Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2005

Brisbane Girls Grammaf School

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THE AFFILIAT SCHOO ' RO RAMME ITZE ND FO Y'T I. CE S FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVERS IN USA 205USSP C C, P

30yeaFS 1875-2005

^ GRAMMAR GAZETTE SPRING 2005 EDITION

From the School Leaders From the Principal Inational Experiences Affiliate Sthool Programme IntelnaliOnal Connections

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^ FROM THE SCHOOL LEADERS

LETTERS

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I am writing o express my appreciation for Mr Seaha and to tell you what a wonderful idea I think it is for old girls to be able to go back and see r seaha Tertiary Programmes and Careers Advisor in his professional capacity. 8665 provides an amazing support for its girls, it is fantastic to know that this support net ork can extend beyond the end of scho I life tillian Goldsmith (2002) Geol in a Horsbur h) and was very taken with th word both young women h v written. it may be of interest to today's student that those of us who attended nearly 30 years go certainly developed the same Iew - e can only assume that rammar h that ffect on all who are educated there. (Note: Head Girls mes age is available from WWW. bgg .qld. edu. au) neigh Hillman (1977) I would also like to co ratul t you on naming the room in hidi th in au ural Head Girls ) Dinner as held the Annie ackay Room . It's a wonderful way to honour one of the School community's I recently read the message of the School Leaders (Lydia Elsworthy and 'ancestors , particularly Dr Dale Spender says that women have so to spaces, symbols and traditions of their own. Iulie Dickinson (Head Girl 1970) Since joining the Alumni Online site I have been in touch with a terrific Iriend not heard from for 12 years and have told two others to join. on derful idea - brings much happiness to many. (Alumni Online is a secure site exclusively f r p I tud nts of Girls Grammar visit WWW. bggs. qld. edu. au/alumni) Erica Silwood (1987)

He Ien Keller once remarked that the highest result of education is tolerance We are fortunate that we have so many opportunities to reach out, to enrich ourselves and others, to celebrate life's exciting diversity, by extending our knowledge and understanding beyond our classroom doors. We not only work in our local communities but we are provided with experiences that either take us beyond our shores or bring to us people from different places and cultures. Our international experiences enjoyed though our Affiliate Schools Programme and the involvement of members of the School in enterprises such as international Young Physicists' Tournament and Future Problem Solving, provide us with opportunities to expand our minds as well as open them 10hn Hope Franklin said that we must get beyond textbooks, 90 out Ihto the bypaths Grid untrodden depths of the

Every year, the student leadership conceives a vision and develops strategies for making it a reality. This year was 00 exception with the resolve that, in 2005, we would 'Be the Difference' as each girl was encouraged to aim at achieving her personal goals while contributing to the fuller life of the School In first semester, we focussed on friendship, dealing with criticism and pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones, while the second part of the year concentrated on putting these principles into practice and enabling the entire School to 'Be the Difference' through the revival of the long dormant Student Representative Council. We are confident that this assembly can, by effective Iy representing every level of the School, further develop the unique dynamic of imagination, enthusiasm and carnaladerie which is the collective spirit of Girls Grammar As always, 2005 has been a year of outstanding achievement in every facet of school life as individuals and groups pushed their boundaries to the limit but the real achievement, what has really 'made the difference', has been that camaraderie of collective experience, that strength of unity of spirit, that sense of mutual support

wilderness ond travel and explore ond tell the world the glories of our/oumey We are indeed fortunate that Girls Grammar provides us with such opportunities

bydia Elsworthy and eeorgina Horsburgh

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Head Gills with some of their fellow Student Executive

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ROM THE PRINCIPAL

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This is not an ambitious

statement for a School such as

ours, firmly set in a global context

where distance and time barriers

have been negated by new and

easily accessible technologies.

Opportunities are created constantly for our students and teachers to engage in exciting programmes overseas ranging from individual and team competitions to conferences and exchanges Linked to this international focus is our willingness to experience other places and learn about their cultures. Values education is a core component of the federal government's reforms for schooling and also underpins the academic, pastoral and co- curricular programmes at Girls Grammar. Some of the key values identified in a 2003 federal study include: care and compassion; freedom; honesty and trustworthiness; integrity; respect; responsibility; tolerance and inclusion While a school must work in partnership with the home to ensure a common approach is taken to these values, when raising and educating young people, a school can go a long way in consolidating these values through its curriculum and co- curriculum. History and English traditionally explore issues of conflict, race, resolution and human adversity through different viewpoints, debate and research. it is imperative that schools maintain their ability to engage students in dialogue about contemporary world matters to broaden their understanding of cultures and promote respect for difference. In the past twelve months, students from Girls Grammar have travelled to peru to undertake service activities,

