Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2016

27

VOLUME

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL / AUTUMN 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

PAGE 07 / SENIOR STUDIES CHANGES

PAGE 11 / RELIGION IN A SECULAR SCHOOL

PAGE 12 / ANTIPODEANS ABROAD

PAGE 18 / STARMAN

CONTENTS

LETTERS Laura is loving every minute of her new school and has had a wonderful start to Year 7. I even recently volunteered for a day (or the few hours required) at Tucker Down — which was a great opportunity for me to get a very quick glimpse inside a busy school day. Thank you for what you and all the staff do. Gerard and I are looking forward to meeting Laura’s teachers next week at the parent teacher interviews. MEGAN MAHON Just a brief email to let you know how very much I appreciated last evening’s Parent Seminar. Thank you so much for your warm welcome, illuminating presentations and access to valuable resources. It all felt like a very valuable gift, from which the girls and their families will reap substantial long-term benefits — I know this family certainly will. What wonderful role models you all are for the girls. Thank you sincerely. GERALDINE BARRY So glad to see Grammar is still taking girls on Antips trips. I was on the first ever one to Peru. Such an amazing experience! KATIE INGLIS Angela Bensted @branchearner Apr 2 Great to see @BGGS have a voice on the national stage discussing classroom laptops. Benita Willis @BenitaWillis Mar 6 Awesome turnout and run @BGGS cross-country team at the International Women’s Day Fun Run today. Congrats to all! Happy birthday BGGS. I was there 70 years ago. Much has changed but still the same spirit of achievement lives on. PAM HARDGRAVE

PAGE 01 / PRINCIPAL WELCOME by Ms Jacinda Euler PAGE 02 /

TECHNOLOGY: THE GIFT AND THE CHALLENGE OF 21ST CENTURY TEACHING AND LEARNING by Ms Jacinda Euler PAGE 04 / LEADERSHIP EXPOSURE by Mrs Anne Ingram and Mrs Lynne Mungomery PAGE 06 / TOUR OF A LIFETIME PAGE 07 / THE CHANGING FACE OF SENIOR STUDIES — PLANNING FOR AND INFLUENCING THE FUTURE by Mr James Keogh PAGE 08 / PHYSICS FOR LIFE PAGE 10 / #BLUNITY by Sarah Miller (12E) and Lili Wackwitz (12H) PAGE 11 / STUDYING RELIGION IN A SECULAR SCHOOL by Mrs Narelle Waverley-Smith PAGE 12 / ANTIPODEANS ABROAD EXPEDITION by Ms Rachael Christopherson PAGE 14 / GIRLS ON THE MOVE by Ms Sally Northcroft PAGE 16 / LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! PAGE 17 / SINGING HIS PRAISES PAGE 18 / STARMAN PAGE 20 / SCIENTISTS OF THE FUTURE by Mrs Sally Callie and Mrs Anna O’Gorman PAGE 21 / GRAMMAR WOMEN SERIES PAGE 22 / OLD GIRLS/ALUMNI by Mrs Antonia Swindells and Mrs Janine Schmidt AM PAGE 24 / ‘TREE PLANTING’ FLOURISHES by Ms Lea Walker-Franks PAGE 26 / CENTRAL STATION PAGE 27 / SUPPORT FOR SPORT

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PRINCIPAL WELCOME

An expert and inspiring range of keynote speakers included Gloria Steinem — writer, lecturer, political activist and feminist organiser; Arianna Huffington — Chair, President and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post Media Group; Baroness Sue Campbell — Chair, Youth Sport Trust in the United Kingdom; Nuria Chinchilla — Professor, IESE Business School, University of Navarro, Spain; Nakenya Ntaiya, Founder and President of the Kakenya Center for Excellence, a girls’ primary boarding school in Kenya; and Australia’s Holly Ransom — Chair of the 2014 G20 Youth Summit and currently Co-Chair of the UN Global Coalition of Young Women Entrepreneurs. Mrs Owen and I delivered a presentation on ‘Design Thinking in Leadership, Teaching and Learning: A Whole School Approach’ that outlined how BGGS has integrated Design Thinking as a structured approach to generating and developing ideas in leadership, curriculum and digital pedagogy. We, in turn, visited New York schools to learn more about their approaches to educating girls and attended stimulating presentations from educators who had gathered from around the world. So much can be absorbed in just a few days and the connections rekindled, or initiated, will serve Brisbane Girls Grammar School well into the future. As a member of the organising committee for the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia’s 2016 Conference held in Brisbane in May this year, the Forum reinforced for me the importance of educators coming together to share their expertise, experience and deeply held belief in the importance of educating girls to the highest standards of excellence, and deepened our understanding that the education of girls brings enormous benefits for societies globally.

AUTHOR Ms Jacinda Euler Principal

The inspiring forum was hosted by the National Coalition of Girls Schools in partnership with pre-eminent educational organisations from all over the world including our own Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia, the Girls’ Schools Association (UK) and the European Association of Single-Sex Education. For the first time, leading educators, researchers, authors and advocates from around the world were brought together to exchange examples of best practice and innovative approaches to attaining academic excellence and the healthy development of girls. Universal themes and topics were addressed, such as Leadership, Health and Wellness, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), Civic/Community Engagement, Strategic School Advancement, Teaching and Curriculum.

