2016 School Magazine

Opti-MINDS Opti-MINDS is an academic competition which encourages creative and sustainable thinking. Teams may compete in one of three categories: Language and Literature, Social Sciences, or Science and Engineering. For each category there is a different challenge to which the students are to respond, presenting their solution via a ten-minute dramatic performance. Specific parameters and limited materials necessitate high-order thinking and constructive group discussion in order to produce an entertaining, ingenious and comprehensive response. Teams must also complete a ten-minute creative thinking ‘Spontaneous’ challenge. Six teams from Brisbane Girls Grammar School, from Years 7-10, competed in the regional competition, having prepared their challenge solutions over a period of six weeks. Three teams won their respective divisions and progressed to the State/Australian final, which took place over the course of one weekend at the beginning of Term IV. On the Saturday, as part of the Opti-MINDS Ideas Forum, each team presented an idea or a change that they would like to see in the future. The next day, the teams were given a similar challenge to that of the regional competition, which was to be completed within three hours, in a supervised room, with limited resources as well as a six-minute ‘Spontaneous’ challenge also within that time. Our Social Sciences team won State Honours, while our Language and Literature and Science and Engineering teams won both the Queensland and Australian titles for their respective divisions. While such success in the competition is certainly wonderful, and wonderfully unexpected, the memories created, friends found and skills gained along the way are what all participants

have appreciated most. Opti-MINDS was a brilliant opportunity to challenge ourselves and to channel our slightly more crazy side (along with that of our teammates) into something which has been a source of enrichment and enjoyment for all those involved. In the words of one of our team members: ‘Opti-MINDS has taught me lessons that I am very grateful for, including teamwork, powering on, ingenuity and speaking up. The success of Opti-MINDS completely depends on working as a team. This gave me an opportunity to learn to stay positive, open to everyone’s ideas and not judging or firing up when under pressure. It opened my eyes to how much this can change emotions within you and others. I was then able to admire and learn from my teammate’s skills and personalities, and enabled us to power through the weekend with smiles and happy memories.’ REBECCA HALEY (10M), CAITLIN MCGRATH (10R), ELLA NG (9L), ALICIA HARASTY (10M), JESSICA HANH (10M) AND ALISON BECKEY (10R)

THE LIBELLUM SOCIETY

The Libellum Society, the School’s reading club, has had a busy year, continuing to bring a love of fiction to the School community. Libellum hosted many events: ‘Love Lines from Libellum’ on Valentine’s Day; a Pyjama Day second-hand book stall; ‘Make a Bookmark’ on Open Day; the ‘Literary Trivia’ competition, and we re-created J.K. Rowling’s Hogsmeade for Harry Potter Day. The annual Books2Devour cake-making competition featured 76 cakes this year! Sophie Howse (7B) and Prema Portway (7B) were the winners for their delicious Smaug from The Hobbit . Our Year 7 and 8 members had a great day at the Brisbane Writers Festival, and Eilish Chopra (7W), Hannah Rutter (7W), Ciel McKay (7M), Charlotte Picker (7M) and Tiarne Graves (8L) competed in the CBCA Readers Cup competition, placing fourth. Our thanks to Ms Christopherson, Ms Demack and Mrs Cooke for their enthusiastic co-ordination of the club. It has been a terrific year for Libellum and we look forward to new adventures in 2017. BY CHLOE FLEMING (10R) AND KRISTIE STOKE (10B) LIBELLUM CAPTAINS

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