Ms Bell with (L) Mi HITayarna, Principal, and (R) Mr HITayama, Chairman from Seijinkan High School, Hiiayamn Educational Foundation

economic planning. The cynical view according to Dr Spring is one where education becomes a global competition with universities mobilising brain power and students becoming a resource to complement a political vision. if a government can control what is taught and how teachers deliver content, it can then control future labour markets. Applying a business model to education and benchmarking teaching may only prove to stifle creativity and innovation. Creating a truly global workforce will only help to destabilise families further and apply more pressure on schools to provide a stable and dependable environment for our young people. While a focus on international tolerance, culture and context will enrich the learning experience for our young women, adherence to a global knowledge-based economy may in fact act against the richness of diversity and experience. This School will always endeavour to remain true to our core intent, regardless of external trends, and provide the best educational platform possible for our students to contribute confidently to their world with wisdom, imagination and integrity. Ms Arianda Bell I Resdesigning Pedagogy: research, policy, practice; Singapore 30 May - I Iune, 2005

competed in competitions in Switzerland and the United States and welcomed students from our Affiliate schools in Germany, France, lapan and China. in addition teachers have travelled to the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Singapore to attend international conferences on current research in education. The richness and diversity of these types of programmes ensure that as a School we remain cognisant of new theories, different cultures, attitudes, developments and opportunities, thereby ensuring our exposure to other opinions and remaining current with new ideas. Dr joel Spring spoke at a recent conference' about global educational policy and how it is being influenced unduly by the pursuit of knowledge based economies. While traditional knowledge is seen as important to preserve and document, knowledge development based in new technologies is in danger of producing stratified societies. Youth culture is organising itself around brand names and developing a constant dissatisfaction with high tech consumer products - always seeking the latest model and the newest features. Education and teaching institutions are being caughtup in the hype and becoming an integral part of government

grammargazette 03

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES

, ysi studentsgain from in ern . ti. nalexperience

The 20051nternational Young Physicists' Tournament was the opportunity o a lifetime for Year I2 Grammar girl Hilary Martin and her team mates. The five Queensland students were selected to represent Australia in Switzerland against teams from 23 other countries.

It was a fantastic trip and I can definitely say that IYPT has been the most exciting and rewarding activity I've been involved in at Brisbane Girls Grammar School.

incredible fun and hard work. Although only one team member can speak at once, the others were continually occupied passing notes with instructions or questions about the physics. I am pleased to say that in the initial rounds we defeated all of our opponents, including Croatia, Sweden, New Zealand, Kenya and the United States of America Although we made a huge leap from 10th to 4th place in Round 3, our points weren't quite high enough to pull us into the final and we missed selection by only 0.1 points - the smallest margin possible. We finished in 4th place and were awarded a joint third prize, while Germany, Belarus and America went on to the final.

The IYPT requires each team of students to do research and experiments into seventeen open-ended physics problems. This year, the problems ranged from investigating how avalanches happen to the mechanics of dragonfly flight. The competition itself takes the form of a series of "fights" between three teams as to the best solution to a particular problem. The tournament took place in Winterthur, a town in northern Switzerland, which was chosen as host partly due to its excellent science centre, the Technorama, where 150 Physics "nerds" were let loose for a blissful few hours one afternoon. The competition turned out to be After qua ifying at the National Championships, the team of four Year II students - Elizabeth For rest, E!izabeth Moule, lien-Li Tan a d Alexandra Price flew out from Brisbane en route to the USA to compete at the Future Problem Solving internationa Conference at Kentucky University.

"ilary Martin

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The competition was in the familiar FPS format of a two-hour booklet, written on the well-researched topic of Business Crime, followed by a skit presentation of the girls' Action Plan. While waiting for the booklets to be evaluated, there were some social obligations: a swap-meet' with a thousand other students and a dance to go to. And, of course, a visit to Lexington would not be complete without a visit to a horse stud where 'Smarty lones' was on his best behaviour. At the awards ceremony the girls learned that they had come 12th out of a field of 79 other teams in their division; a creditable achievement. The last stop was a visit to New York, which after the gracious, southern charm of Lexington was frenetic, noisy and exciting.

The first stop was in Los Angeles for an introduct'on to the American way of life The next day it was on to Cincinnati and finally Lexington. Here the girls enjoyed a 'homestay' with an American family whose hospitality was as warm and broad as their southern accents. A BBQ with other international students, a visit to the Taco Den, a Ball Game and the Mall all successfully helped to make the girls feel welcome. The serious business came next and for this we moved into the University

Mrs Anne Stubbing on and Mrs Vim Sharma, uture Problem solving Co. ordinators

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INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES

winning a rg uineint . .

