Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2006

In 2005 the School recognised three staff members who have made a special and significant contribution to the School. The recipients were nominated and selected by their colleagues. Staff Profiles

When I arrived at Brisbane Girls Grammar, it was a much smaller institution. There was only one staff room with four enormous tables where we each had a small work space. There was one tele phone for the entire staff, which the new young teachers were expected to answer. In 2006 the School has twice the number of students and the number of staff has also increased. Curriculum has developed to keep pace with changing times and we have embraced technology. There are many well appointed staffrooms and each teacher has a PC with internet access. My focus and great passion over the years has been teaching English. With differing demands the approach to the subject has changed, to encompass texts that go beyond the written word. My love of traditional poetry is, never- the-less, undimmed. The School’s continuing recognition of the value of reading and the acknowledgement of the wonderful world of imagination and knowledge that reading reveals is something I also treasure. Another area dear to my heart is Pastoral Care. Over the years I have been a Level Supervisor of Year 8 and Year 10, holding the latter position pre-computer so all results of all the Junior Certificate candidates were laboriously recorded on charts in red biro dots, placed there by my own hand. There was a restructuring of the Pastoral Care Programme in 1991 and I was appointed Head of England House, a position I held for fourteen years. To care for, nurture and guide the girls of my House was a wonderful experience. I cherished the privilege of watching the wide-eyed Year 8s gradually metamorphose, not always avoiding the hazards on the way, into confident young women of integrity.

In 2005 I thought I would step aside as Head of House to give a younger member of staff the opportunity to hold this position while I became Pastoral Care Mentor. On a less formal footing I was able to pursue my love of crime fiction when, together with a member of the Science Faculty I constructed murder scenarios for the Year 10 forensic studies unit. We would get together one evening and after much laughter a murder mystery would emerge. My colleague provided the scientific fact and I wove the story. I have really enjoyed my thirty or so years at the School. It has not always been easy but it has never been dull. Most of the best stories cannot be put to print for reasons of tact but I assure you there has been much to laugh about. Despite all the changes I have seen there is much in this great School that remains the same and these are important things. This School has always encouraged Grammar girls to set themselves high standards and to be strong and resilient in their endeavour to realise their potential. The staff has always been superb, highly professional, dedicated and supportive. The girls have always been interesting, challenging, unpredictable and fun to teach. I shall miss both staff and students. To all who are now involved in the School, and to those who will become involved in the future I urge you to cherish it as something special, and to give to it in time and effort as it has given us all so much.

Ms Hennessey says “After twenty-four years of teaching I remain enthusiastic and committed to the classroom and students as well as the professional development of History teachers. A maxim which continues to guide my approach to teaching is ‘If you want to be a good teacher think the scholar’s thoughts.’”

As a student at Queensland University I was always impressed by the Grammar girls I met. I was a shy, country girl who longed to feel at ease but lacked the confidence to assert herself. The former Grammar students seemed so sophisticated, so sure of themselves and so confident in their abilities and I longed to be like them. Eventually I did the next best thing and joined the staff in 1974. Ms Forster reflects on her career and experiences at Girls Grammar. After thirty years of teaching Grammar girls Ms Helen Forster will retire at the end of Term II. She has made a significant contribution to both the English Faculty and Pastoral Care Programme. Reflections

Ms Julie Hennessey Head of History Award for Excellence in Education. This award is for an academic staff member who has displayed consistent and dedicated service to teaching and learning in the School. Ms Hennessey came to Brisbane Girls Grammar in 1993 after ten years with the Queensland Education Department. She is viewed as the consummate teacher by her colleagues. Her constant re-evaluation of content, tasks and resource provision have developed a curriculum that is relevant to and challenging for each student. Her commitment to the excellence and the power of her subject area to build social responsibility is evident. As the ultimate professional, she is a mentor for new staff and a positive role model. In 1997 Ms Hennessey was promoted to the position of Head of the Social and Environmental Studies Faculty and Head of History. After four years in this dual role, she relinquished the Head of Faculty position to concentrate on the History curriculum. Ms Hennessey has contributed to three senior history text books, Inquiry I and 2 (1996), and Global Voices (2005) and remains an active member of the Queensland History Teachers’ Association since joining the executive in 1986.

Ms Gillian McHarg Executive Administration Assistant, Administrative Support Centre Award for Outstanding Contribution to the School. This award was for either an academic or general staff member who has made a sustained and significant contribution to the provision of educational services in the School. “My responsibilities are to assist staff, support groups and students, with copy and print work. I really enjoy the variety of jobs I am asked to assist with. No job is too big or too small and no request is too strange. It’s really pleasing to see the elation and excitement of staff with new ideas and then to watch these ideas transform into something useful they are able to share with the students. The School has such a great sense of community which makes it rewarding not just for the students but also the staff.” says Ms McHarg. Ms McHarg joined the School in 1991 and has held various positions including Receptionist, Enrolments Secretary, Administration Officer and

Mr Greg Bland Teacher of Mathematics Award for Professional Practice by a Recent Graduate in Teaching. This award recognises exemplary development in teaching practice and enthusiastic contribution to the wider life of the School by a recent graduate. In 2001 Mr Bland was appointed as a mathematics teacher at Brisbane Girls Grammar, having graduated the previous year. Mr Bland is held in high esteem by his colleagues and students and is Vice President of the Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers. “I have been involved in planning conferences and editing journal submissions from my colleagues around the country. I am also incredibly fortunate to be part of a supportive, experienced and knowledgeable team in the Mathematics Faculty” says Mr Bland.

The Learning Innovation Group of 2005.

The outstanding success of this Professional Development initiative emerging from the partnership between Brisbane Girls Grammar and the Queensland University of Technology signed in 2005 has prompted the sponsorship of another group of staff for 2006 through the Centre for Professional Practice the group operates as a collaborative professional team focusing on the further development of Pre-service Teacher Education within the School, current developments in educational practice in general and individual professional interests. Participants may choose to extend this personal interest into achieving credits towards a higher degree in Education. Back Row: P. Holley, P. Murphy, P. Greig, G. Bland, D. Pincott Middle Row: M. Sullivan, K. Cooke, L. Arici, N. Robbins, A. Carmichael Front Row: R. Laur, A. Burton (QUT, Facilitator), E. Serisier, P. Rhodes, G. Palmer (QUT Facilitator.)

Secretary to the Deputy Principal before taking up her role in the Administrative Support Centre.

Over the last five years Mr Bland has enjoyed coaching cricket and basketball teams.

The Learning Innovation Group

08 grammar gazette : may 2006

grammar gazette : may 2006 09