Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2018

31

VOLUME

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL / AUTUMN 2018

IN THIS ISSUE

PAGE 08 / INTO THE BLUE: SWIMMING

PAGE 12 / ‘GROWN UP’ CONVERSATION

PAGE 14 / FOUNDATION DAY: A HISTORY

PAGE 18 / CO-CURRICULAR DRAMA SEASON

CONTENTS PAGE 01 / FROM THE PRINCIPAL by Ms Jacinda Euler PAGE 02 / PRIDE, INDIVIDUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT by Head Girls PAGE 03 / SEVEN SIMPLE SECRETS FOR SUCCESS by Mrs Emma Lowry PAGE 04 / A CULTURE OF THINKING : GREETING TOMORROW WITH CONFIDENCE by Dr Bruce Addison PAGE 05 / GIRLS AND MATHS by Ms Catrin Huxtable PAGE 06 / LIVING LANGUAGES: KNOW OTHERS, KNOW YOURSELF by Ms Susan Garson PAGE 08 / INTO THE BLUE: SWIMMING AT GIRLS GRAMMAR by Miss Ellena Papas PAGE 10 / GAZETTE GALLERY PAGE 12 / A FRENCHMAN, AN ENGLISHWOMAN, AND AN AMERICAN WALK INTO AN ESSAY by Mr Stephen Woods PAGE 14 / THE HISTORY OF FOUNDATION DAY PAGE 15 / FOUNDATION DAY 2018: PRESSING FOR PROGRESS PAGE 16 / ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO SOLVE HUMAN PROBLEMS by Mr Brendon Thomas PAGE 17 / AWARDS AND RECOGNITION PAGE 18 / CO-CURRICULAR DRAMA: THE 2018 SEASON by Mr Brad Jennings PAGE 20 / GRAMMAR WOMEN by Ms Antonia Swindells by Mrs Julie Caton PAGE 22 / GRAMMAR WOMAN, FRANCESCA HIEW PAGE 23 / OFFICIAL NAMING OF THE PAULINE HARVEY-SHORT OVAL PAGE 24 / MARRAPATTA OPEN DAY 2018 PAGE 25 / OPEN DAY 2018

LETTERS

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Thank you so much for the New Parents’ Welcome Reception tonight. It was an excellent event and we are grateful for the opportunity to connect with both

the School and fellow parents. LARISSA PATON (current parent)

I love that Antips is still so strong at Girls Grammar. I still remember my own journey to Peru very fondly. KATHRYN CALLIONI (LEEKE, 2004) Thank you so much for a lovely morning at BGGS on Wednesday. We really enjoyed watching the student assembly and the beautiful morning tea afterwards. It is lovely to be part of these milestones and to have a glimpse into life at school. We feel sure that the girls are in good hands, with your guidance, and will have a very exciting year. HELEN AND STEVEN SHERINGTON (current parents) I would like to thank you, your staff, and charming girls from Years 11 and 12, for having made our visit to the School on Saturday 21 October a most memorable occasion or those of us who commenced in 1954...I was awe-struck by the opportunities you are able to present to your students. They are fortunate indeed! RHYL BENNETT (CRAWFORD, 1954)

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Front cover: A student reads in the Research Learning Centre at the School’s Main Campus.

Photo courtesy Sam Scoufos

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL

AUTHOR Ms Jacinda Euler Principal

within a diverse team—qualities formally developed in graduates who have studied in the arts. This renaissance in the humanities is not so surprising in these challenging times. The liberal arts were always intended to engender in scholarship the higher-order qualities pertinent to the formation of a good and just society. The English Grammar tradition, with its earliest roots back to sixth century King’s Schools in Canterbury (founded 597 AD) and Rochester (founded 604 AD) and the teaching of Latin to future priests and monks, is broad and liberal in its range: scholars learned music, verse, astronomy, mathematics and law. With the foundation of the ancient universities from the late 12th century in England, these Grammar Schools became the entry point to a tertiary liberal arts education comprising a ‘trivium’ of grammar, logic and rhetoric (input, processes and output). The idea of a trivium in ensuring a balance and rigour in education goes directly to the case for the humanities. Solving the big societal problems of the current century—climate change, poverty and displacement, racial intolerance, rising tensions between our world leaders—will require thinkers and teams of thinkers fluid in their ability to see things from multiple perspectives. At Girls Grammar, we remain committed to providing students with a broad, liberal education because it is as relevant today, if not more so, than at any other time in the history of Grammar education. Resolute in our purpose of producing tomorrow’s female leaders, a rigorous and balanced curriculum across the humanities and the sciences is fundamental to this approach. I hope you enjoy the latest issue of Grammar Gazette — Autumn 2018.

For some time, the humanities have struggled to communicate their relevance in a rapidly changing world.