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In the Iune/Iuly holidays, thirty-six Brisbane Girls Grammar School students from Years 10, 11 and 12 embarked on the 2005 Us Space Trip, accompanied by staff members Dr Stephens, Mrs Arici and Ms Monteith.

With unprecedented success in the Queensland Debating Union Competition, Brisbane Girls Grammar School has been named Champion School for 2005. it has been a fantastic result 101 the School with nine of our thiiteen teams reaching the finals The School also enjoyed outstanding success when Lauren Humphieys, Debating Captain, and Shona Wills weie seiecied in the Queensland Schools State Team to contest the National Debating Competition - Lauren as third speaker and Shona as a reserve The Queensland leant went on 10 win the Nailonal Competition after a series o1 hard-fought debates. Lauren was selected in the Australian Schools Debating Team and has been deciai'ed the best third speaker in the scliools' competition

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The girls started the trip by spending a week attending Space Camp at the us Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, A1abama. They were separated into two groups: Aviation Challenge and Advanced Space Academy. Within these groups, the girls participated in a variety of team activities and competitions; used challenging technology such as flight and rocket launching simulators; learned about space history and developed many useful skills. At the graduation ceremony, Brisbane Girls Grammar School students featured heavily in the team awards that were presented and Natalie Davies was even awarded the coveted Aviation Challenge "Right Stuff" award, which was basically for the best and fairest student in the Camp. Some other highlights of the nineteen day trip included seeing the Hollywood sign and the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles; visiting the Kennedy Space Centre, EPCot Centre, Magic Kingdom and Planet

Hollywood in Orlando; seeing the White House and Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington; and Fisherman's Wharf, A1catraz, a cable car ride and lots of shopping in San Francisco Upon returning home, all students agreed that they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves and learned a lot from their experiences at Space Camp and touring the united states

Lauren will compete In the World Debating Championships

Mrs Colleen Sinee, Debating Co. oldinator

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Mrs Lillian Arici and Ms Tracey Monteith

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SPACE

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2005

The Queensland Schools Slate Team

gramma gazette 05

> INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATE SCHOOL PROGRAMME

Visiting students from Shanghai N'3 Girls High School with host 51st

. international relationships

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Between the Administration and the Science buildings,

in the late 1970s, this Programme began with the signing of a friendship agreement between the then Principal, Mrs Iudith Hancock and Mr Tetsui Hirayama, owner and founder of the Hirayama Gakuen Tsushima Girls High School in lapan. So began more than twenty-five years of contact and exchanges between our two Schools. On the occasion of the 10th Anniversary in 1988 of our sister school relationship, Mr Hirayama sent a contingent of his private gardeners to build a lapanese garden in our School grounds in thanks for our contribution to the Programme in the early 1990s with changing demographics in lapan, Tsushima Girls High became co-educational and is, as we now know it, Seirinkan High School Since the Programme began, we count six Schools overseas as our Affilate School partners: The Cheltenham Ladies College in England, Lycee Saint Paul in France, Maria-Wachtler Gymnasium in Germany, Shanghai N0 3 Girls High School in the People's Republic of China and, in lapan, Mie junior High and Mie Senior High as well as Seirinkan High School

you might walk past a small garden with a PIaque that speaks of the history of the International Affiliate School Programme of Brisbane Girls Grammar School.

The other side of the Affiliate School Programme is the visits that our students make to our International Affiliate Schools, also mostly short term but a rich experience in language and the culture that offers insights into other ways of thinking and viewing the world. Many lifetime friendships have been founded between host families and host sisters across the world. The challenges and rewards of the Programme are ongoing as it continues to play an essential part of the education that Brisbane Girls Grammar School offers in preparing our students to be citizens of the world

As our oldest partner in our Affiliate School Programme, Seirinkan High continues to Send students every Year both long term and short term. Most of our short term visits happen in Iuly-August and this Year we welcomed twenty-eight students from lapan, China and Germany for stays of ten days to six weeks. Our French Affiliate School has more recently been visiting in February when they can escape their cold European winter to experience our hot summer During these visits the students are hosted in Grammar families to maximise their linguistic and cultural experience and to contribute another dimension to the lives of our School community. The overseas visitors attend classes with their host sisters, enjoy excursions and activities organised for them and often help out in the language classes

Ms Lorraine Thornquist Director of International Studies

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E, INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS ka akoiwanami

yearl I exchangestudent

I am sixteen years old and in Year 11 now. I am from Nagoya in lapan. I am an eXchange student from Seirinkan High school. I came here in April this year and I will stay here for one Year.

