When you can make a career out of something you are passionate about it has the opportunity to provide countless rewards, many of them unexpected. Abby-Rose Schmidt, an Old Girl from the class of 2012, talks about why she loves nursing, her philosophy of the profession and what it was like to be an ICU nurse during a pandemic. It’s a great story of compassion and serving others in their time of struggle.
The practice of mindfulness has become more popular over the last few years as our society deals with the chaos and busyness of life. The application of this practice can sometimes be difficult and approached with cynicism or caution. Amy Marrero is the Mindfulness Co-ordinator at SCEGGS and in this podcast she breaks down some of the misconceptions that we might have. Amy explains how she became interested in mindfulness, its benefits to all people in all situations, some helpful techniques and...
Throughout sports history there have been a number of games that were once considered to be the domain of men only: soccer, cricket, rugby league, rugby union, AFL. It has been great to see how that has all changed and there have been a number of competitions and significant women that have pioneered a path that has inspired countless girls to give it a go. One of our Old Girls, Emily Chancellor (Class of 2009), has been one of those women who is passionate about rugby. She has played for the Ne...
There are a wide range of causes and projects that, on any given day, we might be called upon to donate towards. In the end, it is up to the individual to consider what philanthropy might mean to them, how they might want to contribute, what they think is worthy of their contribution or even if it’s necessary. In this episode, two very active members of our parent body, Christy Boyce and Matt Jones, share their thoughts on giving and how it plays an important part in their thinking and practice....
The journey of a full-time athlete can be a unique and bumpy experience in the effort to succeed at their given sport. This episode is a conversation with Marina Carrier, an Old Girl from the Class of 2014, who has represented Australia in the Modern Pentathlon in the Olympics. She talks about her years devoted to the sport, the things she learnt, the highs and the lows. We also discuss what its like to face retirement in her twenties. A very insightful and interesting discussion that I hope you...
If you had the same school experience as me, Social Science was basically map reading and rock formations. From this conversation with our Head of Social Sciences, Zoe Thompson, I have been pleasantly enlightened to see how it is so much more and how it helps us to understand the world we live in, even on a daily basis. I hope you enjoy the discussion as much as I did.
Going to school is more than just sitting in a classroom and absorbing information. Pastoral care and wellbeing play an important part in many schools today. Laura Connolly is our Director of Student Wellbeing and she talks about the challenges and the vision that she has for her role and the students of SCEGGS. Laura only stepped into the position last year and it has come with many challenges. We hear a lot about self care these days but sometimes it isn’t always clear as to what it might mean...
This is another conversation with my very first guest, Peter Eyers, Head of Drama at SCEGGS. We look back over the year and discuss some of the things which have impacted the lives of many. There is also a very special guest at the end of the podcast so make sure you don’t switch off.
This episode is a conversation with one of our local community members, Rob Caslick. Rob is the CEO and the brains behind Two Good, a company that empowers women that have experienced domestic violence to build confidence, regain their dignity and restore their lives. It has been great to watch this company emerge over the years and for our school to be involved in several ways.
This episode is a conversation with our Head of Design and Technology, Caroline O’Sullivan. Caroline has been involved a wide variety of creative ventures throughout her career and is passionate about encouraging others to make, build and create. We discuss the importance and benefits of being able to be “hands on” when it comes to problem solving and producing amazing creations. I hope you enjoy the conversation.
We use the word "community" a lot at school and it is often used to describe the collective mass and its character. But what do we actually mean when we use the word and how do we know we have got one? This week’s episode is a conversation with our Alumni Relations Officer, Michelle Kadi. We talk about the need for true community, how to build it and why it is important to the survival of the planet. I hope you enjoy the discussion.
Words can be very powerful things. They can be used to encourage, enquire, empathise and enrich. They can also be used to destroy, confuse, offend and humiliate. This episode is a conversation with our Head of English, Jenny Bean, and one of our exiting Year 12 students. We discuss all things English: the benefits of studying it, the reasons why we do study it, the power of literature and a vision for it as well. I hope you enjoy listening to some words about words.
SCEGGS has had a great connection to many of the local welfare agencies for a long period of time. One of those services that we consistently are working with is Rough Edges, a community centre for the poor, lonely and marginalised, located under the hall of St John’s Anglican Church, Darlinghurst. Twice a week, our staff take whatever leftover food we have at the end of the day from our cafeteria to Rough Edges so that they can provide it to those that attend this centre. To find out more about...
On Sunday June 5 people across the globe observed World Environment Day. It is a great opportunity for everyone to stop and consider our role as citizens of this planet and the impact we might be making on it. There are a number of people within our school community that are passionate about continuing to function sustainably and encouraging all members to consider their environmental footprint. Two staff members that have a lot to do with reaching our environmental goals are Sue Zipfinger and L...
