Walk the Mile

This time of the year is when our Year 12 students are finishing up their school life and looking towards a new and different future. Two of those students, Amelie and Lauren Ransom, have gone through their whole schooling life together. In fact, they have been together their whole lives as they are twins, identical ones at that! In this conversation, we find out what its like to be a twin from their perspective and I get to ask some of those questions that you might have always wanted to ask. I hope you enjoy our discussion.

There is much to be said about leadership and it is modelled to us many different ways by those that lead. We all have experience and ideas of what leadership is and what might make a “good” leader. Pretty soon we will be selecting new student leaders for 2025 and we spend time beforehand considering what leadership looks like for our school. Margot Faraci runs a business called “Love Leadership” which approaches leadership, as the name suggests, from a love perspective. We talk about parenting and how that has influenced her view of leadership, what do we define love as and the model that she uses, not just with her clients, but also in her day to day life. I found it a very helpful conversation and I hope you do as well.

The SCEGGS Primary School observed Reconciliation Week last week and Secondary School is doing so this week. Going along with these events, this week’s podcast is a conversation with two of our Indigenous Aunties: Aunty Kath Farrawell and Aunty Viv Freeman. They both share their own stories, as well as their ancestors, and talk about what drives them to continue being a voice to future generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We discussed reconciliation and its part in constructing a stronger, more compassionate and equitable nation. I hope you gain something from our conversation.
This episode contains references and stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that may cause distress.

The goal to be “successful” is very enticing for many of us. Not only do we want to be good at what we do but we would love to be recognised and applauded for it. But is that all there is to success? This is a conversation with one of our former Head Girls, Zoe Vrachnas. We talk about what success might look like, the subjectiveness of such a description and whether it is necessary for confidence and fulfillment. We also discuss her path to where she is now and what influences or impacts her goals and dreams. I hope you enjoy the conversation.

The concerns about our environment and the impact that we have on it continue to be a regular topic of discussion. The changing weather patterns, our use of resources, consumerism and waste management are all issues that we can not only talk about but affect each one of us in different ways. They will also determine what sort of planet the generations of the future will live upon. In this discussion, I am speaking with Hudson Worsley, a long-time SCEGGS dad and the owner of his own sustainability company. Hudson has done some great work with us to help reduce our waste and the way we use our resources. We talk about sustainability from an ethical point of view and how we might play our part in maintaining the land that we inhabit. I hope you enjoy the conversation.

This conversation is with a former school board member, parent and media personality Sally Loane. We discuss what it takes to build communities in all sorts of settings and some of the obstacles to building community within our current environment. Sally’s experience on television, radio and through print media has provided her with many insights into what it takes to create and maintain strong communities. I hope you enjoy our chat.

Ross and Sunny Lusted are two of our Primary School parents. They have had years of working in the hospitality industry and together have created restaurants and hotels around the world. Through their travels, they have learnt many lessons about community, culture and people that can only come through experience. In this conversation, they share some of their learnings and how it has shaped what they do and who they are. I hope you enjoy our chat.
 

One of the great joys that I have received from standing at the gate each morning to greet the students is getting to know many of our neighbours. Don Spencer OAM is one of those people that I have got to know over the years and have enjoyed hearing his story. He has had a lifetime in the music industry, was a presenter on the ABC’s Playschool for many years and has established a charity which addresses the needs of the most vulnerable children in our society. In this conversation, Don shares his journey and what drives him to be the person that he is. I hope you enjoy our chat.

I often hear people say they overthink things. But when can you do too much thinking? This conversation is with a former student, Eleanor Gordon-Smith (Class of 2009). Eleanor is a philosopher, academic and has been writing an advice column for the Guardian Australia for the last four years. She has also published a book titled “Stop Being Reasonable”. We discuss the value of thought, the nature of advice and why we seek it and the place that doubt has in our beliefs. It might all sound pretty deep but I can assure you that there are plenty of examples and anecdotes that makes this conversation easily accessible.

This episode addresses the issues that might occur when starting school: whether it be for the first time, a new school or a new year. Heidi Anderson (a very experienced Kindergarten teacher) and Ashleigh Smith (our current Year 7 Co-ordinator) talk about what is important when starting or returning to school. There are massive changes to consider and we know it can be overwhelming for some, students and parents alike. I hope you enjoy the conversation and find it to be helpful.