Kate Ceberano’s Scientology legacy
Gypsy is attending the church’s ‘real-world Hogwarts’ in the US
Aussie pop icon Kate Ceberano has sent her only child to a radical Scientology boarding school in the US that’s notorious for recruiting students into a lifetime of service to the religion.
Woman’s Day can exclusively reveal that Kate’s husband, former Home And Away director Lee Rogers, took their 14-yearold daughter Gypsy to the Delphian School earlier this month. The Oregan school is attended by the children of Scientology’s elite, and costs $76,000 per year.
At first glance, the Delphian website gives no indication it’s linked to the religion at all. In fact, when asked about its religious standpoint, an official responded that it’s “a nondenominational school”.
But the white buildings on a 291-hectare property surrounded by fields in the tiny town of Sheridan have quite a reputation Stateside.
Anti-scientology blog The Underground Bunker claims students are taught the teachings of church founder L Ron Hubbard, and are required ed to reveal their “overts and withholds” – loosely translated d as bad deeds and wrongdoings s – via written confessions.
The 272 students are also encouraged to “make reports” – or tattle - on each other.
SEA ORG RECRUITMENT
In one article, the blog’s author r Tony Ortega describes Delphian an as the “Hogwarts of Scientology”, though the reality is said to be far less magical than its fictional Harry Potter counterpart. “It’s the foundation for recruiting young people into Sea Org, where
they’re encouraged to sign billionyear contracts of servitude to Scientology,” claims a source.
While this may be unsettling for some parents, Kate and Lee couldn’t be more proud of their daughter, or more excited for her future. The 52-year-old singer recently shared an Instagram post about her daughter’s big move. “My daughter has just started at @delphianschool and she has an opportunity to apply herself, discover who she is and what she wants out of her education... We got your back, kid! Love you!” she wrote. In a later post featuring Gypsy and her dad in Oregon, Kate adds, “And a big loving shoutout to my gorgeous, dedic dedicated, handsome husband who h has chaperoned his d daughter all the way t through her ‘big journey’! “My darlings, how my h heart is happy and sad in e equal measure. I hate the d distance between, but I love th the journey you’re on. It’s so soooooo vast, the space be between the earth and sky. Bu But it’s all yours for the taking.” While Kate has rarely ad addressed her dedication to Scientology, it’s believed she regularly travels from her home in south-east Melbourne to the local church in Essendon to attend meetings and undergo auditing sessions.
According to the Delphian website, Gypsy’s life will involve an “individually designed academic program” combined with electives including sports, music, drama, photography and weekend visits to nearby Portland.
But it certainly won’t be all fun and games. A former student, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed pupils never get less than 100 per cent in their studies, because they’re required to keep retaking exams until they pass.
Another source also spilled that children are made to have “staring contests” for two hours, and if they fail, flinch, or slump, they must start over.
Another revealed they struggled to fit into the “wog world” – Scientology slang for non-believers – when they graduated from Delphian. “I’d be at home, and I felt so different,” says the former student.
SCIENTOLOGY SYSTEM
While there is no mention of Scientology in its promotional material, the Delphian School uses Heron Books, which publishes curriculum for students based on the teachings of L Ron Hubbard, and is listed under a private school system licensed by Applied Scholastics – a Scientology business entity.
“They can avoid using the word Scientology all they want, but everyone knows what the school’s all about,” says our source.
“If Gypsy’s sailed into Delphian, you can be sure her parents have been dedicated followers of the church, and they are, in their eyes, being rewarded.”
‘Everyone knows what the school’s all about’