At universities in Australia and around the globe, Department Heads in fields of literature, philosophy, the classics and history have lamented shrinking enrolments as students have heeded the call to pursue a career in the sciences or the more ‘professional’ streams of finance or law. The importance of science and technology is profound and it is in these areas where the seismic changes we are seeing in the world of work will continue into the future. However, it is heartening to see a shift back in our understanding of the value of the humanities. In a world disrupted by artificial technologies, our human-ness, the defining essence of what makes us ‘human’, suddenly attains a higher value. For example, software development companies in Silicon Valley are now employing poets and fiction writers to script naturalised interactions between AI ‘bots’ and humans in the booming growth area of ‘virtual assistants’ on smartphones. Closer to home, some of Australia’s major corporations are reporting a significant increase in the number of new employees from humanities-based backgrounds as part of a refinement and expansion of their graduate recruitment approach. Trends suggest that increasingly, ‘big’ companies like PwC, EY and KPMG are recruiting less on field of degree study, and more on transferable skills like emotional intelligence, critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to collaborate and problem-solve

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PRIDE, INDIVIDUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT

AUTHORS Annabel Ryan (12E) and Harper McIlroy (12W) Head Girls 2018

to audition for Queensland Theatre’s Youth Ensemble. I asked my teacher, Ms Johnson, to help me prepare for the audition. I was extremely shy, and if it weren’t for her incredible encouragement I never would have believed in myself enough to audition. I have now been involved in Queensland Theatre’s Ensemble for four years, as well as the School’s outstanding drama productions. Ms Johnson’s support allowed me to let my individuality and personality shine, which has shaped who I am and allowed me to discover something about which I am extremely passionate. EMPOWERMENT: ANNABEL My time on the Old Girls Association (OGA) Committee has been one of the pinnacles of my time at Girls Grammar because it gave me insight into the School’s rich legacy. The daily demands of secondary school can make it challenging to recognise the impact of what we are experiencing every day; it is easy to take our time at the School for granted. My experience with the OGA changed this perspective. I was fortunate to be presented the opportunity to see Grammar Women mingling at reunions, reuniting with their oldest friends and coming together on common ground. All of these women believe in the School, cherish the time they spent here, and still have firm memories from their days on the campus. I hope that one day I can give back to the School as much as it has given me. Girls Grammar has much to offer each and every girl —from an exceptional academic education, to the opportunities to participate in a wide selection of co-curricular activities such as sports, creative arts and service—and each aspect of our School community is valued equally. Whether they are a future Einstein or Olympian, every girl has not just one, but many opportunities to showcase her talents and be part of the Girls Grammar sisterhood. We both hope that we will not be the last Grammar girls in our families. Once a Grammar girl, always a Grammar girl.

The three themes that the Student Council has chosen to guide the 2018 school year are Pride, Individuality and Empowerment. We hope every Grammar girl will showcase their talent, be proud of who they are as individuals and empower others to be the best they can be. We believe these qualities form the foundation of what makes a Grammar girl and creates a School that truly is an exceptional community. We recently had the opportunity to share our experiences of Girls Grammar at a School event, including our personal reflections on what these three themes mean to us. The following is an excerpt from our speech. PRIDE: ANNABEL From a young age, I knew that my parents had planned for me to attend Girls Grammar, and I often dreamt about life beyond the School’s picketed fence. Whenever I would pass the School, one thing reassured me: every Grammar girl I saw looked happy, capable and beaming with confidence. Of course, as my time to commence drew closer, I became nervous about starting at a school that looked so grand, but the ambition and certainty in every girl’s eye made me realise that the next five years of my life were going to be ones to remember—and they have been just that. I am truly proud to be a Grammar girl. INDIVIDUALITY: HARPER Drama has played a significant role in my schooling life. At primary school I was told that it wasn’t a strength of mine, and I received poor marks in the subject. It wasn’t until, at Girls Grammar, I had someone believe in me that I gave the subject a second thought. When I was in Year 8, I read an email encouraging students

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SEVEN SIMPLE SECRETS FOR SUCCESS

AUTHOR Mrs Emma Lowry Associate Dean (Students)

REFERENCES Blankson, A. (2017). The future of happiness. 5 modern strategies for balancing productivity and well-being in the digital era. Dallas: Perseus Distribution. Capelli., G. (2018). Glenn Capelli’s vocapulary. [PDF]. Retrieved from http://glenncapelli.com/portals/0/site_content/res/Capelli-voCAP-Kaizen.pdf Covey, S. (1998). The seven habits of highly effective teens. New York: Simon & Schuster Sound Ideas. Fuller, A. (2016). Set yourself up for a great year. [PDF]. Retrieved from http://andrewfuller.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/setyourselfup.pdf Preuschoff, G. (2006). Raising girls: Why are girls different – and how to help them grow up strong and happy. California. Celestial Arts. tasks, and a 4.4 second interruption (such as sending a text) can triple error rates—a significant concern, as the average mobile user checks their phone more than 150 times per day (Blankson, 2017, pp. 28–30). 5. Create brain downtime ‘On’ is impossible without ‘off’. Brains require downtime to process all of the information they have taken in, to ‘chunk’ information and to form long-term memories. 6. Enjoy unstructured, free play Be active; break into a sweat. Co-curricular activities are an essential part of a Grammar girl’s day, and free play and time away from academic pursuits is valuable to build healthy neurological development, mental health and wellbeing, physical fitness, social development and academic performance. 7. Carpe diem Be grateful for the moment and decide to be happy now. Many people wait to be happy, or lose the moment by thinking about the future. Take stock of what is in your life at the moment. Be kind; be a good friend. Laugh and have fun. While these secrets for success may appear self-evident, it can be easy to lose sight of them in the busy-ness of a school year. For each individual girl to add her special thread to the Girls Grammar tapestry, the School’s motto, Nil Sine Labore , needs to be understood not only in academic terms, but in the context of working sensibly and strategically to be her best self.

