny May Class of 79
45
A Record Breaker
Winter Playhouse
Lucy Lake (18) enjoyed a phenomenal success.
A range of Drama performances from Years 9 - 12.
Football Tour 30 students and three staff were privileged enough to embark on the European football tour of a life time.
Editor-in-Chief
Editor
Assistant Coordinators
Print Production
Art Direction
Phillip Heath
Julie McAllister
Mandy Loomes Karina Drummond
Ian Lindsay
Glenn Quevedo
From the Head
Beyond the Mint Gates We speak much about preparing our students for the world Beyond the Mint Gates. Every day at Barker, we want our students to prepare their character and their capacity to meet the unknown and an uncertain future. The pages that follow in The Barker provide a glimpse into our approach to this important mission. Naturally, the focus of much public conversation rests on students’ performance in public examinations like the Higher School Certificate and NAPLAN. These measures tell part of the story, of course, but they are only one part of a much more complex and expansive role that schools like Barker fulfil to prepare a young person to create a future that inspires hope for the globe. Over the past few weeks, through the kind permission of our School Council, I have enjoyed a time of sabbatical leave. With a delegation of Heads from Australia and the Association of Independent Schools, I travelled first to China to visit schools in Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. Before reaching Shanghai, I met with some outstanding Old Barker students in Singapore and Hong Kong, hearing of their achievements since leaving school and bringing them news of events at Barker. They were fascinated to hear about the new Rosewood Centre, which will be available for use during Term 1 in 2020, and the continued successes of Barker Robotics, Sport, Music, Drama and Indigenous Education. Later, my wife and I travelled to New York City to be reunited with our daughter, who is doing an internship with the United Nations. She has been assisting the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the UN working on Commissions focussing on the rights of women and children. More recently, she moved to the Commission for the Rights of Indigenous People. We were overjoyed to be taken through the UN building as her guest and learn of the important work that is being done to provide justice to vulnerable people whose lives are less secure than those we enjoy on Sydney’s Upper North Shore.
We concluded our break by riding the train to Montreal, Quebec and Halifax before spending time on Prince Edward Island (think of Anne of Green Gables) where I continued to work on some writing I have long hoped to complete. Stepping “Beyond the Mint Gates” was a rare time for me to reflect on the School from afar. As you will see from these pages, our students are experiencing a truly inspiring education and are achieving so much. They are addressing the challenges of the future but they are doing so in good heart and in good character. The Old Barker people I met on my journey proved to me again that these qualities are deeply entrenched in the Barker Way. We delight in all that is being achieved. And yet we remain a little restless and very determined to continue to create a stronger, more just, more inclusive, more compassionate and more accomplished future through the Barker education our students enjoy. Jesus tells his followers (Luke 12:48) “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Our education is a gift, not only for our own prosperity but to strengthen the lives of others and bring hope to a world in need. I see this so often in our alumni who continue to do remarkable things in the world. I thank the community of the current School who support our work with a myriad of expressions of care and generosity. Article by: Phillip Heath AM Head of Barker College
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From the Chair of Council
There are no more important people in the Barker Community than its current students. That is what I said (in fact, twice) at the Whole of School Commencement Assembly earlier this year. Any Whole of School Assembly is a splendid occasion in the School’s busy calendar. Indeed, it was a special honour for this Council member to be part of the Commencement Assembly on a gorgeous summer’s day, Wednesday 6 February 2019. How wonderful it was to see the students of Barker College and Darkinjung Barker from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12, as well as the School’s Teaching and Support Staff, all gathered together on the (mostly shaded) lawns surrounding the OBA Soundstage. I do not forget that The Barker is published for, and distributed to, the wider Barker community and that there are many thousands of you reading it! Yet the essential focus of the magazine, quite rightly, is on what the students of Barker College and Darkinjung Barker are presently doing and achieving. We like to read the magazine’s articles, and to look at some truly delightful snapshots. And don’t those photographs tell their own stories! Of course, we can do this in the knowledge that the Hornsby and Yarramalong campuses are vibrant and engaging places. So they should be. All Barker students are able to participate in, and enjoy the many and varied learning, sporting and other co-curricular activities on offer to them, and as importantly, the students can feel supported with pastoral care. All of this is made possible by dedicated staff, ably led by the Head and his Executive.
I observed to all of the students gathered at the Commencement Assembly that many, if not all, of them might feel quite small, at least in comparison to the greater world. To highlight the point, I referred to The Merchant of Venice, where Shakespeare’s character, Portia, says: “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” I then reminded the students, no matter how small they felt, that each of them is capable of great things, and further that the School is a place which can, and does, enable each of them by God’s grace to be shining lights in His world. In partnership with the School Council, the Head and all the staff work diligently and purposefully in a great cause: to help each and every Barker student call forth her or his hopes and aspirations. At the Commencement Assembly, I urged the students to take advantage of the many opportunities that come their way at Barker, to imagine great things, to think boldly, and to aspire to achieve ‘Beyond the Mint Gates’; but at the same time, I trusted that many of them would already know this in their own hearts. It is, and always will be, about what is in the best interests of the students. Article by: David Charles Chair of Council
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From the Chaplain
Spiritual Growth Indigo Hemmingway (Year 11) and Oliver Uy (Year 8) at work on Clean Up Australia Day 2019: What sort of world will our grandchildren inherit?
We are a school, and thus we are concerned with our students’ growth in all sorts of areas. We want our School to be a place to grow. What about their religious or spiritual growth? What are we looking for and working towards? Well, the literature on faith development is vast and everyone’s spiritual journey is different. Nonetheless, one way to break it down would be to identify three areas in which we want our students to be growing: a broadening knowledge of an overarching narrative and its central concepts, a deepening understanding as to how things are and which things matter, and an expanding circle of compassion and concern. If someone is making progress in those three areas, then they could be said to be doing well in terms of spiritual growth. One of the most challenging things that Jesus said was that we are to love our enemies. Not only are we to honour our parents, and ‘love our neighbours as ourselves’, and to ‘treat others – everywhere - the way we’d want to be treated’, but we are to ‘love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us’ that we might be like God who causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall for the evil and the good, the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5: 44-45).
Part of spiritual growth is expanding our circle of concern, enlarging the scope of our affections: beyond ourselves, beyond our families, beyond our ingroup, beyond our tribe, beyond our nationality and ethnicity, and - many of us would argue – beyond our species. Much more could be said about that, and about a loving that extends beyond our generation, to those who will come after us, our children’s children’s children, and the sort of world they will inherit. It could be argued that in talking about these three markers of spiritual development that we are talking about faith, hope and love. These are areas in which we work and pray for growth. Article by: Rev Jeff Ware School Chaplain
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Junior School
s c i t a m e h Mat in the PYP
In the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), Mathematics is viewed as a vehicle to support inquiry, providing a global language through which we make sense of the world around us. It is intended that students become competent users of the language of Mathematics, and can begin to use it as a way of thinking, as opposed to seeing it as a series of facts and equations to be memorised. Just as they see themselves as ‘authors’ and ‘artists’, we want our learners to see themselves as ‘mathematicians’. It is important that learners acquire mathematical understanding by constructing their own meaning by starting to explore their own personal experiences, understandings and knowledge. It is fundamental to the philosophy of the PYP that, since it is to be used in real-life situations, Mathematics needs to be taught in relevant, realistic contexts, rather than by the ‘dumping’ of mathematical facts. At Barker, as we continue in our candidacy phase, we are working towards ensuring our students are learning Mathematics through the stages of constructing meaning, transferring of meaning and applying that meaning with understanding. These stages allow for challenging exploration of a problem and the open-ended nature of the tasks also provide opportunities for the learner to ‘go beyond’ their stage level.
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So how do we view a unit of inquiry through the lens of Mathematics? When our teachers are planning a unit of inquiry, they ask themselves, will Mathematics inform this unit? What mathematical knowledge, skill, and concepts will the student need to be able to engage with and inquire into? What prior knowledge, concepts and skills do the students have that can be built upon? And how will we know what they have learned? Make no mistake, this is a big pedagogical shift in how we view the teaching of Mathematics but it makes sense. At first it feels like losing control but as teachers move through the process and see what our students can actually do, the thinking and the language that develops, we come to see the benefits of this type of learning and where it can take our learners. Article by: Ainslie Breckenridge Director of Junior School Curriculum
Pre-Kindergarten Unit of Inquiry: Each person is unique. The children engaged well with this unit of inquiry and it is particularly pertinent for those beginning at school. The children began by exploring the question: what am I like? They observed their features and those of others. They enjoyed using giant perspex to trace their partner’s outlines paying attention to eye colour, hair colour and features. The children observed their own reflections in mirrors and guided their partners as they were being drawn. They expanded on this by then considering what makes them unique. Initially they considered their physical appearance. This evolved as the children broadened their knowledge by considering things such as, favourite colour, food, games, clothes, animal etc.
Kindergarten Unit of Inquiry: How the world works. Our provocation centred on listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and imagining many different weather scenarios. We shared memories of times when the weather impacted outdoor activities we were doing. The children drew creative pictures and labelled them to record this learning. The students then used Post-it NotesTM to record everything they already knew about the weather and what they wanted to know about it.
The children reflected on how they had changed over time. They shared photos of their growth from birth to now. As the children developed a greater understanding of what makes them unique, they began to consider some connections. The children shared family photos and identified countries of origin, mother tongues and cultural connections. They initiated investigations on their iPads discovering Google Earth to view their houses and to look at maps of places they are connected to. The unit concluded with each child presenting a ‘unique box’ all about themselves. They collaborated with their families to provide photos and items of significance that reflected their interests, likes and hobbies and shared this with their peers.
The students went on to investigate using the skills of observing and recording the weather, identifying the seasons and changes that occur within each season, discussing the weather cycle and exploring the properties of rainbows – which the children were fascinated and delighted with.
Cent ral I dea: How livin g thing s cha nge. Conc epts: Form , chan functio n, ge
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Junior School
Year 1 Unit of Inquiry: Where we are in place and time Through the central idea: ‘Change helps us to understand our world’, Year 1 have used the language of past, present and future to explore how leisure and technology have changed over time. We investigated past technologies, such as early phones and televisions. For the present, we created a personalised Memory Box of items and experiences about our lives. We looked to the future and designed a toy based on elements of existing toys. We took advantage of Barker’s 3D printing technology to bring our designs to life.
Year 2 Unit of Inquiry: Who we are The provocation of our Year 2 unit, 'Who We Are' provided a thought provoking and enticing beginning to our unit. Students were thrown by the idea that McDonalds could actually be painted in the light of healthy eating. Many of the students loved this idea of course and could scarcely believe that two teachers would actually flaunt this concept. Students' perspectives were twisted and challenged. What the provocation achieved was to create a strong understanding that perspectives of what is healthy can be influenced, manipulated and changed by information that is misguided or even intentionally misleading. Unpacking the unit further, children began to discover what health and wellbeing really constituted. They began by investigating their own lunch boxes. In performing this task, individuals began to see how they have some choice and responsibility over what they consume. Digging deeper again, students discovered that health was not simply eating a balanced diet, but much, much more. They learned that in order to be healthy, factors outside of food must be considered. They deliberated things such as how much screen time is healthy and the need to be physically active every day. Touching on a healthy state of mind, students explored the notion that what we feel and think can also influence wellbeing. All individuals came to the understanding that they have some control and responsibility over their own personal health and wellbeing. So if you ask a Year 2 student what health is, they should tell you it is more than eating healthy food.
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Junior School
Year 3 Unit of Inquiry: Change, form and function Why is a woollen jumper warm? What is heat energy? Can heat be shared? Can people make heat? These are some of the questions students have pondered in their unit of inquiry, under the Transdisciplinary Theme of How the world works and with the central idea: ‘Materials have a range of properties that are changeable’. We began with an ‘ice challenge’ involving students placing an ice cube in a chosen position outside and seeing how long their ice would take to melt – the aim for it to last as long as possible. They enjoyed recording a time lapse video on their iPads, comparing their results and thinking about why some ice melted in under two minutes, while one cube had to be abandoned after remaining intact for over 25 minutes! Further investigations have involved the scientific concepts of heat transfer and change of state, with students learning about the importance of conducting a fair test. Properties of natural and processed materials will be studied as students question why certain materials are chosen for specific purposes. The unit allowed many opportunities for students to wonder, question and debate as they carried out their investigations and developed their understanding of the PYP concepts of change, form and function.
Year 4 Unit of Inquiry: Where we are in place and time Have you ever wondered how a convict’s life changed after his or her arrival in the new colony? The First Fleet’s arrival had a dramatic effect on the local Aboriginal people; how would they have viewed this arrival? Some marines and most free-settlers desired change so that they could improve their lives, with one of these families being the Macarthurs, who established Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta. What would have happened to the colony if this farm was not successful? These are some of the questions students have pondered in their unit of inquiry, under the Transdisciplinary Theme of Where we are in place and time and with the central idea: 'Settlement can be viewed from different perspectives'. After an inspiring excursion to Elizabeth Farm and Old Government House, Year 4 investigated how settlement affected different people’s lives. Through the PYP concepts of change, causation and perspective, all students will have a deeper understanding of this important time in our history.
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Junior School
Year 5 Unit of Inquiry: Where we are in place and time? During our second unit of inquiry, Where We Are In Place and Time, Year 5 have been investigating how countries have been developed for different reasons over time. To begin the unit, student thinking was provoked around how migration in the 1800s developed Australian culture. The students inquired into free settlers and the reasons why people wanted to leave their home country and migrate to Australia. They also used the concept of Change to reflect on how Australian migration has changed over time. The related concept of History has allowed the students to inquire into significant events such as the Gold Rush and the Eureka Stockade as well as sporting events like the Melbourne Cup and AFL. This concept also allowed inquiry into significant people like Edward Hargraves, Henry Parkes, Caroline Chisholm and Peter Lalor. The students have made connections between how migration and these events have had an impact on Australia and on the traditional owners of the land. The enduring understanding of the unit has been for students to make connections and understand how Australia has reflected on the past to help shape its future.
Year 6 Unit of Inquiry: How the world works Central Idea: Geological changes and extreme weather events affects the earth Concept: Function, causation, responsibility During Term 1 and Term 2, Year 6 have been looking at Earth and how it is constantly changing. Students investigated sudden geological changes and extreme weather events. An initial focus was made on contemporary Australian bushfire hazards and how they impact people and the environment. Students delved into how people and communities responded to these disasters, looking at rebuilding and recovering costs, fire prevention techniques and fire preparation options. All of Year 6 researched, planned and prepared excellent speeches on one significant bushfire hazard and presented it to their class. Excellent investigation was evident, with many detailed and engaging speeches. The next challenge for Year 6 was to become an extreme weather event expert. They were required to educate people about events such as volcanos, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, storms, floods or landslides. Through research, videos and visits from experts, students explained the science behind geological changes or extreme weather events, as well as the preparation, warning systems and technology that are in place for these events. Well done to the Year 6 experts who were knowledgeable and reflective inquirers throughout this Unit of Work.
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Junior School
Mind, Body, Spirit
Kindergarten - Year 2 continue to amaze us with how they are all working within the classroom. Focus on Learning: Kindergarten - Year 2 K-2 continue to amaze us with how they are all working within the classroom. Under the guidance of Tom Spencer and Sharyn Bailey, the children are growing their skills across the range of academic areas. The foundation of their learning is a very structured literacy and numeracy program. Each day, the teachers implement numerous programs with the children including Prelit, Minilit and Jolly Phonics to boost literacy awareness and foundation skills. The success of the children has been highlighted by their growth and improvement. Particularly pleasing has been the success of the children in reaching set and personal goals with their Magic 100-300 words as well as their reading fluency. It has been a fantastic start to the year.
