ISSUE 11 WINTER 2020 PORTRAITS IN ISOLATION FOR THEIR DIGITAL LIVES PLC SYDNEY: TIMELINE OF A PANDEMIC CONTENTS | ISSUE 11 WINTER 2020 01 From the Principal 28 60 seconds with… Ms Maria Passaris 02 For their digital lives 29 60 seconds with… Ms Jenny Clarke 03 Change and new beginnings 30 Netball continues to thrive in the TAS Department 34 AFL on the mark 04 The challenges of studying practical subjects from home 37 Staff picks for a pandemic reading list 05 The unexpected gifts of isolation 40 From the Archives: five memorable 06 Portraits in Isolation project moments in the life of PLC Sydney 08 Bio and Beyond 2020 EX-STUDENTS’ NEWS 09 Fuel Live! during COVID-19 10 PLC Sydney: timeline of a pandemic 43 President's Report 2020 16 Boarders return home 44 ESU announcements 20 A seamless transition for 49 Save the date Digital Technologies 50 Women's Work: Victoria Baldwin 22 Enrolments during a pandemic 52 COVID-19: Ex-students 23 Innovative online Chinese projects on the front line 24 International Science 54 Where are they now? Youth Forum in Singapore 57 Life after lockdown: 26 A virtual debating experience finding a new normal 27 Matilda the Musical Camphora incorporates the Ex-Students’ News, the magazine of PLC Sydney’s Ex-Students’ Union. PLC Sydney acknowledges the Wangal people, of the Dharug dialect, on whose land the College resides, and pays respect to Elders both past and present. FROM THE PRINCIPAL 1 2020 has been quite a year. Which of us could have imagined a I say 'thank you' to global pandemic on New Year's Day! our community. I know that this year has been quite tumultuous for many families. The You have been just challenges of online learning, the fabulous through uncertainties of the business world, and the cancellation of so many this whole thing. activities has had a big impact on us People have been all. Our staff have done a super job, yet it has been tiring making so gracious and honest, many changes. considerate and This edition of Camphora should empathic. In spite of be of great encouragement to you. It indicates that, despite everything, the difficulties PLC our young people continue to Sydney students undertake great challenges, and undaunted, do amazing things. continue to thrive. You will view 'Portraits in Isolation' —work done from 'the bunkers' to And, I think, in their futures, they will which we retreated during the be better equipped to take on the COVID-19 pandemic. You will see challenges of a world impacted by the our students doing their practical events of 2020. work from home. You will find out about online debating and the challenges of being a teacher working from home. Some articles precede the pandemic. I hope these help you remember our 'normal' lives. I am thankful to our archivist, who has Dr Paul Burgis plotted a history of all of the events. Principal Reading it makes me feel both tired and grateful. OUR MAGAZINE TEAM EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS Mrs Nicole Paull Dr Paul Burgis, Dr Suzana Sukovic, Ms Maria Passaris, Ms Jenny Clarke, Ms Jo Herrmann, Ms Jo Knight, Mrs Cassandra Mr Malcolm Heap, Miss Sarah Antico, COVER Morphew, Ms Tiffeny Fayne, Katherine Zhang, Charlotte Cameron, Sophie McLachlan, Zoe Jewell, Mrs Edwina Soh, Mia Pasin, Miss Laura Verlinden, Artworks from the Portraits in Isolation project. Ms Debby Cramer, Ms Pauline Turner, Amelie Haigh, Naomi Webb and Emily Webb. See page six for details. Zoe Hobson, Ms Fleur Webster, Olivia Lam, Emily Zhao, Mrs Helen Kardiasmenos, Ex-Students' News: Marina Clark, Mrs Catherine Marvell, Aileen Kim, Philippa Zingales, Ann McDonald, Jasmine Chee, Alyssa Buda, Makayla Johnson, Lesley Meldrum, Helen Humphries, Ms Faraday Pang, Brielle Papadopoulos, Mia Joseph, Cecile Ferguson, Debby Cramer, Ameline Archis, Mrs Fiona Hendriks, Elizabeth Gregory. Thank you to all the Chloe Zhao, Grace Miao, Morrena Zheng, ex-students and their families who Carol Sun, Miss Manel Chami, contributed. ISSUE 11 / WINTER 2020 2 FOR THEIR DIGITAL LIVES If there was ever a time to understand the importance of digital and research skills, it was during the COVID-19 isolation. The Research and Library Services, like the rest of the school, responded quickly to new circumstances. Junior School Teacher Librarians continued with regular library lessons and reading initiatives, often making a creative leap to keep them engaging and relevant for their Ms Suallyn Mitchelmore teaches Pre-Kindergarten online. remote students. For the Senior Library, the new way of learning was an opportunity to prioritise a couple of key digital projects. The result is our new website launched at the beginning of Term 2. The website is, essentially, an interface connecting a number of databases. We aimed to create a seamless environment, in which students can use our digital resources, classroom-specific and general help, and learning-oriented social media from home and school. Our website brings together two distinct enhancements