A line in the School Song exhorts the girls to ‘draw strength from our diversity’, indicating the culture of Brisbane Girls Grammar School celebrates each individual’s contributions. At the beginning of the year, I encouraged students, parents and friends to return to simple steps that everyone can take to make this year one to remember. 1. Be open-minded toward friendliness Friendships during adolescence have the capacity to provide a sense of belonging and security, bring joy, promote self-esteem, cultivate interpersonal skills, and build a sense of individual and group identity (Preuschoff, 2006). With an open mind, girls can create many positive relationships, reducing stress levels and fostering connection (Fuller, 2016). 2. Practise doing your best Strive toward personal bests—in the classroom, in co-curricular participation and in social interactions— by becoming the best ‘you’. Child psychologist, Andrew Fuller (2016), suggests that each year, students aim to develop one positive aspect of themselves by simply appreciating that quality, and practising it. 3. Be fit for purpose—be prepared for learning Begin with the end in mind by writing down intentional goals for each semester. Written articulation of goals brings priorities to the foreground and enables students to remember what they are striving to achieve. Glenn Capelli (2018), a guest speaker who presents to Year 7, speaks of ‘ 改善 kaizen’, which translates to ‘little bit, little bit improving every day’. Highly effective teens practise discipline and patience, and surround themselves with people who bring out the best in each other. 4. Turn attention to intention Tune in; don’t zone out. An interruption as short as 2.8 seconds (the length of time it takes to read a short text message) can double error rates on simple sequencing

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A CULTURE OF THINKING: GREETING TOMORROW WITH CONFIDENCE

To me such a celebration of teaching lies at the heart of relational pedagogy. A Cultures of Thinking approach rests very comfortably with the teacher as expert as well as the teacher as a co-sojourner in knowledge creation. Queensland University of Technology’s Professor Erica McWilliam (2009) has written extensively about the concept of teachers having to move from ‘sages on the stage’ to ‘guides on the side’ to ‘meddlers in the middle’. This works well if it is conceived relationally and not linearly. The sage-like teacher must role-model discernment as a means of decoding information overload, and so often misinformation. Young people want to learn from experts and people who ‘know’—this should never be forgotten. The ‘guide on the side’ must be more than a ‘put them in front of a computer and research’ mindset. An effective ‘guide on the side’ must know how to funnel the information ether back to their students, rather than allowing them to wallow in the dark matter of cyber space. Meddling in the middle is a space particularly suited to a Cultures of Thinking classroom. We must know what questions to ask and indeed what not to ask. We must be prepared to say what we don’t know but have the skills and interest to inquire (Addison, 2015). In a world of enormous change, focussing on a methodology such as Cultures of Thinking that has ‘See – Think – Wonder’ at its basic core is a gift. It is a gift to the individual, to the collective and to civility. Imminent systemic change has given us an opportunity to examine and to re-examine. It has provided a window through which to think very carefully about our classroom practice. It has also gifted us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the very rich domain that is relational pedagogy. As Parker Palmer has noted: … my gift as a teacher is the ability to dance with my students, to co-create with them in a context in which all of us can teach and learn and...this gift works as long as I stay open and trusting and hopeful about who my students are. (2007, p. 75) In such an environment, the old and the new can meld creatively, providing an opportunity for our students to greet tomorrow with confidence.

AUTHOR Dr Bruce Addison Deputy Principal (Academic)

Everything comes in cycles. The old becomes new and the new becomes old. Education in Queensland is currently experiencing such a reboot. After leading the world with the idea of internal school-based assessment, a new hybrid has emerged combining aspects of internal criteria-based assessment with the notion of subject-specific external examination. In many respects this is a welcome change but as with all change, great care must be taken to ensure that what is good and worthy is not jettisoned without great thought and due diligence. Our approach at Girls Grammar has been to devise a School Wide Pedagogy model as a means by which to position the School well for this new environment. Harvard University’s Cultures of Thinking methodology, emanating from their long running Project Zero research project, is informing our thinking. Cultures of Thinking focusses on making classroom thinking more visible, requiring teachers to reflectively tweak their existing practice. In a time-poor environment, especially one facing significant systemic change, such an approach is particularly welcome. As Dr Ron Ritchhart, Principal Investigator for Harvard Project Zero notes: A school that embraces a culture of thinking is one where a group’s collective as well as individual thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted as part of the regular, day-to-day experience of all group members. (Harvard, 2018) The classroom, under this construct, becomes an even more vibrant culture where knowledge is learned and shared but also more importantly, created. When reflecting on the significance of Cultures of Thinking on her classroom practice, Ms Susan Garson, our Director of International Studies, has noted: Cultures of Thinking reimagines classrooms as sites where thinking is more visible. Teachers are influential in facilitating learning and creating a culture in their classroom where students think for themselves, have the intellectual curiosity to disagree and are engaged in critical thinking, exploration and reflection. An understanding of these broader dispositions and strategies helps to create a culture of deep and visible learning. Such an approach forms the very kernel of Cultures of Thinking as well as formalising many of the processes and practices of good teaching and learning. (Brisbane Girls Grammar School, 2018)

REFERENCES Addison, B. (2015). Schools as homes for the mind: pedagogy and the teacher as sage, guide and meddler. Australian Educational Leader, 37 (3), 70–71. Garson, S. (2018). Cultures of Thinking Action Research Group. Brisbane: Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Harvard University (2018). Project Zero – Cultures of Thinking. Retrieved from http://www.pz.harvard.edu/projects/cultures-of-thinking McWilliam, E. (2009). Teaching for creativity: From sage to guide to meddler. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 29 (3), 281–93. Palmer, P. (2007). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner life of teachers. San Francisco: Josey-Bass.