NSWPSSA Swimming Swimming has been at the core of our physical education program since Darkinjung Barker commenced in 2016. Working alongside the Barker swimming staff and the YMCA Swimming Centre at Tuggerah, our children have worked on swimming survival and stroke correction. This has enabled our students to shine and work towards representing their School at carnivals. Late last term, four of our students represented Darkinjung Barker, IPSHA and CIS at the NSWPSSA Swimming Championships at Homebush. Marlee, Eliza, Amelia and Denvah swam in
the Small Schools Relay for schools with an enrolment of between 26 and 50 students, swimming a personal best time for the event. We are all very proud of their achievements.
Wellbeing – Champion Life In 2019, Darkinjung Barker has engaged with a program that aims to boost the mental health and wellbeing of students. Champion Life delivers an immersive Health & Physical Education and Wellbeing engagement resource for Years 4, 5 and 6 in primary schools. Each week the Years 4 – 6 students are challenged to participate in enjoyable physical and health activities that aid in developing their confidence, their physical strength and their skill level. With a positive message and increased confidence the program also assists in resilience building. Students watch a role model complete an activity and then practice and upload their own version. Students can complete their challenges alone, in pairs, as a group or even at home. Inspirational life messages from real-life role models encourage and support students to learn about their own emotions, values, character strengths and capacities. The children are thoroughly enjoying the program. Article by: Jamie Shackleton Darkinjung Barker Campus Coordinator
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Junior School
Copeland Choir China Tour For the first time in the School’s history, the Copeland Choir embarked on an international tour during the April holidays. The destination was China. Ten days, four cities, six performances with twenty students from Years 5, 6 and 7. It was an incredible experience.
Recent visits to Barker College by schools from China have opened the door to building stronger connections and relationships with these schools as well as others in China. Music was seen as a common thread to begin the process and the acclaimed Copeland Choir was the perfect group. The tour provided the opportunity to collaborate, share knowledge, build understanding and formalise relationships. The tour began in Nanjing with a visit to Nanjing Foreign Language School (NFLS), Xianlin Campus. With 7000 students in a Year 1 – 12 school (60% boarders) it was an impressive school. The Choir’s performance drew from their extensive repertoire and included a collaboration with the NFLS Middle School orchestra. Gift exchanges, media interviews, cultural activities and a trip to Purple Mountain rounded out a wonderful visit. In Nanjing, the choir also performed at the Nanjing Museum to the reception of an enthusiastic crowd of onlookers. The conditions were difficult, however the choir rose to the occasion and performed beautifully. The group travelled in the bullet train to Suzhou at almost 300km/h before attending the International Service in Dushu Lake Church. They performed a liturgical song as part of the Palm Sunday service and were invited to sing again at the conclusion. Suzhou Foreign Language School visited Barker during 2018 and our visit to their school provided the opportunity to cement a relationship between the two
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Schools. A morning assembly with all 3000 students welcomed us to the school. The students enjoyed a tour of the school and the opportunity to interact with the Elite Year 8 boys’ class where they shared information about their school and their city before providing morning tea and gifts for the group. Phillip Heath AM joined the tour and as part of the joint school concert, signed a sister school agreement with Principal Dong. The choir thoroughly enjoyed their STEAM and Music activities with members of the Suzhou staff. Barker Music staff reciprocated, providing music educator workshops and engaging in collaboration activities with teachers from the school. Following Suzhou, the tour party travelled by bus to Hangzhou. This beautiful city is built along the banks of the Grand Canal waterway, which originates in Beijing. Whilst there, we enjoyed a number of sightseeing activities including a tea ceremony, a “song city” performance, a visit to the local Bamboo forest and a cruise on the beautiful West Lake. The day concluded with a theatrical performance and spectacular light show. Our first school visit in Hangzhou was to Hangzhou Shanghai World Language Primary School (HSWLS). A relatively new primary school (established 2013) of over 800 students, HSWLS offers the PYP to an international program of students as well as a bilingual program that incorporates a blend of Western and Chinese curriculum and teaching styles. Our students performed for an enthusiastic audience combining with students from the school to perform a favourite
ay, the y 26 M n the a d n o On M ir wo fod in nd Cho Copela dney Eistedd 9 Sy r1 City of or y of Unde g e t a the c hoir. Male C eat! f What a
Chinese song. Following the concert, the choir were hosted to a choice of cultural activities including Music, cooking and paper craft. It is hoped that a relationship can continue between the two schools especially linking through the International Baccalaureate program. The second school in Hangzhou we visited was Daguan Primary School, a government school renowned for their investment in traditional Chinese Music. Our visit was seen as an important occasion in their calendar by the local education authorities. Copeland Choir performed extremely well in a joint concert with performance groups from Daguan. The choir was then invited to join with a dance group from the school for a workshop before Wayne Chang conducted a choral workshop for their students. Our final destination of the tour was Shanghai. With all of the performances over, the group enjoyed a more relaxed schedule visiting the urban planning museum, a night tour of The Bund, a visit to a silk market and a shopping experience at the local markets. The final highlight of the tour was a trip on the Maglev, a magnetic levitation train, to the International airport at 431km/h. The tour was a wonderful experience for all students and staff. The choir handled a mammoth performance program with a well-prepared repertoire covering a number of styles of choral music. They have
Junior School
confirmed their stature as a primary school choir of the highest calibre. The students were outstanding ambassadors for Barker College, their families and Australia. Managing away from home without your parents, in a foreign country for ten days provides many challenges. The students did magnificently demonstrating independence, responsibility, resourcefulness, courage and resilience. I acknowledge the wonderful assistance and support of the staff who accompanied the group, Wayne Chang, Mary Jayne Smith, Peter Ellis, Denise Papaluca and our tour medico, Dr Kate Webster. Also, a big thank you to the many parents who assisted with our connections and arrangements in China. Without this assistance our trip would have been much more difficult. The tour has furthered the reputation of Barker College and provided the opportunity to build new, and strengthen existing relationships in China. Article by: Martin Lubrano Tour Leader Head of Junior School
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Teaching and Learning
US Study Tours Microsoft Lighthouse Study Tour: Seattle Last April we were fortunate to be able to attend the Lighthouse Schools Study Tour at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, USA. This involved a group of Australian educators with curriculum and information technology backgrounds touring the facilities at Microsoft, visiting a couple of schools and participating in workshops addressing the role of IT in the classroom. Microsoft’s head office is in a suburb near Seattle. Some 50,000 people work at this compound consisting of 125 buildings covering 205 hectares (about five times the size of the entire Barker campus). Thousands of visitors attend the compound every year, including many who visit just to see how to run a big campus. Microsoft invest a lot of resources into research-based education. They see the future of learning as: •
competency based
•
personalised, relevant and contextualised
•
giving the learner agency
•
socially embedded
•
open walled (open to the wider world rather than being closed)
Their research tells them the skills our students require are technical, skills regarding work practices; social and emotional skills. During the school visits and tour of facilities of Microsoft, it was clear that the possibilities for ‘delivering’ education are significant and the growing development of artificial intelligence is allowing some great things to be done in the classroom. Coupled with data already generated by students from their online work and assessments, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the ability to adapt to a student in real time and intuitively respond to and engage with students. We are already seeing this start to be implemented in some of our Canvas courses here at Barker. AI can also accurately and logically move students through a learning path, identifying students working below their potential and assessing factors affecting completion and student success. For students, this gives greater personalisation of their learning and higher levels of mastery and understanding. AI also has the potential to make time-consuming tasks simple and time-efficient.
Promoting Independent Learning
Accessible technologies help students with disabilities unlock their full potential by addressing a diversity of needs
Learning
Visual
Hearing
Mobility
Neurodiversity
Mental Health
Dyslexia Dysgraphia Dyscalculia
Low Vision Blind Colourblind
Deaf Hard of Hearing
Cerebral Palsy Muscle Dystrophy Amputation
Autism ADD/ADHA Seizure
Anxiety Depression OCD
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Teaching and Learning
We also saw the processes used in developing technology and then producing the final product. These included looking at how they design and test hardware so that it is ergonomic and functional in its use. A trip to the Microsoft anechoic chamber where they test sound levels given off components was a highlight – it holds the Guinness record as the quietest place on earth! Microsoft’s vision of empowerment has seen a huge focus upon using AI to improve accessibility for people with vision, hearing, mobility, health and learning challenges. It was uplifting to hear the company’s commitment to digital inclusion and the design of products for people of all abilities and diversity of everyone.
We had the opportunity to catch up with two past students, Matt Donovan (91) and Richard Harris (85), both providing great insights into the company. Article by: Jeremy von Einem Director of Academic Performance James Stewart Director of ICT and eLearning
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Teaching and Learning
Southern USA The Barker Foundation generously supports staff members to undertake study tours through their innovative Travelling Fellowship program. In recent years, developing Australia’s capacity in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects has become a national priority. However, girls tend to report lower rates of participation, enjoyment and interest in these subjects. With the introduction of girls to Barker in Year 7, 2020, it was timely to identify ways that Barker could inspire change for the better in this area. Choosing to focus on Mathematics in particular, I developed an itinerary for a study tour in the United States that included a research conference in San Diego, as well as visiting with academics and delivering a lecture at the University of Nevada. However, the real highlights of the tour were visits to four different coeducational schools across Las Vegas, Fort Worth, and Dallas. It was heartening to hear that good teaching and learning remains the same in younger coeducational environments having dynamic passion for the subject, fostering good rapport between students and staff, and using effective classroom management and assessment practices. However, as the Middle School moves to a coeducational model, we also need to consider specific ways that we can encourage young girls to thrive in their study of Mathematics. The competitive environment that suits many boys can be improved with more opportunities for group work and collaboration, especially with enrichment material. A growth mindset is essential for all students, but particularly for girls who might be a little too quick to say, “I was never good at maths”. We need to continue to challenge unhelpful gender stereotypes, and the curriculum team is looking forward to the great opportunities with future coeducation in the Middle School. Article by: Kester Lee Director of Studies Top to bottom With Roxanne Stansbury from the Alexander Dawson School, Las Vegas; With David Monaco, the Head of Parish Episcopal School, Dallas; The Mathematics team at Good Shepherd Episcopal School, Dallas; Investigating probability at the National Museum of Mathematics.
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Maths
Investigations in Mathematics
In 2019, NSW Education and Standards Authority (NESA) required all Stage 6 Mathematics courses to include an investigative project as an alternative form of assessment.
The Mathematics department have used this type of assessment as an opportunity to allow students in Year 11 to model a real-world scenario using their Mathematics skills. In Standard Mathematics, students used formulae and charts in Excel for their investigation, using real data from a medical practice to investigate profits. They also used Pareto charts to explore CO2 emissions and gave recommendations on how to reduce emissions. In Advanced Mathematics, students devised the model that explained the stacking of Styrofoam cups. The investigation led them to determine the number of cups needed to stack to the top of a tall building as well as compare two stacks with different cup types. Students also modelled the curves that made up roller coasters using the graphing software Desmos. This mastery of graphing technology should aid them in their studies forthwith.
In Extension Mathematics, students designed their own roller coaster that would fit onto Bowman field. They needed to consider curves which would give maximum thrill on the ride and try to choose unusual graphs such as the Folium of Descartes. An example of a roller coaster is shown here. Students realised that the thrill of designing a roller coaster might actually be greater than the thrill of riding on the roller coaster! Article by: Allison Davis Assistant Coordinator Mathematics
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Visual Arts
The Rule Breaker This term our Year 8 Art students have been studying the rebels in art. These artists broke the conventions in the art world at the time, to produce Avant Garde artworks that shocked their audiences. We have been questioning, why the rule breakers are recorded in history and why it is important to understand their work. The students have been examining artists including Michelangelo, Ai Wei Wei and Banksy. One of the most renowned rebels in art was Modernist artist Marcel Duchamp. Duchamp stands with Picasso as one of the revolutionaries of 20th century art and his choices, as an artist, profoundly changed the nature of what could be called art. The Essential Duchamp exhibition features important early works that have not before been seen in the Asia-Pacific region, including paintings from the formative years
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of Duchamp’s practice. It also displays iconic works such as Duchamp’s infamous urinal readymade, Fountain 1950 (a replica of 1917 original). Duchamp’s ready-mades (the bicycle wheel, bottle rack, urinal) questioned the accepted ideas of originality and the mark of the artist’s hand. The philosopher John Passmore summed up Fountain as ‘a piece of mischief at the expense of the art world’. Our Year 8 students were able to view this piece of mischief up close and contemplate the question that many thousands have asked before: Is this art?
Visual Arts
The Mosman Youth Art Prize The Mosman Youth Art Prize exhibition is renowned as being competitive with close to 400 entries, from all over Sydney, received annually. This year, we entered a selection of works from current and past HSC students. Five students’ works were selected to be hung; Emily Francis, Max Gregg and Georgia Hood from last year’s Year 12 and Eve Timms and Sophie Whitehead from this year’s Year 12. The work was of a high calibre and these students should be thrilled to have their work displayed.
Emily Francis (Class of 2018), was awarded the Second Prize and the Tertiary Friends of the Gallery Encouragement Award for her HSC work Finding Sally: Life through my mother’s eyes. She was rewarded with prizes totalling $1050. The Mosman Art Society, Art Smart Encouragement Award went to Max Gregg (Class of 2018), for his painting Away. Article by: Tara van Drempt Head of Visual Arts
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Design and Technology
Learning through Fun and Games
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Design and Technology
2019 sees the implementation of the new Stage 4 Technology Mandatory Syllabus. Technology Mandatory engages students in design and production activities as they develop solutions to identify needs and opportunities.
Through the practical application of knowledge and understanding they learn about Agriculture and Food Technologies, Digital Technologies, Engineered Systems and Material Technologies. Barker has chosen to implement the syllabus with a focus on Digital Technologies and Material Technologies in Year 7 and students are currently nearing completion of their first unit of work. Half of the students have engaged in designing and producing computer games using Scratch as an introduction to coding and then Pico 8 to further develop their ability to code. It has been quite challenging for some of the students; however, the excitement and desire to produce interactive computer games that work, has been a great motivator and students have been able to systematically design their own characters, backgrounds and game scenarios and produce the algorithms to implement them.
The Material Technologies unit of work has focussed students on using a range of hand skills to shape materials whilst gaining an appreciation of their properties. Students have produced a hand plane for the surf as well as a bag to carry this and produced logos to brand their projects. The requirement for students to spend much of their time investigating, designing and producing their own solutions is what makes Technology such an appropriate subject for the 21st Century. Next year students in Year 8 will complete a unit of work in Agriculture and Food to learn about nutrition, healthy eating and how food is produced. The other unit students will complete is Engineered Systems. This will build on their coding experience from this year and provide them with the opportunity to study how forces work and apply this understanding to the design and production of a control system. Article by: Darren Woodrow Head of Design & Technology
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Design and Technology
A Record Breaker Lucy Lake (Class of 2018) has enjoyed phenomenal success since leaving school just a few short months ago, taking out second place in the Engineering Mechanics category at the Intel Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona in May.
