Spring Summer 2019 Nexus GOULBURN VALLEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL INSIDE Dr Michael Carr- Gregg visits GVGS Alistair Dobson, Big Bash League Lucas Eastaugh, Royal Childrens Hospital NEXUS 2019 / 1 From the Principal Yakapna Assembly – in the spirit of reconciliation Nexus On Friday 6 September GVGS was proud to One of the highlights of the assembly was commence a new tradition, our first Yakapna the prefect speech by Cody Mohamed who Nexus is a GVGS school community Assembly dedicated to celebrating Aboriginal talked about the injustices experienced by her publication largely brought together by and Torres Strait Islander heritage. The assembly grandparents and the sacrifices they made to members from within our community. was inspired by our nation’s struggle to fully ensure an education for their children. Students It is published twice a year. We acknowledge the 50,000 year history of Aboriginal also presented a reflection on NAIDOC week and welcome submissions to Nexus from and Torres Strait Islander people. In the spirit of this year’s theme of ‘Voice, Treaty and Truth’. The staff, students, alumni and those reconciliation, the assembly aimed to build our student band ‘Banthony’ performed ‘Down City connected with the school community. community’s understanding of the ancient and Streets’ by Ruby Hunter. Email: [email protected]. continuing culture of our first nations people. This Current students Lillie Walker and Cody Mohamed Nexus Co-ordination: Amy De Paola assembly will now become part of our school’s are members of Deborah Cheetham’s Dungala (nee Hill, Class of 1989) annual assembly programme. children’s choir. Together they taught the school Contributing Writers: Liz Mellino The assembly was conceived by our aboriginal choir the hymn Ngarra Burra Ferra in Yorta Yorta (Class of 2012), Clare Winter-Irving student working group who meet regularly with language. (Class of 2010) Jodie Fleming (Current Ms Trish Lawless (Director of Students) to promote The choir’s performance was symbolic of the parent) Samantha Schelling (Current awareness and understanding of aboriginal assembly’s broader purpose because it involved parent), TIm James (Staff) John Lewis heritage. The vision was for our aboriginal and non-aboriginal students learning from aboriginal (Shepparton News) Amy De Paola. non-aboriginal students to work in partnership, students and working in unison to celebrate culture planning and presenting an assembly. In and heritage. This was such a powerful moment Thanks to: Mrs Pam Wallace, Mrs Cheryl preparation students learned a great deal about that we will make Ngarra Burra Ferra an annual Mechkaroff, Ms Michelle Schofield, aboriginal heritage and culture including from local feature of the assembly. Thank you to our Choir Mr Mark Torriero, Mr Glen Edwards, aboriginal community members. Mrs Pam Pogue, Shepparton News. Director Mr David Howells for his support. The name Yakapna is from the Yorta Yorta language Sincere congratulations to all the students Goulburn Valley Grammar School meaning community or family. Some years ago, our involved, particularly Cody Mohamed for her Verney Road, PO Box 757, school community worked closely with the local outstanding leadership and wonderful Prefect Shepparton, Victoria, 3632. Yorta Yorta community to identify an appropriate Speech. On behalf of the school I thank the Telephone: 03 5833 3300, name for our Year 9 programme. The name many students who planned and presented the Email: [email protected], Yakapna was selected because it captured much of assembly. Thank you also to Ms Trish Lawless for Web: www.gvgs.vic.edu.au. the essence of our Year 9 programme. Yakapna also her tireless planning and organisation of this event. seemed a very fitting title for this annual assembly. Printing: Edgeprint, Mooroopna As Justin Mohamed reminded us, reconciliation Printed on 100% recycled paper. We were honoured to welcome many members of starts with people taking small steps forward. This the local aboriginal community. Thank you to local assembly was one of those steps for our school COVER PHOTO: Nell Ryan performs as Yorta Yorta elder Auntie Julie Best who performed community. Nancy in the schools production of the welcome to country and Jamie Atkinson Semper Ulterius Oliver! See pages 14-15 for performing who performed a smoking ceremony. We were arts news. delighted to welcome Justin Mohamed, Victorian Mark Torriero, Principal Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, who spoke powerfully on the theme of reconciliation and the steps our school community can take towards promoting reconciliation in the wider community. Mr Justin Mohamed, Ms Katrina Mohamed, Cody Mohamed and Miss Selina Douglas. FAR RIGHT: Lillie Walker. 