2015 BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Annual Review
TO BE A
IN EXCEPTIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
ISSN:1837–9168
2015 BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Annual Review
CHAIR’S WELCOME / 2
PRINCIPAL’S INTRODUCTION / 3
BOARD OF TRUSTEES / 4
GENERAL REPORT / 6
HIGHLIGHTS / 20
SPEECH DAY / 26
VALEDICTORY / 35
STAFF / 40
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
CHAIR’S WELCOME MS ELIZABETH JAMESON CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Just over 140 years ago, in 1875, Sir Charles Lilley’s foresight to extend to girls an education that was typically only offered to boys was realised, with the opening of Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Sir Charles Lilley himself may not have been aware of the support his, at-the-time controversial, vision would have from the local community, with the School outgrowing its original premises on Wickham Street in a mere six months. In our 140th year, it was heartening to see this community support and pride in our school continue to thrive. Indeed, in our milestone year there was much to celebrate. From the expressions of delight of our first Year 7s and newest Year 8s on the first day of School, to the opening of the Research Learning Centre, the celebrations at the anniversary ball, the naming of the Rangakarra Recreational and Environment Educational Centre at Fig Tree Pocket, the Open Days at Spring Hill and the Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Centre and the applause for the prize winners on Speech Day, the bonds that connect current girls, alumni, staff and families —each and every member of the Girls Grammar community —have been evident. The impact of the support from the School community on our girls cannot be underestimated. In times of challenge and times of success, the comfort and confidence provided in the knowledge that they have the backing of the entire Girls Grammar community helps our girls to achieve extraordinary results across all their curricular and co-curricular pursuits. It continues to be the great pleasure and privilege of the Board to be stewards of this wonderful School community and to play a special role in guiding our staff, girls and families. This year we have reviewed the School’s Strategic Design, an important document that ensures we stay true to our Aspiration of being a leader in exceptional scholarship. In an incredibly busy year, this process has allowed us time
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to pause and reflect on the progress made by the School under the previous iteration of the strategic design and the possibilities for its ongoing success into the future. While the characteristics of a Girls Grammar education remain constant, it has been valuable to comprehensively examine the guiding principles of the School and reassuring to conclude that they remain as relevant as when they were first introduced in 2012. The addition of a new guiding principle, Stewardship and Sustainability, and more explicit reference to the essential role of our staff in the new strategic design, acknowledges the important contributions all members of the Girls Grammar community make to the School. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow board members for their dedication and commitment to their roles in this important year for Girls Grammar. It has been a time of renewal with the welcoming of three new Board members in 2015, as listed in the Board Profile. Their influence has been very positive and greatly valued. Finally, I congratulate all staff and girls on their efforts, which continue to bring great success across academic, sporting, creative and service endeavours, carrying on the School’s great tradition of Nil Sine Labore — nothing without effort. I trust you will enjoy revisiting the highlights of 2015, and thank you for your contributions to the School in our 140th anniversary year.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
PRINCIPAL’S INTRODUCTION MS JACINDA EULER PRINCIPAL
There was much anticipation about what 2015 would hold. The honouring of 140 years of exceptional scholarship, the addition of Year 7 to the School, the opening of the magnificent new Research Learning Centre and the naming of the Rangakarra Recreational and Environmental Education Centre at Fig Tree Pocket were significant milestones that demanded the energy, commitment and insight the School is known for. Years of meticulous planning and thoughtful attention to detail by the Board and staff stood us in good stead for what was truly an extraordinary year. While these significant events required the School’s attention and resources, our focus on providing a broad, liberal education remained at the forefront, as we steered our girls through another year of impressive achievements across the curricular and co-curricular realms. The School maintained its reputation for academic excellence with our Year 9 girls the top performers in the state in NAPLAN for the second consecutive year. In the first year we have had a Year 7 cohort eligible for testing, we were extremely pleased with their outstanding results. Our Year 12 girls once again achieved exceptional results, with almost nine per cent of the cohort receiving an OP1 and just over forty-five per cent receiving an OP1-5. These results are testament to both the girls themselves and the teaching staff who create the inspiring learning culture at Girls Grammar. The School motto this year — Inspire your sisters old and new; 140 years in royal blue — was aptly chosen by the Student Council early in 2015 and enthusiastically embraced by all. It was evident in the very public accomplishments of
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our girls throughout the year — Shiye Su’s bronze medal at the International Science Olympiad in India, Anna Ruddell, Josefine Ganko and Laura Fell’s selection for the Premier’s ANZAC Prize Tour to mark the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli, Minna Atherton’s record-breaking performances at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Singapore and her naming as the Queensland Junior Sports Star of the Year — but also in the quiet achievements of girls navigating their entry into secondary school, challenging themselves at Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Centre, trying a new sport or instrument or improving their results in a difficult subject. Most tellingly, it was apparent in the genuine support and sense of pride that was ever-present throughout all the girls’ endeavours this year. There is a spirit that is quite profound and it stays with our young women, is part of them, as they traverse their lives during and beyond their time at Girls Grammar. I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, staff, students, alumni and families for ensuring that our 140th year was a fitting tribute to those who have so intelligently and generously shaped Girls Grammar into the remarkable school it is today as we look forward to the future.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
BOARD OF TRUSTEES BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL
MR ANDREW KING Trustee since 2014 Mr King has more than thirty years’ experience in the Australian corporate real estate market and has specialist skills in negotiating, building high performance teams and businesses, funds management and development. Mr King is presently on the Boards of Urban Futures Brisbane and Queensland Investment Corporation and is a current parent.
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MS ANN HARRAP (Head Girl, 1984) BA/LLB (2B Hons), Grad Dip Foreign Affairs and Trade Trustee since 2014 Ms Harrap was the first female Australian High Commissioner to South Africa and was previously Deputy High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea. She served as a diplomat for twenty years and has extensive executive management experience with large, culturally diverse teams, including in Africa and Papua New Guinea.
MR TONY YOUNG BBus, FCA, CPA, CTA, GAICD CHAIR OF THE FINANCE, AUDIT, RISK AND RESOURCE COMMITTEE Trustee since 2006 Mr Young is a partner with BDO, one of the largest professional services firms in Queensland, specialising in providing expert business, taxation and accountancy advice. He has more than thirty years’ experience as a Chartered Accountant providing assistance to a diverse selection of clients with a focus on significant family owned enterprises across a range of industries.
MS ELIZABETH JAMESON (Head Girl, 1982) BA/LLB (Hons), FAICD CHAIR Trustee since 1994, Chair since 2006 Ms Jameson brings her background as a corporate/ commercial lawyer to her role as Managing Director of Board Matters, the specialist governance consultancy she founded. She sits on a number of boards including RACQ, Queensland Theatre Company, the University of the Sunshine Coast and Independent Schools Queensland.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
EMERITUS PROFESSOR DR MARY MAHONEY AO MBBS, GDipClinEd, HonMDQld, FRACGP, MRACMA, FAIM, FAMA, MAICD DEPUTY CHAIR Trustee since 2006 Professor Mahoney is a General Practitioner and was the first female Deputy Chancellor of The University of Queensland. She served for twenty-five years as State Director of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Training and has had a long involvement in educational and advisory bodies and boards.
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PROFESSOR ADAM SHOEMAKER BA Hons, PhD
MS DIANA LOHRISCH (Head Girl, 1989) LLB, BComm, FCIS
Trustee since 2014
Trustee since 2013
Professor Shoemaker is Academic Provost at Griffith University. Professor Shoemaker is a former Director of Open Universities Australia (OUA) and is a member of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) which oversees the State’s OP system, its involvement in NAPLAN and the development of the National Curriculum.
Ms Lohrisch is a partner at law firm McCullough Robertson with over fifteen years’ experience advising boards and senior management. She was a teacher of Applied Corporate Law for the Governance Institute of Australia and is a former member of the Queensland Council of the Governance Institute of Australia and its National Legislation subcommittee.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
GENERAL REPORT MR JARED DAWSON CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND SECRETARY TO THE BOARD
Our School’s fiscal management balances the surplus requirements for future investment with immediate education programme priorities, such as ensuring that the School engages the highest quality teaching staff to deliver exceptional learning outcomes for our girls. In 2015, the Board approved the lowest percentage school fee increase in recent history. The year-end financial results were favourable and were in line with the Board-approved annual budget. The graph below compares the School’s financial results over the past five years.
45,000,000 40,000,000 35,000,000 30,000,000
2011
25,000,000
2012
20,000,000
2013 2014
15,000,000
2015
10,000,000 5,000,000
INCOME
The additional income in 2015 relates to the state-wide introduction of Year 7 into secondary school, increasing tuition fees and recurrent State and Commonwealth Grants. The employee, supplies and services expenditure also increased in line with the additional student numbers. Surpluses are used to fund payments on capital loans, capital expenses, any significant future capital projects and prudent savings for uncertain events.
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EXPENSES
SURPLUS
As in previous years, the School continues to be reliant on tuition fees which comprise 71 per cent of total revenue (66 per cent in 2014). State and Commonwealth Government Funding remained constant at 19 per cent. The School has been working diligently on keeping fee increases to a minimum.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
45,000,000 40,000,000
The School year-end results were achieved within the Board of Trustees’ approved budget for 2015, (excluding the Bread House investment property impairment of $827 497), as can be seen in the graph below.
35,000,000 30,000,000 25,000,000
45,000,000
20,000,000
40,000,000
15,000,000
35,000,000
10,000,000
30,000,000
5,000,000
25,000,000
0
20,000,000
INCOME
ACTUAL BUDGET
The School acknowledges the contributions made by the State and Commonwealth Governments in the form of grant allocations. The grants received and approved in 2015 included: • Recurrent State and Commonwealth Government Grants, including Indigenous assistance:
• Commonwealth Grants — $4 860 624
• State Government Grants — $2 647 114
• Funding ACTUAL
EXPENSE
15,000,000
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE
SURPLUS
GENERAL FUND BALANCE
CAPITAL EXPENSES
BUDGET
10,000,000 5,000,000 0 INCOME
EXPENSE
SURPLUS
GENERAL FUND BALANCE
CAPITAL EXPENSES
from the Queensland Government for VET Coordination, special education and students with a disability — $10 983
• Queensland State Endowment grant provided to Grammar Schools in Queensland to assist with the additional cost of complying with State Government legislation for Statutory Bodies — $21 500 • Year 7 Transition to Secondary Flying Start State Government Capital Grant — $256 000
CAPITAL EXPENSES
• Great Teachers = Great Results State Government Grant — $150 125
The capital expenses for 2015 were focussed on finalisation of the new building on Gregory Terrace as well as renovation of the sports fields at the Rangakarra Recreational and Environmental Education Centre at Fig Tree Pocket. The new Research Learning Centre, situated on the main campus at Gregory Terrace, incorporates a library as well as general and flexible classroom spaces that enabled the School to accommodate additional students with the introduction of Year 7 in 2015. The works at Rangakarra included the installation of night lights for the main sports oval.
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
GENERAL REPORT MRS ANNA OWEN DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
BUILDING CAPACITY Over a five-year planning period, the introduction of Year 7 was designed to align with the organising principles of the School’s Strategic Design (2012-2015) and its Aspiration: To be a Leader in Exceptional Scholarship. Brisbane Girls Grammar School is a specialist secondary school for girls, and Year 7 in 2015 was created as an introductory year to the continuum of secondary education and the educational philosophies of Girls Grammar. Implementation focused on best practice in transitioning students into a secondary academic environment. We did not seek to replicate the status quo of Year 8, but rather craft an approach to curriculum, student care and organisational matters appropriate to the age and stage of Year 7 girls. The successful and proven House structure ensured that each Year 7 class was taught by their Head of House in their specialty subject and a House Group teacher provided ‘home room’ support each morning. Staff who teach Year 7 may teach from Years 7 to 12 and, therefore, all students have access to the skills of teachers who understand and are experienced across all levels of secondary schooling at Girls Grammar. Our youngest girls have been introduced to a broad-based liberal education while thoughtful curriculum design has ensured that the School complies with the requirements of the Australian Curriculum. To support the expanded student and staff population the Research Learning Centre was opened in 2015. This $17.4 million facility, with a library at its core, has created a contemporary learning space that supports deep thinking, reflection and inquiry. In 2016, the Research Learning Centre will have an expanded use with the top floor becoming available as a teaching and learning space, through the addition of four new operable walls that will provide the same flexibility experienced throughout the building. The relocation of the library to the Research Learning Centre provided an excellent opportunity to reimagine how the space vacated by the former Beanland Library could be used. A number of detailed proposals were submitted and considered, with the ultimate decision recognising that in such a well-resourced school, creating an academic hub for senior staff, teachers and students would be the most effective use of the space. The refurbishment of this area will see the co-location of the English and Humanities faculties, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging a culture of inclusion and integration. The Dean of Curriculum and Scholarship, Dean of Studies and Learning Analytics, Dean of Academic Administration and Director of Post-Secondary Planning will also be housed in this building. Close connection between administrative, leadership and academic staff is important for a vibrant staff community and tangible links will be strengthened by placing
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Deans and other administrative and leadership staff in closer contact with academic staff. Academic Support will also reside here, alongside the Philosophy of Learning homeroom. The combination of these resources, in a building at the centre of the school, supports the concept behind the refurbishment of a ‘main street’, where student access to teachers is encouraged and parents are welcomed. For it is in these open and supportive connections that students develop the confidence to become exceptional scholars.
2015 QTAC offers OFFERS
% COHORT
Tertiary Places Offered Bachelor Degree
97% 95%
2015 Overall Position (OP) results:
1 1-2 1-5 1-15
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 8.97% 17.04% 45.29% 95.52%
2.75% 6.59% 20.48% 79.69%
1-20
100%
97.45%
RESULT
STATE
* State OP 1–25 = 100%
2015 Queensland Core Skills (QCS) test results:
A B C
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 41.4% 33.2% 22.7%
D
2.7%
21.2%
E
0%
0.4%
RESULT
STATE 14.6% 28.3% 35.4%
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
2015 National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Year 9 2015 overall NAPLAN results (average): 2015 BGGS State National
READING
WRITING
SPELLING
GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION
NUMERACY
651 572 580
622 537 546
644 580 583
654 566 568
659 585 592
Percentage of students at or above the national minimum standard: 2015
READING
WRITING
SPELLING
GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION
NUMERACY
BGGS
100
99.2
99.6
99.6
100
Year 7 2015 overall NAPLAN results (average): 2015 BGGS State National
READING
WRITING
SPELLING
GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION
NUMERACY
614 543 546
576 505 511
601 544 546
617 538 541
607 539 543
Percentage of students at or above the national minimum standard:
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2015
READING
WRITING
SPELLING
GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION
NUMERACY
BGGS
100
99.5
100
100
100
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
GENERAL REPORT DR BRUCE ADDISON DEAN OF CURRICULUM AND SCHOLARSHIP
THE ROLE OF THE CENTRE FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: SYSTEMATIC CURIOSITY IN TEACHING, LEARNING AND RESEARCH The Centre for Professional Practice has been the vehicle through which the School has fostered and celebrated the professional growth and development of its staff. It has also been the means by which generations of pre-service teachers have been introduced to the profession. The Centre for Professional Practice has three distinct functions: pre-service teacher education, staff professional learning and research into learning. Its operation is a living embodiment of our strategic design’s goal of developing Systematic curiosity in teaching, learning and research. The year began with a staff conference entitled Reimagining Professional Identity. The conference was designed as a means by which to celebrate teaching in our 140th year — the year we welcomed our first cohort of Year 7 students as well as more than twenty new academic staff. Educator and motivator Mr Glenn Capelli challenged staff to celebrate the wonder of teaching, utilising his unique imagery. His approach to complex issues reminded all of us that simple ideas effectively communicated can have profound results. He skillfully wove sign language into his presentation adding an extra dimension to his powerful delivery, as well as an added layer of staff participation. When discussing the ever-present spectre of change he called on the skills of four Russians to make his point. Their names were an effective reminder of the simplicity of his imagery. Who could not embrace names such as Moreof, Lessof, Ridof and Tossin! Later, Professor Nan Bahr led us through some of Peter Senge’s work on Learning Organisations. Professor Senge has done much to challenge group think in organisations. He notes: It is not the absence of defensiveness that characterizes learning teams but the way defensiveness is faced (1990, p. 16). This discussion was a very timely reminder of the difficulty of change in times of great disruption. Celebrating and providing a means of reflecting on the foundations of our approach to a broad-based liberal education was the fundamental premise underlying the conceptualisation of our Reimagining Professional Identity conference. For many years Brisbane Girls Grammar School has been a leader in pre-service education. This remains a foundational pillar of the Centre for Professional Practice. Staff are willing to give of their time and expertise in the development of the vocation’s professional capacity. A number of our staff were first introduced to the School through their pre-service experience. Our commitment to pre-service education continues to develop the human capital of not only the profession but also the School. The table below highlights the depth of our commitment to pre-service teacher education.