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GIRLS AND MATHS

AUTHOR Ms Catrin Huxtable Director of Mathematics

REFERENCES Chen, L., Bae, S. et al. (2018). Positive attitude toward math supports early academic success: Behavioral evidence and neurocognitive mechanisms. Psychological Science, 29 (3), 390–402. Clever girls lack confidence in science and math (quotes Jonathan Osborne) | Stanford Graduate School of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// ed.stanford.edu/in-the-media/clever-girls-lack-confidence-science-and- maths-quotes-jonathan-osbourne Early gender gaps drive career choices and employment opportunities, says OECD - OECD. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/early- gender-gaps-drive-career-choices-and-employment-opportunities.htm When they leave our campus, we aim to ensure that those girls who arrived with a love of mathematics, and those who prefer other subjects all leave with a certainty that they have the skills and the confidence to tackle any analytical or mathematical task, or any career path that calls them. again, and eventually succeed, is a process that will serve them well in not only mathematical tasks, but many different kinds of problem-solving tasks in their futures. Additionally, girls who are passionate about maths have rich opportunities to gain even more mathematical experiences, and connect with other like-minded students across the School through the Sigma Maths Program. Each week more than 80 girls submit a solution to our problem of the week, with the lucky winners gaining a coveted prize. Annually, approximately 30 Year 9 and 10 students attend Mathapatta, a weekend of maths challenges and enrichment held at the School’s Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Centre. At many points throughout the year, girls can be found competing in interhouse competitions or preparing for external competitions and challenges, such as The University of Queensland’s Science and Engineering Challenge, Maths Olympiads and the Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers (QAMT) Problem Solving Competition. Most recently, our team achieved second place out of 20 competing teams of boys and girls at the Science and Engineering Challenge—a superb result, of which our girls can be justifiably proud.

It’s a myth, but a pervasive one, that girls ‘don’t like maths’. The gendering of certain subjects has been rife throughout history, however, at Girls Grammar, we know that Mathematics has strong support. Every year since NAPLAN testing commenced in 2008, boys have outperformed girls in numeracy (while girls have outperformed boys in literacy). However, it is now widely accepted that there are no inherent gender differences in mathematical ability or intelligence. Jonathan Osborne, Professor of Science Education at Stanford University, for example, maintains that there are ‘shocking disparities’ in results between boys and girls, but that these are ‘entirely cultural’ (Stanford Graduate School, n.d.). This cultural difference can translate to economic disadvantage, with girls lacking the confidence to pursue high-paid careers in science and technology, even when their school results are as good as, or better, than boys (OECD, n.d.). A Stanford study, published earlier this year in Psychological Science , identified the brain pathway that links a positive attitude in primary school-aged children to strong outcomes in mathematics. It was found that a positive attitude toward the subject boosts an important memory and learning centre of the brain, the hippocampus, and predicts maths performance independent of factors such as a child’s IQ (Chen et al., 2018). Our challenge then, is to support girls to harness their enjoyment and aptitude for mathematics by purposefully building their confidence. At Girls Grammar, we strive to ensure that all girls receive a tailored approach to learning Mathematics, and that classrooms are safe spaces in which to tackle any problems they encounter. The security they learn through being able to test their working, try

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LIVING LANGUAGES: KNOW OTHERS, KNOW YOURSELF

‘Hosting my billet was an extremely positive experience. As I taught my student about life in Australia, I learnt about living in Angoulême. Despite him finding vegemite more of an acquired taste, there were many similarities between teenagers from opposite ends of the world: the same TV shows, music and pop- culture were shared between people from two very different places. It was extremely educational, linguistically and socially, and I doubt that I will ever forget this experience.’ Georgia Power (11O) this skill may change. The mechanics of how we learn are informed by our reasons for studying, which change depending on national curriculum agendas, global politics, and social norms and expectations. With the introduction of the new curriculum in 2019, the assessment of language skills will no longer be strictly divided into the four traditional instruments of Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Students will be expected to respond to multiple stimulus items—for example, a video, an email message and some printed text—to draw an overall meaning. This intertextual assessment activity more authentically represents the ways that we interact with language in daily life. An authentic, and ever more natural, connection with language is something that Girls Grammar seeks to encourage in all students, in the hope that they will be comfortable discussing and asserting their opinions and world views with people from around the world.

AUTHOR Ms Susan Garson Director of International Studies

The study of languages is deeply embedded in Girls Grammar’s history; it was one of the five foundational subjects offered by the School when it first opened its doors in 1875. Currently, it is compulsory for students to study at least one of the School’s five languages— Latin, German, French, Chinese and Japanese—until the end of Year 9. In total, almost 1000 of our 1380 students study a language. Traditionally, one of the intended outcomes of a broad, liberal education has been the ability to engage with and be at home in other cultures. Beyond the outcomes of being able to problem-solve, communicate, negotiate and trade with people from around the world, a new language allows the learner to understand differing cultural behaviours. At Girls Grammar, languages are taught from positions of empathy, acceptance and understanding of the ‘other’. Students gain not only an academic appreciation for the history and traditions of different nationalities, but a personal insight into the world view of people who are at once the same as and different from themselves. As curriculums and cultural thought change, the ability to speak and interpret multiple languages retains its importance, although the reasons behind maintaining

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Girls Grammar students with students from French Affiliate School, Lycée St Paul, Angoulême.