second Sa urday. I am usually very tired, so I cannot 'oin any sports clubs. I love playing sport, so it 's a ad thing for me when I came into roll call on my first day I was so nervous and excited at the same time. I was worried about what would happen if I could not make any friends. At first I could not understand English very well but I just tried. I spoke to everyone and said "hi" as much as possible, and everyone was so nice to me. Now I have such good friends and they are crazy and funny all the time. What I want to is to be an Australian, a Grammar girl just like everyone else. My English is still not good enough, but I have almost got over the loneliness and I really enjoy the time with my friends.

not much self-study. it can be hard for he students because they have to think and decide what to do by themselves. BU I I'ke h's way ette because we can work more I eely and it is more interesting. Third y, we can choose sub'ec s here. In lapan we cannot choose our subjects, so I have to do poli ics even though I don't like it. I have found this School 's very international because we can learn a lot of languages here. in most apanese schools we can only Iea n English. Also I love the Australian jine table. There is a longer lunch time and morning tea, and I was very surprised at the time we go home. At my schoo we have essons till7 pm on Wednesdays and ridays, 5:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 pm on Mondays, and also we have school e ery hour days of rehearsals. This was vital preparation for our concert on the Saturday evening, and the early rehearsals and sectionals allowed us to interact with and appreciate the skills of the other musicians we played or sang alongside. The talent displayed by many of the participants was inspiration enough for us to apply ourselves to the challenging repertoire. we all learned, fairly quickly, that it would not do to disappoint the professional international musical directors who travelled to Melbourne to conduct this event! These were Mr 10hn Apeitos (Europe), Dr Anton Armstrong (USA) and Professor Paula Crider (USA). Under their tutelage we all noticed a marked improvement in our

Now that I have many friends,

I can make my way as a

Grammar girl.

I find that AUS re ian schools are very different from lapanese schools. First of all, in Ia an we do not have morning tea so I am alwa s hungry at school. I love morning tea but it gives me a big problem. .. I have put on 3 kilograms already! Secondly, the s uden s ere are more in dependen than lapanese studen s. In lapan we do 00 have assignments a d

Kanako Iwanami

international musical direction

abilities and confidence, but they a s provided us with many memories from an unforgettable five days This was an incredible experience for all those involved who braved the unseasonal cold weather to participate in an event with students from other schools and an exhilarating performance at the Melbourne Town Hall

Term in is a hectic period in the school calendar, but despite this, 25 girls travelled to Scotch College in Melbourne to attend the biennial Combined Schools

Music Festival. Elizabeth Cowley, Music Captain (Strings), reports.

An early highlight was the introduction to our billet families who would host us for the next five days. All the girls were appreciative of the efforts of these families who interrupted their regular schedules to give us a real taste of their home city in our limited free time Although many of our Grammar peers would be shocked, all the girls thoroughly enjoyed the two nine

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grammargazette 07

STAFF PROFILES

optimisingleaTFi!FloenVirOnments

Dr Farley's vision for

collaborative teaching and

learning experiences has

led to doctoral studies and

the opportunity to apply her

knowledge to the design of the

new Creative Learning Centre.

These led me to my thesis "An interpretive Inquiry into Factors Shaping the Transformation of a Secondary school towards a collaborative Culture of integration and Negotiation". it focussed on the identification of factors that would facilitate teacher collaboration for better learning experiences During the past ten years I have worked with a number of teachers to investigate innovative, collaborative projects. I used staff and student feedback and relevant literature to develop a concept for a Learning Centre of the Future. I envisaged students engaged in diverse tasks with simultaneous access to a range of learning resources and experiences. There would be individual choice, flexibility in delivery and spaces, negotiated and integrated evaluative experiences, collaboration, mentoring and a curriculum "framed" by "essential questions". In this ideal world boundaries, barriers and limitations would disappear You can imagine my excitement when I realised that one of the first challenges of my new role as Director of Technology and Learning was to move from the orising about such a Centre to the reality of an actual building - the creative Learning Centre. I am part of a team that has agonised over converting the empty spaces into welcoming places that encourage a flexible, creative, design based curriculum

The main focus of my Faculty 15 the Creative Technologies floor and we are seizing the opportunity to provide those essential elements which will provide the students with an environment that gives them every opportunity to think, dream and create. And what are the essential elements for such a learning environment? They begin with thought- provoking content that is relevant, engaging, open ended; design briefs that create opportunities and encourage rigorous research; recognition of possibilities, problem solving and decision making; skills that are transfersble across subjects, into university and future living Who would have known that those conversations with individual teachers all those years ago would have led me through over 100,000 words to a piece o paper and the realisation of a dream?