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2015 PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS INSTITUTION Australian Catholic University Griffith University
NUMBER 5 2
Queensland University of Technology
5
University of New England
1
The University of Queensland
7
University of Southern Queensland
2
International university — UK
1
Total
23
During the year the Centre has been instrumental in developing our new Open Doors model of professional review. Our approach has been to remove the word ‘appraisal’ from our lexicon in order to foster a model of collegially-based peer reflection. There is much research to support the notion that peer review is an enriching way to develop practice. During the year, staff visited each other’s classrooms to observe practice as both student and critical friend. As Dolci Grimm, Kaufman and Doty note: Teacher-driven observation [empowers] teachers with a classroom-embedded process to refine their instruction. Through teacher-driven observation, teachers engage peers in gathering and analyzing classroom data — data that speak to the unique context of their own classrooms. This approach has demonstrated potential to meaningfully improve instruction and student achievement (2014, p. 24). Fostering a relationship of trust in which feedback is welcome is a very important way to grow a depth of understanding as well as growth mindsets. Throughout the year, staff have embraced this model enthusiastically. In years to come it is hoped to introduce student reflection as part of this process. In August, the Reflections for Learning colloquium was held over three days. Mr Glenn Capelli again visited the School.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
He presented a number of masterclasses and conversation hours relating to professional practice. He also acted as a critical friend as part of the Open Doors initiative. In addition, Dr Jill Willis and Dr Lenore Adie, from Queensland University of Technology and Australian Catholic University respectively, facilitated sessions on assessment for learning utilising, in particular, the work of Professor Dylan Wiliam. Both academics have expertise in designing optimal twenty-first century ‘in-context’ assessment practices. Discussion focused on the best way to assess students beyond the traditional assessment-scheduled structure. The power of portfolio assessment featured prominently in discussions. This work has been ongoing as we examine the best way to conduct twenty-first century assessment practice. As an extension of this thinking, all curriculum-based Academic Directors attended interstate workshops hosted by Professor Wiliam. This professional learning has been a significant component of the work of the Centre for Professional Practice during 2015. While all of this was occurring, twelve staff members completed an English as a Second Language (ESL) course, sponsored by the Centre. The decision of staff to complete this course is a testament to their professionalism and willingness to deepen practice.
During the year, all Year 7 and 8 students participated in a survey designed to ascertain their view of assessment. This has been a means by which the Centre has honoured its commitment to foster practice-based research. Assessment is a point-in-time measure of student understanding. It is not an absolute indicator. Results depend on many variables other than understanding or what may commonly be referred to as intellect. Asking students about their view of assessment, for example its format and timing, has revealed a rich seam of data. If the way we report on assessment chokes the timing of assessment during pressure point times of term, serious questions must be asked as to whether or not its timing needs to be changed. It is in this area of research that the Centre for Professional Practice has sponsored much interesting discussion. It links very closely to the discussions occurring around assessment for learning. The Centre for Professional Practice is run by teachers for teachers. It is a way by which the School ensures a genuine commitment to its goal of providing a broad-based liberal education. It is also a way in which we can build upon on one of the central tenets of the strategic design to promote Systematic curiosity in teaching, learning and research.
REFERENCES Dolci Grimm, E., Kaufman, T. & Doty, D. (2014, May). Rethinking classroom observation. Professional Learning: Reimagined. 71(8), 24–9. Retrieved from ASCD. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may14/vol71/num08/Rethinking-Classroom-Observation.aspx Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and science of the learning organisation. Milsons Point: Random House.
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
GENERAL REPORT MRS ANNE INGRAM DEAN OF STUDENTS
BALANCING OUR ATTENTION The pursuit of balance in our daily lives is indeed a worthy quest, particularly in the rich learning environment that Brisbane Girls Grammar School offers. Life balance is about successfully managing and living our lives, seeking balance between the extremes — between order and chaos, between moving and being still, between work and leisure. When we are able to develop a sense of control over knowing when to shift from one to the other, and are able to do so with a spirit of full engagement, a healthy equilibrium is established that can lead to an improvement in our work practices and relationships and promote a positive state of wellbeing from within.
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
The groundbreaking book, The Power of Full Engagement, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, offers a powerful perspective on life balance. It is a highly practical, scientifically based approach to managing energy, rather than time, promoting increased mental focus, a renewal of physical energy, and enhanced emotional connection and spiritual alignment. Interestingly, Loehr and Schwartz’s key premise is the importance of the oscillatory pattern between periods of stress and periods of rest and renewal. The respite that must be sought means time to recover and rethink. It means a genuine period of rest and reflection that promotes regrowth. Stress is not viewed as the foe, rather as a source of personal ‘stretch’, only becoming problematic when downtime is not sought. It would seem that this is the key to enduring high performance as well as health and wellbeing. Brisbane Girls Grammar School prides itself not only on exceptional academic performance but also on the abundant and diverse co-curricular offerings it provides. All students are encouraged to be active participants of the co-curriculum and the multitude of benefits — academic, physical, organisation and social — that come with this are well understood. For students, the prolific offerings from the sport, music and service arms of the School call for some careful decisionmaking and prudent prioritising of their time and weekly schedules, to ensure that personal balance is sought. One key role of the Student Care staff is to assist students to give careful consideration to the selections they make and to ensure that students are negotiating all aspects of their school experience appropriately and thoughtfully to ensure positive and successful outcomes. In 2014, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative was fully implemented, allowing each student complete control over her electronic device of choice, providing her with greater ownership and developing responsible practices towards technology. Today, most girls traverse the school grounds armed, at the very least, with an electronic notebook and a mobile phone. These technological tools of the modern age have been embraced by the digital natives in our midst and bring a new platform of learning to the classroom. Students today have a unique attachment to their mobile technology; for many, it is an extension of themselves and an important communication tool that provides them with a certain level of comfort (Skillen, 2013).
allowing students to move seamlessly between home, school and other wireless environments, fostering an important link between formal and informal learning and promoting positive digital citizenship. Living in such a tech-saturated environment, along with the demand to be responsive to inevitable technological change, can create tension. For all of us, a torrent of stimulation is just one click away. As tempting as the lure of perpetual connection might be, we must be mindful of the need for technology ‘downtime’ — screen-free activities that cultivate the art of attention. To function effectively and happily in an ever-increasing virtual world, we must commit a significant amount of time to living without it. In 2015, the Student Care staff launched a new project, Balance@BGGS. The programme provides proactive health and wellbeing initiatives for students that will further enrich their school experience. Students from Years 7 to 12 are encouraged to participate and staff involved have included the School psychologists and members of the teaching staff as well as other members of the Girls Grammar extended community. A comprehensive collection of well-researched prevention and early intervention strategies — workshops, seminars, activities and drop-in sessions — specifically designed for the teenage girl, was designed and presented throughout 2015, with positive attendance and student involvement from all year levels. The creation of a Balance Space on the School campus has been instrumental in providing a welcoming place where students are able to meet, talk, play a board game, tussle with a puzzle or knit alongside others. Wellness Wednesdays have built momentum through the year and our thanks must go to Head of Visual Art, Mr Donald Pincott, who has faithfully led mindfulness sessions on a weekly basis. Decades of research have identified the strong link between positive wellbeing and academic success and during the pivotal developmental phase of identity formation throughout the teenage years, it is essential that girls are encouraged to prioritise their well being and seek balance in their lives. The Brisbane Girls Grammar School Student Care Programme has remained the bedrock upon which our academic success has been built. Balance@BGGS has proven throughout 2015 to be a most worthy initiative for the School and further expands our student care supports while complementing our ongoing commitment to academic excellence.
The move to BYOD has personalised the curriculum and learning for the students, and has normalised technology,
REFERENCES Loehr, J., & Schwartz, T. (2005). The power of full engagement. New York: Free Press. Skillen, S. (2013). In schools today, everything is ‘on the table’. Retrieved from https://www.bggs.qld.edu.au/2013/03/whats-normal-in-schools-today/
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
GENERAL REPORT MS MAGGI GUNN DEAN OF CO-CURRICULUM
BEYOND FOUR WALLS ‘An individual’s life contains many parallel and interconnected journeys and experiences that individually and collectively contribute to the ongoing personal and professional development of the person’ (Jackson, 2011). A Brisbane Girls Grammar School education offers many exciting learning and growth opportunities beyond the walls of the classroom. Guided by an Intent that proclaims: ‘Proud of our Grammar tradition, we are a secondary school that establishes the educational foundation for young women to contribute confidently to their world with wisdom, imagination and integrity’, the Girls Grammar co-curriculum provides a diverse array of authentic, engaging and empowering learning opportunities that cater to the assorted talents and passions that lie within our student population. Myriad opportunities exist for students to learn and perform in music, drama and dance. In 2015, the Instrumental Music Programme expanded by six new ensembles to a total of thirty-two choirs, bands and orchestras. In addition to the end-of-term concerts and performances held at School throughout the year, many ensembles performed at external community events such as the ANZAC Nurses Vigil, Centaur Service, Giving Back to Gondwana Choirs — Music Soiree, Concert and Cocktail Party and the Lady Musgrave Trust 130th Anniversary Celebration. Entry into the Queensland Youth Music Awards resulted in first places for our Symphonic Winds and Wind Symphony and a second place for the Vivaldi Strings. Testament to the reputation of our annual Gala Concert, our nineteenth in the series, As Time Goes By, was a sell-out and a truly magical night of musical performances. The Senior Drama cast researched and rehearsed to perform the topical and challenging play A Beautiful Life in front of full audiences with perfomances that belied their years. The Junior Drama Cast were faultless in their presentation of Children of the Black Skirt and Grammar Dance performed for enthusiastic audiences at the end of each semester. Debating and other competitive endeavours showcased students contributing and competing with increasing expertise and growing confidence. In the Queensland Debating Union Competition, thirteen of our twenty debating teams successfully progressed to the finals with a Year 12 and a Year 10 team both finishing strongly as runners-up. In the Brisbane Girls Debating Competition, a Year 10 and a Year 11 team also placed as runners-up. Experiencing secondary school debating competition for the first time were six highly enthusiastic Year 7 teams. Other Brisbane-based competitive endeavours included the Science and Engineering Challenge, Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers Year 8 Quiz, Maths Team Challenge, Maths Challenge for Young Australians, Science Olympiads, Da Vinci Decathlon and OptiMINDS. Further afield, Girls Grammar was represented at the Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Competition in Melbourne, the International Young Physicists’ Tournament in Thailand and the International Junior Science Olympiad in Korea.
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Throughout the year the sports motto ‘2015 - Join the Grammar Tribe’ promoted values of participation, commitment and support for each other. With the Women’s Sport Foundation endorsing involvement in sport for benefits such as learning teamwork, developing goalsetting skills, supporting academic results, building self-confidence and assisting girls with the skills to cope with pressure and stress (Gavin, 2008), it is reassuring that the School offers eighteen competitive sports and three non-competitive sports. This year, Girls Grammar won twenty-four Queensland Girls Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA) premierships and placed in the top three for both QGSSSA Cross Country and Athletics. Our rowing programme continued to demonstrate improvement and Head of the River saw twenty-three crews with podium finishes and an overall fourth place in the Aggregate Trophy. Girls Grammar rowers, water polo players and volleyball players competed at State and national levels, with the Under 18 Water Polo Team winning gold and the Under 16 Blue Team receiving a silver medal at their respective State titles. The Senior Rowers returned from the Queensland Schools Championship Regatta as the top girls’ school on medal tally and the BGGS Senior Development Volleyball Team won gold at the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup. Throughout the year, more than two hundred students availed themselves of travel opportunities to expand their horizons and broaden their experiences. As acknowledged by Miriam Beard, ‘travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living’ (n.d.). This year the Northern Hemisphere Summer School Programme offered students the opportunity of a month of study at Oxford, Cambridge or Colorado Universities, L’Académie de Paris or Oxbridge New York College. Other international travel opportunities included the contrast of the eastern and western cultures on the ANZACs and Antiquities Tour, adopting the life of a Japanese student on the Japan Study Tour, participating in astronaut or pilot training on the US Space Trip and involvement in the International Young Leaders Forum in China. In our largest Antipodeans Abroad contingent to date, more than one hundred Year 10, 11 and 12 students worked together in teams and overcame personal challenge to complete treks and community projects in Cambodia and Northern India. Closer to home, students broadened their experience and developed their skills through the Desert Colours Art Tour, Sydney Drama Tour, Australian Combined Schools Music Festival Tour and Duke of Edinburgh training and expeditions at Marrapatta and Fraser Island. Additionally, without even leaving home, many students have been afforded an insight
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
into the world beyond by hosting a student during one of our affiliate school visits — Lycée St Paul, Angoulême (France), Maria-Wächtler-Gymnasium (Germany) and Shangai No. 3 Girls Middle School (China). Numerous community contribution and service opportunities have continued to be well supported by students and staff. The Kirsten Jack Memorial Leukemia Committee, established in 1978, was involved in numerous fundraising activities throughout the year, the Ecumenical Coffee Brigade was well supported by senior students, the Second Chance Committee continued to assist homeless women in Brisbane and in our twentieth consecutive year of participation in the Jump Rope for Heart, our Year 7 and 8 cohorts raised just over $7 800 for the Heart Foundation. In the 140th year of the School it was refreshing to see students show imagination and initiative for new endeavours.
The Service Captains organised a Service Expo on the Pool Lawn to promote service participation and encourage our two new cohorts to explore service opportunities. They also coordinated the inaugural White Blouse Day to promote awareness of ovarian cancer. The Arts Captains pitched, planned and oversaw a three-day Arts Fest that involved art, music, drama and dance in a coordinated effort to generate interest and involvement in the many and varied art and cultural opportunities available at the School. 2015 was a busy, productive and successful year for all involved in the many co-curricular activities and events at Brisbane Girls Grammar School and the School appreciates the generosity of staff in their willingness to contribute to the co-curricular programme as the School continues to offer opportunities for girls to explore their passions and abilities and expand their horizons.