Each year, approximately 1,800 finalist high school students from more than 80 countries, regions, and territories are awarded the opportunity to showcase their independent research and compete for more than $5 million in prizes. In designing and producing her Biomimicry (whale) Inspired Carbon Fibre Racing Oars, for her HSC Design and Technology Major Project, Lucy noticed that there had been a plateau in racing results for competitive rowing and that the design of rowing equipment hadn’t changed for years. She tested numerous designs based on whale tubercle features with SolidWorks and developed new oars incorporating biomimicry to diminish aero and hydrodynamic drag. Rowing races typically cover a distance of 2km. In 1952, says Lucy, the world record for rowing that distance was 8 minutes, 12 seconds. Back then, rowers used oars made of wood. But in the decades that followed, rowers started using oars made from lighter materials, including plastics. By 1988, the world-record time for rowing 2km had dropped to 6 minutes, 49 seconds. And since then, Lucy noted, not much progress had been made. The current record, set in 2016, is only 8 seconds faster than the record set 31 years ago.
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Lucy used computer software that analysed the flow of water around objects, to develop her design. The sizeable bumps, or tubercles, along the front edges of a humpback whale’s flippers served as her inspiration. Lucy also field-tested her design by making prototypes of smooth-edged and bumpy-edged oar blades. Oar handles that would fit both types of blades, enabled Lucy to swap them out and test each type of blade without changing the length of the oar, or the weight and feel of its handle. Over several days, she tested one type of oar blade, and then the other, over a distance of 500m. On average, Lucy finished the course 3.6 seconds faster when she used the bumpy-edged oar blades. If a world-class rower were able to do the same — and keep up the pace for a full 2km — they might be able to break the world record by as much as 14.4 seconds, she estimates. Article by: Julie McAllister Editor
Design and Technology
I have designed and created a high performance rowing oar integrating design inspired by biomimicry (the tubercles on whales). The oar design will reduce drag and enhance performance. This is the third phase of oar design, following on from timber oars, laminated oars and now introducing biomimicry inspired design. Lucy Lake (18)
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Reconciliation
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Reconciliation
Grounded in Truth, Walk Together with Courage Reconciliation involves acknowledging the past, connecting in the present and inspiring the future. At Barker College and Darkinjung Barker, our vision is to uphold, celebrate and promote the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to our society.
We seek to create opportunities for Indigenous people to participate in all aspects of our community and the life of the School. During National Reconciliation Week between May 27 – 31, students and staff participated in a range of activities, culminating in the launch of the School’s Reconciliation Action Plan during a whole School event at lunchtime on Friday 31 May. Students enjoyed performances from the Darkinjung Barker students; dancing; along with the playing of the Yidaki (didgeridoo) by staff and students.
What is a RAP? A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a formal statement of commitment to reconciliation. The RAP articulates a vision for practical reconciliation within the Barker College community. The aim is to increase student, parent and staff support for Indigenous education initiatives. Importantly, a RAP provides a framework for implementing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures crosscurriculum priority K-12 as required by the Australian Curriculum. The RAP is designed to lead to a higher level of knowledge and pride in Indigenous histories, cultures and contributions amongst staff and students, embedding respect for the world’s longest surviving cultures and communities within the Barker workplace and curriculum.
Members of the student body and teaching and support staff developed the RAP and have committed to implementing it. The group has worked together to identify the School’s current actions relating to reconciliation, and to determine what else might be done. The Bible guides us in the way we relate to all people: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment more important than these two. Mark 12:30-31 View our latest RAP videos: www.barker.college/ about-barker/reconciliation-action-plan Article by: Sophie Mynott Indigenous Education Project Leader
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Senior School
Introducing the New Senior School Team As 2019 brings a new era for the Middle School with the appointment of three Deans and the expansion of the House system from 8 to 16 Houses, one might think that it is business as usual in the Senior School. We must not forget the changes in the House System. As I am sure you are aware, we now have 16 Houses running from Year 7 to 12, each with a Middle School Head of House and a Senior School Head of House. So far this year we have been taking advantage of some time together as a whole house in Connect Group time. We also had a wonderful opportunity at the end of last term with the Athletics Carnival providing time to meet and compete as a whole House and build some special esprit de corps! Along with the Deans, we have an outstanding group of staff who are our Heads of House and as always they remain the first port of call for parents and the person on staff who works most closely with the pastoral needs of the student. They collaborate with their Connect Group Leaders who are delivering the structured Wellbeing program under the guidance of Rowena Dudgeon. Other resources available for our students include Learning Support and subject Access programs run by individual departments. Students are also able to speak with the counselling staff and members of the Chaplaincy team and they have a wonderful resource in Andrew Moody who is an expert advisor for careers and life after Barker.
Out and about the General Duties staff; Greg Applewhite, Natalie Denton, Rob Paterson, Adam Pritchard and Jeff Talty continue to keep a helpful and critical eye out for the various activities away from the classroom. The Senior School office is held together and driven forward by our indefatigable Jillian Vanderlaan. We are very grateful to have so many staff who are able to provide care and give advice to our students.
Article by: David Giltrap Head of Senior School
This year student leadership and service learning are organised by Kirsten Phillips and Amy Robertson. They have been very busy working with our new House Captains, Prefects and Co-curricular leaders.
Hill House Michael Marokakis
a PA to Head of Senior School Jillian Vanderlaan
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Mackenzie House Andrew Mallam
Senior School
John Doran - Dean of Senior School Mr Doran is a wonderful teacher of Mathematics and he has helped develop Barker’s Behavioural Management Program. He looks after the academic concerns of Year 10 students and manages the day to day aspects of the student leadership team.
Dean Bunn - Dean of Senior School Mr Bunn has held a number of roles at Barker including Head of Science and Director of Student Leadership and Service Learning. This year he is the Dean responsible for the academic concerns of Year 12.
Natalie Potent - Dean of Senior School Mrs Potent teaches PDHPE and has been our most successful Firsts Netball coach. At present she is responsible for the academic needs of Year 11 and the Monitor program. She has also been involved in the development of the Rosewood Centre and planning for the transition to coeducation.
Bowman House Jimmy Tod-Hill
Andrew House Phil Gordon
Boyce House Richard Clezy Butters House Sally Filtness Fear House Nicola Maloy
Sthalekar House Sarah Cormio
Stevens House Kylie McKnight
Pain House Greg Bayne
May House Tim Binet
Wilson House Darren Peattie Wade House Simon Lawry
Wailes House Brad Moar
Stone House Simon Walker
Holt House Lee Batchler
Winter 2019 • Issue 123 • The Barker • 25
Drama
It’s Just a Stage I’m Going Through Doooogs’ Barker numerical Drama history: 19 Years, 92 Productions, 8 theatrical venues, 18 (excluding OBAT and Year 11 student directed) Directors, 1012 Stage Crew, 1783 Bunnings trips, 863 blown lightbulbs, 2300 late nights beyond midnight, 9700 coffees, 228 boxes of tissues, 6 missed weddings, and a very notable hair loss. There is a reason my four years (I promised myself) at Barker has become 19 years. The one thing I always tell people is that we do good shows. More often than not, the high expectation that we creatives put on ourselves to achieve a good show, has been met here at Barker. It is not for ourselves as Directors or Technical Directors that we expect to achieve a professional looking and often times emotional (laughter and tears – sometimes simultaneously) production, but for the positive enjoyment of a student that has owned their character or their role backstage. The look on a Year 10 students’ face when they realise they have just ‘acted’ for the first time, that they have just told a heartfelt story or elicited a genuine laugh from their peers, is priceless. The parents that see their children in a way they have never seen before, and genuinely need to thank the Director for the positive change in their child’s life. And there is a sense of belonging that encircles all productions. The words ‘second home’ and ‘family’ are used a lot by the Year 12 cast and crew after roughly six productions together. There are friendships made and an over-arching pride in the theatre the students have delivered. One thing that I have always maintained about a good show is the set design needs to work fluidly throughout the performance. Scene changes should not be more than 15 seconds, just enough to allow the audience to reflect on the last scene before they are transported into the next.
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This is why I ask the stage crew to own their jobs. I know they are students, but from two weeks out from a show, they become my boss. Students run the backstage, students run the lighting and sound, and they have an ownership of the process that makes for beautiful productions. The set design is primarily the Director’s job in my view. I have been given full set designs with pencil on paper (aerial and front on views). I have been given numerous google images of what Directors’ sort of want it to look like and pieced together my own design from that. I have had photoshopped images, rough ideas with no images, and in some cases no ideas at all (which has given me the headaches and enjoyment of creating my own design). What I love in all of this is after finding a way to put it all together and utilising the right materials for the particular sets, the look on the actors’ faces as they walk in on that first rehearsal after it is built. The idea that they can see how they can start working with the landscape that has been created for them. I am extremely proud of the sets I have built over the past 19 years and have included some pictures to give examples of our work. Enjoy the journey through Barker’s recent dramatic past. Article by: Dugal Parker Theatre Technician
Drama
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Focus On
Come Join The Focus On Frequent Flyers Focus On is an academic support program offered to Middle School students Monday to Thursday afternoons from 3:30 – 5pm. Sailesh Veluri – Yr 8 Focus On offers me the opportunity to get instant help and recommendations from teachers when I am completing homework and assignments.
Each Focus On session begins with afternoon tea to combat the hunger pains and to prepare our hardworking students for an afternoon of productive study. Students work with a team of teachers (drawn from Learning Support as well as a variety of other curriculum areas) who support them to plan and complete specific homework and assignments. There is also a continuous focus on the development of study and organisational skills. In addition, focused revision and consolidation workshops are organised throughout the year. Focus On offers a friendly and positive work environment where Middle School students have the opportunity to develop their study and research skills.
Sam Wood – Yr 9 I feel more productive working in the Focus On environment. It’s also great having teachers around to help me get more organised with my assignments. Matt Darcy – Yr 8 It’s really good to be able to finish all your homework with confidence and then to go home and have free time. Ben Bishenden-Sittisai – Yr 8 There are so many distractions at home. At Focus On everybody works quietly and with focus. Article by: Naomi Hicks Learning Support Teacher Jacqui McLachlan Mathematics Teacher
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Spelling Bee
Spelling Bee Superstars 2019 Rhodes Theatre was a hive of activity Week 11, Term 1 for the annual Spelling Bee Competition.
Year 7 Tuesday 9 April
Year 8 Wednesday 10 April
There was a great buzz of excitement with the largest number of Year 7 competitors to date: a swarm of sensational spellers from each English class! The crowd was superbly supportive and extremely enthusiastic. There were suspense-filled ‘spell-offs’ for nearly every place. In the end, our wonderful Year 7 winners were:
A committed colony of sensible spellers flew to Rhodes Theatre for the final day of the competition. Many were return-bees from last year. There was no time for bee puns or jokes (What is the favourite flower of a bee? Bee-gonias! Which band do bees prefer? The Bee-Gees!) These wondrous wordsmiths were determined and driven. The Year 8 winners were:
1) Shayan Farzam 2) Arnav Desai 3) Kerry Mo 4) Arjun Pillai 5) Benjamin Weatherall
1) Oliver Uy 2) Noah Ashton 3) Matthew Smith 4) Thomas Horlin and Henry Loke (equal fourth place) Thank you to the Barker Foundation for supplying the QBD Bookstore vouchers which were awarded to our top five super-spelling winners. See you at the Bee in 2020! Article by: Martine Sloper English and Learning Support Teacher
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Languages
Chinese Language Immersion Camp On 17-18 March, 14 students from the Year 11 and 12 Chinese Continuers classes attended a two day Chinese language immersion camp.
The camp was held at the Sinofield cultural centre in scenic Leura. Although it rained for most of Sunday and Monday morning, the students were enthusiastic in participating in their Chinese language activities. As the name suggests, the students were in a Chinese language environment with Sinofield staff and Barker staff member Ken Wong, only speaking Chinese to them for the duration of the camp. The language activities started with mini lectures and workshops on the requirements and exam skills for the HSC. The lectures also covered the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. The students had three speaking sessions where experienced teachers gave them 1:1 speaking practice sessions which totalled to around one hour of speaking each. The students found the speaking practice most beneficial and helpful. To give the students a break from the high intensity language workshops, we participated in cultural activities such as calligraphy and making tangyuan (a Chinese delicacy) .
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The Chinese food was plentiful and delicious and the accommodation comfortable. Even though the students were “device free” for the camp, they enjoyed each other’s and the teachers’ company and had lots of opportunity to practise and improve their Chinese. Ken Wong congratulated the students who all behaved perfectly and used this opportunity to improve their Chinese language. Thanks must also go to Sinofield for accommodating the camp and collaborating in organising a worthwhile and memorable two days at Leura, where we hope to do it again in 2020! Article by: Ken Wong Languages Teacher
Barker College Parents' Associations Barker College Parents’ Association
Upcoming Events Saturday 27 Jul Christmas in July Dinner Dance Friday 22 Nov Christmas Fair
A Job Well Done
Friday 29 Nov All School Christmas Luncheon
The BCPA headline for this edition are the functions planned for the Christmas season this year - it may seem a long way off, but pop them in your diary, for if they are as popular as our Trivia night, which sold out in under a week, tickets won’t last long! As many are aware, the BCPA has contributed $150,000 towards the rejuvenation of the Middle School quadrangle this year, and has since been able to contribute a further $25,000 towards extensions of the student recreational facilities in the Junior School as Barker welcomes more girls to our student population. These contributions are only possible with the continued strong support of our parent community, and the BCPA especially thank all our parent and carer volunteers for your on-going commitment and effort, and the wider parent population for your support at our fundraising functions. It is this support that allows us to continually contribute to the School and the benefit of our children. A special thank you and welcome aboard to two of our parent volunteers, Deanne Uy in the Middle School, and Gloria Guo in Senior School who have recently joined the BCPA team as our Tuckshop Coordinators. We hope you don’t mind the public
introduction! We’d also like to give a special mention and a huge thank you to our outgoing Coordinators, Angela Schulz for Middle School, and Karen Marais for the Senior School. They have tirelessly given their time and effort over the last two years or more, and ensured the smooth running of our tuckshop volunteering. You are both awesome and your effort and commitment are truly appreciated, thank you! Once again, look out for the upcoming email flyers that include links to the Trybooking ticketing pages for our functions, and we look forward to seeing you there. If you have any queries please contact us by email at: bcpa@barker.nsw.edu.au Article by: James Hole BCPA President
Winter 2019 • Issue 123 • The Barker • 31
Drama
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Drama
Winter Playhouse Winter Playhouse is an exciting event featuring a range of Drama performances from Years 9-12, but this year, we decided to approach things a bit differently... As the Prefect motto for 2019 is “Connect the College” we decided to showcase some of the other creative art subjects Barker has to offer including Textiles, Music and Visual Art. And, might we say, it was a huge success! We had a mini Art/Textiles showcase in the Cru room which allowed student work from years 9-12 to be appreciated and attracted quite a few audience members while sipping their hot chocolate and nibbling on banana bread (provided by the phenomenal Pascal and his team) while pre-show music items played. Winter Playhouse was also the debut of the brandnew Barker Drama hoodies (which have been two years in the making). So, rugged up in their new hoodies and blankets, surrounded by fairy lights and bunting, fellow students and proud parents the Barker Creative Arts community came together to create a warm, fun evening that we had the great pleasure of hosting.