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TECHNOLOGY: THE GIFT AND THE CHALLENGE OF 21ST CENTURY TEACHING AND LEARNING

AUTHOR Ms Jacinda Euler Principal

truly questioning its value. More often than not, this exciting new technology actually has our students doing dumb work. Carol Steiker, a Professor at Harvard Law School, observed that her students were not just suffering from inattention, but were also losing the ability to take notes, becoming little more than stenographers who were ‘transcribing’ their lectures and one of her most concerning observations was that these students did not want to be interrupted (cited in Turkle, 2015). It is only through dialogue in a safe and trusting environment that ideas, sometimes even abhorrent ones, may be presented, dissected and rejected — or beautiful alternatives entertained. Seeing the responses on the faces of others, their offence and outrage even, and the effect of our words on another, can never be entirely simulated through technology. Politicians, bureaucrats and IT companies can have us believe that more money for technology will deliver ‘improved outcomes for students,’ but if the development of character and confidence, the ability to empathise, to think deeply, to articulate a view and have it challenged are important outcomes, how are we to measure those? And does technology assist in the development of these fundamental and intrinsically humanistic skills? Only sometimes. Brisbane Girls Grammar School introduced the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Programme in 2014, recognising the world we live in, the resources that girls are familiar with and the benefits they can derive from technology. The programme allows students to transition their learning seamlessly between home, school and alternative wireless environments, such as local libraries, and mirrors the model used in tertiary institutions. We focus on educating girls to use laptops and other technology judiciously, and only when they might genuinely improve learning. Girls do not use laptops in every lesson every day — we educate them to use technology only as and when required, to understand the challenges inherent in its use

AS EDUCATORS, WE HAVE LONG UNDERSTOOD THAT TECHNOLOGY IS A TOOL THAT DOES NOT REPLACE THE PRESENCE OF THE HUMAN IN TEACHING CHILDREN TO THINK. GOOD PEDAGOGUES ADVOCATE WHAT IS SIMPLY GOOD SENSE: THE CENTRAL IMPORTANCE OF A TEACHER WHO LOOKS A STUDENT IN THE EYE, LISTENS AND RESPONDS, JUST AS STUDENTS MUST LISTEN AND RESPOND TO ONE ANOTHER. TECHNOLOGY CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT REPLACE THIS, BUT THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE TWO CANNOT WORK VERY POWERFULLY IN TANDEM TO SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING. In Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Sherry Turkle’s book Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age , she reminds us that ‘face-to-face conversation is the most human — and humanising — thing we do. Fully present to one another, we learn to listen. It is where we develop the capacity for empathy’ (2015). But Turkle also observes that with the pervasiveness of technology, ‘we find ways around conversation. We hide from each other even as we’re constantly connected’ (2015). Technology has allowed it and we know it. As parents, distracted by our devices we can find ourselves struggling to look our children in the eye or to stop and be fully present and to listen. As teachers, we understand that the best lessons are often those when the laptop is firmly slammed shut. Turkle is not anti-technology and acknowledges that ‘laptops and smartphones are not things to remove, that they are facts of life and part of our creative lives. The goal is to use them with greater intention’ and to not be ‘dazzled’ by them (2015). So much of the distraction of technology has taken this path when something shiny and exciting comes along and is latched onto without

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every creative enterprise the generation of ideas and kernels of creativity are so often the result of face-to-face conversation and it remains the foundation of the teacher- student relationship and learning. Upon graduation, girls must be equipped with skills that will see them well placed to meet the demands of modern society. We know this will require them to be capable of thinking strategically, to question and to problem solve and to also have a level of technology literacy. There is a well-publicised shortage of professionals, particularly females, entering the technologies industry. Exposure to technology encourages and motivates girls to pursue their curiosity and interest in this field. Last year, 22 per cent of the Year 12 cohort undertook Technology Studies — more than double the state average of ten per cent. Girls Grammar alumnae are also receiving industry recognition and performing highly-sought-after jobs, both nationally and internationally. Technology is part of our future and we are committed to bringing our girls closer to, and helping them become well-prepared for, that future. Our approach is informed by slow thinking and timely reflection. We adopt technology according to the impact we believe it will have on learning — we do not retrofit education working backwards from the technology. Society deserves deep thinking and considered decision making about what actually works to improve education for all students. We cannot live in a bubble — schools have to cope with and proactively manage technology. Our girls must be encouraged to approach their futures boldly, armed with their devices but, more importantly, their brains. This is both a gift and a challenge of twenty-first century teaching and learning.

