2018 School Magazine

BRISBANE CENTRAL STATE SCHOOL HOMEWORK CLUB Mondays for most people are not their favorite day of the week. For me though, it is the day I look forward to the most. This is because I spend my afternoon at Brisbane Central State School helping children with their homework. When school finishes each Monday, I walk down to Brisbane Central State School and am greeted by smiles, excited faces, and some little voices failing to whisper, ‘the high school kids are here!’ After I have signed in, I take a seat with anyone who is looking concerned about the homework that is sitting in front of them. Usually, I help with Math. I did not comprehend how difficult it was to teach primary school students until I was trying to help children understand how to multiply, subtract large numbers and complete simple addition. Using physical counters or drawing on a whiteboard proved to be a helpful method to assist the children’s learning. This service is close to my heart because once the children know you by name and get excited to see you each week, it feels as though we are visiting little friends on Monday afternoons. Emily Bowden (11M)

THE ECUMENICAL COFFEE BRIGADE The Ecumenical Coffee Brigade (ECB) is a Service group that helps support those who experience homelessness in Brisbane. Two mornings a term, ECB offers students in Year 12 the opportunity to volunteer their time by making fresh sandwiches to be distributed to more than 100 people in and around Brisbane’s inner city area. These morning sandwich-making sessions received immense interest and there was never a shortage of senior students willing to donate their time to benefit others. In Term 1, ECB also held a food drive which received overwhelming support from the School community. The drive called for donations of non-perishable items such as jam, long-life milk and muesli bars. Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s ECB initiatives, for your kindness, support and donations. Isabella Hindman (12L)

STUDY BUDDIES When the Study Buddies program was introduced to Year 7 and 8 students earlier this year, an abundance of girls signed up for a variety of reasons. Pairing up with a senior student has allowed me to improve my organisation and study skills and allowed me to make a new friend within my House. Overall, it has been a rewarding experience and was useful in dealing with difficult homework and issues that I had not yet experienced. Melissa Bucknill (8W) Coming into Year 11, the Study Buddies program became available for students to partake in as a mentor for Year 7 and 8 girls. It was a valuable opportunity to pass down a variety of study skills and provide guidance in different subjects for the younger years. There was a lot of fulfilment in being able to successfully instil effective study habits that are still beneficial in senior years. Overall, it was an enriching experience that not only provided skills for my study buddy, but allowed myself to develop my leadership skills. Victoria Hogan (11W)

LIBRARY ANGELS Library Angels help in the library by re-shelving and covering books, sorting music and working shifts at the circulation desk, among other things. There are regular lunchtime work meetings where Mrs Cooke or Miss Askey present tutorials on the skills required to assist in the library. Students who participate in Library Angels have learned how to cover books and understand the Dewey decimal system, and each ‘Angel’ earns extra borrowing rights, which is great for those avid readers. Mrs Kristine Cooke DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES.

054 | SERVICE | BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2018