In this episode, Pauline Chow, Head of Music at SCEGGS, speaks about the management of music and all of its complexities: from organising concerts, helping people be creative and find their passion and encouraging everyone to be musical. We also discuss what music can do for our communities and wellbeing.
This episode is with our Director of Sport, Alison Gowan. We discuss some of the challenges of doing sport over the last couple of years and how things have changed. We also talk about the importance of offering sport at school and what are some of the deeper lessons we learn from participating in it. I hope you enjoy the conversation.
One of the more specialist positions that we have at SCEGGS is our school archivist, Prue Heath. What does a school archivist do you might ask? In this episode, we hear about the origins of the School, the importance of history for the present and the significance and learning from past stories.
Beginnings and Endings of Teaching (and everything in between and after)
This episode is a discussion with the general manager of Lou’s Place, Nicole Yade. Lou’s Place is a day refuge for women that are in need, whether it be due to homelessness, domestic violence or any other disadvantage. It has been a safe haven for hundreds of women for over 20 years and the work they do is essential to the lives of many. Due to the nature of the conversation around sensitive issues please listen to this podcast with discretion. If you are concerned by any of this, please do reac...
This episode is a discussion with Janet McEwen and Olivia Matthews, two of our school counsellors. For many people, the step of talking to someone about what might be going on is very difficult. The risk of being misunderstood or judged or even not being heard can be an obstruction to connecting with others. This discussion is about what might happen in the counselling room and what it might provide. Maybe it might help in making the decision for yourself or a loved one.
This episode is a discussion with Julia Jaekel, a member of the Primary School Staff that has taught many different years over her time at SCEGGS. Her first child was born unable to hear which created certain challenges for Julia and her partner. We discuss what she has learnt form her experience, the issues surrounding hearing loss in young children and the opportunity of having her story broadcast on national television.
This episode is a discussion with Lanneke Jones, music teacher and choir conductor in our Primary School. She has also worked as a professional singer and songwriter. We discuss the power of song and how it can affect our mental health, help to connect with others and its importance in understanding yourself.
Amelia McCallan is Head of PDHPE at SCEGGS and has three young children and a husband who is also a teacher. She talks about how the lockdown has affected her various roles in different ways and also having to rethink how we teach and promote physical activity at a distance.
This episode is a discussion with an ex-student, Julia Fraser, who runs our Philosophy Club, a co-curricular activity in the Secondary School. Julia speaks about the purpose and focus of the Club and the benefits of talking about some of the big philosophical questions addressed there. She also shares her personal perspective and experience of consent and how our world view may impact our responses. I hope this discussion might be helpful among the current topics being discussed in our governmen...
This week’s episode is a discussion with Dr Siobhan Lamb, a former Science teacher at SCEGGS and now the director of her own business “Embrace Difference”. This business provides support for children, parents and educators where neurodivergency is a common environment under which people operate. Her experience, studies and approach provide a refreshing response to such a complex issue. I hope you get as much out of this conversation as I had recording it.
This weeks episode is a discussion with our relatively new Head of the Primary School, Helen Dempsey. Helen speaks of what it was like thrown into the deep end of trying to run a Primary School in the midst of a pandemic and the subsequent impact that it has had on those with loved ones overseas, including herself. We discuss the idea of home and the longing to be there, particularly in times of stress and uncertainty.
This episode was recorded at the breakfast table one morning as a few of my kids (Jasper, Dominic and Ilona) slowly made their way downstairs. I suggested that we do a podcast about their lives and what they are thinking at the moment and this is the result. A somewhat humourous, hopeful and concerning insight into what life is like for a few young adults at the moment. It is also the first episode that I have had to produce and edit by myself so I apologise for any faults in the sound quality. ...
This episode is a conversation with Chris Gleisner, our regular school professional photographer and the woman behind the project “Lets Build A School”. It was recorded before the Sydney lockdown in 2021. Chris took all of the photos that can be found in the recently released “A Year In The Life Of SCEGGS, 2020”. She talks about what the experience was like in trying to make it work amongst the difficulties of last year, what she is trying to portray through her art and her passion to see educat...
This episode is a conversation with a long standing member of staff that has definitely made her mark on the school, and beyond. Jan Morice is celebrating her 50th year working at SCEGGS and her 60th year of being in the teaching profession. She always has a plethora of stories to tell from both her personal and professional life. I always give the guests the option of choosing their topic and in this instance Jan wanted to talk about love. You will understand how important it is to her as you l...
This episode is a conversation with our Head of School, Miss Jenny Allum. She shares her insights on the future of education, what has inspired her to do what she does and what she wants for the school that she leads. If you ever wanted to know what its like to be a School Principal or what is inside the head of the Head, then have a listen and be enlightened!