In my role as Resource and Learning Initiatives teacher, I frequently find myself in discussions with teachers that focus on creating the most optimal learning environment for individual students, classes and sometimes entire Year levels. Research and our personal experiences tell us that transition requires special attention. And what is secondary school about if not transition? our School is organised in faculties and yet we know that we teach many skills in common we recognise that learning throughout life is not compartment alised. To solve life's problems we need to mobilise the totality of our learning. This is why we are constantly concerned when our students don't appear to be able to transfer and apply skills learned in one subject to a problem posed in another subject Over the years we have trial led many initiatives designed to encourage an integrated approach to the development, reinforcement and transfer of skills

Dr Ann Farley Director of Technology and Learning

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^ STAFF PROFILES

Ms Salah BOYle Teacher of Modern History

Mr David Foreman Assistant Business Manager (Facilities) a Workplace, Health a Safety Officer

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Gi 15 rammar Thi 15 my Ir y .r a od. In His ory. as te er o Histor h b. .n a long held passion to in .n. I . .a .ti . t'o fro .. chi th. r i a fi. I. that I I

joining Brisbane Girls Grammar School in I 9991 am responsible for the management of the School's facilities and physical environment at both the Brisbane and Marrapatta Campuses. This encompasses grounds and gardens, cleaning, repairs and maintenance, room set-ups, facility hiring and security. The Facilities Office also handles most of the purchasing within the School and the associated Stores functions - not forgetting the challenges o1 lost property or wild life removal! Prior 10 joining the School I worked in the construction industry with many years in the role o1 Project Manager specialis ing in the lit-out and refurbishment areas. My expertise and experience in this area has certainly been o1 assistance with the many and varied facets o1 my current day to day activities I have managed many o1 the School's building projects the major ones being the Main Building refurbishment, the Library expansion and associated renovations, the refurbishment of the Science Laboratories and the inclusion o1 air-conditioning in all teaching areas within the School. Recently I have been involved in the development of the School's Master Plan, an ambitious building programme for the Brisbane Campus. Implementation of the next step of the Master Plan is the construction o1 the new six-storey Creative Learning Centre. This will commence at the end of this year. To date this has been a very exciting and challenging project for me and I am sure it will continue to be so over the forthcoming months

grammargazette 09

COMMUNITY

Brisbane Campus

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Open Days were held at both the Brisbane and Marrapatta Campuses.

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arrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Centre

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^ SNAPSHOTS

enrichment experiencesfo studentsofen, lish

A large group of ear 11 and Year 12 students also participated in a s lies of very successfu creati e writing classes conducted by Kim ilkins our 200 Dolls To risend ara er emorial liter in Residence. The orkshops were held over three days at the School and enabled students to work for extended periods with Kim, who is the author of eleven very successful novels and a Lecturer in Creative riting at the Univ 15ity of Queensland. Through these enrichment programmes, our students benefit from interaction , ith a range of gifted writers who contribute in dynamic and direct ways to student learning experiences through the diversity and ealth of their literary and personal experience.

The Faculty of English in its pursuit of best practice draws upon the expertise of a range of successful and highly regarded authors and academics to enhance student learning, both in the fields of creative riting and in the analysis of orks of fiction being studied by students, in August a series of popular and uccessful enrich ent sessions were conducted b visiting riters. Ra da Abdel. Fatlah, ho is a Ia er and author of young adult fiction c ptivated her audience of Year 8 and Year 9 students with her into 119ent and spirited account of her o n life exp liences us Iim Australian in growing up as a elbourne where she tiended a Catholic primary school and an Islamic secondary college. Through her witty, insightful and very popular recent novel Does fry Heod took Big in This? Randa hopes to bring about a better understanding of her culture and in so doing, dispose of some of the stereotypical myths and misconceptions about Australian usIim women. The students related POSiti ely to Randa's ar , musing and vibrant account of her teenage years, which in many respeds parallels some of their own

experiences as adolescents, The barrage of questions to which Randa responded at the end of her talk indicated the high level of interest of her fascinated listeners. A1 Year I I students benefited from sessions on writing short fiction conducted by Dr Venero Armanno, author of many a ard- inning adult novels and short stories, and enjor Lecturer in Creative liting at the Uni ersity of Queensland. Dr Almanno's lively and informative presentations provided students ith a wealth of practical dvice de ign d both to stimulate and to assist the in their own literary endeavours, rid specifically in the creation of realistic chara er representations in the writing of their own short stories with an Australian context and setting.