and to develop strategies around this. It is important to note that technology is just one aspect of Girls Grammar’s broad, liberal approach to education, one that combines the great traditions in education with contemporary innovation to prepare girls for a modern world. For example, when BYOD was introduced in 2014, we also introduced Design Thinking and in 2015 Latin became a compulsory subject for all Year 7 students. Our new Research Learning Centre is technology-rich with contemporary, flexible classrooms but it has an old-fashioned library through its core. This year we are deepening our focus on Mindfulness, providing an important counterbalance to the ‘connectedness’ provided by technology. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, our girls are being provided with the skills and confidence that will enable them to adapt and respond in innovative and productive ways. The value of Technologies Studies and other such important curriculum subjects that use technology is that they invite students into a fascinating world of intellectual endeavour and specialist skills and develop a passion and drive for innovation; all essential in every field of research and learning one could imagine, now and in the future. The development of thinking skills remains front and centre of everything we do at Girls Grammar and BYOD does not take away from this or advocate laptop-centric learning. It is how teachers use technology as a natural extension of the teacher-student relationship that is the most important issue to consider. Navigating these creative tensions in education and finding ways to best use technology as a truly powerful conduit for learning, that harnesses students’ curiosity, is our focus. While no one is advocating a return to the ‘old days’ at Girls Grammar we promote appreciation of the soft skills that are essential for innovation and creativity. For example, empathy is at the heart of Design Thinking, and an ideation stage that begins with old-fashioned butcher’s paper and Post-it notes. In every industry and

REFERENCES Turkle, S. (2015). Reclaiming conversation: The power of talk in a digital age. New York: Penguin Press.

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LEADERSHIP EXPOSURE

‘THE BEST WAY TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE LEADER IS TO DISREGARD IT AS A GOAL AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON A LEARNING JOURNEY THAT COMBINES FORMAL EXPERIENCES IN A WORKPLACE WITH SELECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF YOUR OWN MAKING’ (MALLEY, 2016).

clarity of thought and focus, as they sought to project and position the School’s culture into the future. Their collective creativity, maturity, intellect and passionate purpose provided great inspiration to the gathered group. Indeed, these exceptional young leaders in our midst are bound for great things into the future. The leadership culture at Brisbane Girls Grammar School has a strong, proud and enduring history. An integral element of a Grammar girl’s education is to experience and explore a range of leadership experiences and styles, that equips girls with a suite of skills and opportunities to ‘find her voice’ (Harvey- Short, 2012). Leadership at Girls Grammar starts well before the traditional assigning of roles and responsibilities to Year 12 students. During their earlier years, the opportunity to meet, shadow and become exposed to senior school leaders helps to motivate these younger students to aspire to something greater. Role models are an extraordinarily fruitful way to inspire young women to aspire to great things and many role models can be found close to home or in the people

AUTHOR Mrs Anne Ingram Dean of Students

AUTHOR Mrs Lynne Mungomery Director of Service

The Brisbane Girls Grammar School Board Strategy Day, held on Saturday 12 March, provided the perfect forum to showcase a broad selection of our 2016 student leaders. The Year 12 Head Girls, School Service Captains, School Sports Captains and House Captains, along with representatives from the Year 9 Junior Executive Force, participated expertly and eloquently alongside their adult counterparts, as they considered together a future vision for the School. The students demonstrated great

Girls Grammar IYLF 2015 participants with (L-R) Dr Hon Chiew Weng, Principal, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore; Director of Service Mrs Lynne Mungomery; Dr Teo Ho Pin, Mayor of North West District, Singapore and Principal Jacinda Euler.

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Forum in Singapore in 2015. As a member of the Girls Grammar School team, Anastasia was required to research, prepare and present, with due respect and understanding for the opinions of her international compatriots, to reach understanding and consensus on social issues relevant to our changing world. Anastasia received the Outstanding Speaker Award and was a member of the combined international group awarded Best Group Presentation at the Forum. Such opportunities have enabled Anastasia to develop her creativity along with her collaborative and decision- making skills, but it was her role as Shuttle Commander on the 2015 US Space Trip that she describes as most rewarding in developing her teamwork and leadership skills — although ‘terrifying!’. Participants were required to work in teams in a stimulating and challenging environment where problem-solving and decision-making were employed to achieve successful outcomes. In Anastasia’s case, she was responsible for the success and safety of all personnel while overseeing the completion of the flight mission. While Anastasia has not, over the years, been elected to the position of House Captain or Sports Captain, nor has she been the recipient of a badge to acknowledge any traditional School leadership position, she has followed quite a different path, taking advantage of the many opportunities that the School offers to students who are willing to take a step forward. Anastasia clearly demonstrates Malley’s top five priorities for effective young leaders. She is combining passionate pursuit with her leadership goals and that is evident in her noticeable and authentic energy. She is experiencing the importance of learning about the personalities of the people she is working with – understanding their strengths, weaknesses and motivations. Through all of this, a strong sense of personal identity, empathy and self-awareness is emerging. Anastasia is clearly on the pathway to becoming an authentic and inspiring leader of the future.

around them (Marcus, 2016). For students to be able to visualise what success in leadership looks like is very powerful. Providing our younger students with access to as many leaders as possible, in as many fields as possible, through events such as the Grammar Women Programme, helps to open up the vast horizons of opportunity that are available to them. Year 11 O’Connor student Anastasia Georgiou is a wonderful example of a Grammar girl enthusiastically selecting opportunities to develop her leadership skills. Her pathway to becoming an authentic and effective leader of the future, as suggested by Malley (2016), demonstrates her desire to form and understand her personal interests and values, and to consider how she might share these with others. She is developing her leadership dream rather than plotting her personal leadership plan . In his TED talk, How great leaders inspire action (2009), Simon Sinek reminds us of Martin Luther King’s great quote, ‘I have a dream’. Would the people have been so captivated by his leadership if he had said, ‘I have a plan?’.

Anastasia Georgiou (11O) and co-founder of IYLF Mr Ang.