There were a number of highlights for us; the first ever Year 7 Theatresports team, the taster of the Year 11 play, the well prepared Year 12 performances, the Year 11 and Year 10 pieces from their most recent assessments and the brilliantly choreographed sneak peek of the Year 10 play – it's hard to choose – but the most important was the incredible support from our friends in all years. It was really nice to see everyone supporting each other. We can happily say, that Winter Playhouse 2019 was a brilliant night, and wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the five wonderful Drama teachers plus the new addition to Barker Drama, in her role as Drama Admin, Jodi Rabinowitz. Also, a special well deserved thank you, to Dugal and his wonderful skills in the technical side of the event. But more importantly, a thank you to all those who support the creative arts at Barker, we really appreciate your amazing support!! Article by: Oliver Clisdell and Sophie Whitehead 2019 Drama Captains
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Alumni Profile
Alumni Profile Old Boy Stephen Jacob from the Class of 1971 recently chatted with Mandy Loomes, Director of Alumni and Community Relations. Stephen is a pianist who lives in Seattle in the USA.
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How often did you practice piano as a child and how often do you practice now? At age seven I wanted to play so my dad said he would buy me a piano after a year if I cycled to our church to practice! I played almost daily then and still do if I have a piano/keyboard. Is there a significant piano performance you remember and why is it important to you? When I was 16 at the peak of my classical training I performed at a school concert. I loved my pieces and was thrilled to share my joy.
Decades later I was playing in a trio, had just broken up with my girlfriend and was heartbroken. At the moment I needed to play I couldn’t remember how the piece began and then my hands played from kinesthetic memory – ‘twas amazing! That’s trust in action. What is your favorite genre of music to play? And to listen to? Currently I mostly improvise. It’s my inner soundtrack, not a specific genre yet draws deeply on my early training and all subsequent studies. I love jazz and enjoy many genres.
Alumni Profile
When did you decide to choose a career as a pianist. Was it a gradual progression or always your dream with a direct path? I call it my accidental career as I’ve taken a very circuitous path. Did you come from a musical family? No, although there were some musical relations and influences. What was your favorite memory of school. Who was you most influential teacher/mentor? Did Barker have an impact on your choice of career? My first piano teacher, Alan Tregaskis, was kind and lovely for me. He was our gifted music teacher/organist who also performed for ABC radio national. I loved hearing him improvise on the hymns and he was an inspiration. And he would play pop songs that we brought to class! Evelyn Davies, my next teacher, listened carefully to how I played, choosing new music she intuited I would love and invariably did! Impact? For sure! What was your journey after graduating from Barker and becoming a professional pianist? That’s the long and winding road of my life! I have many wild travel stories but… I wanted to study architecture yet started at Sydney University with Arts for a year, then jazz at the Conservatorium that opened a new door for me. At 20 I went with my girlfriend to South East Asia for what I thought was six weeks but it was three years before I came home! I backpacked through most of South East Asia, India, Nepal and the Middle East, lived in Greece for six months and London for a year and a half, where I explored synthesizers and composing with two Japanese musicians. I returned to Sydney
when I was 23, studied the physics of sound, then began touring with a ‘cover’ band, all the while developing my own style. What brought you to live in Seattle? At 26 I left Sydney to meet a girlfriend in Canada, travelling for six months in New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines then lived in Vancouver, BC where I returned to basics with Bach 2-part inventions and Debussy that influenced me quite strongly. After playing with local musicians and teaching piano for a year, I moved to Albuquerque, NM where I married. I taught music K-12 in a Sikh school, continued composing and began recording. At the age of 30 I moved to Seattle, WA to study Dance and Music therapy and after playing a benefit was offered a gig as pianist/music director at that church. I finally recorded my first CD in my thirties, which led to my touring nationally, expanding to speaking and presenting workshops. I worked in Seattle playing in restaurants and with many artists doing musical theatre, dance and animation soundtracks, bands and many benefits for favourite causes. What are your future plans? I have a new website (stephenjacob.com) with some newer improvisations, photography and resources, and am offering my music using the ‘Gift economy’ as described by Charles Eisenstein. I intend my work/music to be an inspiration for personal and social/ cultural healing. How do you stay focused to reach your goals? That is a challenge with my many interests! A thriving community and living for the wellbeing of all life are what really matter to me. I
have strong relationships with my partner Bella, good friends, support circles and mentors. In my 20s I started a morning practice of yoga that has grown into a combination of inspirational reading, movement, music, art and writing, which I do regardless of where I am and what I have. It is my sacred time before the ‘to do list’. What led you into meditation and soul music? I wanted to slow down, feel more, and mitigate external influences, and then realised my lifelong music practice has actually been a meditation on sound and silence. Soul music is my unique musical expression and not to be confused with the African American genre from the 50s and 60s. You are known as a musician, poet, speaker and presenter! What do you enjoy most in your career? I really love sharing my ‘humanities’ program that is a combination of music, poetry, personal stories and inspiration. What advice would you give to your 16 year old self? Pause, breathe, listen and be curious. Imagination and creativity are essential. Develop authentic friendships. Ask for help. Words of wisdom for today’s Barker students? Paraphrasing some of my mentors… We are all in this together. Be aware of and grateful for your privilege. Find where your joy meets a need and go for it! Risk and trust the mystery of life and befriend serendipity! Article by: Mandy Loomes Director of Alumni and Communiy Relations
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Heads of Department Profiles
Tara van Drempt – Head of Visual Arts It may seem obvious, but the one word chosen by Head of Visual Arts, Tara van Drempt, to sum up her Department is “creative”. Now in her third year at Barker, Tara and her team of five teaching staff and two support staff, have had a very busy time of late, rewriting all of the Years 7 – 11 programs to ensure more of a ‘concept’ rather than a ‘product’ approach. “We want students to look at why artists do what they do,” Tara said. “This has given us more scope in terms of our material choices which need to be engaging for both the boys and the girls.” “Most art books traditionally feature European or male artists, so we want to ensure that there is a female, Australasian and Indigenous voice that our students are learning from.” A new initiative for the Department this year is the introduction of Photographic and Digital Media in Year 9. This new elective will be rolled out to Year 10
students in 2020. “It has been really well received by the students with two full elective classes. The students are studying both wet and digital media photography and Year 10 will focus on animation and broadcasting.” Tara’s proudest moment is when the visual language of a student is represented in their work. “I’m so proud of the variety and high skill level of our students when they leave us and love that so many of them continue to design, create and exhibit their work long after leaving school.” It’s not just Tara’s passion for wildlife photography that keeps her busy outside of the VA Department. She has also undertaken a considerable amount of mission work in countries such as Rwanda and the Solomon Islands.
Jeremy Whitney – Head of Commercial Studies As an entirely elective department, Head of Commercial Studies, Jeremy Whitney, sums up his team of 19 as “industrious”. “This is one our key strengths,” Jeremy explains. “Our staff make themselves available and approachable for their students. We provide a lot of after hour access. Across the four electives there is an emphasis on producing and developing engaging units of work for the students.” Over the coming 12 months, Jeremy says the focus will be on bringing some of the bigger projects to fruition, as well as a continuing focus on the development of writing skills. “By building their confidence in their writing ability and developing their critical thinking skills right from the outset when they join us in Year 9, it really helps to prepare them for what lies ahead in Year 12,” Jeremy said.
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Through each of their electives, the Department also tries to make the content as contemporary and relevant as possible. “We aim to bring the real world into our classroom all the time.” Jeremy is particularly proud of what has been achieved in the last four years. “As a team we are really proud of what our students are achieving and it is rewarding to see so many of them go on to University, study Business or Law related degrees and use the skills they’ve been taught to help them to succeed. Jeremy admits to being a bit of a “petrol head” outside of Barker and loves restoring vintage cars, in particular, old Holdens. “Dad bought two 1964 EH Holdens for $500 when I was a teenager and we built one car out of the two. The day I got my licence, Dad handed me the keys and the passion has just grown from there.”
Heads of Department Profiles
Tim Milkins – Head of Computer Science With a desire to be one of the leading computer science faculties across NSW in terms of curriculum content and delivery, Head of Computer Science, Tim Milkins and his team, are conscious of how they can provide the best learning journey for their students. During the four years Tim has been Head of the Department, the five Computer Science staff have seen student numbers in this elective continue to grow, along with increased academic achievement and student’s success at National competitions. “Proactive is the word I would use to describe our Department,” Tim explains. “Proactive because we’re always looking forward and considering how the flow of curriculum gives the students exposure to as much of the realm of computer science as possible.” “Our students recognise the need for these skills in the future and that’s why they choose the course.” Over the coming 12 months, the Department will be re-evaluating the future development of its course content to ensure alignment to future syllabus releases.
Tim says that he is most proud of the team’s involvement in the wider professional community. “We have been actively involved in conferences, provided assistance to educators beyond Barker through mentoring and coaching, as well as contributing to future curriculum developments. Our faculty offers a diverse range of skills not just to Barker, but beyond.” In addition to his wealth of knowledge in this particular field, Tim is also Fine Arts trained and has spent time working with and designing jewellery. Tim also has quite a significant collection of precious stones featuring over 100 cut stones from around the world.
Graham Hanlon – Head of Maths As Head of the Maths Department for the past three years, Graham Hanlon, describes each of the 25 Maths teachers in the Department as “passionate”. “I love the collegiality in Maths,” Graham said. “All the staff have a passion for the subject and it goes without saying that we love solving problems!” During his 20 years at Barker, Graham views Maths Week as one of the big initiatives for the Department. “When we introduced Maths Week almost ten years ago, we were looking for an innovative way to highlight Maths”. Today Maths Week is a popular and regular feature on the School calendar. “Maths teachers are typically seen as a bit nerdy,” Graham explained, “and Maths Idol allows us to have some fun and destigmatise the stereotypical Maths teacher.” A key focus for the Department over the next 12 months is the introduction of the new syllabus content for Years 11 and 12; new assessment requirements that must include an investigation task (read more about this on Page 15); and looking at how we can leverage
a student’s innate appreciation of patterns into enjoying the beauty and thrill of solving problems right through to Year 12. “When a student finishes at Barker, we trust that they have taken every opportunity to extend themselves through numerous Maths’ enrichment programs and competitions and through the assistance provided by staff. “This is something, as a Department, I am really proud of – the unseen work and support that the Maths team provide to all students.” When Graham is not coming up with complex problems for his students to solve, he is usually thinking about his next campertrailer trip around Australia. “I love the Australian bush and visiting Indigenous communities and have been fortunate to see most of Australia on our three family trips.”
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Service Learning
Service Learning Service isn’t just an action, it’s a change in behaviour, an integration of meaningful community service where students seek to achieve real objectives for the community and deeper understanding and skills for themselves.
Service is one of the four 'Thrive' pillars at Barker where we focus on developing meaningful and transformative relationships between our students and the community.
Our Year 10s have taken to this project with great enthusiasm and drive with over 40 students signing up to be part of our Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter (HKWS) partnership.
As we seek to review, explore and grow our Service Learning program at Barker, it has been inspiring to see the wide range of service activities and initiatives our students and staff are a part of. Throughout this year we will be showcasing these in The Barker, shining a light on the important and worthwhile work our community is doing.
We had 14 wonderful Year 10 students volunteer at the HKWS International Women’s Day event in March where they were able to hear first-hand about the shelter’s impact in our local area. The guests and supporters were all very complimentary about our students’ passion and eagerness to help throughout the evening.
Walk the Talk – Year 10 Service Learning Project
After the event at a special assembly to hear from Sallianne McClelland, President of the Board HKWS, our students were empowered to organise their own fundraiser for the shelter’s capital appeal. This studentled initiative was a barbeque at the Secondary School Athletics Carnival. The students raised $2,724.00 on the day with the Bendigo Bank at Turramurra matching our donation bringing the total donation to $5,448.00
This year Year 10 are participating in a program called Walk the Talk run by Enlighten Education and Women’s Community Shelters (WCS). By engaging students through education and involvement, Walk the Talk aims to encourage community engagement and generational change, building student’s awareness of positive relationships, domestic violence and women’s homelessness. The program is designed to empower students to support the women and children in need in their community by adopting their local shelter.
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A fantastic effort by all!
Service Learning
It has been fabulous to see Barker as a whole connect with this valuable partnership with our Mountain Biking team donating $400 to the shelter and Barker Drama donating the proceeds from their annual lolly bags‘ fundraiser as well. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the HKWS supporting all the incredible work they do providing a safe, non-threatening environment for women in crisis, empowering them to create a better future for themselves and their families. Holt House Charity Walk This year Holt House kicked-off their fundraising for their House Charity the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, with great success, by completing the 27km Bob ‘Tug’ Wilson’s Walk for Kids with Cancer. On Sunday 24 March, eleven students along with their Heads of House, Lee Batchler and Oscar Merven,
walked the challenging course (with plenty of stairs and hills!) from The Rocks to Manly. They raised an enormous $6,133.10 which will help fund world-class care, life-changing research and state-of-the-art equipment for the Foundation resulting in better outcomes for children with cancer. The following students are to be congratulated for their sensational effort: Harry Twyman (Yr 7), Justin Qin (Yr 7), Eric Cai (Yr 7), Noah Dunn (Yr 7), Charlie Recchia (Yr 9), Roy Cai (Yr 9), Hamish Mitchell (Yr 9), Miles van Rossum (Yr 11), Josh Walter (Yr 11), Connor Everett (Yr 12), Taylor Beale (Yr 12) and Zac Sellars (Yr 12). Article by: Amy Robertson Service Learning Coordinator
Winter 2019 • Issue 123 • The Barker • 39
Boarding
The Boarding Buzz Who said “boarding life wasn’t meant to be easy?”. It must have been an ex-boarder.
I’m sure there would be a few current boarders who would agree with that sentiment and they could, and often do, like to share with me their trials and tribulations of boarding life – morning calls, prep, dormitory and room inspections, weekend permission, a new extended family, dinner at 5.45pm…I could go on. However, the inevitable difficulties and necessary routines are far outweighed by the many positive aspects of boarding school life. Term 1 came and went so fast, I’m not really sure it took place. Approaching mid-way through Term 2 and there are lots of exciting things underway. National Boarding Week was also held between 12 and 17 May during which time both boarding houses were opened to students and staff for a behind the scenes look at Boarding life. Our Year 12 boarders welcomed the senior student leadership team to a day in the life of a boarder with dinner, a game of touch football and movie night. New recruits perhaps?
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In my first year as Head of Boarding I have been delighted and encouraged by the wonderful Boarding Duty Officers and support staff of the boarding community. Without their commitment and help, boarding would simply cease to exist. Boarders are very special people. They are a resilient and truly unique group of people with very specific likes and dislikes and a great sense of fun. I have been impressed by their openness and willingness to build a home away from home. It’s not an easy thing to do, but what a difference it does make. Article by: Ben Christopherson Head of Boarding
Sport
School Athletics Championships This year was the first time that both the Middle and Senior Schools have come together to compete in the School Athletics Championships. This new format of 16 House groups meant that the oval was buzzing with activity and full of colour as each student competed in their new House shirts. The events on the day ranged from the various House events including the novice 100m, vortex throw and the hotly contested Tug of War, through to the championship events, which included jumps, throws, middle distance, sprints and hurdle races. There were many great performances on the day as all students strived to gain points for their House. Of particular mention were the record breakers from the day which included: Stuart Downie in the 16yrs Discus, Hannah Leechman in the Open Girls Discus, Samantha Davis in the 17yrs Discus, Roisin Dengate in the 16yrs Discus, Lucy Wallace in the 15yrs 1500m and Holly Maley in the 15yrs High Jump. There was a very positive vibe from both staff and students throughout the day, culminating with a unique event, the 9x100m. This event saw all 16 Houses compete against each other with teams consisting of a student from each year group from Year 7 through to Year 12. In a close finish, Boyce House were the victors of this race. At the end of the day the overall points score saw Andrew House crowned the winners of the day with Holt House and Wade House close behind in equal 2nd. The following students were crowned Age champions from the day based on their performances in multiple events.
