Interview with Mr Michaelian and Mrs Blanden of Galstaun College

By Garoon Monthly | Monday, 14 September 2009

Guest reporter for Garoon Monthly, Teny Aghamalian, this month interviews Galstaun College's Principal Mr Kaylar Michaelian and new Head of College Mrs Carolyn Blanden.

 

Principal, Kaylar Michaelian

Teny Aghamalian (TA): Mr. Michaelian can you give our readers a brief history of Galstaun College?

Kaylar Michaelian (KM): The Hamazkaine Arshak and Sophie Galstaun School was established in 1986 on a five acre property owned by Hamazkaine, Homenetmen and the Armenian Relief Society (HOM) in Duffy's Forest. The school operated for a period of five years on the site. In 1988 a 23.5 acre property owned by the iconic Australian country musician, Smoky Dawson was purchased by the community. In 1991 the school was transferred to the new campus at Ingleside. The school was given the honour to be called a College by Hamazkaine's Central Committee in 2008. Recently the College adopted an abbreviated name and is today called Galstaun College. I must stress that the official name of the institution remains Hamazkaine Arshak and Sophie Galstaun College.

The College had humble beginnings with 39 students and has today a proud record of achievements over 23 years. The mission of the College remains the education of Australian Armenian students with a striving for excellence, an understanding and appreciation of the ancient Armenian culture and the preparation of contributing, productive and responsible citizens and leaders within the Australian and Armenian communities of the future. I am proud to say that over 600 graduates of Galstaun College bear testament to the fact that the College has achieved its mission over the past 23 years.

 

TA: There have been a number of recent changes at Galstaun College. Please comment on these changes.

KM: Any institution or organisation must undergo change if it is to grow and develop. I look upon Galstaun College as having completed its infancy and is now moving into its next phase of development and growth. With the expansion of the Australian Armenian community, the College as the only educational institution providing a kindergarten to year 12 education to Armenian students, needs to adapt to the changes within the community.

The most significant change recently within the College has been the appointment of Mrs Carolyn Blanden as Head of College. I welcome a colleague who has immense experience, knowledge and skills. She will be instrumental in assisting me with the setting of new benchmarks in educational excellence at Galstaun College. The work has already begun and in a very short space of time we have commenced the process to achieving these goals in what would otherwise be considered an unrealistic timeframe.

We are extremely proud of our achievements of the past 23 years. In this relatively short period of time the College has established an enviable academic record, with over 80% of our graduates entering University (twice the NSW State average), and on occasion being the top ranking school in the Northern Beaches area. In particular we are very proud of our Alumni who have not only entered the professions such as medicine, law, accounting, the sciences, information technology, business and the humanities, but who have also developed a strong sense of Community. They are giving back not only to the Armenian-Australian Community but to our wider Community.

However, we are not oblivious to the challenges that face our community and our children over the coming 23 years. A rapidly changing world with increasing pressures on families and values will undoubtedly challenge our understanding of remaining Armenian within an Australian society.
Within all these demands education remains the key. An educational institution like Galstaun College thus becomes the most valuable weapon in our armoury to maintain and promulgate the Armenian culture and identity in Australia.

There are other changes in the pipeline. The aim of all these changes are solely to improve the opportunities we afford our students to achieve their potential in a safe, supportive and caring environment.

 

TA: What would you say to parents in our Community who may be thinking of sending their children to Galstaun College, or who currently have their children enrolled in the public education system or other private schools?

KM: Whilst my opinion is obviously partial, I firmly am of the view that Galstaun College should be the No. 1 school of choice for all parents in our Community. It is in truly a Community College in every sense of that word, where there is a close partnership between the students, teachers, parents and the Community. It is a safe, nurturing and happy environment in which our students achieve their full academic potential as well as learning their ancestral language, culture, religion and traditions. By its nature it will always be a relatively smaller school. Although this is challenging financially for the College, the advantages for the students and parents are enviable.

However, let's not just take my word for it. Only last week the Australian Parents Council, a national federation of organisations representing parents of non-government school students issued a position paper based on a survey of its members stating that parents are more interested in the happiness, safety and social development of their children, and ranked such issues way ahead of student results in public tests. The survey also showed that it was also more important for parents whether the school and its teachers encourage a culture of partnership with parents and how well the principal and teachers seem to know students. Galstaun College provides this and more for our students and parents.

We strive to be a College for ALL Armenian Australians. Although our tuition fees are very competitive compared to other private schools, we are mindful of the fact that some parents may not be able to afford such fees, particularly in the current economic environment. In such cases, we have a program of bursaries and scholarships for students and these applications are considered and handled in a confidential and sensitive manner. We firmly believe that no worthy student from our Community should be denied the quality education Galstaun College provides.

 

TA: What are the short, medium and long-term plans for Galstaun College?