DIVERSE EXPERIENCES: OUR AFFILIATE SCHOOLS Putting language skills to work in the ‘real world’ makes the language a living, and not simply an academic, entity. This is why our involvement with international Affiliate Schools is so important. The complexity of people’s lived realities, their stories in their countries, schools and homes on the other side of the world, can ‘inspire reflection and action’, and ensure the academic pursuit of learning a language becomes a cyclical process of ‘learnings and social interventions’ that can benefit students as individuals and also influence their community (Suzuki & Mayorga, 2014, p. 19). The International Studies Faculty offers students in Years 10, 11 and 12 the opportunity to visit and study at one of our international Affiliate Schools, located across four countries. By interacting with similar-age native speakers in France, Germany, Japan and China, students enter the melting pot of language and cultural immersion in a realistic context, extending language learning beyond the borders of the School, and communicating in new and sophisticated ways. The inherent diversity of our languages program is enhanced when we welcome overseas students into our school community.

‘Hosting a French billet was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had while at Girls Grammar. We had lots of fun going to the beach and showing her around the city. It was interesting to talk about the differences in our cultures and where we lived. We were constantly comparing our daily routines and school life.’ Tomris Ercan (11H) Overseas students visit Girls Grammar, and seek to align their linguistic and cultural knowledge of Australian English. These experiences are profoundly challenging, but benefit the determined learner incalculably. Recently, students from Girls Grammar hosted visiting students from our French Affiliate School, Lycée St Paul, Angoulême. Staff and students had a wonderful time learning about each other and another corner of the world.

REFERENCES Suzuki, D., Mayorga, E. (2014). Scholar-activism: A twice told tale. Multicultural Perspectives, 16( 1), 16–20.

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INTO THE BLUE: SWIMMING AT GIRLS GRAMMAR

AUTHOR Miss Ellena Papas Dean of Co-curriculum

The atmosphere at Girls Grammar swimming events will never cease to amaze and inspire me— anticipation hangs in the air with the faint smell of chlorine, and it’s nearly impossible to avoid getting caught up in the excitement of impressive physical feats and the unstoppable team spirit of the girls. Throughout the 2017/18 Swimming Season, we celebrated not only the exceptional performances of students at the Interhouse Swimming Carnival and individual meets, but also the 110th anniversary of the Queensland Girls Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA). The School’s Interhouse Swimming Carnival was held on Friday 23 February at Chandler Aquatic Centre. Competition was fierce, and the mood in the stadium was one of a united front; girls encouraged each other to give their best, celebrated successes, and commiserated over results that did not go their way.

Sophia Rothwell (9G) and Lauren Spiller (9B) after their 50m Freestyle race

It is this sense of camaraderie—encapsulated in myriad ways at the School, including in the 2018 School motto, Add your slice —that I am privileged to witness every day at Girls Grammar. Many Grammar girls have represented the School in QGSSSA Swimming during the past 110 years, and 2018 was no exception; 71 girls competed in this event, held on Wednesday 7 March. The School placed third overall in the Mollie Gould Championship Cup and second in the Senior Brockway Relay Cup. Two swimmers also enjoyed significant individual success: Claudia Kelso (7L) set a new record in the 12 Years and Under 50m Freestyle, and Niamh Bedggood (8O) became the new record-holder in the 13 Years 50m Breaststroke.

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This event was preceded, as always, by the first Blue Day of 2018. Blue Days—a long-standing tradition at the School—are celebrated prior to major sporting events, and provide all students the opportunity to demonstrate their support for those girls representing the School. This particular Blue Day featured a ‘Blue Hawaii’ theme, and girls and staff alike added ‘a touch of blue’ to their attire. In the midst of School competitions, three Year 11 and 12 students—Catherine McLeod (12E), Eliza King (12E) and Ela Noble (11M)—competed in the Australian Swimming Trials to attempt to secure a place in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. They were joined by, and drew inspiration from alumna, Minna Atherton (2017), who since graduating from Girls Grammar has been awarded the prestigious Georgina Hope Rinehart Swimming Excellence Scholarship to study at Bond University. A Dual Junior World Record Holder (2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships), Minna secured a place on the Australian Swimming Team.

Catherine, Ela and Eliza faced tough competition, and while they did not compete at the Games, what an extraordinary opportunity to have been afforded; the chance to swim among Australia’s best is an experience they will certainly remember. The School’s motto holds true in all that we do: Nil Sine Labore . Our swimmers will have spent countless hours training in the pool to represent their School, state and country. We are so proud, always, of their achievements, and congratulate all girls who have participated in the 2017/18 Swimming season at Girls Grammar.

QGSSSA CELEBRATES 110 YEARS This year is the 110th anniversary of the Queensland Girls Secondary Schools Sports Association, of which Brisbane Girls Grammar School is a founding member. The spirit of QGSSSA, which encompasses and balances performance, participation, tradition and innovation, has been passed down through the decades and is as strong today as it was in its foundation year.