REFERENCES Beard, M. (2015). Mary Ritter Beard quotes. Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/maryritter135170.html The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media (2015). 5 reasons girls should play sports. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/ fit/5_sports.html Jackson, N. (2011). From a ‘Work-Integrated’ to a ‘Life-Wide’ Curriculum: Changing a University’s Conceptions of Curriculum. Retrieved from http:// lifewidecurriculum.pbworks.com/f/From+work+integrated+to+life+wide+learning.pdf Mango, K. (2012, October 5). Sports: The benefits of competitive athletic sports participation in today’s sports climate. [Web log post] Retrieved from http://www. chicagonow.com/the-athletes-sports-experience-making-a-difference/2010/02/the-benefits-of-competitive-athletic-sports-participation-in-todays-sportsclimate/
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
GENERAL REPORT MRS PAULINE HARVEY-SHORT DEAN OF SCHOOL
LEADERSHIP – NURTURING GRAMMAR WOMEN For the Year 12 cohort, 2015 was a significant year that saw the student leaders orchestrating, for the student body, the School’s celebration of its dynamic history. Each student received a commemorative badge styled on the 1920s badge; Year 7 was absorbed into the Grammar sisterhood; the Research and Learning Centre was opened and the Kathleen Lilley Building re-emerged, metamorphosed, from the devastating effects of the 2014 November storm. Underpinning all aspects of this momentous school year was culture — the Grammar culture, of which leadership is an integral element. Parmelli et al state that: culture pertains to the multiple aspects of what is shared among people within the same organisation: for example beliefs, values, norms of behaviour, routines, traditions, sense-making ... Culture is therefore a lens through which an organisation can be understood and interpreted (2011). Girls Grammar’s beliefs, values, traditions, and behaviours are embodied, modelled and practised through all of its leaders from the Principal to the Year 7 House Group Captain. The process of analysing, evaluating, embellishing and honouring elements of the culture is an essential one and certainly the key role of each new Student Council and the Year 12 cohort. It was noteworthy that the Head Girls chose to highlight an alumna, Julie McKay, in their Speech Day address. The girls spoke of the four values Ms McKay outlined as necessary for success in her 2012 Valedictory speech: leadership, courage,
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learning and kindness. It was McKay’s premise that these elements were inherent in being a Grammar girl. The Head Girls agreed and postulated that ‘the Grammar environment fosters leadership in all areas, with girls seeking to make changes within their individual spheres of influence …’ (Gulbransen-Diaz & MacGinley, 2015). When asked on exiting what experiences they found beneficial to their learning and the quality of their educational experience, fifty-two percent of the 2015 Year 12 cohort, cited leadership and leadership opportunities. Comments such as the following, illustrate how central leadership is to the culture of Girls Grammar. I found service and leadership were both very important to my education, and while they were often time-consuming, I believe they offered me a well-rounded education, skills that will be incredibly useful in the future, and a moral compass that will stay with me for life
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
Leadership opportunities as a prefect have also allowed me to become a more polished and reliable individual
Opportunity to grow and mature in having responsibility
Leadership — allows us to give back and have a say on what happens Service and leadership opportunities led to my having to be more organised which strongly benefited my study habits Leadership meant there is more interaction with younger girls This leadership took many forms for the student-elected Student Council. The twenty-six member Council crafted the 2015 motto: Inspire your sisters old and new; 140 years in royal blue after completing the traditional two-day preparation conference in January where they were inspired by guest speaker, Julie Hammer (1969), whose experiences as the first female Commandant of ADFA brought to life the world of leadership. This process in itself launched the Head Girls, Natalia Gulbransen-Diaz and Jacinta MacGinley, into a world of diplomacy, management competencies, humour and tenacity. It also began the journey of developing this group’s culture and leadership style. After extended conversation and discussion, the Council saw their 2015 goals as celebration, integration, involvement and promotion. To achieve these challenging goals, the students maintained traditional celebrations (for example Blue Days and Valentine’s Day), enhanced newly introduced activities (SAS: Sport, Arts and Service events and awards) and introduced concepts of their own. Figuring prominently in the new concepts were White Blouse Day and the 50 Days to Go celebration. White Blouse Day replaced Pink Day when the Student Council aimed not only to fundraise for ovarian cancer, but also to raise awareness within the whole school community. The project was a significant undertaking with chalk drawings appearing randomly around the School and information shared on assembly in the week leading up to White Blouse Day. It culminated in an installation which covered the pool lawn in the shape of the well-known ‘lady’
outline used by many cancer campaigns and in all girls taking off their school ties to create a sea of white blouses during the school day. This effort involved the whole school, provided an opportunity for people to reflect, learn, and participate and thus strengthened our Grammar culture. The 50 Days to Go celebration evolved from the feedback received from the last Year 12 assembly in Term II. Best practice was modelled by the Head Girls when they sought the opinions of the Year 12 cohort on the progress of the Student Council, the types of activities, and improvements in their delivery. One outcome was the desire for more bonding events. It was determined at Council level that a celebration of the remaining days could fulfil this idea. The challenge for the student leaders was to deliver a positive, low-maintenance experience. The resulting party hats on each Year 12 table, shared Post-it goals display and the silver ‘50 balloon’ photograph opportunity not only provided a bonding, joyous event for Year 12s, but also established a flexible model for others to follow. Petersen (2015) argues that ‘school improvement and sustainable cultural change is a complex process, requiring collective commitment and engagement of all through a bottom-up approach’. One can extrapolate that maintenance of school culture would also require this collective commitment from all stakeholders. A key feature that strengthened Year 12 solidarity was the weekly Year 12 assembly. This facility and a range of School events across the year, enriched the group’s knowledge of the School, the world and each other. These assemblies played host to university speakers, old girls with rich and varied experiences, and the Passion Series where Year 12s shared with their peers their passion for activities from musical performances and animal rights to photography, make-up, Olympic ideals and composing. The culture underpinning the Year 12 body is integral to its success and it is sustained by a strong, active and committed Student Council and a productive Year 12 group. The 2015 Year 12 cohort have only begun their leadership journey. They leave the School with an impressive skill set that will equip them to contribute meaningfully to their communities while continuing their lifelong learning.
REFERENCES MacBeath, J. and Dempster, N. (Eds.) (2009). Connecting leadership and learning: Principles for practice. London: Routledge. Gulbransen-Diaz, N. and McGinley, J. (2015). Unpublished Brisbane Girls Grammar School Speech Day address. Parmelli, E., Flodgren, G., Beyer, F., Baillie, N., Schaafsma, M.E. and Eccles, M.P. (2011). The effectiveness of strategies to change organisational culture to improve healthcare performance: a systematic review. Implementation Science, 6:33, 1–8. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-6-33 Petersen, S. (2015). Reimagining teacher leaders leading school improvement: The untapped potential. Leading and Managing, 21( 2), 1–28. Year 12 Exit Survey.
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
DEVELOPMENT REPORT MS LEA WALKER DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI
The tradition of philanthropy at Brisbane Girls Grammar School continued during 2015, as evidenced by each and every name listed below, and by others who chose to remain anonymous. In total, the School was grateful to receive $703 662 in gifts from 308 donors. It is wonderful to see the names of both current and former students, parents, staff and Board of Trustee members on this list. Whether directed towards the building, library or bursary fund, or granted through the Australian Independent Schools USA Foundation or the Australian Sports Foundation, every gift makes a difference in the lives of Grammar Girls either now, or in the future. We know that great things are achieved when liked-minded people join together for an important cause such as our $1m+ Building a Tree of Learning Capital Campaign which was launched in October 2013 and concluded on 31 December 2015. Gifts and pledges totalling $2 002 343 from 258 donors were received by the end of 2015. This represents an increase of $634 361 and 65 donors on 2014. The School would like to extend our sincere appreciation to every member of the school community who contributed, as there is a story centred on a passion for educating girls behind each one. Two examples this year include the family who extended a $50 000 challenge gift which was successfully matched by the School community, and the past parent who supported the Bursary Fund, tipping the campaign total over
the $1.8 million milestone. When considering how many girls are benefitting — and will benefit — from our School’s flourishing culture of philanthropy, this quote comes to mind: ‘...the value of education is among the greatest of all human values ...’ (Virginia Woolf, 1938) This year the Research Learning Centre was opened and the former library space renovated, additional library resources and major sports equipment were secured, and our bursary fund is growing quickly thanks to increased support. Most importantly, with the support of these people, even more in our community this year have experienced the joy of philanthropy in supporting girls’ education. Thank you.
DONORS Mr D & Mrs S Abernethy Ms M Allan Mr M & Mrs J Allan Dr R & Dr L Allen Mr S & Mrs K Amos Mr L & Mrs N Anderson Angliss Family Mr M & Mrs G Anthonisz Dr M Anthony Mrs A Ashton Dr A & Mrs C Avenia Mr T & Mrs N Awyzio Ms I Backstrom Mrs D Barber Dr W & Mrs D Barendse Mr D & Mrs N Barlow Ms K Bartlett Dr L & Dr B Basnayake Ms R Bellamy BGGS Mothers Group BGGS Old Girls Association BGGS P & F Association
BGGS Rowing Support Group Mr A & Mrs E Boden Mr A & Mrs K Bond Mr J & Mrs S Boulton Mrs P Boyce Dr P Boys & Dr R Seeney Ms J Bray Dr I Brown & Dr A Burrows Mr I Brusasco AO Miss J Bryant Mr C & Mrs L Bui Prof M Bullock AM Mr B Bundock & Mrs L Bundock-Smith Burlington Kitchen Pty Ltd Mr P & Mrs B Burr Mr P Burr & Dr J Gunn Dr M Buttini Mr J & Ms S Callie Mr S & Mrs C Cameron Mrs M Campbell Mr N & Mrs M Carter
Mr C & Mrs E Cayas Mr J Chen & Ms W Lien Dr S Chern Mr M Cilento & Ms W Crowther-Cilento Mr B & Mrs M Clark Mr J & Mrs K Clune Mr B Codd & Ms E Anstey Ms C Cominos Comiskey Family Mr T & Mrs T Cory Mr M & Mrs B Coulter Mr B & Mrs S Cox Ms E Cox Mr D Cox & Mrs A Butler Reverend A Dale Mrs X Darveniza Mrs L Davies Dr B Devereaux & Ms A Bensted Mr M Dhillon & Mrs J Gill Mr L & Mrs S Di Clemente
Mr R & Mrs K Douglas Mr D Dunk & Ms S Buckley Mr D & Mrs S Edwards Mrs W Edwards Ms J Euler Mrs F Everson Dr S & Mrs M Fairbairn Mr G & Mrs J Field Ms C Fielding Mrs K Fitzgerald Mr D & Mrs W Fogden Mr T & Mrs A Fornaro Dr K & Dr M Fry Fu Family Dr C & Dr I Furnival Ms M Gandhi Dr M Gandhi & Dr C Duffy Mr F & Mrs D Ganendran Ms J Ganko Mr J & Mrs S George Mr J & Mrs D Gibson Mr M & Mrs E Giles
REFERENCES Woolf, V. (1938). Three Guineas. (Reprint ed.). San Diego: Harvest Books.
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
Miss D Gilmour Mr S & Mrs M Girdis Dr J Godfrey OBE M s A Goggin Mr A & Mrs V Goodwin Mr M Goss & Ms S Duffy Ms Y Graham Dr J Grassle Mr R & Mrs C Grattan Green Options P/L Mr D & Mrs P Greig Haines Family Mr P Haley & Ms M Daly Mrs S Hammer Ms J Hammer AM Mr J Hardy & Ms G Haussmann Mr A & Mrs S Harper Mrs P Harvey-Short Ms H Hassum Dr C & Dr D Hastie Mr J & Mrs C Havers Dr J & Mrs K Heilig Dr R & Mrs D Henderson Ms K Henzell Dr S & Dr A Herat Mr N & Ms H Higgins Ms I Higgins Ms L Hinchliff Mr L & Mrs K Hinckfuss Miss A Hines Dr D & Mrs S Ho Mrs K Hodge Mrs J Hopkins Mr M & Mrs R Horton Mr S & Mrs T Horton Mr G & Mrs F Hosier Ms C Hughes Mr R & Mrs A Hughes Mrs V Hughson Mr B & Mrs H Hunter Lt Col G & Mrs J Hurcum Mr W & Mrs A Hurnall Mrs A Ingram Mrs S Jackson Dr K & Dr K Jaffar Dr E & Mrs S Jak Ms E Jameson Ms G Jeremy
Mrs H Johnson Mr N & Mrs C Jonatan Dr R & Mrs J Kahler Dr J Kahn Mrs R Kendall Ms A Kerr Ms B Kerr Mr S & Mrs A Keyser Prof G King & Dr S Rowland Dr L & Mrs E King Mrs J Kitchen Mr H & Mrs P Kumar Dr G & Mrs A Lampe Miss C Lau Dr J Lawrence AM Mr M & Mrs M Lee See Ms J Lee See Mr J Li & Mrs C Y Sun Miss M Li Mr J & Mrs M Lindsay Mr R & Mrs L Lo Ms D Lohrisch Mr R & Mrs J Lonergan Dr P & Dr L Lui Mr M & Mrs R Lusis Mr M & Mrs D MacGinley Dr E Mackenzie Dr A & Mrs C MacMillan Emeritus Prof Dr M Mahoney AO Mr J & Mrs M Mangos Mr T & Mrs S Marchant Ms S Marcinow Ms P Markwell Miss M Maruoka Prof R Mason Mr S Mathias Ms K McAllister Mr B & Mrs H McCarrison Ms K McCready Mr G & Mrs B McEntee Ms S McGarry Dr J & Mrs J McGuire Hon Justice M McMurdo AC Miss L McPherson Mr Z & Mrs C Milenkovic Dr C Mittelheuser AM Mr S & Mrs L Morton
Mr G & Mrs N Muratidis Mr S & Mrs D Murdoch Nair Family Mr T & Dr D Needham Mr J & Mrs S Newton Nicklin Medical Services Mrs Y Ng Mr P Nyssen & Ms L Armstrong Mrs R Obarzanski Dr T & Mrs E O’Brien O’Meara Family Mr C & Mrs H Orr Mr M & Mrs J Pafumi Mr D & Mrs L Pagano Mr M Palm Mr M & Mrs S Panizza Miss M Peel MBE Mr P Pettigrew Mr J & Mrs D Phillips Dr S Pitkin Dr E & Mrs S Playford Poole Family Mr H & Mrs G Poulos Dr G Powell AM Prof C Praeger AM Prof J & Mrs S Prins Ms R Purdy Miss R Pye Mr A & Mrs C Rankin Dr M & Mrs L Redmond Ms J Richardson Mrs E Riddell Mrs V Ridgeway Mr G Ryan & Ms M Waters-Ryan Mr G Saunders & Ms M Martin-Saunders Mrs N Sawtell Mrs J Schmidt AM Miss M Schubert Mrs A Schultz Shannon Family Mr R & Mrs B Sharpless Mrs K Shaw Mrs R Shields Prof A Shoemaker Ms T Sikka Mr B & Mrs A Simmons Mr D & Mrs R Simpson
Mrs E Smith Ms L Smith Ms N Smith Miss E Smyth Mr W & Mrs K Smyth Dr C Sorensen Mr P & Mrs F Southall Mr C & Mrs P Stacey Mr J & Mrs L Stock Mr P & Mrs G Telford Mr D Thomson Mrs L Thornquist Mr M & Mrs S Tisdall Ms S Tisdall Mr M Tobin & Dr F Reilly Mr R Truesdale Mr S & Mrs L Turner Mr N & Mrs S Ulrich Urban Engineering Solutions Dr T Varghese & Dr L Kurian Dr P & Mrs M Vujovic Mr K Walker Ms L Walker Mr J & Mrs K Warat Dr A & Mrs S Ward Mr A Weeden & Mrs D Polloni-Weeden Rev P Wetherell Mr C & Mrs K Whip Mrs E Williams Mrs R Williams Mrs E Wilson Mr I Wilson & Ms L Shervey Dr P Wood & Ms C Horbury Mr WA & Mrs A Wright Mr M & Prof R Xavier Mr J & Mrs S Yates Mr A Young Zambelli Family Mr J Zhang & Mrs S Zhou Mr S Zhang & Ms C Shi Mr J & Mrs A Zoppi
Forty of the 308 donors in 2015 chose to remain anonymous. All care is taken in compiling this list, which represents donors during 2015. However, if there is an error please advise development@bggs.qld.edu.au
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
HIGHLIGHTS
SCHOOL • In its 140th year the School welcomed its first Year 7 cohort and the new $17.4 million Research Learning Centre was opened by His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC Governor of Queensland • Brisbane Girls Grammar School’s reputation for academic excellence continued with the Year 9 cohort ranked as the top performer in NAPLAN for the second consecutive year. The Year 7 cohort also performed exceptionally well in the School’s first instance of NAPLAN testing for this age group • Year 12 students in 2015 achieved outstanding OP and QCS results with 100 per cent of students eligible for an OP • Girls Grammar was named as the top secondary girls’ school in Queensland on The Australian’s My School website (which utilises 2014 NAPLAN data) and was ranked highly in the nation’s top 100 schools and top 50 girls’ schools • The Fig Tree Pocket Campus was officially named the Rangakarra Recreational and Environmental Education Centre at a special community event held on Saturday 23 May 2015. The main playing field at Rangakarra was named ‘Daphne Welch (1949) Oval’ in recognition of her achievements in sport and leadership • Girls Grammar was the top girls’ school in the medal tally at the Queensland Schools Championship Regatta in Rockhampton in September with two gold medals, one silver and two bronze • The BGGS Under 16 Water Polo Team was the top school team and fourth overall in the 16U National Club Championships held in Perth at the end of September
• Emma van Baarle (11M) and Molly Pate (11G) received full ASSIST scholarships to attend American independent schools for the 2015/2016 school year • Elizabeth Cox (12R) and Grace Rehn (12E) were selected for the Australian team that competed at the International Young Physicists Tournament in Thailand. Elizabeth and Grace had previously competed with Fiona Huq (12E) and Isabelle Higgins (12W) at the International Young Physicists Tournament Australia Challenge • Gabrielle Callow (10E), Adeline Chan (10L), Aleesha Ganendran (10H), Xuan-Nghi Pham (10O), Brooke Tran (10G) and Yidong Wu (10R) represented Australia at the International Junior Science Olympiad in Daegu, Korea where Xuan-Nghi Pham was awarded a bronze medal • Rebecca Emmett (11H), Chanelle Ren (11O) and Alisha Tang (11W) were awarded places in the 2015-2016 The University of Queensland’s Young Scholars Program • Imogen Low (12O) was awarded first place in the senior state division of the annual Young ICT Explorers competition held at The University of Queensland in August for her 3D Maps for Industry project and secured an internship with competition sponsor SAP, an international enterprise software company. Imogen went on to compete in the national round of the tournament as the only female competitor in her category, where she was awarded third place • Lucinda Duke (10H) won the Bank of Queensland ESSI Money Challenge in the junior section of the national financial literacy competition LEADERSHIP
STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ACADEMIC • Shiye Su (12R) represented Australia at the Asian Physics Olympiad and received an Honourable Mention. She was then selected as a member of the Australian team that competed in the International Physics Olympiad in India where she received a bronze medal • Shiye Su (12R), Lily Rath (12B), Aarthi Sritharan (12M) and Estelle Sah (12B) received Certificates of Academic Commendation from the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) for achieving Very High Achievements in the equivalent of at least six authority subjects • Two students were offered places to study at Harvard and Princeton Universities in the United States