Age Champions 13yrs 1st Brodie Waldock 2nd Oly McIntosh 3rd Josh Riddle 14yrs 1st Michael Ashworth 2nd Jonah Hanlon 3rd Samuel Castillo 15yrs Girls 1st Lucy Wallace 2nd Danielle Thrum 3rd Holly Maley 15yrs Boys 1st Eli Sagala 2nd Maxi Zihlmann 3rd Jakob Biet 16yrs Girls 1st Roisin Dengate 2nd Jess Forster 3rd Jess Fraanje 16yrs Boys 1st Lachlan Sawtell 2nd Andrew Kelly 3rd Michael Taylor
17yrs Boys 1st Levi Read 2nd Max Perry 3rd Daniel Stovold Open Girls 1st Sarah Thong 2nd Leanne Tay 3rd Abi Houghton Open Boys 1st Ben Nogajski 2nd Tim Walter 3rd Campbell Henderson
17yrs Girls 1st Mia Hemsworth 2nd Becky Rose and Emma Vandervelde
Article by: Lee Batchler Track & Field Coordinator
Winter 2019 • Issue 123 • The Barker • 41
MTB Interschools An intrepid band of Barker Mountainbikers set off from Barker College earlier this term to participate in the 2019 Australian MTB Interschool Championships held in Thredbo.
the first Division 2 Barker rider finishing in 36th place, Barker riders have been participating in this event for only 48 seconds off the winner’s pace. This in a field of many years and it continues to grow in popularity. This about 217 starters. The best of our Division 3 riders was year over 600 riders from 100 schools participated. Cooper Ting. Events over the four days included Cross Country, Downhill and Flow races, the Pumptrack challenge and Saturday saw the running of the Sram Cannonball a Cross Country team relayEthan Page after his Downhill race, but before his stunning ride in the Cross County. to start the competition. Downhill race, the highlight of the competition for Luke Heal looking very dusty after a few runs on the gravity flow track. ete Austin rounds a final bend on the Maxxis Flowmotion race in excellent style. Like any sport, mountainbiking has it’s risks and it most competitors. Rain had fallen on the dusty gravity was not long into practice rides on the first day that trails the night before and the rocky, tree root covered Photo curtesy Peter Ting) experienced Year 12 rider, Lockie Oosthuizen, fell badly downhill parts of the track were very slippery and on one of the last jumps on the gravity course and challenging. Some junior riders were not sure if they fractured his collarbone. He has since had surgery and would be able to ride, but after a slow guided practice run with our very competent coach and past member we wish him a speedy recovery. of the Team, Chris Hinds (16), they all managed to In the Cross Country relay races in the afternoon our give the race their best go as the day dried out. The Division 3 students Max Hanley, Andoni Dagias and best of our Division 3 riders was Louis Russell who was Duncan Smith came 2nd. The Division 2 students were 76th with a time of 9 minutes and 21 seconds. Ethan coming 1st until a technical error saw them place 2nd Dobson was the next fastest coming 77th in a time of also. Our Division 1 riders came 3rd. 9 minutes 29 seconds. Max Ridley-Smith performed On Friday the Maxxis Flowmotion race was conducted admirably completing the race in 10 minutes and 27 following practice in the morning. The track was seconds, putting him in 85th position. Cooper Ting very busy all day and our riders managed as many was racing well until a spectacular fall on one of the practice rides as they could given very long queues at last turns that saw him stretchered off the course, but the chairlift. Pete Austin was the fastest of our riders without any lasting injury. The best of our Division completing the race in 9 minutes 18.49 seconds and 2 riders was Sam Austin who completed his run in 7 coming 15th. Just over 30 seconds slower than the minutes 18 seconds. This was just a little quicker than Division 1 race winner. Pete’s younger brother Sam was Ethan Page who crossed the finish line in 7 minutes 23
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seconds after a fall on the upper reaches of the track that resulted damaged ligaments in his hand. Our Senior Division 1 riders were well represented by Pete Austin who took 6 minutes and 15 seconds to rech the finish line at he base of the mountain. This made him the 31st fastest rider in the Division. Alex Marlin managed a good time of 7 minutes and 2 seconds. Luke Heal wasn’t far behind crossing in a time of 7 minutes and 23 seconds. Ben Lau made an heroic descent in just over 8 minutes with a jammed chain which meant he was unable to pedal the whole way down. The last day of competition saw the running of the Cross Country race. All able Barker riders raced in this event, even some who were carrying injuries. A great effort by most of our riders and especially the Division 2 boys who managed 2nd place in the Teams event. This was largely thanks to the indefatigable Ethan Page who removed his sling, rode 5 laps of the 2.5km track, crossed the line in 3rd place after 35 minutes and then put his sling back on. A great example to the whole team of the competitive spirit. Ethan has now had surgery on his ligaments and we wish him well. The other Barker riders contributing to the Teams good placing were Alec Watson rounding out the top 10 in 38 minutes, Tom Dorahy crossing 18th and Sam Austin completing a strong weekend’s competitive racing by scraping into the top 20. Division 1 riders put in a solid effort to finish just off the podium in 4th place. Division 3 riders finished in 6th place as a team.
The Riders and staff are very thankful to the Lau family and other parent helpers for providing everyone with plenty of sausage sandwiches, drinks, fruit and home cooked delights to sustain us. Money raised by this endeavour will be donated to a charity yet to be decided. Thanks also to the Austin family for the loan of their ute back bike holder and protector. Once again staff and most riders were accommodated at the Kosciusko Alpine Lodge in Thredbo where we quickly became accustomed to lovely hot breakfasts and delicious three course evening meals. Not withstanding those with serious injuries, the Interschools was once again a great way for riders of all ages to connect with each other and a high note on which to finish the Summer Sport season. Best wishes to our departing Year 12 riders and thanks for your input. Special thanks to immediate past MTB Captain Lachlan Horsley for his help with Team management throughout the season. Thanks also to Caroline Burge for her tireless efforts, organisation and care for the Barker MTB Team. Article by: Andrew Love MTB Coordinator
Sport
Barker Made Waves
ISA Swimming
The All Schools results are below:
The Girls Swimming Team once again claimed victory in the Senior Division 1 competition. Jemima Fitzgerald (Vice Captain) established a new ISA record in the 18 years 50m Backstroke. Asha Bennett (Captain), Lauren Bird, Kate Johnson, Olivia Mangholi, Georgie Oldham and Briellyn Pearson all won events in this age group. The Intermediate Girls finished second overall with Anna Friend-Ngui, Amelia Hurley, Emma Johnson and Paris Jones winning events.
• Kyle Li - 1st in the Boys 13 years 50m Breaststroke • Jordy Skews, Tan Kim, Stephen Jeong, Alexander
CAS Swimming Barker was successful in holding onto 3rd position at the CAS Championships this year. In their final year, Year 12 students Nathan Takounlao (Captain), Luke Hurley (Vice Captain), Jordy Skews (Vice Captain), Flynn Lumbroso and Alex Middleton were fantastic in earning valuable points for the team. Congratulations also to Jordan Takounlao who won the 14 years 50m Breaststroke Championship.
NSWCIS and NSW All Schools Championships Barker had ten ISA team representatives and 15 CAS team representatives at NSWCIS. Students who finished in the top 3 progressed to the NSW All Schools Championships.
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Lo, Robert Nam and Jeffrey Lu - 3rd place in 6 x 50m All Age Relay
• Luke Hurley - 4th in the Senior 200m Backstroke • Emma Johnson - 5th in the 16 years 50m Butterfly • Jeffrey Lu - 5th in the 12 years 100m Freestyle Article by: Jason Cooper Swimming Coordinator
Sport
Football Tour to Spain and Germany
Thirty students and three staff were privileged enough to embark on the European football tour of a lifetime. First stop was Madrid, where we explored the city, visited Real Madrid’s training venue Valdebebas Park for a couple of training sessions and attended La Liga games, one between CD Leganes and Real Madrid. Our first game was against local club side CD Fortuna. The younger team had their hands full with a skilful opposition. Despite playing well all game, the home team came away victorious with a 2-0 win. The older team faced off against an older CD Fortuna team who similarly played a fast and furious game. Both teams took their chances in front of goal, but a 40 yard shot from Chris Young was the difference, Barker winning 3-2. A quick visit to Barcelona allowed for a training session with youth coaches from FC Barcelona, Camp Nou stadium tour and a spectacular three hour bike tour through the city. While on two wheels we ventured through political squares, museums and cathedrals including Gaudi’s world renowned cathedral Sagrada Familia, investigated the foreshore and finished down near La Rambala. Here we played our second set of games against At del Valles FC, a local club side on the outskirts of Barcelona. Our next adventure saw us pop over to Germany. Based in the beautiful city of Cologne allowed us to transfer to training sessions from big football clubs Borussia Monchengladbach, BVB Dortmund and Schalke 04, all of which were of top quality and
beneficial to the players. Stadium tours at Borussia Monchengladbach and BVB Dortmund were phenomenal, with a private guide and next to no-one else in the stadium. Getting up close and personal with the playing fields, sitting in the dugout chairs where the players sit or shouting from where the Ultras stand come game day, were all amongst the highlights on these days. However, not much could top the experience of going to the Bundesliga game between Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig. To be a part of the 51,000 plus crowd was an experience never to be forgotten. The last set of games saw the U16/17 team outclass DSV Duisburg 1900 as AFL import Luke Giacometti banged in a couple of great goals to start the goal tally for the match. The U17/18 team came up against their most difficult opposition of tour in SC West Koln. Despite both teams playing attractive football, it was the Reds who came up trumps 2 goals to nil, thanks to some amazing close range shot-stopping from Goal Keeper Angus Jostsons. The 2019 Football tour was an experience to remember bringing the players closer together from all the year groups. Article by: Jonathan Sparks Football Coordinator
Winter 2019 • Issue 123 • The Barker • 45
Sport
Rugby Tours In the first week of the Easter holidays, a Senior Rugby squad of 24 boys travelled to Brisbane, Queensland. During the eight days of our tour, we trained rigorously twice a day and took every opportunity to strengthen our team bond. During our stay at the Marist Ashgrove boarding house, we played two trial games. Our first game was very successful recording a convincing 85-5 win over St Patrick’s College. However, our second game against our hosts Marist Ashgrove, was much more challenging and proved a test for us. At half time we were up 19-17 but under pressure from Marist. The second half performance was better and after a very physical battle, the Reds were able to come out on top with a score of 36-17. After the game, our daily ice baths assisted with our recovery from the immense amount of training. The win was followed by a very enjoyable trip to Movie World and Wet ‘n’ Wild the next day. It was important for the team to have this day to rest and recover as well as being able to further our team bond. The trip
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concluded with two more days of training and a night to Southbank. This night was filled with appetising food, relaxation and some comedic entertainment provided by our coach Manuel Garcia Posadas. Overall, this trip provided us with the opportunity to develop our skills, friendships and bond, and created memories that will stay with the team forever. Article by: Mitch Wheals and Henry Furrer Year 11
Sport
The tour started with a tough encounter against Wests Rugby Club. There was some great Rugby played and the Reds came away with a solid win, 29-14. The next day we visited the Australian Institute of Sport and were fortunate to make use of their facilities for a recovery session followed by skills training. Throughout the week we had a number of exceptional training sessions under the watchful eyes of the coaching staff. These were hugely beneficial for the team. The sessions added a new dimension to our style of Rugby. Anzac Day was commemorated by Mr Whitington and Mr Evans who conducted a service at our hotel. We all had time to reflect on what the Anzac’s had sacrificed to allow us to enjoy things like Rugby and mateship. As we reached the last day of tour it was time to play against Marist College. The team had improved dramatically through the excellent coaching pf Mr Harrison and Mr Whitington. From the kick-off, Marist came out strongly and showed great skill and commitment but our hard work paid off.
This combined with the camaraderie we had developed throughout the week was evident as we played some great Rugby and came away with a welldeserved 39-10 win. Overall, the Canberra Tour was an amazing experience for everyone. It allowed the 16A squad to develop some great team culture and to improve our skills as Rugby players and as a team. This will be beneficial to our 2019 Rugby season. The team would like to thank Mr Damien Whitington, Mr Brad Harrison, Mr Ben Robinson and Mr Rowan Evans (Physio) for their dedicated leadership of the tour. Article by: Ned Slack-Smith Year 10
Winter 2019 • Issue 123 • The Barker • 47
Sports
Girls Got Game Sport is an integral part of the students’ journey at Barker designed to not only provide involvement in physical activity but also enhance character values, improve academic outcomes in addition to the social and emotional development of students. However, positive outcomes are not necessarily an automatic consequence of participating. Often, we make the wrong assumption that sport by itself is an environment that fosters these desirable characteristics and don’t attend to the fact that instead it is something that has to be intentionally cultivated (McCarthy et al, 2016). With this understanding and as we transition to coeducation Barker embarked on a Girls’ Sport project to start with a blank canvas dismissing notions of what sport “should be” to what sport “could be” to design an environment that intentionally cultivates a transformational experience in sport. The Girls Got Game program which our Year 3 students participated in throughout Term 1, is a direct outcome of this project. The best way to describe the program is a cross between ninja warrior obstacle course and Free G gymnastics with some agility games also in the mix. The program was underpinned by three main concepts – increase self-efficacy of the students within the realm of physical activity, increase
48 • The Barker • Issue 123 • Winter 2019
exposure to movement patterns to build a solid base for future sports participation and of course fun. One of the keys in providing an engaging experience for girls in sport is building an absolute resolute sense of self-efficacy. Psychologist Albert Bandura (1997) identifies that to develop self-efficacy important components include performance accomplishment – seeing evidence that you have succeeded; vicarious learning – watching and learning from others and verbal persuasion – hearing positive statements from trusted others. The Girls Got Game program involves attempting various obstacle based courses where students challenged themselves with movement concepts – celebrating that it is ok to fail (fall off equipment) and it is important to just keep trying to achieve (get back on and give it another go). Interestingly, it was particularly special to watch the growth of the students challenge each other and celebrate success when they completed an obstacle that may have been difficult first time round.