As a member of the BGGS Athene Club, Anastasia is challenged to contribute to vibrant discussion about a select topic with a diverse group of her Year 11 and 12 peers and Brisbane Grammar School students. Demanding intense listening skills and thought, the Club challenges members to consider and contribute to the diverse opinions presented within the group. These meetings undoubtedly call upon skills she developed and honed as a delegate at the International Young Leaders

REFERENCES Malley, A. (2014). The 5 qualities of successful young leaders. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140519073354-322130907-the-5- qualities-of-successful-young-leaders Marcus, L. (2016). Developing women leaders: Five factors that matter. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130101170009- 60894986-developing-women-leaders-five-essentials Sinck, S. (Sept 2009). How great leaders inspire action [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_ leaders_inspire_action?language=en

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TOUR OF A LIFETIME

YEAR 12 O’CONNOR STUDENT ANNA RUDDELL HAS SPENT A ‘TRANSFORMATIVE’ MONTH IN EUROPE AS ONE OF SIXTEEN STUDENTS FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE UN YOUNG DIPLOMATS TOUR.

rights atrocities, the international legal system, modern multilateral institutions and activism/soft power.’ One of Anna’s most moving experiences on the trip was visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau in Krakow, Poland, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp during World War II. ‘When I visited Auschwitz, I read an interesting quote from George Santayana: “The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again”. This quote energised me to not only to learn as much about history as I can, but also to ensure, as a member of the next generation, that the decisions we make going forward will benefit all in society.’ The trip has influenced Anna’s future plans and she is now considering a career in international relations. ‘It has informed my university choices as I’m now looking to move interstate to Canberra to study the Australian National University’s unique Politics, Philosophy and Economics course. I would love to work for an non-government organisation or think tank, particularly in Europe. ‘The trip has taught me that to make a change in this world, I’ve got to be engaged in it.’

Anna said her fascination with world issues, history and foreign diplomacy led her to apply for the programme which received more than 300 applications from around Australia. ‘Over the course of one month we visited ten countries in Europe (Germany, France, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Belgium and the UK) tracing the places, people and forces that have shaped the world as we know it,’ Anna said. ‘The workshops and consultations we engaged in had a strong educational focus which helped enhance our understanding of European history and the key issues facing governments in the region today.’ The young diplomats had twenty-three consultations with politicians, journalists, advisors, non-government organisations and think tanks during the month, including meetings with Australian journalist Lisa Miller, NATO Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security Marriet Schuurman, Chief of Appeals Officer at the International Criminal Court Helen Brady, Australian Ambassador to Germany David Ritchie, Chief Negotiator at Paris Climate Conference Karsten Sachs and Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Lamberto Zannier. ‘At many of these consultations we spoke to the world’s most experienced political advisors on issues including the migration crisis in Europe, terrorism threats, Russian aggression and geopolitics of Europe and the Middle East. ‘In terms of the educational programme, we focused on a number of topics including the birth of the nation state, realpolitik and the international order, nationalism, human

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THE CHANGING FACE OF SENIOR STUDIES — PLANNING FOR AND INFLUENCING THE FUTURE

AUTHOR Mr James Keogh Dean of Studies and Learning Analytics

• External Assessment Trials — trialling and reporting on future assessment processes • Assessors Trials — staff trained to assess and endorse assessment items for use within the State • Endorsement Trials — trialling processes by which assessment items are assessed and endorsed for use. In 2014, the Queensland Government initiated a revitalisation of the Senior Studies system in response to a Queensland Government-commissioned review, conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The key features of the revised system for parents and students to note are: • The earliest date for the full commencement of the new system is for students commencing Year 11 in 2018, this being our current Year 9 students. • The nature of the review was to ensure a senior education assessment and tertiary entrance system that would meet future demands while remaining fair and reliable in its outcomes. • The features of the new system will include: • continuation of school-based assessments • the addition of common external assessments within subjects • amended comparability processes for school-based assessments • for tertiary entrance, a move from an Overall Position (OP) to an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), the ATAR being a more fine-grained scale than the current OP. For further information please visit the QCAA’s Guide for Parents https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/senior/ snr_assessment_trials_parent_update.pdf

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL’S LEADERSHIP IN ACADEMIC RIGOUR HAS BEEN RECOGNISED WITH A NUMBER OF STAFF ACROSS DISCIPLINES BEING SELECTED AS REPRESENTATIVES FOR QUEENSLAND CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY (QCAA) PANELS WORKING ON A REVISED SENIOR STUDIES SYSTEM. The appointment of Girls Grammar staff to various working groups that will review syllabuses and assessment processes reflects the strength of the academic staff’s subject and pedagogical knowledge. Staff have volunteered their time and expertise to ensure Brisbane Girls Grammar School has the opportunity to be actively involved in, and help shape, the development of the new senior system. This also allows direct feedback into our teaching and learning community to ensure we have a planned and progressive change programme that will ensure we continue to provide outstanding educational opportunities to our girls, both now and into the future. Staff are involved in the following QCAA programmes: • Learning Area Reference Group committees — committees that oversee syllabus development in subject areas and provide advice to the QCAA’s Senior Review Steering Committee • Syllabus Expert Writing Teams — teams charged with writing subject-specific syllabus documents for the new system

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Mr Alan Allison with 2014 IYPT competitors Claire Ulrich (2014) and Sivagowri Somasundaram (2014). Photo courtesy of The Australian .