Ela Noble (11M), Catherine McLeod (12E) and Eliza King (12E)

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GAZETTE GALLERY

As part of an exemplary broad, liberal education, the Visual Art program at Brisbane Girls Grammar School provides girls with the opportunity not only to master creative skills, but to collaborate, think strategically and imaginatively, and engage with the philosophical underpinnings of the discipline. Students in Years 7 to 10 work with their Visual Art teachers to build technical skills that will allow them to develop their own creative styles and interests, and explore more unconventional, experimental art forms as they mature. During Years 11 and 12, Girls Grammar students are given more opportunities to choose and interpret their subject matter, resulting in works that are more diverse in form and concept. This edition of the Gazette Gallery showcases work that current students created throughout 2017. We look forward to the growth these students will make as they continue their learning throughout the year.

Home, Abigail Martin (11O)

Then as Now (Detail), Eleanor Williams (10R)

Yellow. Brick. Road. Angelina Hsu (9W)

Lost Lunch, Lucinda Horton (8H)

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Futuristic Apocalyptic Body Adornment, Francesca Lenti (10E)

Mask, Emma-Rose Neil (7M)

Stretching Boundaries, Clare Gordon (11E)

Creature, Alexandra Diakogiannis (7G)

Character and Setting, Joanna Hyslop (8O)

Curiosity, Lola Thew (9R)

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A FRENCHMAN, AN ENGLISHWOMAN, AND AN AMERICAN WALK INTO AN ESSAY . . .

Conversation is vital to English. I don’t only mean those between teacher and student, and student and student. I mean also that English—by studying texts that others have written and studied—allows us to get into conversations that span centuries, cultures and traditions. English is all about listening, considering, pulling apart and eventually making our own contributions. The fact that we might be listening to a 17th century poet rather than a 2018 politician is immaterial. We take in what is said, prise apart its workings, weigh it up and then respond to it. I am all too aware that quite often in adult conversations the responding regrettably happens before any of those other processes, but school is the place for lofty goals, even and especially if parliament and Twitter don’t live up to them. Let me show you what this conversational training looks like. In spatial terms, it looks like arriving at ‘my’ classroom to find that the Year 10 Literature girls have been having another ‘dinner table’ lesson, and have quite literally pushed the desks into a dining configuration to better facilitate their discussion of a meaty issue from Fahrenheit 451 . It also looks like my other classroom, the School’s main boardroom, where English Extension lessons have taken on a schmancy and vibrantly discursive flavour. The ‘Extensioners’ share the boardroom table not only with each other, but with literary and political theorists from the past two centuries. With a bit of practice, the girls learn to converse with the most significant thinkers of this and the past century: ‘Well I agree with you to a point,

AUTHOR Mr Stephen Woods Director of English

What better way, I thought to myself, to lead into an essay on the centrality of conversation to the learning and teaching of English, than to stage—via the twin magics of the Internet, and cut and paste— a conversation between three notables, talking in their own words about the importance of conversation: ‘The most fruitful and natural exercise for our minds is, in my opinion, conversation,’ intoned Michel de Montaigne with all the gravitas that having been a noted philosopher for four hundred years confers. Jane Austen registered her agreement by show-offily quoting from one of her own characters, ‘My idea of good company, [M. de Montaigne], is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company’. Having listened intently to his sage interlocutors, Truman Capote added sardonically, ‘That’s why there are so few good conversations: due to scarcity, two intelligent talkers seldom meet’.

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Year 8 English students discuss a text.

texts to use—women’s agency in Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice and the excellent recent film adaptation of Brooklyn ? Haves and Have Nots in The Great Gatsby and the thought-provoking documentary Park Avenue ? What it is to be post-human in Never Let Me Go and Bladerunner ? The second unit is even more obviously designed to place students in the conversational fold. They will produce persuasive speeches arising from their studies of the media’s treatment of topical, global issues. This very deliberate focus on conversation is—in the broadest sense—a rite of passage. It is an invitation to our girls to make the transition from the kids’ table to the grown-ups’. They do it well, and we in the English Faculty are confident that Girls Grammar’s young women will head out into the world with alacrity, ready to address the scarcity problem to which our friend Mr Capote so wittily and aptly referred.

Monsieur Lacan, but in terms of Bronte’s depiction of feminised madness, I align more closely with our friend Monsieur Foucault’s position. What do you think, Mme de Bueauvoir? Ms Butler?’. The process of migrating to the adults’ table starts early in our classes. Last year, Year 8 students got their conversational call-up by participating in a unit on refugees. They studied a wide range of texts relating to this most pressing and profound of global issues, and then produced their written or spoken text, in response to what they had found. Units and tasks like this one are vital not only to the girls’ development as informed and lucid contributors to the big conversation, but also to their sense of agency and empowerment, fully entitled to form, hold and present a viewpoint. I was privileged to be on the team that wrote the new English Syllabus that our current Year 10 students will be the first to complete in 2019 and 2020, and can report without breaching any Chatham House rules, that the notion of Queensland students participating in big conversations was central to our ruminations. The very first unit of Year 12 is called ‘Conversations about Concepts in Texts’ and the second is called ‘Conversations about Issues in Texts’. The former looks at a big idea that has been explored in two literary texts. Students analyse and reflect on these contributions to the big chat from their own 2020 points of view. We in the English Faculty are currently having our own conversations about which ideas and which

REFERENCES Montaigne, M. D., & Screech, M. A. (2004). The essays: a selection. London: Penguin. Austen, J., Kinsley, J., & Lynch, D. S. (2004). Persuasion. Oxford: Oxford University.