Sports
The second concept involves changing the way we think. Previously, it was thought that simply by mastering fundamental movement skills at an early age a person would become physically literate and develop the necessary skills to participate in sport. However, emerging research from around the world of sport is identifying that developing movement patterns (or foundational movement competencies) are becoming more important as our risk averse society encourages children to spend more time on video games and mobile phones, as opposed to climbing trees and playing street games (Tompsett et al, 2014). Importantly, finding a way to challenge the rigorously structured learning environment in sport to one of exploration with a focus on falling, rolling, jumping and balance is essentially important not only for movement confidence but also for increasing cognitive flexibility (and improved academic outcomes). It was mind-blowing to see the creativity of the girls on display and confidence developed over the six weeks to leap, jump and push the boundaries of movements further and faster – indirectly creating an environment that involved very little instruction, but one in which students independently solve problems and find new ways of doing things. Fun is obviously a given in any program and the number one reason why kids want to play and be involved in sport. Providing an environment that encourages development through challenge while concurrently engaging students in a fun way is no easy feat. The inspiration gained from Jeremy Frisch (Achieve Performance USA) was fundamental in ensuring a base for the development of the Girls Got Game program. However, by modifying the
environment and “changing the game” we have ensured a positive first experience of involvement in sport, laying the necessary foundation of movement competencies for these students to thrive both on and off the fields/courts long term in Barker’s sports program. As we watched the Year 3 Girls step out in the Red for the first time on the netball court and football field – we saw a group of girls who stood tall – a group that were strong, confident, embraced challenge and knew that anything was possible (as long as you keep trying) and most importantly that they were well and truly proud to be part of the Barker Community and excited for what lay ahead. Article by: Ali Cox Director of Girls’ Sport
Reference McCarthy, John & Bergholz, Lou & Bartlett, Megan. (2016). Re-Designing Youth Sport: Change The Game. Routledge, New York. Tompsett, Claire & Burkett, Brendan & McKean, Mark. (2014). Development Of Physical Literacy And Movement Competency: A Literature Review. Journal of Fitness Research. 3. 53-79. Bandura, Albert. (1997) Self-Efficacy: The Exercise Of Control. Freeman and Company, New York
Winter 2019 • Issue 123 • The Barker • 49
Sports
Red Rockets Deliver CAS Diving Championship
In a night of high drama at the CAS Diving Championships the Red Rockets launched magnificently to secure the Steven Barnett Shield for the first time in Barker history. The competition began with the Junior Division leading the way. Lachlan Abbott (Yr 6) and Lachlan Munroe (Yr 8) were superb in securing first and third place respectively. Matthew Cui (Yr 8) contributed a scoring position to add to the tally and Jason Thomas (Yr 4) also learnt a great deal from his CAS debut. The Intermediate team of Vladi Rudenko (Yr 11), Harry Gresham (Yr 10), Lachlan Abbott and Nathaniel Ward (Yr9) blew the competition away with Barker clinching the top three positions. The Rockets led by 11 points going into the Opens. Vladi Rudenko and Harry Gresham’s second and third place guaranteed top spot for the Rockets. Captain Angus Cummings (Yr 12) whose diving was brilliant on the night proudly held the “The Barney” aloft as the Red Rockets celebrated Diving success for the first time in Red history.
Following on from our CAS success, Harry Gresham, Lachlan Munroe, Jason Thomas, Lachlan Abbott and Angus Cummings represented at CIS and performed with distinction. Harry Gresham was outstanding winning Gold in the Platform and Springboard at CIS and continued his brilliant run of form winning Gold in the Platform and Silver in the Springboard at NSW All Schools. After CAS Vladi Rudenko competed for Australia at the Bergen Open in Norway. Vladi was tremendously successful in winning a Gold Medal in the Mens synchro event. Vladi was also a member of the Australian Junior Team in Dresden, Germany. Article by: Steve Thomlinson Director of Boys' Sport
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Archives
1919: The Year of the Flu Students and staff on Peats Ferry Road (now the Pacific Highway) ready for a weekend excursion, 1919
In April 1918, a deadly virus broke out within the army camps of France. Now known as the Spanish influenza, this virus reached Australia in January 1919. On January 27, the Board of Heath sought to control the spread of the virus by proclaiming all libraries, churches, theatres, race courses, hotels and schools in the Sydney metropolitan area closed. The Council of Barker College therefore had no choice but to close the School from January 28, and delay the commencement of the academic year. When notifying parents of the closure, Headmaster William Carter encouraged students to be inoculated immediately. The closure did not bode well for the School’s finances. Staff needed to be paid, but no fees were coming in. Carter proposed that domestic staff be laid off, saving £35 per month and should the closure continue past March 1, three single male staff members would have to take half pay. Boarding schools were allowed to reopen on 17 February. The School purchased an inhalation chamber, which controlled the spread of the virus by forcing individuals through steam infused with a small dosage of zinc sulphate. The Hornsby Advocate reported that no individual was to enter the campus
without first going through the “Chamber of Horrors.” As all sport matches were cancelled, weekends were for outings and other activities, including marching all the way to Bobbin Head. Day boys were finally permitted to return to School once all restrictions were lifted in March. Despite all the precautionary measures, The College Barker (May 1920, p. 8) reported “We had nearly all the boys and nearly all the staff down in June, but we managed to pull through without any serious results.” Extra nursing staff were employed during the course of 1919, and the Council acknowledged Carter had spared no effort or expense in coping with the Spanish influenza. Fortunately, no staff or students from Barker were amongst the 6,000 NSW residents who died from the virus. Article by: Morwenna Dixon Manager of Archives
Winter 2019 • Issue 123 • The Barker • 51
Sports
Woven through our history since our founding days in Kurrajong, are stories of students who through being provided with financial assistance, were able to experience a Barker education and go on to make outstanding contributions to society and beyond The Mint Gates.
Students who take up this opportunity do so with a sense of spirit and service.
• They understand that such an opportunity brings
responsibilities to the School, to their families and to themselves
• These recipients share their often considerable talents
• They encourage is to be the best they can be • They will contribute positively to society
We are looking to take the values of Barker to Inspire Global Hope to share this with all. Our Head, Phillip Heath AM reminded us recently; “it is our mission and service to look beyond ourselves and engage actively with those whose lives may be difficult and challenging. To invite people in. To open The Mint Gates, creating opportunities for a Barker education to a wide range of people.”
This sense of conscience, compassion and commitment is echoed by a recent scholarship recipient:
Diversity, inclusiveness, and social equity enrich the experiences of the whole Barker community. Our main aim of our Access & Equity Scholarship Program is to provide greater opportunities for those with promise and proven socio-economic need.
“Receiving a scholarship to Barker allowed me to attend a school I would not have been able to otherwise. Barker offered me the facilities and resources which allowed me to grow as a Christian, as an athlete, in my academics as well as my musical abilities and offered the opportunity to be a leader in the Barker community.”
Access and Equity Scholarships have the power to transform lives. Any gift, however modest, is warmly welcomed and we give thanks for the support offered to us by our community. It is the ongoing generosity of the Barker community that will continue to provide life-changing opportunities which impact our students now and into the future.
James – Rural Boarders and All-Rounder Scholarship recipient If we can pause and consider how many past, present and future students would never have had the gift of a Barker education, were it not for the additional contributions of so many over the years. We are looking to provide more opportunities to a wider range of students to access the Barker experience and to support those who would not ordinarily be able to attend our great School. This compassionate impact makes a meaningful difference to an individual life and to the life of the School.
52 • The Barker • Issue 123 • Winter 2019 52 • The Barker • Issue 123 • Autumn 2019
Article by: John Slack-Smith Foundation Chair
Hypochondriac
Inside this issue
59
56 OBA President 57 OBA Groups 61 Community Events 63 Personal Notes 66 Obituaries
Old Barker Association Contacts
School Contacts
email: oba@barker.nsw.edu.au
Director of Alumni and Community Relations Mandy Loomes (02) 8438 7229 (Sch) mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au
(Please note that the number in brackets after a name is the graduating year) President Vanessa Bennett (91) 0404 024 168 Vice-President Peter Gregory (03) 0400 419 253 Treasurer Andrew Hassall (86) 0412 610 434 Secretary Matthew Ross-Smith (10) 0408 284 702 Assistant Secretary David Brookes (79) 0400 906 052
Alumni Reunion Coordinator Karina Drummond (02) 8438 7283 (Sch) kdrummond@barker.nsw.edu.au Manager of Archives Morwenna Dixon (02) 8438 7290 (Sch) mdixon@barker.nsw.edu.au Interstate and International Barker Contacts
Sunshine Coast Phil Benjamin (61) pandj.benjamin@bigpond.com Upper Hunter Charles Cooke (65) (02) 6545 8141 (w) charles_cooke@esat.net.au Canada, Ontario George Darling (70) gdarling@sandstormgold.com Hong Kong Vacant Japan Carl Bastian (93) carl@rwo.okinawa
Adelaide Lane Hinchcliffe (00) 0412 130 935 (m) lane@lkggroup.com.au
Middle East Vacant New Zealand Vacant
General Committee Angus Abadee (07) Jenny Kalaf (Melville 78) David Slinn (80) Anna Sutton (05) David Trayner (84) Emily Tutt (09) Henry Wells (10)
Brisbane Andrew Wilkie (01) 0412 779 383 (m) andrew.wilkie@morgans.com.au
Oceania (Fiji) Neil Underhill (75) (679) 336 3968 (w) neilunderhill@connect.com.fj
Canberra Andrew McColl (74) 0422 985 281(m) as.mccoll@icloud.com
Papua New Guinea Johnson Kalo (83) (675) 305 6703 (w) jhnsnka03@gmail.com
Nominees to School Council Michael Brodie (79) Tony Gamson (78) David Trayner (84)
Melbourne Murray Anderson (65) 0457 000 407 (m) murray@capricorngroup.net.au
Singapore Vacant
OBA Annual Patron Benjamin Anson (85) Sandy Hollway (64) Keith Thornton (64)
Newcastle Nicholas Bedggood (88) 0410 565 101 (m) nickbedggood@yahoo.com.au
OBA Seniors Contact Peter Ward (59) oba@barker.nsw.edu.au
Northern Rivers Jim Poulos (61) 0413 087 412 pamio@bigpond.net.au
OBA Support for Life Julie Davis 0434 385 442 obasupportforlife@barker.nsw.edu.au
Perth Ian Christian (69) 0417 980 968 (m) ian.christian@thepark.com.au
UK, London Annette French (Slattery 88) (44) 1732 382 281 (h) annette.e.french@sky.com USA, East Coast Alex Skellet (94) (917) 251 3361 (h) alexandraskellet@gmail.com USA, West Coast Digby Cook (56) (623) 523 4321 (h) digbyhcook@gmail.com
Contributions Welcome Please send contributions to Mandy Loomes, Director of Alumni and Community Relations, 91 Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077 or mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au For further information please contact Mandy Loomes on 8438 7229. Personal notes are published in good faith, as a service to the Barker Community. Winter 2019 • Issue 237 • The Old Barker • 53
Selflessness The Year 9 Class of 2018 chose Jenny May as their inspirational alumni because of her selflessness. The students said; Jenny May came to Barker in 1978 and fully involved herself in the life of the School. She participated in Sport, Duke of Edinburgh, Debating and Choir, whilst also undertaking a number of community service initiatives.
Jenny’s selfless efforts to offer affirmative pathways for students of rural origin, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, has helped to nurture and retain local knowledge and talent throughout northwestern NSW.
Having lived and worked as a GP in the New England area since 1984, Jenny has made an important contribution to the health and wellbeing of regional communities. As Director of the Department of Rural Health at the University of Newcastle, she strives to improve the health of rural Australians through advocacy and research. Her recent research focuses on recruitment and retention of the rural medical workforce.
In 2016, she received an AM in the General Division for significant service to community health in rural and regional areas, as a general practitioner, to professional medical groups and to education.
54 • The Old Barker • Issue 237 • Winter 2019
Article by: Middle School Seniors 2018
The Old Barker
OBA Annual General Meeting Notice is hereby given that the 111th Annual General Meeting of the Old Barker Association Inc. will be held in the Marks Pavilion, Barker College, Hornsby on Tuesday 30 July 2019 at 6:30pm
Agenda 1. Apologies 2. Confirmation of Minutes of the 110th Annual General Meeting of the Old Barker Association Inc. held on 24 July 2018. 3. President’s Report 4. Honorary Treasurer’s Report 5. Report by the Head of Barker College, Phillip Heath AM. 6. To receive and consider resolutions related to changes required for the OBA Constitution. 7. To receive and consider the Income and Expenditure Report for the financial year ended 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019, together with the Balance Sheet at that date.
9. Appointment of Patron(s), and election of Office Bearers and Committee Members comprising: President, Vice President/s, Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary/ Public Officer, Assistant Honorary Secretary, eight (8) ordinary members. Refer note below. 10. Appointment of Representative to the School Council – Tony Gamson has been nominated for a four (4) year term. Refer note below. 11. Appointment of Honorary Auditor. 12. Other Business permitted to be raised pursuant to clause 31(2) of the Constitution.
8. To receive and consider the Annual Statement to be lodged with the Department of Fair Trading for the year to 30 June 2019.
By Order of the Committee, Matthew Ross-Smith, Honorary Secretary Note: In accordance with the requirement of Clause 29(2) of the Constitution any further nominations are hereby called and shall be in writing, signed by a Member of the Association, endorsed by the candidate and lodged with the Honorary Secretary at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the meeting in compliance with Clause 29(3). Any nominee must be a financial member of the OBA.
WinterWinter 2019 •2019 Issue• 237 Issue • 123 The•Old TheBarker Barker •• 55 55
From the OBA President
OBA President’s Message Help is just one phone call 0434 385 442 or one click away: obasupportforlife@barker.nsw.edu.au I do hope that the year is going well for you all. As we approach the half way mark it’s important that we ensure that we take time to reflect on what the year has brought us so far and take time to be grateful for so many things. My partner Scott (91) and I are about to take a mid-year break to reconnect with many of our Barker friends around the world and for that we are truly grateful. It is great to see the OBA Winter sports groups in full swing now. The numbers in each of these teams continue to grow and we say a special thank you to the people who tirelessly run these clubs and build the momentum for everyone to enjoy. Your amazing work really is very much appreciated. I am very pleased to report that the OBA Support for Life has been available to support a number of people in our OBA community who have been in need for a range of reasons. Mental health issues are becoming an increasing problem for so many and we are very pleased to provide this wonderful service. We would obviously prefer this initiative wasn’t needed at all, but unfortunately it is. We are pleased that people from our Barker Community are now receiving the benefit of these services.
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After reading this magazine last quarter, I have spoken with a number of people in my year who wish to send thoughts and condolences to Fran Tucker (91) whose sister Annie (88) passed away from breast cancer in February this year. Fran, I am sure there are more people than you realise who are thinking about you during this difficult time. For happier news, now is a great time to start planning your tables for the 2019 OBA dinner on 1 November. It is a great opportunity to get your friends together between reunions. I would like to say a massive thank you to Peter Garrett from the Class of 1970 for agreeing to be this year’s guest speaker. It promises to be a fantastic evening and we would love to see you there.
Article by: Vanessa Bennett (91) OBA President
OBA Groups
OBA Groups Old Barker Football Club The 2019 season is now well underway, although at the time of writing only three rounds had been completed. This year three squads (six teams) and over 100 players, make up the Old Barker Football Club competing in the Northern Suburbs Football Association competition. Division 5 have started the season very well indeed with four wins, one draw and one loss after three rounds. Special mention to Nick Erickson, club veteran, who managed to somehow score Reserve Grade’s first goal of the season with his oversized shinpad. It’s also worth mentioning Mitch Thorpe (12) for two cracking goals against then top of the table Kissing Point resulting in an awesome 2-0 victory.
Barker Old Boys Cricket Club Barker Old Boys Cricket Club had a great season picking up a lot of fresh faces and expanding our great club. The club has always been focused around comradery, sportsmanship and a positive cricketing experience, yet it has also been great to see a marked improvement in our performance during the season. Weekly net sessions and growth in club numbers have contributed to some memorable wins including defeating last season’s undefeated Knox Old Boys by 71 runs. The 2018/19 season saw great individual and team performances worth mentioning. Quentin Cheng’s (17) 145 against a very talented
Division 4 have had a solid start to their season. After two rounds, both First and Reserve Grade have won one and lost one. As the season progresses I have no doubt their position on the competition ladder will continue to climb and they are in with a huge chance of promotion to Division 3 for the 2020 season. Huge shout out to both Liam Demaine (13) and Dane van den Bogaardt (09) for their efforts in organising their respective teams week in and week out. Following a very successful preseason our mighty Premier League squad have flown out of the blocks with Reserve Grade having won two of their three matches and First Grade undefeated, winning two and drawing another. Prior to the start of our regular season, our First Grade team participated in our very first FFA Cup venture travelling to Knox team was exciting to watch and is something he should be very proud of. James Rowse (16) had an exceptional season taking out the title for highest wicket taker and George Furrer (16) easily won the title for the largest six of the season. An honourable mention should go to Sue Rowse for her pro-bono medical work, regularly supporting the boys and at one point popping a dislocated finger back into place. The Old Boys Cricket Club are very fortunate to be able to use Barker’s great cricket facilities, even playing a few games on number No 1 Oval. A big thank you for the efforts of the Barker grounds staff, Steve Thomlinson and many other important individuals for allowing this to happen.