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and pride in their children. The students tapped into their own inherent abilities, as well as developing and building on skills learned in School Drama and Music studies. This significant arts experience enabled the students to be both creators and performers, develop their appreciation and understanding of these art forms and investigate training and career pathways

in May of this year a group of thirty Music and Drama students in Years 9 to 12 from both Brisbane Girls Grammar School and Brisbane Grammar School had the opportunity o be involved in a week of workshop activities with Moving Opera! Moving Opera! is part of Opera Queensland's education programme The students participated in activities designed to explore music theatre, opera repertoire and techniques, vocal and choral echniques and performance skills.

Dire. to I jutia De Plater, and three young artists from Opera Queensland, Matt Lower, Annie Hoepper and Sian lakes. The students participated in 21 hours of intense but very exciting activities over and above the demands of their normal academic week. Both Drama and Music students were at times taken well out of their comfort zones. The Moving Opera! team were inspiration al in their ability to coach the students in performance skills integrating both music and drama Parents who attended the showcase performance were universal in their praise for the programme and admiration

The Moving Opera! team consisted of Director Christ ine Douglas, Musical

grammargazette ,,

IN Focus

>

combining headandheart

a sense of competence and confidence in he capacity to do things. Dr Deak not only affirmed the positive outcome of academic rigoui; but even more powerful Iy she communicated the profound importance of a caring, conne~red community: one in which should exist the understanding that for girls in particular, emotion is always connected to thinking and learning. This occurs partially because females have a strong emotion a memory and because use of both sides of the brain occurs in every tho ght process. So for girls, good teaching grabs the emotional side of the brain and focuses on teaching the girl, not the subjed. The initiative of the professional develop ent experience provided by an international guest of Dr Deak s eputation was indee a worthwhile one and her ideas continue to underpin much of our discussion and decision-making. Mrs Manse MCConaghy Dean of Students

She talked about the components of a strong sense of self as "the three CS , which include competence, confidence and connected ness. She believes that young women need to be challenged to do the things that they are reluctant to do and that our role as educators and patents means that in order to help our daughters grow in a real sense we have to provide them with authentic situations where they learn to overcome feelings of anxiety, fear or the "I can't do this attitude". Girls need to do things that feel "hard and scary for good brain development and genuine seinegard. she urged us to take a look at what our girls face: are the challenges difficult but do able? Dr Deak illustrated for us, using scientific evidence and narrative, how girls' brains register emotions, now they feel anxiety very keenly and react by a desire to avoid the situation entirely. By staying with the difficult task - whether it be mathematics, learning a language, outdoor education or a difficult social situation, cognitive struggle causes brain cells to develop new dendritic branches as well as forming new neural pathways between the areas of the brain involved in knowledge and understanding. So then not only does learning occur but so too does the girl feel invited to contribute to the ongoing success of Brisbane Girls Grammar by making a bequest to the School. One of our alumni who responded to this invitation was Dr loan Godfrey. A student at Girls Grammar from 1936 - T939, Dr Godfrey has enjoyed a long and illustrious career as a nurse, nurse educator, historian and author. She was pleased to support the Bequest Programme, as she says, ... I believe I owe a very great deal to BGGS for my personal and scholastic development. The School is honoured that Dr Godfrey and other valued benefactors have chosen to contribute to its future through making provision for Girls Grammar in their wills. ,

Dr loann Deak, internationa Iy recognised psycho o9ist, educator and author of Girls will be Girls Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters, visited the School in April of this Year to present to staff and parents the implications of the latest brain research particularly relating to girls, She was an inspiring speaker who opened many new ideas whic, were all the more powerful because they am Fined ways of doing things which we as educators and parents ave always insti ctively known. Dr Dank, however, was able to support her views with contemporary neuroscience and brain imaging thus providing a modern context for s to un erstand our work. The optimu setting for learning and character development, she considers, is one where there is a good combinotion of head and hear - real challenge and caring, connected support.

Dr Deak with Ms Monteith

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if you would like to know more about how a bequest Will benefit the studen s of Brisbane Girls Grammar School, please contact the Principal s Office on 3332/300 of email bequests bggs. qld. edu. au

Maintain our founder's vision bold A life enriched by learning

Embracing change, we build and hold A Iuture more discerning'

I Excerpt from the School Song

. The Brisbane Girls Grammar School Bequest Programme was officially

launched in 2004 as part of a proadive initiative by the Board of Trustees to encourage philanthropic support for the School Through its founding Patrons, Dr Margaret Mittslheuser and Dr Cathryn Mittelheuser, members of the School community were