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THE HISTORY OF FOUNDATION DAY

RECOGNISING FOUNDATION DAY: THEN AND NOW

Brisbane Girls Grammar School first opened on 15 March 1875, with students attending classes in a double-storey brick house on George Street. As the first non-denominational girls’ school in Queensland, the establishment is not only an important date for students of the School, but also marks an historical turning point in the advancement of girls’ education in the state. Secondary schools did not exist in Queensland before 1864. In 1860, Queensland parliament passed the Grammar Schools Act . Grammar schools could now be established in any municipality where residents could raise £1000, and the Government would subsequently double any amount raised by subscribers. This process was seen as a way to promote the expansion of Secondary education at a time when the government itself was not in a position to support the provision of these schools. In the School’s early history, although it operated as an entirely separate School, Girls Grammar was still culturally entwined with Brisbane Grammar School (BGS), celebrating the BGS Foundation Day on 28 February, and awarding annual academic prizes at a joint ceremony. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that Mrs Judith Hancock, Principal from 1977 to 2001, established a dedicated celebration of Girls Grammar’s own foundation. Mrs Hancock valued upholding and creating traditions that would see the School continue to assert its identity, and established the annual Foundation Day Assembly which is held to this day, close to the School’s first date of classes (as the School’s calendar allows). For the past 13 years, the School has also celebrated this milestone with a cake-cutting ceremony, wishing the School a very ‘Happy Birthday’. Today, the Girls Grammar community recognises the importance of its gradual history of independence, and its students are proud to be part of a tradition of leadership in girls’ education.

On Saturday 13 March a simple advertisement which anticipated the new and unique development of a Secondary school for girls was placed in the Brisbane Courier . The process for enrolment was outlined. On 28 February, Girls Grammar staff and students celebrated the BGS Foundation Day, before Sir Charles Lilley, then Chief Justice of Queensland, laid the foundation stone for the new Girls Grammar School building. He also established the Lady Lilley Gold Medal for Academic Excellence in honour of his wife, Jane. Principal, Mrs Judith Hancock, resumed Foundation Day celebrations on the weekend closest to 15 March. Reunion events were combined with an address from the Principal. Foundation Day Assemblies were established by Principal, Ms Jacinda Euler, to be held in the weeks surrounding 15 March.

1875:

1883:

1994:

2015:

1927: Girls Grammar’s first independent Speech Day

1994: Foundation Day with Principal, Mrs Judith Hancock

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FOUNDATION DAY 2018: PRESSING FOR PROGRESS Sir Charles Lilley, foundation Trustee of Brisbane Grammar School from 1868, believed that girls deserved the same educational opportunities as their brothers. It was his influence which led to the opening of a girls’ branch of Brisbane Grammar School. But then I look out at all of you today and I am buoyed all over again, buoyed by your energy and your spirit, by your youth and your intelligence. You are empowered by the gift of your education. You will be an important part of this change, a change this is quickening, gathering an exhilarating new wave of momentum.

I believe that female education in this colony, indeed in every country in the world, has been seriously neglected. We know that so far as any real knowledge is concerned the great mass of women have been left in complete darkness … (Lilley, 1868) Although Charles Lilley’s vision was brought to fruition more than 143 years ago, and women in Australia have had the right to vote in Federal elections for more than 118 years, there are still marked imbalances in many areas of society—in the way that women are portrayed in the media; in the pay gap in the arts and other industries; in representation in the boardroom, in scientific research and in politics. In 2018, the School’s Foundation Day was celebrated close to International Women’s Day, offering the opportunity to reflect on the School’s history in the context of the International Women’s Day theme, #PressforProgress. As Principal, Ms Jacinda Euler, remarked in her Foundation Day Assembly speech, the push for women’s equality needs to remain strong if women are to attain the same opportunities as men. There has been progress, but it is slow. Too slow. We are hopeful that the rate of change is accelerating, that pressure is mounting, that we are a step closer to equality. Of course, things are still woefully imbalanced.

In 2018 the Girls Grammar Service Captains will lead the school in supporting the Smith Family, a local charity, and the Malala Fund, an international organisation, both of which help children to access education. The Smith Family provides learning support and mentoring programs to help children affected by poverty to fit in at school, keep up with their peers and build their aspirations. The Malala Fund works around the world to ensure every girl can learn and lead without fear, focusing on empowering girls in disadvantaged countries to gain 12 years of free, safe, quality education. Through service, Girls Grammar students have the chance to harness the benefits that they have gained from education to empower other girls around the world.