• Starr Lee (10W), Alice Dunn (10E), Jennifer Zhang (10M), Fiona Qiu (10R), Sher Meng Tan (10O), Ellen Gardner (10E), Anastasia Georgiou (10O) and Alexandra Finn (10M) participated in the International Young Leaders Forum at the Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore • Laura Fell (11B), Anna Ruddell (11O) and Josefine Ganko (12R) were selected as winners of the Queensland Premier’s ANZAC Prize 2015 and travelled to Gallipoli to take part in the historic ANZAC Centenary commemoration • Josefine Ganko (12R) was selected as the Brisbane Central member for the Queensland Youth Parliament CO-CURRICULAR
• Rianna Bell (11M) was selected to attend the Australian Science Olympiad Summer School, having achieved an outstanding performance in the qualifying exam in which almost 4000 students took part. Rianna achieved a high distinction and gold medal in the exam, placing her in the top 22 of all students who participated
• Anna Ruddell (11O), Phoebe Henderson (11O), Isabella Busby (11M) and Caitlin O’Meara (11R) competed in the Australian Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship. Anna and Caitlin were selected in the national team that will compete in the World Championships in Pittsburgh in 2016 and Isabella was awarded a medal for her outstanding performance in the Persuasive Speaking category
• Joanna John (12O) won a Peter Doherty Outstanding Senior Mathematics and Technology Student Award — the only girl out of eight recipients
• Bridgette Watkins (7R) was awarded a silver medal in the U12 Girls Problem Solving Category at the Australian Junior Chess Championships in Canberra
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
SPORT • Minna Atherton (10B) competed at the 2015 Hancock Prospecting Australian Short Course Swimming Championships in Sydney, winning silver in the 50 m backstroke, bringing her world ranking to third for the 50 m backstroke short course (for the 2016 season). She also won bronze in the 100 m backstroke, making her the third fastest swimmer in Australia for this event. She was the recipient of the 2015 Queensland Junior Sport Star of the Year award at the 21st Annual Queensland Sport Awards. Minna won the following medals at the 2015 World Junior Swimming Championships in Singapore in August: — g old (new World Junior record) in the 100 m backstroke, 200 m backstroke and 100 m women’s freestyle relay and — s ilver in the 50 m backstroke, 4x100 m mixed medley relay and 4x100 m women’s medley relay • Gabriella Palm (12L) was selected in the Australian Born ’98 Water Polo team that toured Europe in May • Eliza King (9E) participated in the Pacific School Games in Adelaide winning gold in the Girls 14 Years 200 m Freestyle, silver in the Girls 100 m and 50 m Freestyle and bronze in the 400 m Freestyle. She was also successful in the relays, winning five gold medals, including a record time of 1.59.41 in the Girls 14 Years 200 m Medley Relay • Emma Bills (11W) was selected in the Australian U16 Schoolgirls hockey team that will tour South Africa in 2016 • Abby Andrews (10W) and Olivia McDonald (12G) were selected in the Australian Schoolgirls Water Polo team • Elizabeth Moss (8E) won the U14 High Jump at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships, with a meet record of 1.73 m • Chelsea Windsor (11O) was selected as one of thirty girls to join the Netball Queensland Academy Squad and was selected in the Phase 2 Netball Queensland U17 Training Squad. Chelsea was also selected in the QGSSSA Representative Netball team that travelled to Melbourne in September • Olivia McDonald (12G), Gabriella Palm (12L), Emily Powell (11E), Lydia Pascoe (11O) and Abby Andrews (10W) were selected to join the Water Polo Queensland 2015 Emerging Athlete Program • Abby Andrews (10W), Sarah Lawlor (11B), Phoebe Ogilvie (11E), Lydia Pascoe (11O) and Emily Powell (11E) were selected for the 16 and Under Water Polo Queensland State Squad for 2015 • Madeleine Williams (11R), Sarah Tisdall (12O), Marni Hinton (12W) and Alix Haines (11R) were selected in the 2015 Queensland School Girls Eight rowing squad • Jessica Lakeman (11E) was awarded Umpire of the Year at the 2015 Queensland Netball Awards and achieved a National A Badge Accreditation for netball umpiring — the only umpire to receive this badge level in 2015 at the time and one of few to have received this badge level at sixteen years of age • Sally Finch (9H) was selected for the 2016 Netball Queensland Regional Academy programme
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• Xin (Rose) Xing (9B) broke the world record for a half marathon on the ergo (indoor rowing machine ) for 13–18 year old women • Sarah Tisdall (12O) was the Brisbane Girls Grammar School recipient of the Pierre du Coubertin Award which recognises secondary school students who demonstrate values which are consistent with the Olympic Movement through participation in sporting activities MUSIC AND THE ARTS • Chorale, Symphonic Winds and Wind Symphony were awarded a gold award and first place at the Queensland Youth Music Awards • Olivia Wong (11B) was a finalist in the Schools Category at the Queensland Music Awards for her song Mr Blue Moon • Carmen Zhu (11R) was a finalist in the 2015 Lord Mayor’s Young Environmental Photographer of the Year Awards for her photograph ‘Purple Bikes’ in the ‘Innovation for our Future’ Category
TEACHING EXCELLENCE APPOINTMENTS • Ms Jacinda Euler, Principal, was appointed as an Honorary Fellow of Emmanuel College at The University of Queensland. Ms Euler was also appointed to the Alliance of Girls Schools Association (AGSA) organising committee for the 2016 Australasia AGSA Conference in Brisbane. She was also invited to be a panellist at the Audi German Film Festival to discuss the education film Alphabet • Mrs Pauline Harvey-Short, Dean of School, was a panellist and speaker at the Women of the World Festival at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) • Dr Bruce Addison, Dean of Curriculum and Scholarship, co-ordinated Masters degree subjects in both leadership and curriculum through The University of Queensland’s Graduate School of Education • Mr Kent Walker, Director of IT, was invited to represent Queensland on the Association of Independent Schools NSW IT Conference organising committee • Ms Lea Walker, Director of Development and Alumni, was appointed to the Educate Plus Professional Association’s organising committee for the 2015 Queensland Conference on the Gold Coast as the Fundraising Stream Convener • Dr Sally Stephens, Director of Science, was selected for the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s 7-10 Australian Curriculum Working Group • Mr Mark Sullivan, Director of Instrumental Music, was invited to be Chief Adjudicator at the Victorian Schools Music Festival in Melbourne at the Hawthorn Arts Centre. He was also invited to be on a panel discussion — ‘Strings and Band: What’s the Difference’— and to adjudicate a string competition at the same conference
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
HIGHLIGHTS
• Mr James McIntosh, Director of Outdoor Education and Ms Kim Wood, Outdoor Education Teacher, were appointed to the 2016 National Outdoor Education Conference organising committee
• Ms Phillipa Greig, Head of Accounting, presented at the BEAQ (Business Educators’ Association of Queensland) Conference in July on Repetition to Synthesis: A Look at Accounting Curriculum
• Mr Brendon Thomas, Director of Technologies, was invited to sit on the QCAA Information Technologies expert working group examining the ACER review of the Senior Curriculum
• Mr Michael Patterson, Music department, presented two sessions — Romanian Folk Music and Gypsy Jazz — at the Australian Strings Association (AUSTA) National Conference in July
• Ms Julie Hennessey, Head of History, was invited to sit on the QCAA Modern History expert working group examining the ACER review of the Senior Curriculum
• Mr Mark Sullivan was the guest clinician at the Rockhampton Catholic Diocese Music Camp in June
• Mr Alan Allinson, Head of Physics, was invited to sit on the QCAA Physics expert working group examining the ACER review of the Senior Curriculum • Mr Brad Jennings, Drama department, was re-elected to 2015 Drama Queensland Committee as a member of the Professional Development portfolio team • Ms Sallie Callie, triple Olympian and Rowing Co-ordinator, was invited to be on a panel of four Olympians for the Pierre du Coubertin Awards AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS • Mr Tim Lehman, Mathematics Teacher, won the Queensland University of Technology’s SAGE Best Higher Degree Research Paper Award for 2015 for his research paper ‘Teaching through problem solving to improve numeracy’ • Ms Adele Johnston, Drama Teacher, topped State marks when awarded her Speech and Drama Diploma by the Australian Music Examinations Board • Mrs Claire Tynan (Corones 2002), Old Girls/Alumni Officer, was awarded the 2015 Educate Plus Excellence in Advancement Award in the category of Alumni and Community Relations presented at the 2015 Educate Plus Conference
• Ms Laurinda Davidson, Instrumental Music teacher, presented at the Maryborough Music Conference in July on ‘Using interactive technology to enhance instrumental music curriculum’. • Ms Michelle Allan, Director of Communications and Community Relations, spoke at the inaugural Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) Schools Communication and Marketing Forum in June • Ms Lea Walker, Director of Development and Alumni, presented ‘Discover Development’ at the Educate Plus Conference 2015 at the Gold Coast in July, and participated in a conference panel on ‘Sharing the highs, lows and lessons learnt over the years’ PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA • Dr Bruce Addison, Dean of Curriculum and Scholarship, was published in the latest edition of Australian Educational Leader with an article entitled ‘Schools as homes for the mind: pedagogy and the teacher as sage, guide and meddler’ • Mrs Annabelle Ritchie, Head of French, published a book, A la française : it’s French for style! • Mr Brad Jennings, Drama teacher, had his play Headspace published by Playlab ALUMNI
CONFERENCES AND SYMPOSIA • Deputy Principal Mrs Anna Owen, Director of IT Mr Kent Walker, Director of Technologies Mr Brendon Thomas and Director of Digital Pedagogies Mr Shane Skillen presented ‘Design thinking in leadership, management, teaching and learning; A whole school approach’ at Future Schools in Sydney in June • Dr Kay Kimber, Director of Centre for Professional Practice, was invited by the ACU Learning Sciences Institute Australia to be a panel member at an International Symposium on Reading and Reading Engagement on Global Trends and Innovations in July • Ms Rachel Christopherson, English department, presented a workshop entitled ‘Good Books for Junior Classes’ at the English Teachers Association of Queensland (ETAQ) Beginning Teachers Day seminar in May and ‘Creative writing rescue: achieving success in student short stories’ at the ETAQ 2015 State Conference in Brisbane in August
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• Hannah Hassum, Annaliese Thomas, Annabelle van der Jagt, Sivagowri Somasundaram and Shan Xing (all 2014 alumni) were awarded the Australian Student Prize for 2014 by the Australian Department of Education and Training • Sophie Hur (2014) was accepted into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York • Krishna Settipalli (2014) was awarded a $30 000 QUT ViceChancellor’s Scholarship for 2015 to undertake a Bachelor of Medical Imaging • Ashley McGregor (2014) was State Open Poetry Slam Champion and competed in the National Finals at the Opera House in Sydney • Chloe Yap (2013) was awarded a New Colombo Plan Scholarship by the Australian Government. She will undertake an internship in computational genomics at the Genome Institute of Singapore, within the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
• Ellodie Ruffin (2013) earned a place on the Australian Women’s Water Polo Team, the Aussie Stingers • Kathryn Zealand (2008) was awarded a full two-year Fulbright Scholarship to attend Harvard and Stanford Universities to study a third Masters degree • Hannah Shepherd (2007) won the Pop Category for her song Wasted Pilots under her performing name Airling at the Queensland Music Awards • Margaret Forrest (2004) has been awarded the Davis McCaughey Cambridge Australia Scholarship to complete her Masters of Philosophy in Criminology at the University of Cambridge • Dr Marina-Portia Anthony (1995) has been appointed to the Board of Directors of The Australian Independent Schools USA Foundation (AISUSA)
• The Honourable Justice Roslyn Atkinson (1965) was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the General Division for significant service to the judiciary and to law reform in Queensland, through contributions to the legal profession and to promoting awareness of issues of injustice and inequality in Australia and internationally • Helene Marsh (Gould, 1962) was elected as one of twentyone new Fellows by the Australian Academy of Science for her outstanding contributions to science and scientific research • Jan Conroy (Cross, 1959) was awarded an Order of Australian Medal (OAM) in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours for service to the performing arts through dance • Mrs Daphne Fancutt AM (Seeney, 1950) was recognised for her lifelong commitment to tennis with an amphitheatre named in her honour at the Queensland Tennis Centre
• Dr Catherine Kezelman (Imhoff, 1971) was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division for significant service to community health as a supporter and advocate for survivors of child abuse
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
SPEECH DAY 19 NOVEMBER 2015 ADDRESS — CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MS ELIZABETH JAMESON
MILESTONES Special guest, Professor Margaret Bullock; Ms Jacinda Euler, Principal; Dr Fiona Harden, President of the P&F; trustees; staff; parents; families; friends; special guests; prize-winners; graduating Year 12s and students. I pay my respects to the traditional custodians, past and present, of this familiar place where we gather, near the banks of the Brisbane River, as I welcome you to Speech Day and Distribution of Prizes in the 140th year of the School.
philosophy of learning, chemistry, physics or Chinese on one’s head, much less water polo, orchestra or drama. Rather I am talking about a philosophy we foster of encouraging our girls to look at the world in a different way — upside down if need be.
140 years old. Now that is seriously old.
Certainly I like to think about our 140-year history too in a different way, not as a set of grainy staid sepia-toned photos of changing hemlines and hairstyles of our girls across the decades. Rather I like to think of our history as very much alive — more like an intergenerational conga line — a cavalcade of our founders, philanthropists, trustees, principals, teachers and other staff, parents and girls snaking their way like the Brisbane River itself across fourteen decades of time and physically around the world, all the while turning the world a little on its head whenever possible.
‘You are old, Father William,’ the young man said, ‘And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head — Do you think, at your age, it is right?’
Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865)
I have just celebrated a ‘milestone’ myself this year, which is a marvellous euphemism for a birthday with a number so large attached that you cannot bring yourself to say it out loud. Let me just say that when I was born, and the School was at its mere ninety year milestone, I could not know how very significant it would become in my life; that by the time the School was celebrating its 140th birthday, this ‘milestone’ would coincide (perhaps ‘collide’ is a better word) with my own in one great crescendo, positively demanding that I stop and reflect in 2015 on the importance of milestones and on the most important things in life. I will avoid oversharing with you all of my personal reflections this year, other than to say that it is a very good thing that people aren’t silly enough to put one candle on the cake for every year of your life by the time you reach these types of milestones. And to say that a milestone is very different from a millstone — or at least it ought to be. I fully subscribe to the Father William school of thought. One ought to regard age as far from a millstone around the neck. As shifty an assertion as it may sound to some, I suggest that with every passing year the greater the entitlement to throw off the millstones of life and stand on your head far more freely and frequently. Or at least to turn the world on its head and look at it a different way about. After all, the world in which we live in 2015 could certainly do with turning on its head, as we have heard in so many tragic events around the world and in our very own neighbourhoods this year, and even these past weeks. I like to think then too, that at its extraordinary 140-year milestone, BGGS is still taking a ‘headstand’ approach to the education of young women. Not literally of course, as it would be thoroughly impractical, albeit tempting, to undertake
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The BGGS conga line started with some of the earliest leaders in the then-still colony of Queensland, fighting publicly for our establishment on the basis of a then-radical idea that a colony that educated only its boys and not its girls could not be regarded as a legitimate modern society. Just ten years after Father William was penned by Lewis Carroll in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Sir Charles Lilley and the rest of our early founders believed the world needed turning on its head. As did the early benefactors who had to raise not just enough enthusiasm for the education of girls, but literally enough money as required by the Grammar Schools Act for the establishment of BGGS. In doing so, these founders and benefactors were embedding in our very DNA at BGGS the importance of community over individual — the ethos of giving something back. The establishment of BGGS was not driven by a belief that the individuals who were privileged enough to attend BGGS should thrive and have successful lives but that the community in which they lived should thrive. And so, in 1875, started the conga line of marvellous impressive women leaders. Ms Euler continues the unbroken line as the sixteenth consecutive impressive woman leader having successfully overseen a great deal in 2015 with great thoughtfulness, compassion, care and capability. She has successfully led and overseen the addition of Year 7, the first new year group added to the school since 1964 when Year 8 was added, and with that the growth of the school population by almost 200 and the addition of almost twenty new staff, all of whom have been successfully ‘grammarised’ as Ms Euler likes to say, which is no mean feat.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
Thank you to Ms Euler and her able Deputy, Mrs Anna Owen, and to Board Secretary and CFO, Mr Jared Dawson, and indeed the entire and extraordinary staff of the School for making 2015 the smooth transition that it was for each and every one of our girls.
and without any orchestration a literal celebratory conga line spontaneously snaked around City Hall, which has played such an important part in so many periods of the School’s history, including as the venue for Speech Day from the early 80s and Gala from the early 90s until just a few years ago.