PHYSICS FOR LIFE

A FORTUITOUS ACCIDENT LED TO HEAD OF PHYSICS MR ALAN ALLINSON ESTABLISHING THE AUSTRALIAN ARM OF AN INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS COMPETITION AND A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR DOZENS OF GRAMMAR GIRLS.

Science with First Class Honours the day after graduating Year 12. Mr A was my physics teacher when I joined Girls Grammar. I’d already been studying ahead in physics at my previous school. Many teachers would have been content to let me follow along with the class and endure a little boredom. Mr A immediately realised I had more potential than that, and helped me design my own curriculum based around independent learning and investigations. I loved it, and with his help went on to compete several times at the International Young Physicists’ Tournament, which is based around researching open-ended investigative problems. It is impossible to overstate how much time and energy Mr A devoted to helping me and others who were interested in physics. He would supervise us in the laboratories early in the morning and late into the evening. He didn’t believe in giving straight answers to physics questions, but would guide us to uncover the answer ourselves. He came to the international competitions and didn’t complain when I wanted to share an exciting breakthrough late at night or early in the morning. He didn’t just inspire my love of physics (which is so strong that I still help coach at the international tournaments, despite not working in physics anymore), but also my love of learning. Mr Allinson himself has said that ‘it is the moments when I realise students are explaining something to me I didn’t realise I didn’t understand’ that are the highlights of his teaching career.

Now Honorary President of the International Youth Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT), Mr Allinson discovered the annual event in 1997 when International Studies teacher Ms Deb Barker was translating for the organisers of the German event and wanted to check physics terms. With the encouragement of Director of Science Dr Sally Stephens, Mr Allinson investigated further and found an opening for an Australian coordinator for the competition. ‘Dr Stephens and I had shared many discussions about the need to cater for our top students and were looking for an approach that would work. We were also very concerned about the state of physics education in Australia, and the world,’ Mr Allinson said. ‘IYPT mirrors the process of physics and that is why IYPT has become a passion of mine. Creating the IYPT Australia Challenge as a qualifying tournament for Australia and creating the Junior Young Physicists’ Tournament (JYPT), were both attempts of mine to spread the experience across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.’ From the first trip to Germany in 1998 (‘We were totally unprepared. Nothing but experience makes you understand the requirements of this tournament. Thankfully, Mexico also attended for the first time, so we didn’t finish last!’) to organising the 2004 tournament at Girls Grammar and then emerging as World Champions in Korea in 2007— Mr Allinson’s passion for physics has invigorated students from around the world. Kathryn Zealand (2008) led the team that won the 2007 tournament. She went on to complete a Bachelor of

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Nobel Prize winner for Physics, Professor Douglas Osheroff, Mr Alan Allinson from BGGS, and the President of Taiwan — Taipei Ma Ying-jeou.

‘Physics trains the mind to solve the problem of understanding our Universe. We don’t find the solution but continue the journey. I love the idea of embracing a culture of uncertainty and trying to solve complex problems. We will never know everything but each step makes us learn more that we can use to make things to better the human experience.’ In 2016 Mr Allinson stepped down from his role as IYPT President, a position he held for seven years (2008 to 2015). Current president Associate Professor Martin Plesch recalls that Mr Allinson made a spectacular entrance, coming from the other hemisphere to, at that time, a rather regional competition, with a team from a girls’ school. But very quickly he gained a lot of respect in the community with his ability of negotiating every issue in a friendly and respectful atmosphere. It took some time for us to persuade him to accept the responsibility of the presidential office, as he was always the one suggesting that someone else could do better. Finally he accepted and IYPT experienced a wonderful era under his leadership. IYPT is now a stabilised, mature organisation and therefore it was a pleasure for me to take over the office last year. Mr Allinson maintains his involvement with IYPT as Honorary President and will continue to attend tournaments and support Grammar girls to explore their love of learning through physics and IYPT, including Kathryn Bird (12H) who has been selected for the 2016 Australian team to compete in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

‘It is not about the best students, it is about every girl that squeals with delight when a eureka moment occurs, and her class mates rush to see what she has found.’

Another personal highlight from his IYPT experience involved a German juror named Wolfgang Burger. ‘Wolfgang was a sort of German Dr Karl with TV shows and books to his name. While chatting with Emma Carlisle (1998) he asked what else she was studying at school. Emma replied that she was studying Modern History and currently doing an assignment on the bombing of Dresden. I will never forget the impact of Wolfgang announcing “I was there” and then proceeding to talk about his guilt for being too scared not to be in the Hitler Youth in Dresden!’ Mr Allinson celebrated 21 years of teaching at Girls Grammar in in January this year and enjoys that Girls Grammar allows him to concentrate solely on physics. (Teachers at Girls Grammar are specialists in their fields and do not teach across subjects.) ‘Physics IS the most important subject! Physics comes from the Greek word “physika” meaning the study of the natural world. It is about looking at the Universe and trying to understand it. Despite many populist views that it is a load of complex facts, it is actually a search to understand — any ideas we have only stand up until the evidence doesn’t match the theory, then the theory is wrong.