to our digital services. The first is EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), which enables one search across a number of school databases and the library catalogue. It helps students to stay https://library.plc.sydney/ focused on their research by removing the need to negotiate access to multiple sources, and aids their understanding of authoritative sources of information. Another project is the development of subject-specific and ‘how to’ guides to provide digital support for teachers and students. The guides do not diminish the importance of teachers’ and librarians’ collaborative work in the classroom. Rather, they aim to develop students’ independence and enhance the quality of classroom engagement through conversation and learning activities. We have also developed a page, Professional Knowledge Base, to bring the latest research to teachers and interested parents. Our new blog provides opportunities to students and staff to share news and reflections about their reading, research and learning. Mapping a journey—Find out more about PLC Reads the World at https://library.plc.sydney/events/PLC_reads_the_world The blog has been the outlet to showcase students’ work as book reviewers and editors. The published posts are a result of students’ engagement in the project Editor’s Writing this article has served as Choice, an elective in 'Power Up Wednesdays' during the time of isolation. an opportunity to reflect, helping Project Curiosity, another elective for Power Up Wednesdays, me to understand why the time in gave students an opportunity to explore a topic of their isolation had not felt lonely at all. interest. With over 100 students who signed up for the project, followed up by individual consultations with me, There was so much happening and so many new connections I have no doubt that PLC Sydney is energised by many developing at PLC Sydney that physical isolation came as a curious minds. Curiosity is a starting point and necessary unique moment to focus on skills and resources, which will ingredient of any research. Other essential components support our students now and into a distant future. are independence and perseverance, the rest can be learnt. Students who have stayed with their questions throughout Dr Suzana Sukovic the term have demonstrated that they have what it takes to Director of Research and Library Services grow as researchers. With the guidance and resources, they Follow us on Twitter are developing skills and a mindset to be critical thinkers of @plcsydney_reads the future. PLC SYDNEY / CAMPHORA CHANGE AND NEW BEGINNINGS 3 IN THE TAS DEPARTMENT The year 2020 had already been established as a time for a change and new beginnings in the Technological and Applied Studies (TAS) department. The introduction of Stage 5 Food Technology, the second year of the new Stage 4 Technology Curriculum and revamped Stage 5 Design and Technology projects were among the challenges and exciting opportunities our staff had developed for our creative students. Year 8 Design and Technology students were set to engage throughout the year in the fields of engineered systems and digital technologies. Some fortunate students were able to experience the joy of taking that initial leap into the world of engineering, learning to construct an articulated desk lamp and creating gifs to feature on their own website design. A promotional campaign to encourage young girls to engage Some fortunate Year 8 students were able to construct in engineering will follow. Later in the year, there are plans an articulated desk lamp prior to the move to online for all students to learn to code a BBC micro:bit to create a learning from home. sustainable smartwatch which digitally measures engagement in physical activity. Who could possibly have predicted that we would soon be applying a whole new set of technological skills in the online learning environment? As we moved off campus, our incredible teachers worked collaboratively to apply their individual design and problem-solving skills that they so readily encourage in their students. Projects had to be adapted and in some cases completely redeveloped to ensure that the application of the design process could continue without access to our usual materials, tools and technologies. Year 10 Design and Technology continued to design fabrics in the online classroom, using their existing skills in Adobe Illustrator and ongoing teacher support. These are a committed When they returned to school in Term 2, Year 10 Design group of dynamic, enthusiastic designers. The motivating light and Technology students were able to see their at the end of the tunnel for these students was to see that their professionally printed fabric designs. fabrics had been professionally digitally printed. What a lovely surprise for all upon their return to campus. Year 7 has been enthusiastically embracing the world of Stop Motion to develop the opening title sequence of a new cooking show.