Also in 1875 began the conga-line of school trustees who, as the name suggests, were ‘entrusted’ by our founders with ensuring that their vision was delivered.
Throughout the year we celebrated our milestone year in various other ways. For instance:
Since last Speech Day, a new four-year board term (the thirty-seventh) started. This marked the departure of three previous trustees: Mr David Vann, Mrs Margaret Huth and Ms Gillian Adams. I thank them all for their service during their respective terms of office but make special mention of Mr Vann who served three tireless four-year terms — a total of twelve years — on the board. The trustee conga line continues and we were delighted to welcome three new board members — Ms Ann Harrap, Mr Andrew King and Professor Adam Shoemaker. They join me, Deputy Chair, Emeritus Professor Mary Mahoney, Mr Tony Young and Ms Di Lohrisch. The board now enjoys a combination of skills and experience in education, governance, finance, law, medicine, international diplomacy and property and development, and includes three past students (and head girls), two past parents, one current parent and the daughter of a past chairman of the board of trustees. No, we do not have a board of fifteen people — this list of attributes is brought to the table by seven volunteer board members as you will see from our profiles found on the School’s website. I thank all of my fellow trustees for giving of their time, passion and skills to the School and for the privilege of serving as their chair. With a new board in place, we started the year with the opening on Foundation Day of the magnificent m3-designed Research Learning Centre (RLC), that peeps around from behind our grand old fig tree on Gregory Terrace by the Governor of Queensland (and official visitor to the School), His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC. I will admit that the board has enjoyed a year of less active building work this year, focusing instead on master planning for our now threecampus school and the refurbishment plans for the Kathleen Mitford Lilley building. This building, that housed the Beanland Library for over thirty years until it was moved this year to the new RLC, will now be refurbished over the Christmas break to accommodate our English and Humanities staff and Academic Leadership team right in the heart of the School surrounded by the girls. After the RLC opening, we quickly moved to a Gala Ball to celebrate this milestone 140th year where, to my great delight
• we held a naming ceremony for our third campus, the Recreational and Environmental Education Centre at Fig Tree Pocket, now known as Rangakarra, at which we also named the main field the Daphne Pirie Oval, after one of the many sporting greats amongst our alumni, as well as receiving the beautiful gates for Rangakarra commissioned and gifted by the Old Girls Association • we invited the entire school family to our second campus, the Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Centre at Imbil, where the Principal and I planted a fig tree to serve as something of a 140-year-old book end to the Gregory Terrace fig tree believed to have been planted in the earliest years that we first came to occupy our main campus in the 1880s. We also kept focused too, however, on the next 140 years, taking the opportunity to bring back to the School a range of our past students, families and trustees. This included establishing a Board Development and Philanthropy SubCommittee to work with the Director of Development and Alumni on increasing the ways in which our community can connect with and ‘give back’ for the good not only of future generations of Grammar Girls but, in keeping with the original vision of our founders, for the good of the broader community. Year 12, it is your turn to break from the conga line of current students of BGGS and join the conga line of past students of the School. I hope and trust that it will prove to be a yet more exciting line leading you in all manner of directions in your life. Before I finish I feel that perhaps I should share with you the next stanza of the Father William poem. ‘In my youth,’ Father William replied to his son, ‘I feared it might injure the brain; But now that I’m perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again.’ I like to think that brainlessness is not the only excuse one can have for a headstand approach to life. Given your five years of hard work, I hope and trust that you will plead a joy for the preciousness of life and the difference you can make to it, rather than a lack of grey matter, as you turn cartwheels all the way to a bright and exciting future.
REFERENCES Carroll, L.(1865). Alice’s adventures in Wonderland. UK: Macmillan.
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
SPEECH DAY 19 NOVEMBER 2015 PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS MS JACINDA EULER
Ms Elizabeth Jameson, Chair of the Board; Trustees — past and present; honoured guests — including our guest speaker, Professor Margaret Bullock AM; Dr Fiona Harden, President of the P&F, staff; parents; Grammar girls and, most particularly, the young women of Year 12. We acknowledge that today we are gathering on the land of the traditional owners. In our 140th year at Brisbane Girls Grammar School it is, naturally, a time of reflection on the past as we look to the future. And we have had the opportunity this year to consider, examine very closely, our identity. • Who are we as a school?
• For our newest students this year — Years 7 and 8 — their House, that colour, those girls, have been, and will continue to be, such an important part of their identity. Not only are they Grammar girls but Gibson girls or Griffith girls. • At the level of each individual girl — who am I?
• Where do I fit in within my year group, my friendship group, which friendship group?
• At the Year 12 tables, within my family, my school, even the world as they have visited other countries, explored other cultures?
• What do we represent and is it still relevant? • Where are we heading? In our society more broadly, 2015 has been a year that has raised many questions about identity, including: • 100 years since Gallipoli and the formation of our national identity • How has that identity evolved? • With the award of knighthoods and leadership struggles surrounding the Office of the Prime Minister we have wrestled with
• What sort of a nation do we want to be?
• What values and views do we hold, stand united behind?
• And who best to represent them?
It has always been a natural, sometimes playful and exciting, sometimes confusing, part of adolescence to try on different identities — through hair, fashion, music. Now, through social media, there is a very public ‘trying on’ of identity and it can be a relentless pressure to conform, to be a ‘someone’. Of course with the construction of identity online — it is more of a ‘persona’.
• Who the girls are online — is it who they are really?
• Could it be that social media stifles individuality and difference — as identities become more rigid, more prescriptive, more ‘same same’?
I nternationally, with the refugee crisis, we saw that we define who we are, sometimes most powerfully, by who we exclude
• Or does social media present more options — finding other people more like me?
• The infinite challenge of ISIS causes to us question the very basis of our humanity
It seems that the more choice we have to play with our identities, the more confused we have become
• Caitlyn Jenner challenged notions of gender identity and
American anthropologist Margaret Mead noted, interestingly, that ‘... nobody was talking about needing identity 50 years ago. We’ve started to worry about identity since people began losing it’ (Mead cited in Popova, 2015).
• The scourge of domestic violence, so vividly brought to our attention this year, perhaps caused us to question our identity as an Australian society — what type of a society could we claim to be if this is what is happening to so many women? And for teenaged girls, of course, identity — the formation of identity — is such a fundamental part of their adolescent experience. • Year 12 with their motto — ‘Inspire your sisters, old and new; 140 years in royal blue’ — created a particular identity for their year group, and for our school, in 2015. • We had Blue Days — with a new focus, the rainbow of Spirit Day and the unforgettable Grammar Tribe in Sport.
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Girls Grammar is an iconic institution and our identity can be found in our purpose. And that purpose is — and has been for 140 years — educating girls. If we return to the Latin root of education — ‘educare’ — it refers to ‘drawing out,’ to liberate the spirit, find or nurture the individual. ‘To draw out that which lies within’ rather than the old ‘fill the bucket’ approach to education of the past. If we consider education in this way, we see how important the role of a school is in helping a girl establish, feel comfortable within, and develop a fully-integrated self. They come to school to learn about the world. And education promotes self-discovery.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
I’m not suggesting that this is always through introspection, there’s probably already quite enough of that, in fact quite the opposite — by expanding their horizons, by helping them to understand the world in all of its dimensions and their place in time, in society and in their environment. Each academic faculty has its own distinct identity and girls explore the dynamic links between areas of knowledge — cultural, mathematical, historical and scientific. Finding ourselves — confirming our identity — can be a struggle. It can sometimes be joyous but is often difficult, even painful, and it always involves hard work. The German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900), reminds us that embracing difficulty is essential for a fulfilling life, and that the journey of self-discovery can be one of the greatest difficulties of all. Nietzsche considered that the true role of education lay in this excavation of our true self. But balanced with this ‘drawing out,’ this ‘excavation’ of our true selves through education, is the powerful role a school plays in shaping and forming, quite deliberately, the character, values, attitudes and aspirations of the individual. When meeting with our new Sports and Arts Captains this week I asked the girls what their new roles meant to them. One said she was able to ‘find herself in the Arts at Girls Grammar’ and told me the story that when she started in Year 8 she was asked in House Group to tell them something interesting about herself. And she couldn’t think of anything. ‘But then I started Debating and Music and made friends through these things’. She said the Arts ‘shaped my personality, gave me qualities of confidence and creativity and so many abilities that I didn’t have before. These experiences have shaped who I am’. For 140 years BGGS has been negotiating this tension — to draw out the individual girl, to be truly ‘herself’ — but also, simultaneously, to guide and to shape her. And this is hard work — Nil Sine Labore — not just for the school, its staff, and of course her parents, but for the individual girl.
own immediate gene pool but from the pool of culture that surrounds us, past and present’ (Popova, 2015). The Roman philosopher Seneca (4BC–AD65) saw in reading, one of the oldest and most reliable paths to identity — and to contact these cultural ancestors — a way of being ‘adopted into the households of the noblest intellects’ (in Popova, 2015). And, as Maria Popova has said: ‘What better time to meet such admirable models of personhood than in childhood, that fertile seedbed for the flowering of values and identity?’. Our teachers are important conduits, curators of knowledge, connecting individuals to these ancestors. ‘Honest brokers of the truth’ (James, 2011) — they greatly influence how girls experience culture. And in our School’s own rich history we have so many noble intellects, spiritual and mental ancestors to inspire us. We enthusiastically celebrate all firsts for women at Girls Grammar — such as the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup, first run in the year BGGS began. But how wonderful that so many of Australia’s, the world’s, firsts are our very own: Ann Harrap (1984) — first Australian woman appointed High Commissioner to South Africa; Julie Hammer (1971) — Wing Commander in the Air Force, the first woman to command an operational unit and become commandant of ADFA; and Margaret Mittelheuser (1947) — first woman stockbroker in Australia, possibly the world. Trustees may look to Sir Charles Lilley for inspiration as they continue to find ways to make our school as diverse, as affordable, as egalitarian as possible, while stewarding the resources required for the very best education for girls. Principals may look to headmistresses such as Miss Milisent Wilkinson (1900–1912) who said ‘… we must … make it our supreme aim to train brain, body and soul, to imbue the girls with a spirit of industry, and instil in them high ideals…’ (cited in Harvey-Short, 2011, p. 6). Students, of course, find inspiration among our alumni around the world, leaders in every field and, if not, become leaders themselves.
David Brooks of the New York Times reminds us that since ancient times we have understood the importance of exemplar as our best teacher — coming into contact with people we admire — and that we ‘consciously and unconsciously bend our lives to mimic theirs’.
So, at Girls Grammar we are constantly in contact with, surrounded by, people we admire — in literature and through learning, in our own history and most certainly in ‘real life.’ For example: the world record-breaking swimmer for her talent and discipline — and her humility; the girl who missed out on the team in Year 8 and Year 9, got selected in Year 10 and became Captain in Year 12; and the girl who quietly and determinedly picked up a viola in Year 8 and set her sights on the Chamber Orchestra, while sweeping her way through debating and the international world of Physics — always graciously with a gentle sense of fun.
These people are not necessarily directly known to us. They may actually be, as Margaret Mead has called them, our ‘spiritual and mental ancestors’. And they are important in helping us to form our own identity — ‘those people to whom we aren’t related but whose values we try to cultivate in ourselves’ — ‘role models we seek out not from our
Of course, some of the people our girls will most admire are their teachers. Teachers present identities, ideas that may be safely explored, and adapt these ideas to the adolescent and the experience of the individual. It is profound work each and every class, each and every day, in these ‘teachable moments,’ in these impressionable years. They are there for those
So how does this drawing out, this ‘shaping’ happen? One of the most powerful ways that this occurs is through people, role models — past and present and even abstract — through the songlines of our own School.
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
SPEECH DAY 19 NOVEMBER 2015 PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS MS JACINDA EULER
conversations about ‘can I do this? or can’t I?’ And every day they stretch further, modelling curiosity, excellence, care and joy in learning. They help to shape the girls — and their identity — in this intimate exchange with a belief that there is a unique, true self we are enabling them to discover. But of course, as Parker Palmer wrote: ‘Your true educators and cultivators will reveal to you the original sense and basic stuff of your being ... (but) your educators cannot go beyond being your liberators’ (1983). After this girls, it is up to you. And is there a collective identity — such a thing as a ‘Grammar girl’? I think there is. While each girl will, as an individual, develop her own clear but perhaps evolving identity during her time with us at Girls Grammar, there is also a clear identity of a Grammar girl, one who is curious and loves learning; principled and not just knows what is right, but does what it is right; adventurous, embracing the unexpected and following her dreams without fear; balanced in seeking diverse experiences and different perspectives; and a leader. Someone who inspires contribution to a greater purpose whether that be an important scientific discovery, a new law that entrenches the rights of the disenfranchised, a girl who discovers a new star, breaks world records in the decathlon or someone who stands up when she sees injustice and confronts it — on a bus, in a playground or wherever she finds herself in the wider world. For having developed an identity and integrated-self through this extraordinary education, there comes a powerful sense of agency with the self-realisation that the individual can learn to make a difference in the world at large. And an understanding of their responsibility as they make their way in the world and become active shapers of society as Grammar girls have been doing since colonial times. So, a Grammar girl is an independent young woman. She will think for herself, interact as an individual and yet on other
levels is asked to conform. For that commitment, conscious conformity at times, symbolises their loyalty to our School, their love for Girls Grammar. These are uncertain times, yet our anniversary year gives us the opportunity to reflect, reaffirm and move confidently forward. For 140 years Brisbane Girls Grammar School has maintained a strong and consistent identity. Through a broad liberal education, we continue to deliver and yet constantly strengthen, the finest education for girls. As an iconic institution — in the colony originally and now the nation — we strive to serve the public good through excellence and performance as a School, and through high expectations for each and every girl. As leading educators, we seek to develop the intellect, good character and compassion and fulfil the Aspiration of our School — To be a leader in exceptional scholarship. In this world of tumult and change, how proud we are of our School, its history, its Trustees, staff, families and girls. As institutions are challenged, sometimes crumble or fail us we remain committed and strong, proud but never arrogant, and continue to fulfil a compelling social purpose … and everyone in this room is part of that. Speech Day is a day of celebration. 2015 has been another remarkable year and as we look to the future there is so much to be excited about, to strive towards, to dream about. But as George Eliot wrote: ‘I desire no future that will break the ties of the past’ (1860) . For our Year 12 girls the narrative of identity is only partially complete — for, of course, it continues when the girls leave. But we’ve given them a rich base, a good foundation. And they will be continuing the Girls Grammar story through their own unique songlines. We wish you well.
REFERENCES Brooks, D. (2015). The road to character. New York: Random House. Eliot, G. (1860). The mill on the floss. London: William Blackwood and Sons. Harvey-Short, P. (2011). To become fine sportswomen. Brisbane: Brisbane Girls Grammar School. James, J. (2011). Cultural intelligence and thinking in the future tense. In International Confederation of Principals (ICP) World Convention. Toronto: Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Palmer, P. (1983). To know as we are known: Education as a spiritual journey. San Francisco: HarperOne. Popova, M. (2015). Creative courage for young hearts: 15 emboldening picture books celebrating the lives of great artists, writers, and scientists. Retrieved from https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/04/13/picture-book-biographies/?mc_cid=e72ade79a1&mc_eid=8d0f8b2361 Popova, M. (2015). Margaret Mead and James Baldwin on identity, race, the immigrant experience, and why the ‘melting pot’ is a problematic metaphor. Retrieved from https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/03/26/margaret- mead-james-baldwin-a-rap-on-race-2/ Popova, M. (2015). The shortness of life: Seneca on busyness and the art of living wide rather than living long. Retrieved from https://www.brainpickings. org/2014/09/01/seneca-on -the-shortness-of-life/.