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#BLUNITY

AUTHORS Lili Wackwitz (12H) and Sarah Miller (12E) Head Girls

and the future, and having a strong network will not only lead to success but also unity, specifically here at school. The idea of unity creating opportunities is manifest in the smaller groups within the School. A united house group provides girls with the opportunity of personal support. A united house creates a strong sense of ‘family’ and opportunities to work together for the benefit of all at an interhouse event. A united sports team presents the opportunity to work together to win a game. A united drama cast has the opportunity to pull off an incredible opening night. A united service group has the opportunity to create awareness and raise funds for worthy causes. A united Year 12 cohort has the opportunity to make the most of their final year, as leaders, in academic pursuits, giving back to the School and leaving a positive legacy. If these smaller groups grasp the opportunities presented by an enhanced sense of unity, imagine what a united school could achieve. The 2016 motto, Blue unity is opportunity , is just four words. To enhance its impact, the Student Council sought to capture the School’s imagination with a catch cry incorporating its essence — #blunity, a combination of blue and unity, was born! This term is short, sharp and catchy. It symbolises what we stand for this year and has spread throughout the School. The girls have used this word in many aspects of their lives at Grammar to demonstrate their sense of unity. Social media was inundated with photographs of #blunity; girls at the swimming, water polo, cricket, and softball struck the now ubiquitous #blunity pose and numerous war cries and posters captured the catch-cry. J.K Rowling said ‘we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided’. We hope our motto enhances the united culture and vibrancy that Brisbane Girls Grammar School emanates. We hope it assists in the achievement of our 2016 goals: unity, involvement, support, networking, spirit and celebration of achievements. We hope it provides a platform for Grammar women to contribute confidently to their world with wisdom, imagination and integrity, just as they have for the past 141 years.

TO BE UNIFIED IS TO BE INTERCONNECTED BY SHARED IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES. IN 2016, OUR VISION AS HEAD GIRLS IS TO CREATE UNITY WITHIN BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL AND OUR WIDER COMMUNITY BY CHERISHING AND INCREASING THE INVOLVEMENT, SUPPORT, NETWORKS, SPIRIT AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF EVERY GRAMMAR GIRL. The Student Council’s highly anticipated and well- received motto, Blue unity is opportunity , encapsulates these five aspects and challenges each member of the School and its greater community to envision unity not only as a collective aim but also as a personal goal and to create an unparalleled sense of concord throughout the School. To promote unity, involvement is the first of our key objectives. Increasing student involvement, not only on the field, but also in the classroom, at a band rehearsal or in a service club will create an environment where every girl is supported and nurtured to succeed. With increased participation, powerful support is provided by each girl to help her Grammar sisters face any challenge or try something new. Blue Day, an event preceding all major QGSSSA sporting competitions and Head of the River, is an obvious example of the positive atmosphere created by the girls as they splash a touch of blue onto their uniforms and head down to the ‘d-floor’ at lunch. The School is transformed into a seething, supportive mass of blue. This spirit is carried through to the competition the next day where each athlete strives to achieve her best with the knowledge that the whole School is behind her. A combination of involvement, support and acknowledgement creates spirit. The Grammar spirit is unique, defines us and will truly unify the School this year. With involvement, acknowledgement, support and spirit, our girls will create a sisterhood network they can chat with or ask for advice. Networking is essential, for now

REFERENCES Rowling, J.K. (2000). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire . USA: Scholastic.

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STUDYING RELIGION IN A SECULAR SCHOOL

‘IT IS THE MARK OF AN EDUCATED MIND TO BE ABLE TO ENTERTAIN A THOUGHT WITHOUT ACCEPTING IT’ (ARISTOTLE).

AUTHOR Mrs Narelle Waverley-Smith Head of Study of Religion

The Guardian recently reported the case of a man in Britain who was marched off a plane, minutes before take-off, by armed officers who suspected him of being an Islamist extremist (Siddique, 2016). At first glance this story appeared to be yet another example of the heightened need, in an increasingly unstable world, to be alert in the face of the global threat of terrorism. But this story had a twist. The man in question was in fact a Christian who was observed by the passenger seated near him, to be texting a prayer before take-off. The details of this case have obviously raised many questions for public discussion. Has all religious belief become justifiably suspect? Can a person no longer perform a religious act, like praying, without being seen as a threat to the wider public? One commentator asked, ‘Who has triumphed if Muslims and Christians and atheists and Hindus all live in perpetual fear and distrust of one another?’(Onuzo, 2016). This is certainly an issue about the hypervigilance resulting from the horrors of terrorist acts in recent times but it also shines a light on the increasing problem of ignorance surrounding religious beliefs and practice. Understanding and appreciating the integral role that religion plays in the lives of many people is essential in our ever increasing multicultural societies.

Year 12 Study of Religion students on an excursion to the Chung Tian Buddhist Temple.