Annabelle Hill (9B) and Eva Mei (9B) at Foundation Day celebrations

Head Girls Harper McIlroy (12W) and Annabel Ryan (12E) with Principal, Ms Jacinda Euler, at 2018 Foundation Day celebrations

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO SOLVE HUMAN PROBLEMS

In keeping with Girls Grammar’s commitment to deep learning, the Technologies Faculty has embedded not only practical business skills, but foundational, widely applicable skills such as problem-solving and Human- Centred Design into its curriculum for the past five years. In Year 10, for example, students respond to open-ended design briefs to collaborate on an enterprising project of their own. Students research market competitors, survey target audiences, develop branding, look into marketing strategies and then launch their product or service. In Year 11, every student designs and develops an authentic website for a real client. The girls manage the entire project—from setting up a live domain, to negotiating design and development procedures and client sign-off, culminating in the launch of the new site. In all of these exercises, the goal is not creating a business, but solving a real, tangible problem. Students take a Human-Centred Design approach to solve this problem with either a physical or digital product; the commercialisation of the product is secondary. In the new curriculum to be introduced in 2019, students will have even more options to develop these skills, through two new senior subjects that focus on design for human solutions: Design and Digital Solutions . Projects include ‘Redesigning Home Life’, where students must recognise an aspect of their daily lives that could be improved through a more efficient, useable process or product. This is increasingly valuable, as our students will need to respond to technological, physical and societal problems that we cannot predict. As our girls graduate from High School not only will they have knowledge and training in solving digital and social problems, but also practical experience.

AUTHOR Mr Brendon Thomas Director of Technologies

Innovation and entrepreneurship have become a national priority for Australia in the past five years, with entrepreneurship named as a central focus for growth in the 2015 National Innovation and Science Agenda. In a report as the Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb AC, said that the nation’s education institutions needed to be drivers of change in becoming a more entrepreneurial nation: ‘We need to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset at every level of education—starting in schools, continuing in higher study and enduring throughout working lives’ (Chubb, 2015). Entrepreneurship is not a directly teachable skill, however. It must be cultivated via foundational skills— problem solving, creativity, logic and resilience. Schools have responded to the challenge by following the curriculum with embedded skills and approaches that are required for innovation and entrepreneurship, but also by adapting classroom interactions to encourage lateral and design thinking. They have also partnered with local companies and incubators to offer students even more opportunities to use their entrepreneurial skills. Over the course of a 10-week period, girls with business ambitions join with Brisbane Grammar School students in the Student Entrepreneur Program. The current program started in 2017 and builds on the ‘Bridge Building’ business program that the School has coordinated in conjunction with BGS. Students form collaborative groups and work with mentors from Brisbane co-working space and startup accelerator, River City Labs, who provide guidance in areas such as problem identification, ideation and market testing. The experience allows students to explore the potential of a real idea, creating differentiation strategies, marketing plans and prototypes before pitching their idea to an audience of their peers, families and members of the entrepreneurial community. The pitches are judged by a panel comprising Founder of River City Labs, Mr Steve Baxter, representatives from STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM

Students in Year 10 Digital and Design Technologies visiting Perfect Potion, a Brisbane-based eco-friendly enterprise.

REFERENCES Australian Government, Australia’s Chief Scientist. (2015, October 30). Boosting high-impact entrepreneurship in Australia: A role for universities [Report]. Retrieved from http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2015/10/new- report-boosting-high-impact-entrepreneurship-inaustralia/ Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia. (2015, December 7). National innovation and science agenda [Media release]. Retrieved from https:// www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/nationalinnovation-and-science-agenda Report: Boosting high-impact entrepreneurship in australia | Australia’s Chief Scientist. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2015/10/ new-report-boosting-high-impact-entrepreneurship-in-australia/

Brisbane Girls Grammar School and Brisbane Grammar School, and successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.

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Brisbane Girls Grammar School’s approach to a broad, liberal education sees our students and staff excel across myriad areas of study, career and community. The School extends very warm congratulations to the following individuals whose extraordinary efforts in a wide variety of pursuits have recently been recognised by various independent agencies. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Year 8 student, Tiffany Yeo (8E), wrote an original composition titled ‘Love and Peace’ which won the 2017 Australian Society of Music Educators Young Composers Competition (Middle School), and was performed by the combined Chamber Strings and Vivaldi Strings at Girls Grammar’s International Women’s Day Concert on 8 March 2018.

Sisters and current students, Bridgette Watkins (10R) and Sophie Watkins (11R), recently represented Australia at the World Chess Championships, held in Tbilisi, Georgia in September 2017. Sophie was also recently awarded ‘best female player’ at the Doeberl Cup, one of Australia’s most prestigious chess tournaments.

Minna Atherton (2017) was selected to represent Australia in the Commonwealth Games Swim Team. The backstroke swimmer raced in the 50m backstroke event. Minna has also been awarded the prestigious Georgina Hope Rinehart Swimming Excellence Scholarship to study at Bond University.

Josie Dooley (2017) has been selected to represent Australia in the Under-19 Women’s Cricket Team during their upcoming tour of South Africa. Josie, who made her Women’s National Cricket League debut for the Queensland Fire earlier this year, also competed in the Governor-General’s XI against England during the Women’s Ashes series over the summer season.

Mia Williams (11R) and past students, Chloe Williams (2017) and Eliza Smyth (2015), achieved third in the highly competitive Senior Synchronised Ice Skating event at the 2017 Australian Figure Skating Championships in December 2017. Chloe and Mia also competed in the Junior Division and were awarded fourth place.

Former rowing captains, Caitlin Hockings (2014) and Madeleine Williams (2016), received 2017 Blues Awards from The University of Queensland, in recognition of their outstanding sporting achievements throughout the year.

Manuri Gunawardena (2010) recently won the inaugural Australian TechCrunch Startup Battlefield for her app that matches patients to clinical trials that are relevant to their medical needs.

AUTUMN ISSUE / 2018