Dr Cheiiell Hiist, Dr loan Godfiey, Dr Calhiyn Mittelheuser a Ms Am anda Bell

grammargazette

IN Focus

kod61ysymposium

from around the world. it was compelling to note the international interest in the state of Music Education in Australia, particularly at a secondary level. The aural. based approach employed in the Classroom Music Programme at Girls Grammar and at an increasing number of Queensland schools is drawing the attention of the international Music Education community

in total, six Australians attended the Symposium as presenters, including Iennifer Bergstrum, currently completing her practicum at BGGS as part of her Music Education degree. The focus of the Symposium was "Kod61y, the whole man, and his inspiration al gift to the 21st century". Highlights included inspiration al keynote addresses, nightly concerts of an excellent standard and, of course, the opportunity to share ideas with colleagues. of particular significance were the round-table discussions regarding the issues facing Music Education on an international scale and the implementation of Kod61y's philosophy in an educational context. in Queensland, we are the only state in Australia to have music taught by specialists in almost every school and it was fascinating to compare approaches, systems and strategies with educators

Head of England House and Classroom Music Teache, ; Sanh MCGarry joined delegates from the Us, UK, Hungary, Switzerland, exico, Greece, Korea and lapan for eight days of papers, workshops, master classes and concerts. in August 2005, the British Kod61y Academy's Summer School combined with the 17th international Symposium of the International Kod61y Society. This event brought together experienced musicians, scholars and educators from various parts of the world continuing the legacy of Zolt6n Kodaly - composer, musician, scholaL educator, ethnomusicologist and philosopher, 1882 - 1967. Kodaly's philosophy of music education rests on the fundamental principle that music should be accessible to all, and that a complete musician should possess "A well. trained hand, a weI .trained intelligence, a wei - trained ear and a well-trained heart'. Brisbane Girls Grammar School has long been proud of the professionalism of its staff - their subject expertise, their concern for their students and their contribution to the wider educational community. Miss Mary Alexis Macmillan (1895/969) was one such staff member whose commitment to this School and education in Queensland is almost legendary Miss Macmillan began her thirty-eight Year association with Brisbane Gills Grammar School in 1926. Initially teaching English, French and Modern History, she soon became Senior English Mistress, inspiring her students with her love of the English language and a passion for literature that often lasted throughout their lifetime. Former Old Girl and distinguished University of Queensland academic, Miss Kathleen Campbell-Brown wrote

Ms Sanh MCGarry Head of England House

missmaryalexismacm!11a

Her donation of prizes to encourage Younger students to write their own poetry has become an annual tradition with the Speech Day award of The Mary Alexis Macmillan Prizes for Lyric Poetry for Years 8,9 and 10. From 1939 until her retirement in May 1964, Miss Macmillan held the position of Second Mistress, and even Acting Head Mistress for nine months in 1957. She died on Iuly 22,1969, having dedicated so much of her life to the School

She was recognised as one of

the best teachers of English

in the state

"She was recognised as one of the best teachers of English in the state. The training in English which she gave at secondary school level can be traced through tertiary studies, through university Women Graduates in all faculties, and through them to their children and even grandchildren in a long and glorious course of torchbearer, for those things that are true, just, pure and lovely and of good report, for values that the world of today hardly recognises any longer. "

It is most fitting that Brisbane Girls Grammar School continues to preserve her memory with the dedication of the Mary Alexis Macmillan Board Room

(Queensland Association of University women, 1969)

grammargazette 13

ALUMNI

australiadayhonourforpaststuderit Leigh Hillman (1977), has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2005 Australia Day Honours List. Leigh received the Award in recognition of her work in the aftermath of the Ball Bombings in October 2002.

She then flew to Baii where she assisted local NGOs to develop community letoveiy 511ategies and Ongoing sUppOit services 101 individuals and families in the aftermath of the bombings; assisted

Looking back, I continue to be

q, .

in awe of the kindness of people

in the critical incident debiieiing and counselling o1 volunteers and co- oldinated allied health support by Darwin professionals to local health 51afl

who donated money and goods

to the Appeal at that tim

Leigh attended the investiture ceremony, held in Darwin in May 2005, and conducted by the Administiator, the HDn. led roan AO. Leigh now lives in Melbourne and is the National Policy a Communications Manager o1 Breast Cancel Netwoik Australia

Hon. led EQan and Leigh Hillman

At the time o1 the bombings, Leigh was residing in Darwin and, at the request of Ballnese non government organisations (NGOs), spearheaded a major 48 houi campaign across the Northern Territory to provide urgently needed medical supplies and funds to assist Baiinese organisations in supporting local victims and their jamiiies

Former student, Leigh Hillman (1977), was awarded the Medal o1 the Oldei of AUStialia (OAM) in the Australia Day Honours List earlier this year 101 service through the provision o1 assistance to the Baiinese community following the Kuta bomb!nos which occurred on 12 October 2002

elizabet in ahoney(2004) Elizabeth has been studying Chinese at Liaoning University, Shenyang, in northern China since February.

