2020 Annual Review

As we look down the straight to our 150th anniversary, how should we articulate this? In 1875, The Courier Mail advertised the following subjects for the newly established Brisbane Girls Grammar School: English; Latin; French; German; Political and Physical Geography; History; Arithmetic; Mental Arithmetic; Mathematics; the Elements of Natural and Physical Science; the Elements of Political and Social Economy; Drawing and Vocal Music. Instrumental Music shall be an extra subject (The Courier-Mail, 1875). In 2020, we offer a broad range of core and elective subjects. History has remained a core foundation of our curriculum. Without a thorough grounding in the past, there can be little hope of understanding the future. Science naturally remains pivotal, now domiciled in the beautiful new Science Learning Centre. The ability to wonder at the beauty of the universe is possible using our remote telescopes at the Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Centre. Such technology could not have been imagined in the world of nineteenth century Brisbane. Mathematics has a new home in the newly refurbished Centre for Mathematics. This new space will provide a beautiful learning environment as the girls learn to hone their computational and problem-solving skills. After all mathematics is said to be the language of the twenty-first century. English continues to develop through our understanding of textual interpretation. Language is the way in which we encode and record the thinking of our civilisation—an encoding that requires persistent interpretation and reinterpretation. This foundation is core to our articulation of a contemporary broad-based liberal education. Also of importance is the suite of subjects that complement

this foundational core. Languages, the Arts, Physical Education and Technology studies contribute significantly to this space. In 1875, no one could have foreseen that robotics, design and digital studies would become such essential components of a Girls Grammar educational experience. When conceiving our articulation of a broad-based liberal education, we have been very careful to keep fad at bay. It has been important to remain true to our core understandings while remaining nimble in thought and practice. Such an approach will help us to ensure that lives continue to be enriched by learning. Simultaneously, it is our goal to produce citizens capable of contributing significantly and courageously to the complex world confronting them. In doing all of this, we need the skills and adventurism of both a Captain Cook and a Captain Kirk. We need the courage to stretch known boundaries as we contemplate hitherto unknown frontiers while remaining true to our core verities and values. This remains one of the major challenges confronting all educators. It is particularly enervating for those who see the continued development of a vibrant and relevant broad-based liberal education as fundamental to their educational core. The road leading to our 150th year will be laden with uncertainty in a world racked with challenges, many of which will continue to be of our making. No matter what the future, our schools, in which young people are prepared for tomorrow, by a cadre of experienced and talented teachers whose daily practice is founded on bedrocks of relationship and kindness, will continue to play a pivotal role.

REFERENCES Hattie, J. (2020). Lets’ Bring Back Better from COVID to create a new syntax of learning . ACEL National Conference. Vimeo.com/475337417/fdfc9b0496. Hargreaves, A. (2020). Moving: A Memoir of Education and Social Mobility. Bloomington:, Solution Tree Press. Pojac, E. Kiesel, A. Koch, I. and Muller, H. (2018). New perspectives on human multitasking. Psychological Research , 82, 1-3. doi:/10.1007/s00426 018-0970-2 Ritchhart, R. (2015). Creating Cultures of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must Master to Truly Transform Our Schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Ritchhart, R. & Church, M. (2020). The Power of Making Thinking Visible: Practices to Engage and Empower All Learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. The Courier Mail , 5 January, 1875. Tishman, S. (2018). Slow Looking: The Art and Practice of Learning Through Observation. New York: Routledge.

Brisbane Girls Grammar School Annual Review 2020

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