KM: The late Catholicos of all Armenians, His Holiness Karekin I, had published a book with the following title: "Armenia is a reflection of the Armenian People". I would like to paraphrase this by saying: Galstaun College is a reflection of Sydney's Armenian community.

All our plans are aimed to ensure that the reflection of the Australian Armenian community through Galstaun College is a proud one.

In the short term, our aim is to guarantee the longevity of the College. The key to this guarantee remains student numbers. We aim to increase the numbers of students within the College in 2010 and beyond.

In the medium term, our aim will continue to be the growth in student numbers. With this growth will come additional facilities and opportunities for students and our community. I believe that Galstaun College must truly become the heart of the Armenian community in Australia.

In the long-term, our aim cannot be anything else but to have one of the best educational institutions in Australia. The College will have its foundation funds that will ensure growth and development to meet the needs of a growing community. The College will continue to provide exceptionally high standards of Australian education and become a learning centre of excellence for Armenian studies and Armenian education.

I believe very strongly that all these goals are achievable. I had the great honour of hearing our founding benefactor the late Arshak Galstaun repeat time after time; "think big and dream the impossible". The very existence of Galstaun College today is testament to this approach. The Australian Armenian community has achieved the impossible! The next generation is now invited to embrace and nurture the reality of one of the most important educational institutions in the Diaspora.

 

Head of College, Carolyn Blanden

Mrs Carolyn Blanden has recently joined Galstaun College in the role of Head of College. She brings with her extensive experience in education having worked with government and independent schools, in senior leadership positions, in tertiary and international education and as an advisor to the NSW Board of Studies. Mrs Blanden has also worked in the finance industry, the construction industry and in water resource technology.

Mrs Blanden has held the positions of Principal at Meriden, Deputy Principal and Director of Studies at Tara and Science teacher and Boarding Housemaster at Knox Grammar School. She has been a Member of the Academic Committee of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools representing the views of the Independent Sector to the Board of Studies and a member of the Executive of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls Schools.

An active member of the parish of St Swithun's Pymble, Mrs Blanden is a member of the Parish Council and Chair of the Communications Committee. She is a Trustee of the international aid organisation Women's Plans Foundation and a member of the Awards Committee of the National Council of Women.

 

TA: Mrs Blanden what made you ecide to come to Galstaun College?

Carolyn Blanden (CB): After three years working in property development and international education, I found that I missed the interactions with
students and the relationships that characterise working in a school. Galstaun College is different from the large independent schools where I have worked previously and I was attracted to the smaller, more caring environment of the College. I was looking for a school which had the potential to grow and develop, a school which could become an example for other schools.

 

TA: Now that you have been at the College for three months, what are your impressions?

CB: I am amazed that people take for granted the benefits of a community school, and sometimes criticize the school for the fact that the community is so close. If only they could understand the alternative, where students can spend years at a school and graduate without really being known. This school is like the proverbial ‘village that raises a child' - we all look after each other.

The beautiful campus with its well-spaced buildings and bush setting is such a feature, I am sure it lowers stress levels in the students and teachers. I think the original planners were ahead of their time when they designed the buildings. We are fortunate to have so much technology. The computers here are all very up-to-date and for a school of our size to have so many interactive white-boards is extraordinary. I guess this is the advantage of a Community school, where the Parents and Alumni take responsibility for supporting the school.

 

TA: Can you comment on the Armenian ethos of the College?

CB: I believe that the perpetuation and promulgation of the Armenian Cultural Heritage should always be an essential element in the College Strategic Plan. The students here are so fortunate to have a clear understanding of their identity as Armenian Australians. They readily embrace both cultures, proud of their rich cultural heritage and yet embracing the Australian way of life and the opportunities it has to offer.

At my last school we had students from 63 different language backgrounds, which brought a richness and sophistication to the school community. Here we have families who have come from many countries, so we can enjoy the diversity of backgrounds, but everyone has the shared determination to preserve and celebrate their Armenian cultural heritage.

I have to say that I am really enjoying learning about Armenia and its culture and I would like to thank those families who welcomed me so warmly to the Church at Willoughby and to their homes to enjoy Armenian food and hospitality.

 

TA: What is your vision for the future of Galstaun College?

CB: My goal is to work with Mr Michaelian and the Board to build the College into the preferred school for all children of Armenian heritage in Sydney.

We are currently developing and implementing plans and strategies for raising even further the standards of academic excellence, student behavior, teacher professional development and extra-curricula opportunities and I am very excited about being part of the College as it moves to this next phase of growth and development.

This school has wonderful potential and can offer students so much more than other schools. I just hope that parents will make the effort to visit us, inspect the campus and talk to me about how Galstaun College can give their children an education which sets them up for a successful future whilst giving them an understanding of the importance of their past.

 

- Published with permission from Garoon Monthly Magazine

 

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