classmates from last year. During the recent (northern hemisphere) university break Elizabeth travelled to Xinjiang province visiting many places on the fabled Silk Road such as Turpan, Dunhuang and Kashgar.

significant ethnic Korean minority in Shenyang. The next closest country is Russia (Siberia). hen Elizabeth arrived in February the temperature was around minus 30 degrees and the communal student living quarters were something of a change Irom her own usual home life in suburban Brisbane. She has made a lot of friends at the University in Shenyang. As well as Chinese there are a large number of foreign students particularly from Korea and Russia. By means of email amd MSN she has also kept in touch with a lot of her Girls Grammar

Elizabeth will return to Brisbane in February 2006 just in time to commence her deferred degree enrolment at the university of Queensland. She is one of ten students from around Australia who were awarded an Australia-China Council scholarship to study Chinese at the Iiaoning State university for one year (known as the Year in China Programme). Shenyang is t e capital of Liaoning province which was formerly part of Manchuria. it is located approximately 890 km north east of Beijing. Being in close proximity to Korea there is a

14 grammargazette

^ ALUMNI

eunions .

This Year reunions have been held for the alumni of 2000,1985, , 962,965,1955-, 958 and 1945.

Alumni and Art events have also been held for our past student living in NSW, Victoria and South Australia. These events combine a guided tour of a current exhibition with the opportunity to reconnect with school friends.

A Celebration of Fifty Years was attended by 85 old girls. This well organised day included morning tea in the library, an entertaining address from Deputy Principal, Miss Felicity Williams, a tour of the School's facilities and lunch in the Annie Mackay Room (the Assembly Hall in the 1950s) A wonderful day spent renewing friendships was shared by Grammar girls who left between 1962 and 1965 Sixty past students returned to School for morning tea, a tour of the School and an entertaining presentation. The celebration continued with dinner at Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens

A cocktail party was held to welcome back the Class of 2000. This event was attended by several members of the teaching staff and over 80 girls

^

,

On Saturday 3 September, the Class of 1985 celebrated their 20 year reunion. Simone Watson organised School tours for thirty old girls who wanted to see the many changes to the School. This was followed by a dinner at Watt Modern Dining, New Farm, for 60 alumni. If you would like assistance to plan your reunion please contact Shelley Read on 0733321436 or email reunions@bggs. qld. edu. au

was keen to point out the various rooms and what they had been used for in her day, as well as the position of the piano, honour board and detention room. She recounted her memory of playing tennis on what is now the Stage Lawn area. The daily assembly was another memory which was very intense and she described how the mistresses stood along a wall, Miss Lilley would enter and everyone would stand. The singing of a hymn, prayer and short reading from the bible were followed by school announcements Mrs Shaw has lived in Be audesert and Toowoomba for most of her life, only returning to live in Brisbane to be closer to her family in the past 18 months. She is the matriarch of a large and loving family and is highly respected by all who meet her. Mrs Shaw enjoyed her afternoon at the School, where she was able to reminisce about her days at Grammar

2005 Reunions Class of 1995 - 10 Year Reunion Date: Saturday 5 November 2005 Venue: to be confirmed Contact: Shelley Read Telephone: 3332/436 Email^ reunions@bggs. qld. edu. au

London Reunion To coincide with the 10 Year Reunion, Claiie Miller is organising a London-based event. Please email claire on claire. miller@regal petroleum. coin 2006 Reunions Class of 1986 - 20 Year Reunion Date: to be announced. Contact: Elizabeth Russell (nee Hartley) Telephone (by 3890 5303 (in) 0403 024162 Email: reunions@bggs. qld. edu. au Class of 1956 - 50 Year Reunion Date September 2006, to be confirmed. Contact^ Ian Kelly Telephone: 3300 9061 Email^ ian. kelly@bigpond. coin

Rekindling past memories

Mrs Lillah Shaw attended Girls Grammar from 1928 to 1930. She has many happy memories of her time at Grammar and it was a special occasion for her to return to the School for the Old Girls' Association Afternoon Tea held in August At 91 years, her vision is not as clear or step as agile, however the strength of emotion and pride was obvious as she entered the old Assembly Hall. She

Cynthia Collyer (nee Uhlmann 1975)

grammargazette 15

A Gala Musical Event presented by Brisbane Girls Grammar School

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61egory Terrace Brisbane Qld 4000

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7.00 PM, BRISBANE CITY HALL FEATURING Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Singers, Grammar Singers, Big Band, Symphonic Winds, Symphony Orchestra, Combined Choir, Community Choir

For Grammar Gazette inquiries

and comments:

I: 61733321336

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Tickets available from Brisbane Girls Grammar School 3332 I 00 WWW. bggs. qld. edu. au

ISSN 1449-1214