Walk the Mile

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...

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. T...

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 issue...

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 provi...

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 broadca...

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 response...

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...

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 s...

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 episod...

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 di...

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 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!

This episode is with our Year 12 Coordinator, English teacher and father of three, Mr Vic Woolley. Vic and I have had numerous discussions about raising daughters, reflecting on our own experience, our own mistakes and our own questions. The father’s role in their daughter’s lives is an incredibly significant one and I am finding that more and more dads are wanting, and sometimes struggling, to kn...

This episode is a discussion with one of our English teachers, Dr Nina Cook, about the topic of shock. We have had to deal with a number of incidences recently that took us all by surprise as a community and the impact and consequences of such events were far reaching. Please be aware that some of the topics that are discussed in this episode may be sensitive or triggering for some people so pleas...

This episode is about change. Two year 12 students: Amelia Board and Clementine Gleeson-Cook, discuss their experience of change in their own lives, particularly in the school setting, and how they have tried to manage those situations. They also discuss some of the imminent changes before them and how they are feeling about leaving school. It is a very insightful look into what it might be like t...

This episode is with our former Head of Religious Education and Boarding, Marg Nilon. In such an unpredictable year, it has been difficult for many people to live in the uncertainty and to feel hopeful. We discuss the meaning and messages of Christmas and wonder about their significance at the end of a tumultuous 2020.

This episode is with our Indigenous Student Coordinator, Jola Cumming. On the back of 2020's NAIDOC celebrations we are discussing race and culture. Jola shares some of her own story and how that has influenced her in what she does and what she hopes for. We also raise issues surrounding racism and the impact it has on education, child development and identity.

This episode is about a topic which (unfortunately) we all come across at some stage in our lives. Grief and loss surrounds many of the conversations that I have with those in our community and it is something that is important for us to understand and talk about, especially in times when things can be so confusing and sad. Vivienne Rodda (Year 9 Coordinator and Drama Teacher) kindly and bravely s...

This is our first episode of Walk The Mile and we are basically discussing why we are doing it!! Peter Eyers (Head of Drama and producer of the podcast as well as his own podcast called "Stages") and I talk about what we get from conversations, the need to have them and how important they are to connecting with others.