THE COVID-19 EDITION #2 The official newsletter of Silver Gulls, Alumni of Geelong High School Inc. (A0059004M) No. 43, September, 2020 PRESIDENT NEW ALUMNI CO-ORDINATOR ALUMNI EXHIBITION Geoff. Brebner I write to introduce myself as I’ve recently Hello Alumni, both near and far, recently (ex-principal) started as the Alumni program coordinator at graduated and distantly graduated! VICE PRESIDENT Geelong High School . Tanja has passed over Two senior classes are currently planning an the reins and I’m excited to be involved and a Doug Mann exhibition of former Geelong High students and (ex-Staff Representative) part of the team! It’s a part time role and I’m we need volunteers to receive some interview working Wednesday and Thursday at this SECRETARY/TREASURER questions. Ideally, we were going to conduct EDITOR stage. interviews face to face, but with COVID-19 Jennifer Colquhoun A current teacher, Ben Langdon, is organising restrictions in place, we will need to interview (ex-staff) an exhibition and is calling for past teachers former students via email. MINUTE SECRETARY and students to answer six questions which If you would be interested in being matched up Jennie Roles Tonzing will then become exhibits in the Kroger with a student who will ask you six questions (ex-student) building. I haven’t formally met Ben yet as I’ve about what life was like for you in school, as COMMITTEE just commenced in the role which means my well as what life has presented to you AFTER knowledge about the art is limited but would Frank Filippi school, I would love to hear from you. Richard Schmeiszl you be able to assist Ben in gathering people Davina Robertson Burke who could answer questions and contribute to The exhibition will be your answers to those Rod Mackenzie the exhibition? questions, as well as a photo from your time at Robyn Tremain Martinez school, as well as the present day. Clive Shaw I’m wondering if you know of any alumni (ex-students) who’s put themselves to work by making face I hope you'll have a think about being part of this opportunity. We are hoping to connect Glenn Davey (Principal) masks. I’d like to know about them and their with around 100 former students and to Ken Stewart (Acting Principal) thoughts about is because I could use it for content to show that Geelong High School establish the exhibition in the atrium which is HON. AUDITOR alumni are contributing to the community etc. part of the newly refurbished Kroger Wing - a Geoff Everett testament to the school's history in one of the Even better if they could supply a pic or two. oldest parts of the building. Kind regards, Zoe McCubbery The project itself will run this term and the PLEASE ADDRESS Alumni Program Coordinator exhibition will be in term four. We've already got around 50 names confirmed but we're ALL We thank Tanja Dunat-Timms for her work as CORRESPONDENCE looking for over 100. I think this idea could be a our previous Alumni Co-ordinator. Tanja was recurring project for the VCAL classes, possibly TO: responsible for many exies returning to school Silver Gulls, Alumni of rotated every year or two. to speak to current students. Geelong High School Please pass this on to any other former Inc. students, no matter how old or young they are. 29 Hosie Avenue, Bell Post Hill VIC Thanks, 3215 Ben Langdon or GHS student 1987-1992 jenniferkc@bigpond GHS teacher 2018-current .com.au WANT TO BE INVOLVED? If you’d like to be part of Ben’s Alumni All enquiries, story Exhibition, or tell Zoe about what you’re suggestions, etc., to contributing to your community during this Jenn Colquhoun crisis, please contact Ben (5278 3844) or the above email. [email protected] and/or Zoe [email protected] PAGE 1 The GEELONG TERM 2020 SALVO OUTREACH VAN visited to talk UP, UP AND AWAY! to Year 9 students at Geelong High The removal of the last of the relocatable classrooms marks School, answering the end of the project. At a total cost of $24 million, it has questions about been the biggest refurbishment/re-build project in the state. homelessness and We are very proud of what we have achieved since we struggles our friends commenced with the design and development stage five years experience everyday ago. around Geelong. The GPEP students from Semester 1 came together after school at the end of Term 2 to cook meals for people experiencing homelessness in the Geelong region. Fifty serves of Spaghetti Bolognese and Fried Rice were then taken directly out to people experiencing homelessness by the Salvation Army Out Reach Van. Word back was that the meals were greatly appreciated! One of the students donated some much needed items to give out, which were also very much appreciated. Did you know…That in Australia there are over 116,000 people experiencing Homelessness every day of the year. This number equates to one in 200. That includes 24,800 Victorians, which is approximately 1000 people in the Geelong Region, or the equivalent of five people from our Geelong High School Community. DEBATING The A-Grade team debated Trinity Grammar Melbourne over the Round 3 secret topic ‘That the last decade has been bad for the world.’ The topic was released only one hour before the start of the debate. It was a tough topic, but our debaters did well to prosecute their arguments for the affirmative. Trinity’s seasoned debaters, however, were too good, especially at commandeering the definitions within the topic. PAGE 2 DANCE COMMUNITY SERVICE Late last term, the Year 9 GPEP class went to work on the gardens at Geelong High In July Motion Dance Company’s dance School as a way to contribute to our community. Ornamental plants, citrus plants, instructor Shelley Skinner visited herbs and edible native plants were all planted near the Winstanley Wing . Food Geelong High School to work with our classes will use the herbs, citrus and native plants in their cooking, making for more Years 7 and 8 dance students. Students sustainable food. A lot of hard work went into the gardens and we all learnt plenty were guided through a fast paced about gardening. Thanks to Assistant Principal Ken Stewart, Tim and Alex from the dance warm-up, technical dance grounds staff team for their support and guidance. movements and learnt an energetic jazz routine. Most students in Years 7 and 8 have little to no dance experience and Shelley was able to engage them all in what was a very fun -filled class. DRAMA Back To Back Theatre Visits Year 8 Drama Following a tip-off from our one of our architects, Ian Bentley, that there were some plants available for recycling from the site of the Geelong Civic Precinct, our Since 2019, Geelong High has been in Maintenance and Grounds Team, Tim and Alex, with the support of two of our VCAL an educational partnership with students, Tom O’Keeffe and Luke Massey, went to work. Luke and Tom are doing their Geelong’s internationally acclaimed work placement at Geelong High School due to the restrictions placed on other work and awarded Back To Back Theatre. places by the Covid-19 restrictions. Our VCAL students have also helped install new Artistic Associate Tamara Searle ran a stainless steel balustrading to protect our new kitchen gardens which were planted by fast-paced, creative workshop with our our Year 9 GPEP students. current Year 8 Drama elective students. In just over an hour, students were guided through various activities involving movement and spoken word to eventually present a short piece of instant theatre. PAGE 3 FOODS The kitchens smelled better than a The Year 10 Bakers made Cinnamon A sweet week ahead for families of Bunnings a Carpark. The Year 10 bakers Scrolls. The kitchens smelled delicious. Year 9 Food Lovers, who are baking made Cheesy Onion and Bacon Loaves and decorating cupcakes in Week 8 of and the Year 8's made Carrot and Term 3. No excuses for the cakes not Banana Muffins. making it home! SPORT Senior Students enjoying the 2020 Cross Country Challenge. PAGE 4 MEDIA ART Every five weeks the Year 7s change their art/tech rotation. As you can imagine this is VCE Media students wrote, directed a big challenge for all students and staff, teaching and learning a new class and edited their own short films or completely remotely, never having met the teacher or students. Well done to Hugo in series of photographs for their SAT 7BB for creating this amazing artwork titled ‘faceless selfie.’ projects. Prior to the recent lockdown VCE Media students were busy taking photographs in and around Geelong. More Art work from Year 7 students during remote learning . Moorabool Daffodil Day As it was not possible to run the usual Daffodil Day fund raiser, casual dress day and the sausage sizzle were swapped for Wear It Yellow Day. a yellow photo competition and positive message creative competition. Ordinarily, funds would be raised through the casual dress day, barbecue and merchandise sales. This year a fund raising page was set up through the Cancer Council and the generous donations from staff, students and their families and $588 was raised for the Cancer Council. PAGE 5 ROD MACKENZIE’S GEELONG HIGH SCHOOL DAYS 1945 – 1948 1945 surrounded by classrooms I would estimate it at being The first Tuesday in February 1945 was for me a day of some 40 metres square, open to the sky and excitement, today was to be my first day at Geelong High asphalted.