As a senior board subject, Study of Religion does not promote any particular viewpoint or religious tradition. Because Girls Grammar is a secular, pluralist institution with no common religious base, many students enter the Study of Religion course with little or no religious knowledge or experience. Thus our curriculum is constructed around the notion of students starting where they are both in terms of personal interest, and culturally and geographically in terms of the Australian environment, systematically building a broader and deeper experience and knowledge base. Topics that are investigated include the role of ritual, the relationship between religion and politics, and the debate between creationists and evolutionists. Our Study of Religion students learn through the inquiry method, a process that contributes to their ability to formulate ideas, make judgments and reach conclusions. The course ‘encourages students to move beyond acquisition of facts to the development of ideas and concepts’(Queensland Studies Authority, 2008). The development of such skills will clearly serve our students well, both now and into the future. We are regularly told by parents how topics covered in class have led to engaging discussions at the dinner table and many have expressed their desire to study this subject themselves.

H ow can we prepare our students for a world where they will both encounter, and need to engage with, world views that are not their own? Knowledge is obviously the key.

Religion is intricately woven throughout the human story and continues to be dynamic in its various forms and functions. We are reminded on a daily basis through the global news feed, in stories like that of our suspected terrorist, of the profound role that beliefs, attitudes and values play in the way we see ourselves and others. As a modern pluralist society and indeed in a progressive school such as ours, it can seem surprising that archaic beliefs of the kind espoused by extremists continue to have a profound effect on us all, religious and non-religious alike. Studying religion allows us to develop our understanding of this complex phenomenon. The academic subject, Study of Religion, employs perspectives of various schools of thought, including sociology, anthropology and psychology, in investigating religious traditions and ways in which they shape the worldviews of individuals, cultures and the wider society. Study of Religion is not religious instruction.

REFERENCES

Onuzo, C. (2016, March 5). My friend was texting prayers. If this is suspicious, the terrorists have won [Text message]. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/04/terrorists- distrust-together-easyjet-flight-text

Queensland Studies Authority. (2008). Study of Religion Syllabus .

Siddique, H. (2016, March 4). Man removed from UK flight over ‘prayer’ message on phone. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/uk- news/2016/mar/03/man-removed-easyjet-flight-luton-prayer-message- phone

AUTUMN ISSUE / 2016

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ANTIPODEANS ABROAD EXPEDITION ‘CHALLO! CHALLO!’ (LET’S GO!)

jackets over layers of polar-fleece jackets and thermals, and covered with gloves and beanies, we managed the walk through the snow and reached Kothi, cold and weary. Yet, despite the continuous snow, we were escorted to the school where a large group of families from the village were gathered under a tarpaulin outside in the cold, to greet us. We received marigold garlands and the school children threw marigold petals on us as we were ushered up to the verandah of the small school building and invited to sit down. Following the formal speeches of welcome, I responded on behalf of Girls Grammar and then asked Emily Powell (12E) to also offer a vote of thanks to the audience of families. Finally, each one of us was presented with a hand- made fez by one of the women from the village, and then we were served masala chai and biscuits. I leaned across to Julia Slancar (11G) and said, ‘You will never experience this ever again. Don’t forget this’, the whole time thinking to myself, ‘Remember this moment’. It was an event that I knew then I would never experience again — amazing and very humbling. This generous outpouring of welcome would be repeated on our final day at the project where we had a great celebration at the newly painted, renovated and furnished school: the local women dressed each one of us in their traditional Kullu blankets and head-dresses; some of the men brought out some drums and that’s when the singing and dancing started…

AUTHOR Ms Rachael Christopherson Head of Beanland House English teacher

‘CHALLO’, THE HINDI WORD MEANING ‘LET’S GO!’, TAUGHT TO US BY OUR INDIAN TREKKING GUIDE, CHANDER SAIN, BECAME A COMMON TURN OF PHRASE AMONG THE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM SIX TRAVEL GROUP TO NORTHERN INDIA IN DECEMBER 2015. It reflected an urgency to get organised and get moving; a determination to ‘push on’ even when we were tired, dusty and home- sick; but most often it was a reflection of our enthusiasm and optimism — a ‘What’s next?’ attitude — that spurred on our desire to be ‘in’ every moment of our extraordinary experience. Our intrepid journey to the remote Himalayan village of Kothi (elevation: 3200 metres) was one where we definitely had to draw on our ‘Challo’ mantra. Following our five-day winter trek in the Himalayas along the ranges between the Kullu and the Parvathi valleys, reaching altitudes of 2600 metres, we had an overnight rest in the alpine town, Manali, before beginning our community project in Kothi. It snowed the day we travelled to Kothi, and when the cars began to slide on the icy road we abandoned the vehicles and walked the last four kilometres in the snow to the village. Wearing our wet weather over-pants and Gortex

Team 6 trekking through the snow to their community project at Kothi, Northern India.

Julia Slancar (11G) being dressed in traditional Kullu dress by the women of Kothi village, Northern India.

