Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2019

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL

of a broad, liberal education. We are firm believers in the importance of a holistic environment—where there is rigour in learning, depth in the acquirement of knowledge and ever-increasing sophistication in the development of girls’ ability to think critically, creatively and collaboratively. To deliver this goal, we must constantly reflect upon and assess our teaching, our facilities and our approaches to caring for students. Ambitious projects, within schools or the wider world, are tangible representations of our commitment to the future. They reflect the yearning for knowledge beyond ourselves, the desire to learn and know that is central to our humanity. It is this quest for knowledge that underpins the School’s commitment to delivering a new Science Learning Centre in 2021. Girls Grammar students maintain an inherent aptitude for, and interest in, Science. Contemporary laboratories and classrooms are essential to nurturing this interest, and to spark curiosity in the minds of Grammar girls. The new Science Learning Centre will transform Science education at Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Though its myriad benefits to students are as detailed and complex as the work they will undertake, the impact of this building is simple: it will enable staff and students to explore, experiment and more effectively utilise modern methods of teaching and learning. With a well-founded enthusiasm for enquiry and life-long learning, we seek to prepare Grammar girls for tertiary study and the world of work beyond that, but also to pursue meaningful lives and maintain an open-minded outlook. I hope that you enjoy reading more about the new building on page four, and look forward to learning more about this exciting project and our commitment to inspiring curiosity and wonder in learning.

AUTHOR Ms Jacinda Euler Principal

Since the dawn of time, humans have longed to predict the future. Certainly, a degree of educated anticipation has always been necessary, however, in the modern world, attempting to know the future has become a seemingly empirical exercise. As a society, we obsess with mapping and monitoring trends to predict economic peaks and troughs, political situations, climate fluctuations, and of course, changes in the job market. As educators, our awareness of the future is constant— indeed, in every interaction with students, teachers help shape the future by supporting girls to attain the skills, knowledge and confidence that we anticipate will be useful in their lives beyond school. At the forefront of the minds of educators, policy-makers and businesses is the role of the ubiquitous disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. With their focus on rational enquiry, experimental study and critical thinking, there is no doubt that these disciplines will form an essential foundation for careers in a future that, by all predictions, will be increasingly complex. The School is aware, however, that there is more to a Girls Grammar education than preparing a ‘workforce for the new economy’ and we proudly defend the proven value

AUTUMN ISSUE / 2019