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
SPEECH DAY 19 NOVEMBER 2015 HEAD GIRLS’ SPEECH NATALIA GULBRANSEN-DIAZ AND JACINTA MACGINLEY
Julie McKay works to promote women’s rights, economic security and political participation and she tackles the complex issues surrounding gender inequality every day. She is the Executive Director of UN Women Australia.
Julie McKay is a Grammar Girl. Good afternoon Ms Euler, Ms Jameson, Dr Bullock, special guests, parents, staff and students. After 140 years, it is not surprising that the history of this school is incredibly rich. The connection between the past and present is tangible, especially as we celebrate this milestone birthday. Since this has been a year of tradition and contemplation, and I’m sure the students have heard the words ‘140th year’ more than 140 times, Jacinta and I decided to take this opportunity to reflect on one outstanding Grammar old girl, and after 140 years and over twenty thousand alumni, it is not a shock that there is a plethora to choose from. When we were looking for this ‘Outstanding Grammar Old Girl’ we knew we were looking for someone who embodied the true spirit and values of Grammar. We knew we were looking for someone who was exceptional, beyond the norm and simply remarkable. In all honesty, we picked Julie McKay at random, because every woman in our sixty-four page list of alumni was equally as inspiring and deserving. Nevertheless, Julie McKay is absolutely outstanding. Having graduated in 2000, twelve years later Julie was the guest speaker at the 2012 Valedictory Dinner. In her speech, she reflected on four values she believes are necessary for success — leadership, courage, learning and kindness. She noted that these four founding principles are inherent in all Grammar girls. Leadership was the first core value that Julie discussed. At Grammar, we are taught that being a leader means making a difference, no matter how insignificant that difference may seem. Whether it’s the Year 7s advocating for a playground at school, or Year 12 girls being role models for the younger students, the Grammar environment fosters leadership in all areas, with girls seeking to make changes within their individual spheres of influence, not striving to change the world in a day. Although we may not all end up working for the United Nations, Grammar has instilled in us that, regardless of your chosen field, you have the power to inspire change and lead others. Just this year, the student body demonstrated leadership through its shift from Pink Day to White Blouse Day in Term II. Although Pink Day has been of great importance in the past through our support for breast cancer research, this year we shifted to White Blouse Day to raise awareness of another important women’s health issue: ovarian cancer. Doing something which shifted a long and successful tradition took initiative and leadership, with the leadership group responsible for raising awareness of an issue they believed to be significant.
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As young students and young women, many societal expectations will stand between what we want to do, and what people believe we should do. So, when having graduated from university and securing a graduate job — in banking — Julie McKay decided to leave the world of counting and reconciling cash and managing hold-up situations, for the position of communications manager at Homelessness Australia, it took courage — courage to do what she wanted to do, not perhaps what her peers and family expected her to do. For every student, young or old, Grammar teaches us to have courage. It takes courage for students to try out for an auditioned choir or a flagship team, and it most certainly takes courage to get back up after falling down in the last leg of a 4x100 m relay. It takes courage for any girl to put herself forward for a leadership position in which she represents not just herself, but the entire student body. Grammar instils in us the belief that we can do anything and achieve anything. It provides a safe environment for us to experiment with our interests and gives us opportunity after opportunity to try new things as we wish. It challenges us to find not what we ought to do, but what we want to do and then prepares us for the future. It gives us courage, because for all the days of our lives, Grammar — its teachers, its students, its alumni, its history and its future — stand with us. The importance of learning is another lesson Grammar has taught us that will continue well beyond our leaving school. Although the Year 12s were definitely relieved to complete their last-ever high school exams, with Maths now simply a painful memory, the passion for learning is infectious. At Grammar, we learn in a multitude of ways, not only in the classroom but through sport, the arts and travel. In just a couple of weeks, the Antipodeans girls from Years 10, 11 and 12 will travel to India and Cambodia. While undertaking a community service project, they will visit a number of the country’s popular sites, learning about their history and culture. In this way, the desire to learn isn’t something that has been quashed by the many exams and assignments, but continues to grow in all of us. In her role as Executive Director of UN Women Australia, Julie McKay strives for kindness and generosity every day. Julie has described kindness as ‘the small population of Samoan women in Canberra who are currently trying to raise enough money to build a domestic violence shelter in Samoa’. She describes kindness as ‘the mothers in refugee camps in Malawi who are taking on the children of other families whose
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
SPEECH DAY 19 NOVEMBER 2015 HEAD GIRLS’ SPEECH NATALIA GULBRANSEN-DIAZ AND JACINTA MACGINLEY
parents have died of HIV’. She describes kindness as ‘the women across rural and regional Australia who tonight are knitting baby bonnets for newborn babies in East Timor’. Kindness at Grammar looks like the School’s partnership with the Ecumenical Coffee Brigade, donating basic foodstuffs, and the volunteers — staff and students — who spend mornings preparing sandwiches for the homeless. Kindness at Grammar looks like the music students performing at the Wesley Hospital just to brighten the patients’ days. Kindness at Grammar looks like study buddies and Year 12 and 8, Year 11 and 7 buddies spending mornings together, helping each other and laughing. And so, while kindness at Grammar may not seem as world-changing, it’s still about making a difference, it’s still about making a small change within our sphere of influence, modelling kind behaviour and bettering the life of even just one starfish — from little things big things grow. It is here we can have an impact.
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So, in the words of Julie McKay, Go forward into the world with leadership, courage, a passion for learning and kindness. Don’t take this education and the opportunities you have had at Grammar lightly. Know that having someone invest in you comes with a significant responsibility — for you to invest in others. So, thank you girls and staff for an incredible 2015. We appreciate everything everyone in the School community has done for us — from the groundsmen helping to create the huge installation on White Blouse Day to Mr Pincott’s mindfulness. Without every single member of staff, this year would not have been nearly as memorable. Particular thanks must go to all the staff that worked to give the Year 12s such an extraordinary farewell week. Visiting Marrapatta and Rangakarra for the last time was something every girl really appreciated. Thanks must also go to our parents for choosing Girls Grammar for our education and to the Year 12s for supporting all of Nat’s and my ideas and activities this year. You allowed us to ‘inspire our sisters old and new, 140 years in royal blue’.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
SPEECH DAY 19 NOVEMBER 2015 THE OCCASIONAL ADDRESS PROFESSOR MARGARET BULLOCK (ROBERTS, 1950) AM, FTSE, B.SC.APP, PHD, ATCL, LTCL, FIEA, FESA
I am privileged to be taking part in your Speech Day this afternoon. This School is very dear to my heart and I owe a great deal to its incredible ethos and caring influence during my own formative years. I have had a long association with the School, since my mother attended BGGS, as did my sisters, daughter and granddaughters, and we have all appreciated the leadership provided by the School. History offers a chance for reflection and for growth, where we have the opportunity to appreciate the qualities which have sustained us, many of which are enduring. Let us consider the BGGS motto, which underlies the School’s heartbeat, expressing one of its principal goals and ideals. From the dedication of the principals, teachers and their administrative support team, to the efforts of students and their parents, Nil Sine Labore — nothing without work — has permeated all in the School since 1875. Importantly, for maximum effectiveness, we need to think about when, where, how and why we apply this motto. As I look back on my own life and career, I can say that my application of this motto has enabled me to operate positively in all areas of my life: university studies, career and family, as well as creative and community pursuits. The same will surely apply to all of you. The personal discovery of the meaning of Nil Sine Labore is relevant to all of us here and now. For the seniors about to depart, your recollection of this motto when you face future hurdles, and your reflections on your achievements at BGGS will give you strength and fortitude to face life’s challenges. In such a way, the ‘sound’ of BGGS will continue to beat in your hearts. Those of you who are leaving this year are entering a challenging, difficult world. What happens to you in your future career depends to a large extent on the goals you set for yourself and the directions you take now. I hope that your personal goals will enhance your own lives and that in due course, through your endeavours, you will contribute significantly to your chosen field and to the community. It is always exciting to consider the range of activities that can be pursued after secondary school. Some may wish to enter a period of tertiary education, while others may wish to contribute to the community in different ways. It is important to remember that a fully functional society needs a variety of contributions and that each role forms an important part of the comprehensive group of attributes required. Whatever you choose to do after leaving school, I am sure you will appreciate the constructive ways in which BGGS influenced your knowledge and practical abilities. Life after secondary school is a period of growth in so many ways, academically perhaps, but also in maturity, emotionally and socially — and because of this, it is both exciting and challenging.
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DEPTH AND BREADTH OF EDUCATION Through my enrolment in all science subjects offered, I believe that Brisbane Girls Grammar School laid the ground work for my abiding interest in scientific research, which led to some practical and worthwhile outcomes. With its long tradition of academic scholarship, BGGS always shows a high regard for the importance of both breadth and depth in education, providing wonderful opportunities for learning about, and coping with, wider life activities. As a student, I was able to participate actively in the music programme of Girls Grammar and, as well as being a School pianist and accompanist, I was delighted to learn the skills of choral singing with other Grammar girls. If you are musical, I certainly recommend involvement in the music programme. COMMUNICATION For all of us, and in all parts of our life, the importance of communication cannot be over-stressed. Learn to communicate comfortably with each other, with your parents, your teachers and with people of all ages in the community, because without good communication you are likely to have misunderstandings, and you will miss out on learning so much of value to you. Aim also for effective teamwork. BGGS is a great place for nurturing communication skills and working as part of a team. Indeed, BGGS recognises that communication skills are fundamental and that they underpin the objectives of all subjects offered in the curriculum. While at BGGS, I was a member of the School’s debating group and learned a great deal about exploring information to support or reject a specific proposition, without vigorously arguing or criticising the opposite view point. Participation in debating nurtures listening skills while you think about the implications of what is being said by your so-called ‘opponents’ in the debate, and you plan your respectful reaction. BGGS programmes encouraged me to be respectful, wellresearched and to offer justifiable points of view during any discussion. Development of such communication attributes is vital for courteous and effective discussions, even if you do not participate in a debating group.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
SPEECH DAY 19 NOVEMBER 2015 THE OCCASIONAL ADDRESS PROFESSOR MARGARET BULLOCK (ROBERTS, 1950) AM, FTSE, B.SC.APP, PHD, ATCL, LTCL, FIEA, FESA
For my part, years later, when I held a senior university position and chaired or was a member of numerous committees, I was able to use the communication skills learned while debating at Girls Grammar to carefully consider various arguments and to discuss propositions without criticism or rancour. FORWARD PLANNING AND GOAL SETTING Importantly, the School’s encouragement of participation in a variety of activities encourages you to plan ahead carefully so that you can cope in an organised fashion with multiple demands. For any commitment, I strongly advocate the ‘start early’ approach, so that you can take advantage of your mind’s subconscious and continuing activity, and avoid any lastminute stress that can occur if preparation has been delayed. I used to say to myself: ‘D.I.N.’ (Do It Now). I believe that it is essential to learn that with a little bit of careful organisation, you can fit much into your lives that will prepare you for contributing significantly to professional, community and group activities without stress. Planning ahead and coping calmly and patiently to overcome obstacles helps to ensure that a suitable balance can be maintained between work, family and leisure, allowing meaningful contributions to be made. Importantly, find a balance between work, life, relationships and family, recognising that the proportion of time spent in various areas changes with time and maturity. BGGS inspires girls to set high goals and to strive for excellence. The notion of an educated person suggests an all-round development, and with it, the development of a capacity to adapt to change. The School encourages girls to develop maturity, confidence and independence of thought, as well as a sense of responsibility for self and the community. BGGS PRINCIPALS This School has been well-served by inspired and courageous principals, eager to provide every opportunity for the educational and social advancement of the young women under their care.
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I was fortunate to be a member of the Board of Trustees for many of the years of Judith Hancock’s outstanding period of stimulating and inspiring leadership. I was pleased to be part of the team that worked with her as she introduced new programmes and provided careful oversight of the School’s growth and new endeavours as she took every opportunity for the School to stay abreast of technological and scientific developments and to enjoy the wonders of music and creative arts. Judith Hancock’s dedication to offering a broad and deep school experience reflected the value placed by BGGS on the importance of developing talents, offering diversity and encouraging both balance and excellence in life’s pursuits. PREPARATION FOR LEADERSHIP Importantly, the School has always facilitated the full realisation of an individual’s potential, as well as the preparation for leadership. We can be confident that some of you will be tomorrow’s leaders. Working hard and willingly, using your talents and reaching your potential will lead to great achievements and a wonderful sense of satisfaction, just as making your contribution to the community will give you as much pleasure as it will give others. CONCLUSION I hope that you will all realise the broad learning opportunities you have had at BGGS and how well it prepares students for a fully contributing life in the community. Don’t underestimate your own ability. If you have something to give, then have confidence, and contribute. In fact, three words you could keep in mind for the future are: commitment, contribution and involvement. Commitment to a cause is something you must actively do throughout life and you will find that when you do make a commitment, it will make so much difference to the results of your efforts. Live life fully, give as well as receive, and remember the beat of the BGGS drum … Nil Sine Labore.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
VALEDICTORY 17 NOVEMBER 2015 DR KATE WATSON (WALSH, 1986)
Ms Euler, Members of the Board, distinguished guests and teachers, proud families and the ‘Class of 2015’. Congratulations and thank you so much for inviting me to speak tonight. I feel humbled and honoured to be able to share this evening with you, as we reflect on your time at Girls Grammar. I was in your shoes back in 1986 — a time before the internet and mobile phones — and if some of the adults in the room like me aren’t already feeling old enough, according to my helpful Year 7’er it was the year Lady Gaga was born. Although those times have changed, the thoughts going through my head back then are probably very similar to what you are feeling tonight: 1) Thank goodness exams are all over 2) I’m going to miss seeing my friends every day next year 3) What is life going to be like post-Grammar? It is this last question that Ms Euler has asked me to address. It’s been almost thirty years since I graduated — what did I learn at Girls Grammar that I have taken with me into my career? When we think of the lessons we learn at school, thoughts immediately turn to the traditional core curriculum. However I think the most important lessons Girls Grammar teaches, are those beyond the classroom walls. They are the life lessons we learn through the spirit and culture of our school — and there are five core lessons that I feel Girls Grammar has taught me, that I’d like to share with you this evening. Before I go into those life lessons, let me give you a bit of a background as to what I do. I currently work for a global organisation based in the United States called the Women’s Tennis Association (or the WTA). Our sport sits within the entertainment industry — so the WTA is not just about the sport. There is a massive marketing, sponsorship and media industry sitting behind everything the tennis tours do, chasing your entertainment dollar. My role within that entertainment industry is to keep our players healthy and help them to reach their potential on that world stage. Each week, around the globe, there are at least two WTA tournaments on, broken up by the four main tennis events — the Grand Slams (Wimbledon, US and French Open and the Australian Open). I am rostered on for roughly two weeks then off for five, as one of fifteen international sports physiotherapists to look after the world’s top female players. In those weeks off I lecture at The University of Queensland, work for Cricket Australia and am a wife and mother of three. As sports physios on the tennis tour we are the only healthcare professionals who travel with and are available to the athletes 24/7. We’re responsible for everything from running onto court when a player is injured, managing the media’s questions
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about player’s availability, the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and helping to coordinate all the athlete’s medical care in a foreign country. It’s a lifestyle that takes me from Argentina to Azerbaijan combining travel and work. There are times where it’s very glamorous with official players’ parties where we meet Prime Ministers, royalty and celebrities. We get to stay in five-star hotels and follow an endless summer. My family and friends often joke that there is no way I can call the job I do ‘work’. However, from the inside, you see what we would describe as a ‘chaotic travelling circus’. The craziness of constantly jumping on planes with eighty kilogram bags of medical equipment, language and cultural barriers to negotiate, long hours, home sickness and stress that not only affects the athletes but you as a professional. I don’t want to get up tonight and pretend that it is easy — there are times like I had recently, where I am juggling between working at a tournament and helping my ten-year-old with his Italian homework over Skype. Right in the middle of practising his Italian speech a call came through on the walkie-talkie that I was needed on court. For a mother, the look on his face as I left was heartbreaking, but one of the nicest things about the tour are the people you travel with who become like an extended family. When I walked back into the physio training room there was this year’s US Open Champion, Italian player Flavia Pennetta, who’d stepped in for me on Skype to help my son finish his Italian speech off and it is moments like that, which make you realise it’s the people and being able to help others that makes my work so special to me. The road to get where I am in my career today has not been easy and that is where those life lessons I learnt at Girls Grammar have become so valuable. LESSON 1: HAVING A GO — THROW YOURSELF INTO EVERYTHING I was a late starter at Girls Grammar, arriving in Year 9 as ‘the new girl’ from England — not the easiest year group to start in. Although an Australian girl at heart, having spent the majority of my childhood in Brisbane, I’d been overseas long enough to develop a ‘Pommie’ accent and was really worried about being an outsider. On that first day of school one of the teachers gave me my first life lesson: ‘Make the most of this opportunity — have a go — throw yourself into everything’… and so I did. I was a bit of a jack of all trades — ’very enthusiastic but not always successful’ as one report card noted at school. I joined the
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
VALEDICTORY 17 NOVEMBER 2015 DR KATE WATSON (WALSH, 1986)
tennis team, debating, Interact and photography clubs, drama and music groups, embracing that lesson to ‘have a go’. It was a great way to feel part of a community and to make new friends. Within a few weeks of starting at Girls Grammar I began to feel really settled — and very grateful that my parents had chosen to send me to such an incredible school. That life lesson — ‘have a go’ — is something I’ve always taken with me in my career. The world of sports physiotherapy twenty years ago tended to be very male dominated. When a job opportunity to work as a physiotherapist came up with the Queensland Men’s Cricket team, I was told by some of my professional peers that I’d be wasting my time applying; they had only ever had male physios. At that time our profession was starting to see some changes and I was inspired by another Grammar old girl and fellow physiotherapist, Dorothy Hawkins, who was working with the Brisbane Broncos. She had really started to pave the way for female physios to be accepted in male-dominated sports. I decided to just ‘have a go’ — I applied and got the job. The players were welcoming and the professional support I received from Cricket Australia was amazing and continues today. I spent many years afterwards touring, not only around Australia but travelling internationally with teams, even with a newborn baby in tow. At times I wasn’t sure how I was going to juggle family and career, but with the support from those around me and taking on that life lesson of ‘have a go,’ it has worked. However opportunities like these don’t come easily which brings me onto the second life lesson that Girls Grammar taught me. LESSON 2: NIL SINE LABORE — FOLLOWING YOUR PASSION REQUIRES RESILIENCE AND HARD WORK Being a sports physio is a job I love as it combines two great passions of mine: sport and science — passions that I developed here at Girls Grammar. At the end of Year 10, like all of you, I had to make subject choices. My initial plan was to do straight sciences but there was a relatively new subject being introduced — Health and PE. As a subject it opened up a world of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and sport. To not follow the traditional straight sciences pathway and to take on ’sport’ as a subject raised a few eyebrows at home but my family understood where my interests lay and supported my choices. In senior I had the opportunity to do some work experience with a sports physio and I just knew that was what I wanted to do when I finished school. I knew I was going to have to work really hard if I was to get the equivalent OP 2 score I was told I would need. So, like all of you in this room, those last years of senior were spent with my head down, studying hard — Nil Sine Labore.