GRAMMAR GAZETTE

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ADVENTURING ABROAD IN NORTHERN INDIA

There have been just a few times in my life where I have experienced one of those rare and precious moments of remote travel where I’ve been invited to be part of something much greater than the experience of being a tourist. Kothi was one of those moments, and another was on the first night of our Himalayan trek when the hostess of our homestay invited the teachers to supper in her upstairs ‘living’ room. Dan Larkin (Humanities faculty), Lucy Graham (Antipodeans guide) and I, with our head- guide Puran Chand as translator, took off our shoes and sat on mats against cylindrical cushions around a wood stove in the hostess’s humbly furnished home. We spoke to her family about our experiences in India, and about Australian culture and then the hostess presented us with gifts of historical books about the North Himalayan region. I haven’t had an experience like that since 1997 when we (a fellow teacher, a priest and I) enjoyed coffee in the bamboo-built home of the school principal of a remote rural village in North-West PNG. These are moments you never forget. Being able to experience these moments is why we ‘Challo’. I feel immensely privileged to have had the opportunity to journey with such a fantastic travel team — twelve courageous and compassionate Year 10 and 11 students; fellow intrepid, BGGS Humanities teacher, Dan Larkin and our knowledgeable Antipodeans guide, Lucy Graham. We spent twenty days together, mostly in Northern India in the lower Himalayas and we also visited McLeod Ganj, Amritsar, Agra and Delhi. While the sights were awe-inspiring, it was the experiences that made the expedition worthwhile, and it is why Girls Grammar continues to offer such fulfilling opportunities for cultural and empathetic growth to both the staff and students. So what are you waiting for? Challo!

AUTHOR Kate Norris (11O) Team 6

Community Project, Kothi

FOR ME, THE MOST MEMORABLE PART OF OUR TRIP TO INDIA WAS THE COMMUNITY PROJECT IN KOTHI VILLAGE. THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE IMMERSED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT WAS PLAYING WITH THE CHILDREN IN THE SNOW OR WORKING TOGETHER ON THE SCHOOL WITH THE LOCALS. On our last afternoon when the Kothi ladies dressed us in the traditional outfits and taught us the local dances, we presented the school with our gifts and it was an experience I will never forget. It was so rewarding to see the work we had done on the school and kindergarten. With the money that we raised throughout the year, we were able to give each of the students school bags filled with stationery. The money also bought teaching materials, new furniture and mats for the classrooms, as well as sports equipment. When we each officially presented the gifts to the village, we began to understand how much simple stationery or a bright and safe classroom will actually impact on not only the school but also the whole village. We were very lucky to be surrounded by people who live so simply but are still so genuine and happy.

AUTUMN ISSUE / 2016

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GIRLS ON THE MOVE

AUTHOR Ms Sally Northcroft Director of Sport

less than eight per cent of women’s sport is covered in all televised sports news; print media lags further behind with less than five per cent of sports coverage dedicated to women’s sport and only two per cent of the sport news on radio is about women’s sport (Australian Government, Sports Commission). Girls need to know what is possible and be inspired to dream about what they can achieve. If they don’t see the women who are making history in many mainstream and alternative sports, it is no surprise that there is a decline in the participation of girls. Add to this dilemma the fact that many girls who play sport for a club are often faced with having access to poorer quality equipment, resources or facilities because the club does not have the financial resources to update change rooms or purchase more equipment in order to accommodate the additional female club members (Richards, 2016). This discrepancy between boys’ and girls’ sporting resources has been shown to quickly turn girls off wanting to participate in their sport of choice (Australian Government, Department of Health, 2016). Finally, there is an obvious absence of women in senior leadership positions in sporting associations or committees, reflected in the Sydney Scoreboard index. This is a global index that documents the number of women in leadership positions on national sporting organisations and international federations. The minimal increases seen mean greater interventions are required to improve equity for girls who want to be involved in organised sport both as a participant and as a leader. Brisbane Girls Grammar School has participation rates in stark contrast to the national average. More than 70 per cent of the student population participates in organised sport each year. The School is a founding member of one the oldest schoolgirl sporting associations in Queensland (Queensland Girls Secondary Schools Sporting Association or QGSSSA) and its participation in competitions such as the Brisbane Schoolgirls Rowing Association, Brisbane Water Polo Inc. and the Queensland Fencing Association means the School can deliberately offer a wide variety of sports (eighteen) to choose from. More than 1100 girls play sport for Girls Grammar throughout the year, with the School committed to continue increasing sporting opportunities. Girls have access to coaches, facilities and

THE AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS HAS COLLECTED DATA ON THE PARTICIPATION BY YOUNG PEOPLE IN ORGANISED SPORT FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS. ONE CONTINUING MESSAGE HAS BEEN THE DECLINE IN PARTICIPATION RATES OF FEMALES AS THEY ENTER ADOLESCENCE (AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, 2012). What is also clear is the widening gap between male and female participation in the 15–17 year age group (85 per cent and 70 per cent respectively). Organisations such as Women in Sport (UK) and Womensport Foundation (USA) have both released reports which highlight that girls’ participation in organised sport has decreased and that it declines at a greater rate than that for boys during adolescence (Staurowsky et al., 2015). Each of these organisations has identified that there is a variety of physical, social and emotional barriers that negatively impact girls and their involvement in sport. These same organisations have launched campaigns to try to change this trend and in February this year, the Australian Government launched the ’Girls, Make Your Move’ campaign, designed to encourage girls to be more active and engage in 60 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity every day. Given the recent record-breaking success of the Australian women’s teams in cricket, netball, surfing and football, it is surprising that so many girls are dropping out of organised sport. It is reasonable to think that this success would encourage girls into sport however this does not seem to be the case. It appears that the women’s teams are successful despite the decreasing numbers of girls playing organised sport. Imagine if more girls heard/read/saw these successes in the media to the same degree that we see the reports on men’s sport! Unfortunately, the media still covers so little of women’s sport in the traditional formats. For example,

GRAMMAR GAZETTE