Sam Gunning (09) makes a spectacular save against Wollongong United FC during the Round 3 FFA Cup clash
Wollongong to take on Wollongong United FC. After an unfortunate season-ending injury to a key defender Phill Spruce, early in the match followed by some solid play by the semi-professional Wollongong outfit, the end result was probably an unfair reflection on the match as a whole with Wollongong winning 5-0. However the real victors of the evening were the OBFC players who got to travel back to Sydney and won’t have to return to the Gong for a long time, if ever. www.oldbarkerfc.com Article by: Peter Gregory (03)
We are always looking for new Alumni to join the club so please contact us by email: samcarrick58@ gmail.com, regardless of what level cricket you played or your availability each season. Article by: Sam Carrick (16) Club Captain samcarrick58@gmail.com
OBA Groups
this sports day for the Old Barker Girls teams. We always love returning to the gym and the field to play on our old home turf.
OBA Netball Summer Night Comp is over for another season and although neither team made the finals, it was a great competition for Barker teams, a highlight being the Barker v Barker games this season. Barker Old Girls 2 came out on top in both games but not without a tough battle with Barker Old Girls 1 having such strong shooters and defence.
OBA Big Band The OBA Big Band has approached 2019 with a renewed enthusiasm and with a clear intent to rehearse and perform at a higher level than ever before. Recently we dedicated a couple of months to tackling the challenging Michel Camilo chart Not Yet. This is a lively, bright piece with complex rhythms, catchy brass riffs and some very ‘jazzy’ chords. To complement this, we also worked on an arrangement of Saint-Saëns’ piece The Swan. In contrast to Not Yet, The Swan is a slower, more emotive piece with dynamic variation, a rich musical
58 • The Old Barker • Issue 237 • Winter 2019
In March, Barker Old Girls Netball were invited once again to play against the current Barker Netball girls in a trial match as part of their preparation for their Winter season. The current students proved once again that they are a team to be reckoned with, despite a tough first quarter where both teams were goal for goal, the students ran away with the game and were well deserved winners. Thank you to Mandy Loomes and the Barker Sports department for facilitating
texture and a trombone feature. These two pieces encapsulate the OBA Big Band’s intent to play a wide variety of challenging songs at a high standard. Our hard work culminated in a very successful recording session of these two pieces - these recordings are now available on the website, along with other recent recordings such as Manifesto by the Cat Empire and Gordon Goodwin’s Mueva Los Huesos. The band continues to expand its repertoire and membership, with new pieces being explored almost every week by this growing group of skilled musicians. We
OBA Netball is taking a little bit of a winter hibernation and so we will be back and playing in the Spring Night Comp in September. If you would like to be added to the email list for this competition, or if you have any questions regarding the club, please send us an email at barkeroldgirlsnetball@ gmail.com See you out on the courts in 2019! Article by: Lauren Kirkby (07) President
are currently preparing for our performance at the annual Barker Swings concert, which is sure to be a great evening for performers and audience members alike. Future plans for the band include the possibility of a regional tour and a professional studio recording session. To find out more, to hire us for a gig, or to listen to our latest recordings, please visit www.obabigband.comp Article by: Edward Koorey (16)
OBA Groups OBA North Shore Wind Symphony The OBA North Shore Wind Symphony presents a dark, powerful and thought-provoking second program for their 2019 season. Off the back of their first program, Renewal, featuring works representing renewable energy and the challenge to look after our waning planet, Redemption brings, yet again, another hot topic to table. Featuring four pieces that “stir the pot” when it comes to religion, prayer and the battle between light and dark, good and evil. The repertoire for our next program includes O Magnum Mysterium (O Great Mystery), by Morten Lauridsen arr H Robert Reynolds,
which is a chant from the Matins of Christmas and depicts the birth of Christ. Amen! takes the program to the deep south of the United States of America. Influenced by the African American Pentecostal church music that the composer Carlos Simon, grew up with, he has crafted a modern work for wind band that embodies the Gospel Church of the USA. NSWS will then be tackling the mammoth work by Andrew Boss, Tetelestai. Greek for “it is finished”, ‘telestai’ are final words of Jesus before his death according to The Bible. If you are interested in joining NSWS please contact us at: manager@nsws.band Upcoming Concert: Saturday 10 August
Please follow our Facebook page for more details - North Shore Wind Symphony Article by: Bella Harvey (07)
Hypochondriac
Old Barker Association Theatre Pia Midgley and Jodi Rabinowitz (16) will be co-directing the 2019 OBAT production of The Hypochondriac! Pia is the current head of Drama at Barker and has directed more than 10 shows in her time at Barker. Many Alumni drama students will have fond memories of being directed by Pia in their Barker days; this is a fantastic opportunity to rekindle your love of drama.
Jodi Rabinowitz, a 2016 graduate, is an emerging theatre producer who is currently working as the Drama Admin Assistant at Barker College. She has produced over 12 productions and worked in venues such as the Bondi Pavilion and the Seymour Centre and worked with companies including the Australian Theatre For Young People (ATYP), Jetpack Theatre Co and is a part of the Kings Cross Theatre Step Up program.
Booking details are: The Hypochondriac! 17-20 July 2019, 7pm Rhodes Theatre Ticket prices: Concession $15 Adult $20 www.trybooking.com/BCWRJ
Winter 2019 • Issue 237 • The Old Barker • 59
OBA Groups
Barker Old Boys Rugby BOBs first home game at Turramurra Memorial Oval for Round 2 of the 2019 Season on 4 May, was also our Ladies Day - one of the biggest days in our season calendar and the inaugural BOBs Women’s 7s game!
As the day progressed, the most anticipated match of the day - our Women’s 7s team, coached by Steve Phipps, took on a talented Hornsby Barbarians side. Hornsby won the game, however the BOBs Women’s 7s won the support of the huge BOBs crowd who celebrated a new chapter in the Club’s history.
The weekend saw us face off against our local rivals Lindfield. We were well supported by the local community including Belle Property, BMW Hornsby and KINSHIP digital. This year we again supported a local charity, being the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter.
If you are interested in playing rugby, come down on Wednesday or Saturday and see what we’re all about. All skill levels, new or experienced rugby players, men and women, are welcome!
Old Barker Association Seniors
If you would like further information, please contact Mandy Loomes in the Alumni Office on (02) 8438 7229 or oba@barker.nsw. edu.au
If you graduated from Barker 50 years ago you are now a member of The Old Barker Association Seniors. This is a social group who organise a number of events each year. Our next event will be on 3 August for our AGM, lunch and afternoon tea watching the Rugby on No 1 Oval. Invitations will be sent in early June 2019.
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Article by: Peter Ward (59)
Check out our website, Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop about BOBs. Article by: Tom Hay (14) Secretary, 0410 768 644
Kurrajong Society If your children have left Barker and you would still like to support the school and be part of the Barker Community events, then the Kurrajong Society is for you. We send a regular quarterly newsletter, Kurrajong News to keep you updated on what is happening at Barker College. If you would like more information, please contact us at kurrajong@ barker.nsw.edu.au
Community Events
Community Events Hong Kong Reunion Our most recent Hong Kong Community event was held on Saturday 13 April at Causeway Bay. Guests included future parents and Alumni from the Classes of 1960 to 2004. It is always lovely to have the opportunity to bring our Barker Community together to meet with Head of Barker College Phillip Heath and Director of Alumni & Community Relations Mandy Loomes, and to foster networks within our special community.
Singapore Reunion What a wonderful opportunity it was for the Head of Barker College, Phillip Heath and Director of Alumni & Community Relations Mandy Loomes, to spend an evening with some of our Singapore-based Alumni. Our Alumni in attendance were from the Classes of 1964 to 2003. All enjoyed the chance to chat with each other and hear from Phillip about life at Barker today.
Winter 2019 • Issue 237 • The Old Barker • 61
Community Events
OBA Seniors Back to Barker Day Our annual Back to Barker Day was held on Wednesday 8 May and was again a magnificent day. We were met by Acting Head of Barker, Sue Field, and then divided into four groups. Our first lessons were Maths, Christian Studies, History and Geography after which we enjoyed a well-earned cuppa! Next we went to Commerce, Industrial Technology, Visual Arts and Geography, followed by Chapel with Year 10. After Chapel we gathered together in the John Griffiths Courtyard for a lovely lunch in the sunshine. It was a wonderful day and a great opportunity to experience a school day in 2019.
OBA Seniors Hornsby RSL Club Luncheon This year our 88 guests gathered at Hornsby RSL Club to hear Guest Speaker: Vietnam Veteran Sapper Bruce Anthony Lauder, 3rd Field Troop Royal Australian Engineers. He told us of his courageous story of the initial discovery, exploration and dismantling of the secret Viet Cong booby traps and tunnels of Cu Chi. Appropriately the Vote of Thanks was given by Stuart Braga (55/56) before we heard from Head of Barker College, Phillip Heath AM, on the happenings at School.
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Personal Notes
Personal Notes (Number in brackets is the alumni year)
Philip Prideaux (67) recently shared on the Class of 1967 Facebook page his Bridge Climb experience to celebrate his 70th birthday. Congratulations Phil!
Tim Rogers, Mike Hook, Denver Webb and Jack Little (all 59) represented Barker College and OBA with distinction at the 10th Annual Red Cross Golf Day at Shelley Beach.
Tim and Susan Keen were wonderful hosts this autumn as four 1972 old boys (Phil Madden, Mark Eggleston, Tim Keen and Jay Hubble) met at the harbourside for a BBQ. We reminisced and shared smiles and toasted to absent friends.
Craig Chapman (76) After graduating with a B.AgEcon degree from UNE, Armidale, I moved on to a family beef and soybean growing property near Casino. Later we moved closer to the coast at Coraki to grow tea trees and for the next 20 years farmed and marketed the oil. A family holiday to Kenya in 2007 led to our next endeavour. We visited some children we sponsored in Tanzania (School of St Jude) and also at a Steiner school in Nairobi. I returned the following year and purchased 20 acres on the edge of Nairobi National Park. Over the next several years we renovated the buildings and now operate Ololo Safari Lodge and Farm. We accommodate guests from all over the world and give daily game drives in the national park where we witness nearly all the African wildlife. To say the move to Africa was life changing would be a serious understatement. I have had more life experiences in the last 10 years than the previous 50. Whilst it is early days to declare the venture a roaring success, it has certainly been a big challenge and a lot of fun. If anyone from the Barker Community is looking for a nice place to stay in Kenya I am happy to see you here and reminisce. Ian Farr (81) and his wife Debbie spent a lovely day with Head of Barker College Phillip Heath and Director of Alumni & Community Relations Mandy Loomes recently in Singapore. Ian and Debbie took Phillip and Mandy to some of Singapore’s wonderful sights including Marina Bay Sands, The Gardens by the Bay, the Flower Dome and Cloud Forrest. The afternoon finished with a visit to OMF which is where Ian works and Debbie volunteers.
Winter 2019 • Issue 237 • The Old Barker • 63
Personal Notes
Jarrad Weeks (07) was recently selected for the Australian Basketball Team, The Boomers. The team toured Kazakhstan and Iran in March in a World Cup Qualifying series. Jarrad and his wife Michelle Weeks (Carty 06) have lived in many wonderful cities throughout Jarrad’s basketball career and are currently living in Auckland, New Zealand while Jarrad plays for the SkyCity Breakers in the National Basketball League (NBL) and Michelle teaches at the local primary school.
Jarrad No. 43
Justin Dingley (13), I have many fond memories of Barker, which include taking part in co- curricular activities like music, chess, rugby, tennis and Duke of Ed. In Year 12, I served the school as a prefect and enjoyed learning about servant leadership. Currently, whilst I am working and studying to become a Chartered Accountant, I am part of the Hornsby/Kuring-gai Rotaract Club, which is a community youth group for 18-31 year olds, that aims to serve the wider community around us, whilst promoting leadership and personal development for its members. In addition to helping our local community, we are hoping to do an international service project in 2020 too. It would be great to have you join us! If you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to email or like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/HKRotaractClub Email: hornsbyrotaract@gmail.com
64 • The Old Barker • Issue 237 • Winter 2019
Sarah Ford (14) assisted the GWS Giants VFLW Squad to a 79 point win over Williamstown on Saturday 13 May.
Matthew Nevison (16) Earlier this year I was selected as a Future Young Leader of evokeAg 2019, the largest AgriFood and AgTech event in the Asia Pacific. As a future leader, I was asked to present my thoughts and ideas about the ‘Agriculture of tomorrow’. My presentation examined the increasing impact climate variability is having on Australia’s food production systems. To explore possible solutions I drew inspiration from finance by highlighting the need for innovative ‘diversification’ in Sustainable Agriculture. I then identified Australian Native Species as drought, flood and fire tolerant crops that could play a pivotal role in ‘climate proofing’ a food secure future. Jodi Rabinowitz (16) was a recipient of the prestigious University of Sydney Union’s Bright Ideas Grant. Jodi wrote and produced the play Samo is Dead which was performed at the Seymour Centre in April 2019.
Ollie Birt (17) was selected as a finalist in the Straight 8 Super 8 Film Competition, one of only eight films selected worldwide. The film was shot in one take on a Super 8 cartridge with no editing and sent to the judges to be processed. Ollie’s first chance to see his film Rumors was at the premiere screening at the Cinema Olympia at the Cannes Film Festival on 20 May. It was also shown at the Regent Street Cinema in London on 26 May 2019.
Personal Notes
Each year Barker has a Winter Season Sports Launch where Alumni present shirts or jerseys and certificates to Barker’s students for all the winter sports. On Friday 3 May over 300 students, parents, staff and Alumni gathered for the 2019 launch. Our wonderful Alumni were Darcy Carnahan (18) and Adam Bastas (17) who presented for AFL; Andrew Phillips (96) for Cross Country, Dance, Squash and Volleyball; Stef Aisbett (16), Sophie de Montemas and Tom Heward-Belle (14) for Football; Mel Dooley (10) for Hockey; Lauren Kirkby (07) for Netball; Tom Wilson (12) for Rugby; and Nick Horton (12) for Tennis. It is a great opportunity for today’s Barker students to meet some Alumni who have continued with sporting success beyond the Mint Gates.
Left to right Stef Aisbett (16), Sophie de Montemas (14), Darcy Carnahan (18), Adam Bastas (17), Tom Heward-Belle (14), Tom Wilson (12), Nick Horton (12) & Lauren Kirkby (07).