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Finally, in December, the university placement offers arrived. Our offers came in the mail, so it was a bit like a scene from the Academy Awards, with the family gathering around as you opened up the envelope. Hands shaking, I read the letter out to my family — ‘We regret to inform you we cannot offer you a place in physiotherapy at this time ...’ and, just like when actors miss out on an award, I put on the brave ‘it doesn’t matter’ face but underneath it all I was absolutely shattered. I felt like all that hard work had gone to waste and I was completely lost as to what to do. But Girls Grammar had taught me to follow my passion, to be resilient and work hard. I turned down an offer to do another course and enrolled in a Human Movements (Sports Science) Degree. I ended up loving Human Movements (HM). I worked hard, but doing a course l enjoyed made it easier. After a year of HM I improved my OP score and was accepted into physiotherapy at The University of Queensland. However, rather than leave a course I loved, somewhat unusually in those days, I applied for a special exemption to be allowed to continue my Human Movements degree and combine it with a physiotherapy degree. Five years after graduating from school I finished up with the double degree. As a physio with a background in Human Movements, I was unique in the market place. What I initially thought of as a sign of failure — not getting into my first choice upon graduation and having to do another course — wasn’t a waste of time. It was that course that set me apart from the other graduating physios and opened up a world of job opportunities. I went on to work with the Academy of Sport, looking after Olympic athletes, working for Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia and eventually becoming employed on the Professional World Tour. Often, especially in tennis, we only see the success stories with athletes holding aloft their winning trophies. Rarely do we hear about the defeats, the hard work and resilience needed to get there. Last week was an exception when Serena Williams released a statement: I played my first professional match when I was 14. I was scared. Butterflies consumed my stomach leaving no space for me to eat to prepare for my match. Less than an hour later I left the court devastated in defeat. A 6-1, 6-1 loss. She crushed me. Not only did I look like a novice but I looked like I didn’t belong anywhere on the court. However born with an innate insatiable desire to never quit I knew I would return. I worked hard and I came back. I could not predict that I would win 21 Grand Slam titles and be number one in the world even 20 years later, but I did predict I would never give up. It’s sometimes good to hear such stories like hers and mine, to remind all of us that ‘failure’ may not be what it initially seems and these hurdles are all part of life. It’s how we respond to such situations that influences where we end up.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
Opening up the Grammar Gazette the other week, it was great to see what some of you plan to do beyond the picket fence —acting, police force, scientists and story tellers. Some with plans to study here and others overseas. I hope with all the hard work you’ve done these last few years you get the opportunity to do what you want as soon as you finish school. However if you don’t, don’t be too hard on yourself. As many of us have found, there are often a lot of different roads you can take to reach your final destination. Use the opportunities that come along the way to your best advantage, use the resilience you have learnt at Girls Grammar and embrace the Nil Sine Labore motto as you move forward. Which brings me onto my third lesson. LESSON 3: KEEP LEARNING — IT KEEPS LIFE INTERESTING One of the most important gifts Grammar instils in each of us is a passion for learning. For some of you tonight that focus may be on getting a good OP, however learning is a lifelong pursuit. I love working in the sports physio world but it’s important to be able to offer the athletes the newest in treatment techniques and to do that I needed to keep studying. I ended up doing a Masters degree in Sports and eventually a PhD. However, learning is not just about careers and degrees. It’s taking that passion to learn and applying it to other areas in your life as well. My job has allowed me to develop my interests in travel and photography, learning other languages and exploring other cultures. As an organisation the WTA have a similar philosophy to BGGS, recognising the importance of a holistic approach towards an individual’s development. As a result, the WTA have formed links with universities and schools around the world to offer online courses for all our players to ensure our athletes have a life outside of tennis. Earlier this year, when treating a player, I started getting quizzed by her. Which ligament are you testing? What’s the origin and insertion of that ligament? I was having flash backs of being in one of Mrs Harvey-Short’s HPE theory exams. The athlete was Serena Williams. Here was a player who earned $24 million this year but found anatomy really interesting, so she had enrolled in one of the online courses in Exercise Science. Now chances are she will never have to work as an exercise scientist to make ends meet — in fact she may never have to work another day in her life when she decides to retire. For her it was important to have a life outside of tennis so she’s done fifteen movies, gained a certification in Fashion Design and started her own clothing label. As she has been quoted as saying recently, she’s determined not to be one-dimensional. Similarly Girls Grammar not only encourages the pursuit of academic achievement but instils in each of us a passion for
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learning, challenging us all to be interesting, to be multidimensional. Although you are about to close the chapter on your school days at BGGS, don’t close the chapter on the things you have loved doing at school — the creative arts, service, a sport or a language. Take on that challenge of continuing to learn, not just within your chosen career, but keep life interesting and continue to enjoy the learning experience by staying involved in the things that you love. LESSON 4: GIRLS GRAMMAR GIVES YOU A VOICE … USE IT During my schooling at Grammar we were constantly hit with messages of ‘girls can do anything’ and as much as I hate to admit it now, there was often a bit of eye rolling on assembly. However it wasn’t until I graduated that I realised how important this message was, and I was more than a little shocked at times to realise that not everyone outside of BGGS was on the same page as I was when it came to providing equal opportunities. Those messages on assembly are important. They cultivate a sense of belief in yourself and give you the strength to find your voice and to use it when you see injustices — my fourth BGGS life lesson. I see inequalities every day in the work I do. The WTA evolved as a result of the top nine female tennis players in the 70s, using their voices to fight for the right to receive equal recognition and prize money to the male players. Forty years later those voices are slowly being heard, with seven of the Top 10 highest paid female athletes on the 2015 Forbes Rich list being tennis players. However, even with Maria Sharapova, coming in at number one with earnings of just under $30 million this year, when compared with the list of top male athletes, she doesn’t rank in the Top 10 nor the Top 20, but currently twenty-sixth with a major divide between her and the majority of the other female athletes. The WTA continues to be a strong voice championing the rights of women in sport, but just as importantly speaking up and addressing other issues for those who might not be heard, in areas such as healthcare and education. Work has taken me to some incredible places, but it’s not always glamorous. As part of the charity arm of the WTA we see and hear, first-hand, the terrible struggles young girls across the world endure — girls who would have loved the opportunity to have an education like you and me, but instead have been forced into slave labour. On my travels one thing has become very apparent and that is what a privilege education is for girls. We are very lucky here at Girls Grammar to have such passionate teachers and a school that nurtures that sense of self-belief that you can and have the right to do anything, which strengthens that voice inside of you.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
VALEDICTORY 17 NOVEMBER 2015 DR KATE WATSON (WALSH, 1986)
It is important when you graduate that you use that voice — not only to stand up for yourself but also to help those around you. Be inspired by women like Malala who fight for the right of girls to have an education, by Australian of the Year Rosie Batty who is courageously standing up for victims of domestic violence — women who often don’t have a voice. Be inspired by the courage of Melbourne Cup jockey, Michelle Payne, who found her voice to fight for her right to ride. As I’m sure you’ve all been told on assembly, we are still under-represented in parliament, on Boards and in positions of authority in the work place. That is where we need you, the next generation of Girls Grammar girls, to use that voice you’ve been given, to keep things moving forward. Which brings me to the final life lesson that Grammar has taught me — to be thankful. LESSON 5: BE THANKFUL They say when you reflect back on your life there will be at least five people who will have significantly shaped the person that you have become. Although it is only early days for you, there’s a really good chance that a couple of those people are in this room tonight. It may be a friend sitting at your table. For me my BGGS friends became the friends I backpacked around the world with; friends who were by my side at my wedding; a godmother to my children — school friends who became lifelong friends. Maybe making up your ‘five’ are your parents who have guided you or a teacher whose encouragement and passion for teaching has given you an amazing head start in life. For me one of my ‘five’ would be Mrs Harvey-Short. She sparked in me the love of combining sport and science. Her drive to start the HPE programme at BGGS really set me on the path of becoming a sports physio. So tonight I want to thank her as one of my ’five’.
Although tonight is a celebration of you and all that you have achieved, maybe take some time to look around the room and think about who may be in your ‘five’ … and take the time to acknowledge them this evening. So in conclusion, I’d like to leave you with this. When I was at BGGS, This Is Your Life was a popular TV show. Each week famous celebrities would be surprised as the host handed them their ‘life story’ in the form of a book. Mystery past friends and guests were reconnected with the celebrity on stage in front of a live audience. They would recall funny and significant moments they shared in their lives. If you had asked me at graduation thirty years ago where would I be now, I would never have predicted standing here in front of you, being able to share a part of my life story. I certainly had sworn in Year 12 I would NEVER marry a Grammar boy — but things change. Here I am married to a Grammar boy with three beautiful children (Eliza, Sophie and Ben) who are all very tolerant of my fly-in–fly-out career, having this humbling opportunity to share the lessons Girls Grammar taught me that have shaped my life story so far. Each of you is responsible for writing your own life story — you are the author and you have choices to make as to how you want the next chapters of your book to be written. What will your book look like? What adventures and stories will fill it? Your time here at Girls Grammar will no doubt be one of the most interesting chapters. Take the lessons you have learnt and use them to help shape your future. It’s such an exciting time for you. Thank you for allowing me to share your night. I wish you much happiness and all the very best in whatever lies ahead.