2 / GOULBURN VALLEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL Around the school Dr Michael Carr-Gregg visits GVGS By Liz Mellino. indfulness and positive mental mental health of young people is not could improve their mental health Mhealth were on the agenda when flash at the moment.” through exercise, diet, relationships Michael Carr-Gregg visited the school Mr Carr-Gregg said statistics showed and mindfulness. in August. suicide rates had generally doubled “I really think they need to look after The child adolescent psychologist in the last 10 years, with suicide rates themselves in terms of their mental spoke to staff and parents to offer three times higher in the country then health,” Dr Michael Carr Gregg said. them strategies to improve their own in the city. “They basically have to deal with a mental health and that of our young With this in mind he said he hoped generation of young people who have people. to give parents the strategies to probably the worst mental health for a With a respected career in the build resilience and positivity in their long time in the history of Australians, promotion of mental health for children. so I think it’s a tough job.” families, children and adolescents, Dr “For the parents I want to give them Principal Mark Torriero said the school Carr-Gregg held two separate sessions the skills, the knowledge and the runs seminars each year that address at the school. strategies to build resilience in their different areas of staff wellbeing. “One is to the staff, looking after their young people and to understand the With this year’s forum focusing on mental health and giving them some principals of well being which are mental health, Mr Torriero said the strategies to look after themselves ... drawn from positive psychology,” Dr expertise of Dr Carr-Gregg would be a because if the teachers are okay then Carr-Gregg said. valuable suppport for both staff and that’s a great start to the students,” Dr During his sessions, Mr Carr-Gregg also parents. Carr-Gregg said. addressed the occupational stress “Michael’s a very engaging speaker and “I’ll then talk to the parents about how teachers faced in their roles. obviously he has the academic and to build happy and resilient young He said by acknowledging this and professional background so it seemed people which is pretty important in giving staff a range of apps and logical to offer a session to parents.” rural and remote Victoria because the websites they can use, he hoped they NEXUS 2019 / 3 Medical pursuits of past students By Clare Winter-Irving. is, the largest children’s cardiac centre in they are waiting for a heart transplant, as there Dr Lucas Eastaugh, Australia - conducting roughly 300 paediatric are limited organ donations particularly for small catheterisation procedures per year - he was children,” Dr Eastaugh says. “It’s very rewarding able to gain extensive specialist training at The work, recently there was a VAD patient of mine Royal Children’s Hospital for Sick Children as they conducted who received a heart transplant and she’s doing 900 procedures per year. Again furthering really well.” Hospital Melbourne his exposure to paediatric catheterisation internationally, Dr Eastaugh spent a year training With decades of experience and knowledge hen Dr Lucas Eastaugh started at GVGS at Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts. under his belt, Dr Eastaugh often makes the in 1987, the school was a very different W He returned to Australia in 2012 and has been trip back home to Shepparton and holds clinics place to how it looks and functions today. After working full time at The Royal Children’s Hospital at GV Health for patients who don’t have easy leaving St. Brendan’s primary school in Year 5, as the head of the Angiography Suite since, access to Melbourne services. “I come back to he started in Year 6 at GVGS and was one of only conducting about 400 paediatric catheterisation Shepparton about four times a year and do an 20 students in his year level. Mr Vic Ryall, after procedures per year. “Little people are much outpatients clinic, seeing patients from as far whom Ryall House is named, was principal when more honest about their illnesses…I’ve always away as Finley and Echuca,” he says. “It saves Dr Eastaugh started at the school and the school found myself very comfortable working with these patients travelling all the way down to mascot had not yet been introduced. The school children and I really enjoy it,” he says. Melbourne, driving hours and hours, so they can had only been in operation for a few years and come to GV Health and get their tests done and the facilities students enjoy today were beyond Continuing with his commitment to paediatric have a catch up.” comprehension. “All of our school sports had cardiology, Dr Eastaugh has recently started to be done at the Shepparton Stadium because working with children who require VADs Although Dr Eastaugh unfortunately could we didn’t have many of the facilities that are (ventricular assist devices). A ventricular assist not attend his 25 year reunion last year due to available at the school now,” Dr Eastaugh device is an electromechanical device for being on call, he does still keep an eye on what says when thinking back more than 25 years assisting cardiac circulation, which is used either happens at GVGS and is very proud of how far ago.