Baptisms in the Chapel
Weddings in the Chapel
17 November Madeline Paige, daughter of Tamrin and Matthew Crane (07)
30 March Lauren Riley and Mitchell Hunter (08)
31 March Livia Michel le, daughter of Naomi (Seary 00) and Nic Lamb
JUST MARRIED
6 April Amy Kang and David Quan (03)
7 April Alyssa Joyce, daughter of Catherine (Rolston 01) and Brent Cleary (01) 12 April Giulietta Alicie, daughter of Victoria (Chesser 03) and Pedro Dornelles
Winter 2019 • Issue 237 • The Old Barker • 65
Obituaries
Obituaries (Number in brackets is the alumni year)
Bernard Vaughan Buckley (44) 1926 – 2019
Vaughan passed away on 5 January 2019 and is survived by his wife Judith, children Kym and Richard, grandchildren Hamish and Chloe, son-in-law Steve and daughter-inlaw Justine. Malcolm Couchman Capp (49/50) 1933 – 2018
Vaughan, late of Kincumber, attended Barker from 1941 to 1943. His son Richard (77) also attended Barker. Bernard was a member of the Under 14 XV Rugby team in 1941. In 1942, he was a member of the Under 15 XI Cricket team and completed the Intermediate Certificate. Following Barker, Vaughan worked in the insurance industry and in 1944 joined the Air Force. After his war service he became an accountant. In 1950 he came back to rural life where he spent some time on his parents’ property ‘Everleigh’, Tooraweenah. After marrying Judith Hosking in 1953, Vaughan managed his wife’s family property ‘Wilga Park’, Tooraweenah, where their two children were born, Kym in 1956 and Richard in 1959. The family moved to Sydney in 1972 where Vaughan went into Club Management. Vaughan retired in 1994 to the Central Coast of NSW. Vaughan was a keen sportsman and played tennis and golf well into his late eighties. 66 • The Old Barker • Issue 237 • Winter 2019
Malcolm Capp, or as many knew him “Cappy”, died on 3 December aged 85. Malcolm grew up at Lochinvar in the Hunter Valley. He attended Barker as a boarder from 1945 to 1950. His father Roy (1912) also attended Barker. Malcolm was an excellent sportsman during his time at Barker. He was a member of the Athletics team and Swimming teams where he was the Under 16 Age Champion and received Colours in 1950. Malcolm also enjoyed Cricket and in his final year was Captain of the 3rd XI. His was also outstanding in Rugby where he played in the 13As, 14As, 15As, the 2nd XV and in his final year the 1st XV, receiving Colours. Following the death of his father, the family was forced to sell their property. Malcolm joined
New Zealand Loan Company in the mid-1950s at their Wagga Wagga Branch. His chief interest was livestock and this was to shape his career. His first Branch Management was for Dalgety/New Zealand Loan Ltd at Gunnedah. As an all-round Stock and Station Agent he had no peer and he was widely admired by livestock producers and agents for his enormous energy and skill. Many folk said he was the best livestock auctioneer ever observed. The clarity of his diction, his knowledge of values and his speed of mind made him truly outstanding. From Gunnedah he was appointed District (later Regional) Manager at Dubbo and then Livestock Superintendent at the Australian Head Office. Appointments to Manager, Geelong, and Livestock Manager, Melbourne followed. In 1976 he returned to Sydney Head Office as one of three “Group Executives-Rural” with specific responsibility for Livestock policy and Livestock Exports. In 1978 he became State Manager - Queensland (later General Manager) and following the Dalgety purchase of Winchcombe Carson (1979) and the formation of Dalgety Farmers (in Queensland merging with Farmers and Graziers/Grazcos - 1983) he continued in that role for the much enlarged business. He moved back to Coogee, Sydney as General Manager Rural Marketing in 1991 before retiring in 1993. Never one to slow down, Malcolm
Obituaries
in 1994 became Company Director of Australian Wool & Pastoral Agency Ltd. He also developed the Rural Property Sales Division. Malcolm retired from Schute Bell July 2009 and not long after that he moved to Moree to be closer to his family as his dementia worsened. He is survived by his three adult children Julia, David and Sarah, six grandchildren and his sister Susie. His wife Jocelyn predeceased him in 2005. There are a few things we clearly remember that Malcolm enjoyed. Cheap hotels, reading the newspaper, Rugby Union, travelling, flat structures within companies, free tea and coffee and cake and the value of McDonalds. Ice cream and custard, the stock exchange, driving motor vehicles and ignoring double white lines on bendy roads, not using your seatbelt and a glass or two of red wine.
with Barker was a long one. His brother David (56), sons Leslie (75) and Barry (87), nephew Bernard (99) and granddaughters Emma and Laura (07) all attended Barker. He was also instrumental in recruiting others to the school, a couple of whom were Wesley Chan (72) and Robert Leo (74). He always strived to live by the school motto, Honor non Honores. After Barker it was back to Rabaul, PNG where, together with his brothers, he took over and successfully expanded the family business to eventually include an outlet in Port Moresby, where he lived from 1972 until his retirement in 1983. Since then home has been in Sydney’s North Shore. He will be sadly missed by his family, especially by his wife of 62 years, Rachel. Stephen Peter Lewis (74) 1956 – 2019
Sarah Greer
As his School reference tells us he was a student of above average (well above average I’d say!) academic ability and one who participated fully in a wide variety of School activities. He was a member of the 1st XI cricket team for his final three years and he was an accomplished allrounder. He was also in the School Squash team. “Stephen is a boy of pleasant and respectful manner. His organising ability and capacity to influence others has been clearly demonstrated. A pleasant and unassuming young man who has given his best to the School.” Beyond School Steve was also successful in business and always interested in what others were doing when we chatted.
Brian Cheung (54) 1935 – 2019
Brian Cheung born in Rabaul PNG, was a member of the Class of 1954. After a number of years of bad health, he died on 22 April 2019. His years at Barker were some of his happiest. He was one of the few boarders who liked the food! One of “Leslie’s Men”, Brian wore the badge with pride, and in honour of Headmaster WS Leslie whom he always considered a rare and wonderful man. Brian’s connection
1969, with a renowned sense of humour and consideration for his fellow classmates. Steve was a very capable all-round sportsman and his home in East Gordon, with a tennis court, was a very welcoming venue for classmates and the scene of very regular gatherings, day and night. He was House Captain of Andrew House and a Prefect.
Steve Lewis passed away in the NSW coastal town of Forster on 23 March 2019. He had not been well in recent times but his passing came as a shock to all who knew him. Steve was a member of the Barker College Class of 1974, a year which saw itself as somewhat unique, as it was the last leaving year in an era when there were no girls in the School. He was an incredibly popular member of this year, entering in “1st year” in
He and Kerrie had three sons who attended Barker – Geoffrey (03), Gregory (05) and Bradley (09) and his Barker connections only just started there. His brother David (68), brother-in-law Hugh Southwood (70 – married to Steve’s sister Jen) also added to the Barker family, nieces Michelle (07), Heather (02) and Laura (06, now on Barker staff). His wife Pari’s family were Barker through and through too with her brothers Philip (73), Mark (74) and Brett (81). Steve and Pari were great support for each other and he will be very much missed by family and friends. Bruce Davis (74)
Winter 2019 • Issue 237 • The Old Barker • 67
Obituaries
Ralph Colin Murdoch (Danny) Toplis (50/51) 1933 – 2019
Known as Colin to classmates, neighbours and old workmates; known as Ralph to all medical workers and to the many charities that he supported (105); and known as Danny to all his Army Colleagues. Colin, late of Lindfield, attended Barker from 1942 to 1951 as a boarder. He played in the Under 14A XV Rugby team in 1947 and was in the 1st XV Rugby team in 1950. His love of Barker continued throughout his life. He attended many School reunions and OBA Seniors events. In his career, Colin was qualified as a Registered Valuer and worked at the Valuer General’s Department in Chatswood, Phillip St Sydney and Parramatta. Much of Colin’s life was spent in service roles. He entered National Service in Oct 1952 and then served with 21 FD Regiment (Regt) at Hornsby followed by 7 FD Regt at Willoughby until his retirement in Jan 1988. His final position with the Regt was as Warrant Officer Class 2 as the BQMS. Colin joined 7 FD Regt RAA Association as Inaugural Treasurer in 1986 and was a Committee Member continuously until 2018. He was presented with Life Membership in 2007.
68 • The Old Barker • Issue 237 • Winter 2019
He was a Life Member and Librarian with RAAHC at North Fort for around 25 years and was also a Tour Guide with SHFT between 2011 and 2015 plus many years prior to that with RAAHC. Colin was also a member of the Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen & Women plus the National Service Association.
Following Barker, Bruce trained as a chef at the Dorchester in London and later worked at the Istanbul Hilton. When he returned to Australia he managed the Kosciuszko Chalet Hotel and in 1971 opened the Rocks Push, a twostorey jazz band venue near the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Colin passed away on 5 April 2019. “Danny was Danny – there will never be another. Quiet, private, independent, stubborn. Lest we forget.”
Bruce married Karin at the Barker College Chapel in 1972.
Bruce George Viles (61) 1944 – 2019
Bruce Viles attended Barker from 1955 to 1961. Bruce was a member of Wade House and participated in sport throughout his time at Barker. He was a member of the 2nd XV Rugby team in his final year. One of Bruce’s peers has reflected on Bruce’s personality as one who strived “to break out of the pack”. One example out of many was a Rugby game for Wade House when Bruce’s side was awarded a penalty right on the half-way line. As the scores were drawn it was doubtful this penalty could win the game. Yet Bruce called for the ball for a drop-kick attempt, raising a few laughs from the crowd. The shot went over the middle of the crossbar! Bruce also enjoyed drama and played the role of Young Siward in the School’s production of “Macbeth”.
In 1973, The Rocks Push was destroyed by fire but in the August of that same year Bruce and his business partner Tommy Hare opened The Basement in Reiby Place near Circular Quay. In the early days the restaurant was a family affair. Bruce’s mother provided collateral for the loan and looked after the books, Karin ran the bar and Bruce did the cooking. Karin’s sister Anne also contributed designing the club’s first logo. The Basement was considered one of Sydney’s most influential music venues. In 1980, an additional floor was added making it one of the largest jazz clubs in the world and a leading venue for visiting artists. Performers included Galapagos Duck, Howie Smith, Roger Frampton, Phil Treloar and Vince Jones amongst many others. Bruce sold his share of the Basement in 2000 and followed his passion for timber, crafting woodwork and inlay. Bruce, late of Annandale sadly passed away on 15 April 2019. He is survived by his wife Karin, their daughter Katherine and her partner Hayden. He is also survived by his sister Sue and his beloved dog Jazz.
OBA Annual Dinner Peter Garrett is one of our most prominent living Australians. A renowned activist, the former politician and lead singer of Midnight Oil is a long-time advocate and campaigner on a range of local and global issues. He served as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation for two terms, which saw significant additions to natural protected areas, and the ACF grow into Australia’s leading national environment organisation. As Minister for the Environment he instigated the successful historic International Court of Justice case against Japanese whaling. As Minister for School Education he was responsible for introducing the national curriculum, and for legislating a new needs-based funding system for all Australian schools.
He is the only Australian politician to receive the ‘Leaders for a Living Planet’ award from the World Wildlife Fund and is a member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to the music industry and environment.
Date: Friday 1 November 2019 Time: 7pm Venue: Junior School Multi Purpose Hall Cost: $70.00pp, $630.00 for a table of 10 Book: www.barker.nsw.edu.au and click on the Payment option to book this OBA event Queries: Mandy Loomes (02) 8438 7229 mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au
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OBA Annual Golf Day 2019 All Welcome
Friends | Colleagues | Clients Tuesday 27 August at 11.00 am Pennant Hills Golf Club Green Fees & Canapés (non PHGC Members): $95.00 pp Green Fees & Canapés (PHGC Golf Members): $30.00 pp Cart Hire to be booked through PHGC (8860 5860) RSVP: Friday 14 August To book, visit www.barker.nsw.edu.au and click on the Payment option to book this OBA event. Queries: Mandy Loomes 8438 7229 or mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au
Alumni Events Class Reunions 2019 1961 – 58 Year Reunion Sat 3 Aug John Meagher 0410 324 911 john@driftwoodfilms.com.au 2014 – 5 Year Reunion Sat 24 Aug Micki Mueller 0430 191 966 barkerclassof2014@gmail.com 2009 – 10 Year Reunion Fri 6 Sept Bec Meyer 0415 876 113 rebeccapmeyer@hotmail.com Joe Ware 0450 012 530 joseph.d.ware@gmail.com Benjamin Ho 0408 426 754 barker2009@gmail.com
1969 – 50 Year Reunion Sat 9 Nov John Mettam 0412 121 617 johnkmettam@hotmail.com David Cook 0400 449 229 davidcookgti@gmail.com Bill Trollope 0408 274 839 wwt@bigpond.com 1989 – 30 Year Reunion 9 November 2019 Mel Mackenzie (Davies) Fiona Thomas (Press) Andrew ‘Woody’ Woodburn 0417 749 148 woodyskennars@gmail.com 2004 – 15 Year Reunion Sat 30 Nov Rivka Lloyd (Figg) barkerclassof2004reunion@gmail. com
1979 – 40 Year Reunion Sat 21 Sept Judy Learmont (Bruce) 0433 131 955 judylearmont@gmail.com
Beth Taylor (Goldfinch) www.facebook.com/ groups/1400551923558274/
1984 – 35 Year Reunion 19 October 2019 Libby Bruderlin (Page) 0409 905 700 barker84reunion@gmail.com
OBA Events 2019
Geoff Harvey 0419 768 864 Cathy Tapp (McLean) 0413 457 672 Angus Gamson 0413 755 955 Mhairi Overall (Boswell) 0402 849 279 1964 – 55 Year Reunion Sat 26 Oct Keith Thornton 0410 693 698 keiththornton@hotmail.com
OBA Meeting & AGM Tue 30 July Mandy Loomes (02) 8438 7229 mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au
OBA Seniors Events 2019 AGM, Luncheon & Rugby Sat 3 Aug Mandy Loomes (02) 8438 7229 mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au
Regional Events Melbourne Dinner Fri 12 July Murray Anderson (65) 0457 000 407 murray@capricorngroup.net.au Perth Luncheon Sun 5 Oct Ian Christian (69) 0417 980 968 ian.christian@thepark.com.au Sunshine Coast Luncheon Sun 20 Oct Peter Maidens (54) 0412 862 633 themaidens@ozemail.com.au Brian Allen (53) 0417 644 016 bballen314@gmail.com
OBA Golf Day Tues 27 Aug Mandy Loomes (02) 8438 7229 mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au
Canberra Dinner Fri 29 Nov Andrew McColl (74) 0422 985 281 as.mccoll@icloud.com
OBA Meeting Tues 17 Sept Mandy Loomes (02) 8438 7229 mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au
Class Reunions 2020
Ron Switzer 0419 249 887 ron@switzer.net.au
91 Pacific Highway Hornsby NSW 2077 Australia
OBA Annual Dinner Fri 1 Nov Mandy Loomes (02) 8438 7229 mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au
1970 – 50 Year Reunion Sat 10 Oct Jack Brislee 0411 648 217 prbb@bigpond.net.au Phil Montgomery 0449 545 954 philnmont@gmail.com
t +61 2 8438 7999 f +61 2 8438 7609 w barker.college
Regional Events Regional events provide a great opportunity to connect with members of the Barker community in your area. Please send your contact details to mloomes@barker.nsw.edu.au if you are living in a different location to your Barker mailing address, so we can invite you too!
Privacy Due to changes in Privacy Legislation we are required to inform you that your contact details may be shared with OBA reunion organisers with the strict guidelines that they are only to be used for the purposes of organising your OBA reunion. Please contact the Alumni Office if you wish to keep your details private.
Photos Photos from your event may be posted on the OBA Website (www.oba.net.au) and the Alumni Facebook page (www.facebook. com/barkercollegealumni) and in The Barker magazine. For further queries please contact the Alumni Office.