REFERENCES Ledbetter, C. (2015). Serena Williams Tells Fans ‘Never Give Up on Your Dreams’ in Motivating #TBT. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/ serena-williams-motivating-tbt_563234f1e4b0631799112e1d?section=australia
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
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BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
STAFF BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL
EXECUTIVE STAFF Principal Ms Jacinda Euler BA, GDipEd, MEdSt, MACE, MACEL, MAICD Chief Financial Officer & Secretary to the Board Mr Jared Dawson MBA, ACA Deputy Principal Mrs Anna Owen BSc, PGDipEd, MSc(ScEd), MACE Dean of Co-Curriculum Ms Maggi Gunn BBus(Acc), DipT, GradDipHlthSc, MEd(Leadership&Mgt), MACEL Dean of Curriculum and Scholarship Dr Bruce Addison BA, BBus(Econ), BEdSt, PhD, DipEd, MACE, MACEL, AFAIM Dean of School Mrs Pauline Harvey-Short BHMS, DipT(PE) FACHPER, FRLSS Dean of Students Mrs Anne Ingram BSc, DipEd, AMusA Dean of Studies and Planning Ms Natalie Smith BScJap, GradDipEd, GradDipHuman& SocSc, MEdAdmin, MACE, MACEL (Terms I-IV) Dr Sally Stephens BSc, MScEd(Dist), GradDipT, GradDipCommComp, EdD (Acting Term IV) Director of Communications and Community Relations Ms Michelle Allan BA, MBA Director of Development and Alumni Ms Lea Walker BA (Ed), GradCert, GradDip, MBA, Medplus Director of Finance Ms Katherine Bartley BBus(Acc), CPA Director of Human Resources Ms Dianne Firman MODSHRM, BA(Psyc), DipTeaching, GradDipOrgPsyc, PGDipBehavioural Science, Dip Counselling
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Director, Information and Communication Technology Mr Kent Walker DipIT, MCSE Project Manager Mr David Foreman Cert IV Building & Construction (Building), Builder Low Rise License, CertManagement/Marketing Endorsement, CertBuilding & ConstructionTechnician (Terms I-II) Facilities Manager Mr Aaron Bowden
DIRECTORS Centre for Professional Practice Dr Kay Kimber BA, CertT, GradDipMedia(AFTRS), MEd, PhD, MACE Creative Arts Ms Lorraine Thornquist BA, DipEd, MA, CertIIITourism, GradCertMuseumSt Cross Faculty Initiatives Dr Ann Farley BEd, GradDipResT, DipT, MSc(Dist), PhD, MACE Digital Pedagogies Mr Shane Skillen BEd, CertIVEng, DipMultiMedia English Mr Stephen Woods BA, MA, GradDipTeach Health & Physical Education Mr Stephen Fogarty BEd Humanities Miss Alison Dare BA(Hons), DipEd, MA Information Services Mrs Kristine Cooke BA, DipEd, GradDipResT, MEd(TeachLib) Instrumental Music Mr Mark Sullivan BMus, GradDipFet(Tertiary), DipArts (Inst) International Studies Ms Susan Garson BA/BEd, MEdStud Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Mr James McIntosh BEd, GradDipOutEd, MEdSt
Mathematics Dr Peter Jenkins BSc(HonsI), PhD, GradDipEd Science Dr Sally Stephens BSc, MScEd(Dist), GradDipT, GradDipCommComp, EdD Service Mrs Lynne Mungomery BHMS(Ed) Sport Ms Sally Northcroft BSc, MSc Mrs Chris Moore BA, DipEd, MACE (Acting Terms II-IV) Technologies Mr Brendon Thomas CertFineArts, BEd, PostGradCertOEd, MEd, Cert IV Training & Assessment
HEADS OF HOUSE Assistant Dean of Students Mrs Emma Lowry BBus, BA(IntSt), BEd, MACEL Mrs Hazel Boltman HDE(Physical Science) (Acting Terms III-IV) Beanland Mrs Lyn Chakravorty BA, DipT, GradDipLibSc, MACE (Terms III-IV) Ms Jacqueline Boyd BEd, DipT, MACE (Acting Terms I-II) England Ms Alysia Stark BAppSc(HMSEd), Cert IV Training & Assessment Gibson Mrs Hazel Boltman HDE(Physical Science) Griffith Ms Jan O’Sullivan BA, DipEd, MACE Hirschfeld Mrs Alice Dabelstein BEd Lilley Mrs Sybil Edwards BA, DipT Mackay Ms Ruth Jans BA, BEd
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
O’Connor Ms Sarah Boyle BA, BEd(GE), GradCertRE Woolcock Mrs Violet Ross BA, GradDipEd
HEADS OF DEPARTMENT / SUBJECT Accounting Mrs Phillipa Greig BBus, BEd, DipT (Sec), AssocDipSecStudies Biology Ms Tracey Monteith BSc(Hons), DipEd Chemistry Mrs Jacqueline Ross BSc(Hons), GradDipT Chinese Mr Gideon Huppert BA, Grad Dip Ed, MEd (TESOL), Cert IV Training & Assessment Classroom Music Mr Andrew Pennay BA, BEd Mr Michael McGrath BMus(Hons)/BEd(Sec) BMus (Acting Terms III-IV) Co-curricular Drama Mrs Katrina Riveros BA(Drama), GradDipEd Drama Ms Joanne Martin BEd Economics Mrs Amanda Barnes BA, GradDipEd(Sec) English Year 7 -8 Ms Linda Thomas BA, DipEd, Cert English English Years 9-10 Mr Richard Laur BEd(PG), BA(Hons), MEd French Mrs Annabelle Ritchie BA, GradDipEd, MEd(International Ed), Cert IV Training & Assessment, Cert I in Spanish Geography Mr Jeffrey Wheatley BEcon, DipEd
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Geography/Business & Economics Years 7-8 Ms Yonnie McDonnell BA, GradDipEd
ACADEMIC STAFF
German Mrs Debra Barker BA, DipEd, BEdSt, MEd (TESOL)
Mr Adam Atkin BEng(Mech)(Hons), GradDipEd (Term IV)
History Ms Julie Hennessey BA, MEd, DipEd
Mrs Sandra Bailey BSc, DipEd(Sec)(Terms III-IV)
History/Civics & Citizenship Years 7-8 Dr Rashna Taraporewalla BA(Hons), PhD, GrDipEd Japanese Ms Jennifer Fukushima BA(AsianSt), GrDipEd(Sec) Latin Mrs Marion Bryant BA, DipEd Leading Science 21 Mrs Sacha Cross BAppSC(HMS)/BEd(Sec)
Ms Sharon Anderson BADipEd
Mrs Joanna Belich BA, LLB(Hons), DipEd Ms Gerri Bernard BSc(Physics), MSc(MatSciEng), GrDipEd(Senior Yrs) Ms Jacqueline Boyd BEd, DipT, MACE Dr Ruth Burnett BEcon, DipT, MEd, EdD Ms Anne Byrne BSc, BEdSt, MEd, DipEd Mrs Sally Callie BEd
Mathematics A & Year 10 Mrs Judith Muller DipEd, BSc, GrDipCompEd, DipBus(FrontlineMgmt)
Ms Nadine Cameron BSc, GradDipEd
Mathematics B Ms Gay Barnett BA, DipEd
Ms Rachael Christopherson BA, DipEd
Mathematics Years 7-9 Mrs Jennifer Winter BA, MEd, HDE(Maths) Physics Mr Alan Allinson BSc(Hons), PostGradCertEd Student Credentials Mrs Karen West BA/BEd (Terms I- III)
Mrs Mitsue Campbell BEd(Terms III-IV)
Mrs Catherine Clemot BEd, GradCertRE Ms Kara Coughlan BSc, PostGradDipEd Mr Peter Creese BA, BEd, GradCertSc(Applied Statistics)(Terms I-II) Mr Anthony Cupitt BEd(Sec)(GE), BA(Hons), BA
Mrs Sandra Bailey BSc, DipEd(Sec) (Term IV)
Ms Adele Cummings BA, GradDipEd
Student Development Mrs Alison Carmichael BEd, MEdSt, DipSpEd, GradDipEdSt, COGE
Ms Nisha Davé, BSc(Hons)Multimedia Des&Tech, ProfGradCertEd(Des&Tech)
Study of Religion Mrs Narelle Waverley-Smith BA(Hons), BEd(Sec) Visual Art Mr Donald Pincott BEdSt, BA, MEd, MLI, DipSecT(Art), MACE
Mrs Sally Downes BA, DipEd Mrs Stephanie Eaton BMus(Perf), BMus(Cond), GradDipEd(Sec), AdvDipMus(Accomp), LMusA, AKC
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
STAFF BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Mrs Raechelle Finch BHMS, Grad Dip Ed, Grad Cert Bus (Terms II-IV) Ms Anna Flourentzou BA, BEd (Term II-) Mrs Romy Fritz BA, GradDipEd (Term III-) Mrs Malgorzata Golawska-Loye MagisterBEd Mrs Patricia Greenland BSc, GradDipEd Mr Melvyn Hall TCert, BEd (Term II) Mrs Louisa Harvey BA, GradDipEd Ms Rebecca Hewitt MA, BCI, Bed(Sec) Mr Larry Hickey BEd(Sec)(GE),BA (Term IV-) Ms Abigail Hills BVA, GRDipEd Ms Hollie Hollie VisArt, BEd(Sec) Mrs Lorraine Huxley BSc, GradDipEd(Sec) Mr Brad Jennings BEd, BA (Drama)
Mrs Carolyn Lansdown BA(OutEd), GradDipEd
Ms Deborah Perz BSc, BEd
Mr Daniel Larkin BA, BEd
Ms Kate Phillips BEd
Mrs Catherine Lay BSc, GrCertA.BEd(SEC)(GE)
Ms Natalie Quinn BSc, GrDipLearn&Teach(Sec)
Mr Timothy Lehmann MEdSt, BEd, BCom(Hons), BA, BMusPerf, GCertMidYrs, GCert Autism Studies
Mrs Paula Quinn PGDipED, BA, BA(Hons), MAppLing
Ms Natasha Littler BA/BEd Ms Tracey Maclean BA (Hons), GradDipEd, GrDipTESOL Mrs Amee Magee BSc, GradDipEd Ms Jane Martel BAppSc(HMSEd) Mr Paul Martineau BA, BEd Mrs Lee Mazzaglia BEd, DipT Mrs Kate McCarthy BHMS, BAppSc(Ed) Ms Lucy McClelland BA (Hons), PGCE (Terms III-IV) Ms Kayley McCorley BHlthSports&PhysEd
Mr Michael Ramsay BTeach, GradDipOutEd Ms Cathy Rees DipT, GradCertHlthSc.(WomHlth) Mrs Patricia Rhodes BA(Hons), DipT Mrs Morag Roberts BA(Hons),ProfGradDipEd(Eng) Mrs Jacqueline Rose-Diamond BSc, HDE Mrs Vimla Sharma BSc(Hon), DipEd, GradDip ComputerEd (Terms I-II) Ms Jessica Smith BOutEd, GDipEd (Terms I-III) Mrs Julie Smith BA(Hons)(Eng), CertEd Ms Kate Thompson MMus,BMus/BEd
Mr Elliot McGarry BEd(Sec)
Mr Keith Treschman BSc, DipEd, BA, BEdSt, MEd (Terms III-IV)
Mr Michael McGrath BMus(Hons)/BEd(Sec), BMus
Ms Stefanie Uhlmann BSc/BEd
Mrs Carol McIntosh BEd, GradDipOutEd, MA
Mrs Monica Urry BSc, BEd
Ms Emanuelle Jones BA(Hons), PGCE
Ms Bronwyn McKean BA, DipEd, CertFineArts
Mrs Prue Vize BAgSc, DipEd
Ms Carmen Keating MBiomedE, BMechE (Hons), GradDipEd
Ms Susan Miles, BEd, Med(TeachLib)
Ms Emily Walsh BSc, GradDipEd
Mrs Izabela Minuzzo Licencjat Magistra (Term IV-)
Ms Kimberley Wood BAppsSc(HMS), GrDipEd (SEC)
Mrs Chris Moore BA, DipEd, MACE
Mr Peter Woods BA, MScTeach (Terms I-II)
Ms Susan Morrison BEd(Sc)
Mrs Christine Woodford BSc, DipEd
Mrs Anna O’Gorman BSc(Hons), DipEd
Mrs Jane Zealand BScHon, PostGradCertEd (Terms I-II)
Dr Paula Johnson BA(HonsI), PhD, GradDipEd Ms Stephanie Johnson BAppSc(HMS), BEd(Sec) Ms Adele Johnston BCreInd(Drama)/BEd(Sec), MCI(Drama Teaching)
Ms Jessica Kempe BSc, GradDipEd Mrs Kate Kildey BEd(Sec)(HonsI) MLI, MACE Mrs Stephanie Kingan, BA/Ed(Sec) Mrs Clare Kiolle, BA,CertT Mr Justin Kuek BMS,BAppSc, GradDipT(Sec) (Terms III-IV) Mr Andrew Lanning BEd(Sec), BSc
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Ms Anje Palethorpe Cert T, DipPhysEd, BA (Term III) Ms Suzanne Peck BA, GradDipEd
Mrs Zoe Zorzetto BFineArt, GrDipLearn&Teach (Term III)
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC STAFF Director, Coordinator of Strings, Violin and Viola teacher Mr Mark Sullivan BMus, GradDipFet(Tertiary), DipArts(Inst) Coordinator of Band Programme & Brass Teacher Mr Paul Kucharski BA, MMus, Grad DipL&T Coordinator of Choral Programme, Voice Teacher Mr Paul Holley BAMus, GrdDipEd Band Director, Clarinet and Saxophone Teacher Ms Laurinda Davidson BAMus, GDipMusSt Band Director, Percussion Teacher Mr Jacob Cavanough BMus Band Director Ms Ashleigh Porter BMus, GDipEd Choral Accompanist Ms Anne-Maree Eyles MEd (School Leadership), GradCertEdMgmt, GradDipEd, BMus, AMusA Choral Accompanist Ms Sherelle Eyles MMus(RCM), ARCM(GradDip), BMus, LMusA, AMusA Choral Accompanist Ms Kathryn Sander DipMus(Creative Arts), B Mus (Perf – Accompaniment and Chamber Music), AMusA Choral Director Ms Clare Finlayson BMus, BEd(Sec)
String Orchestra Director, Coordinator of Chamber Music, Cello Teacher Mrs Helen Sharp BMus, GradDipMus String Teacher Mrs Alison Harbottle BMusic(Hons), AMusA(Violin), AMusA(Cello), DipMinistry, BA(Hons), ProfGradDipEd(Eng) String Orchestra Director, Violin/Viola Teacher Mr Michael Patterson BMus(Hons), MPhil GradDipLearning&Teach(Sec), LMusA, AMusA String Director Mr Jonathan Zorzetto BMus/BEd Voice Teacher Mr Gary Holley MusEd, MMus(MusEd), MMusSt (VocalPed), AMusA
NATIVE SPEAKERS French Ms Florence Depraz MA(Translation)English/French, Russian/French, MEng, DAEFLE (Teacher of French as a foreign language) Japanese Ms Aya Topp BAEd German Ms Bärbel von Frankenberg BA, TESOL, DipBanking&Finance
Ms Anna Pilcher
Ms Jessica Reid
PROFESSIONAL STAFF Administrative Assistant — ASC Mrs Jennifer Stafford Administrative Assistant — ASC Ms Gillian McHarg Administrative Assistant — ICT Mrs Wendy Bradley Administrative Assistant — Facilities Mrs Dianna Fitzgerald (Terms I-III) Administrative Assistant — ICT Ms Jodie Oldfield Administrative Assistant — Music Mrs Elizabeth Worth Administrative Assistant — Sport Mrs Cherie Beaumont BBusMan Administrative Assistant — Student Care Mrs Tracey Bilton Administrative Assistant — Student Care Ms Leigh Fitzsimmons Assistant Facilities Manager Mr Andrew Supple DipMn, DipBusAdmin Carpenter Mr Robert Vogler
SPECIALIST STAFF
Communications Manager Mrs Teva Smith
Double Bass Teacher Mrs Connie Garrett-Benson BMus, GradDipEd
School Psychologist & Student Counselling Coordinator Mrs Jody Forbes BA(Hons)
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Mrs Carolyn Hann
Communications Manager Mrs Sara Swan BJ
Post-Secondary Planning Mr James Seaha MA(EdPsych), BSc
Guitar Ensemble Director, Guitar Teacher Mr Ian Weston BJS(Dist), MMusSt
Chinese Miss Xiao Zhang MEdSt, BEcon, GDipEd(Sec)
Clarinet/Saxophone Teacher Mrs Cathy Simmers BMus, GradDipEd
Flute/Bassoon/Oboe Teacher Mrs Anne MacAskill Auld BMus(MusEd)
School Nurse Mrs Louise Lockyer BNurs
Communications Officer (Digital/ Social Media) Ms Katie Trappett BBus, BInfoTech Database Administrator Mrs Wendy Carter (Terms I-II)
School Psychologist Mrs Tara McLachlan BPsychSc, MPsychClin, MAPS
Mrs Linda Sutton BInfoTech, Cert IV Training & Assessment (Terms III-)
School Psychologist Dr Alix Vann BPsySc(Hons), DPsychClin
Development and Alumni Assistant Ms Kerry McAllister BBus, ADCR (Terms I-II)
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
STAFF BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Ms Anne Costello (Term III-) Enrolments Manager Mrs Suzanne Hancock BTech(FET), MLitt Enrolments Officer Mrs Melinda Winton Enrolments Officer Ms Jan Richardson BA (Terms I-II) Events Manager Ms Xenia Aitken-Smith BBA, MBus Executive Assistant to the Principal Ms Lara Parker Facilities Support Officer Mrs Leonie Doran Facilities Support Officer — Ground & Events Mr John Summers Finance Officer Mrs Linda Krey Financial Accountant Mrs Anita Morgan BComm(Dist), CPA Horticulturist Mr Ben McCann Human Resources Manager Mrs Brigitte Bickham Information Systems Manager Mrs Rebecca Adamson BAMM, DipMM, MCSA IT Help Desk Support Officer Mr Craig Hohrmann IT Help Desk Support Officer Mrs Allison Luque IT Senior Desktop Support Technician Mr Dane Culley Cert IV IT (Networking), BBiotech IT Services Manager Mr Breck Felsman BInfoTech, MCSE Laboratory Technician Dr Carla Atkinson BSc(Joint Honours), MSc, PhD Laboratory Technician Mr Anthony Lumsden BSc(Hons)
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Laboratory Technician Ms Alison McKirdy BEnvSc(Hons) Ms Samantha Bolton BBiomedSc (Terms I-II) Librarian — Special Collections Mrs Jenny Davis BA(Hons), GradDipArts Library Technician Mrs Janet Tripp DipLibInfoStudies Library Assistant Ms Tilly Askey Old Girls/Alumni Officer Mrs Claire Tynan BComm Payroll Officer Mrs Sharon Rose Personal Assistant to Chief Financial Officer & Dean Co-Curriculum Ms Kirsti Moyle Personal Assistant to Deputy Principal & Dean of Curriculum & Scholarship Ms Sally Condon Receptionist Ms Jan Nothdurft Receptionist Mrs Lorraine Skillen
Security Officer Mr Terry Brown Sports Manager & Workplace Health & Safety Officer Mr Barry Greatorex BSportStudies(Admin), GradDipOutEd, MALeisureMgt, MSSA Stores Officer Mr Phillip Hopkins Team Leader, Grounds & Events Mr Ray Goodrich Technical Support AV Specialist Mr Andy Copeland BA, BAnim (Term I) Mr David Joncheff (Term IV-) Technical Support AV Specialist Mr Matthew Rouse BMusTech (Terms I-II) Mr Jeffrey Andersen BA (Term III) Ms Maxine McCabe BMus, MCommun (Term IV-) Cleaner Ms Kerry Clutterbuck (Marrapatta) Maintenance Officer Mr Peter Ward (Marrapatta)
Reference Librarian Ms Helen Demack BA, GradDipLibSc Repairs and Maintenance Officer Mr Robert Hetherington Risk & Compliance Officer Mrs Tina Hinspeter BCA(Hons), DipProgMgt Secretary to Dean of Studies & Planning Mrs Sandra Philps DipBusAdmin Secretary to Dean of Studies & Planning Mrs Sue Martin DipHSc(Couns) Secretary to Dean of Students & Heads of House Ms Jennifer Smith
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2015 Annual Review
Brisbane Girls Grammar School Gregory Terrace Brisbane 4000 Queensland Australia T +61 7 3332 1300 F +61 7 3832 6097 E communications@bggs.qld.edu.au www.facebook.com/BrisbaneGirlsGrammar Twitter @BGGS
www.bggs.qld.edu.au