Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2014

order of Australia Association secondary schools citizenship Award recipient Ama McArthur-Dowty (11R) Diversity Day forum orgmised by the Uralla Club and the Intemational Studies Faculty.

speaks with uncle Albert Holt at the

YEAR 11 sruDENT ANNA McARTHUR-Dowry (11R) has received an Order of Australia Association Secondary schools citizenship Award for her outstanding contribution to service activitres at Girls Grammar. As a Year 1O student in 201,3, Anna had a strong vision of making a difference to the lives of Austraria's Indigenous people. With the support and advice of her teachers and a few close friends, in particuiar Josefine Ganko (11R), Anna has been working hard to achieve this goal. Anna's campaign began with a confldent presentation to the school assembly and with ongoing determination she prepared an article outhnrng her perspective and inspiration for starting the lJra]la Club, a grroup focused on raising awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isiander peoples' culture and the issues they face. In her Perspectives article tn BGGS Nerzrzs, and also published in Insights , 20!3, Anna wrote about her fervour and conviction in relation to helping Indigenous Australians: without sounding like some kind of youth crusader, I want to make a difference and I want to effect change. Gandhi said, 'Be the change you want to see in the world'. In my lifetime i want to see the ciosing of the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and I want to see real reconciliation between the two groups. I can't wait around for someone else to do it and i can't wait until I grow up. So, I've resolved to act now. Anna sought inspiration from similar ciubs at nearby schools and then presented a proposal to the principal outlining her aspirations for the club. Not overlooking the interest in and relevance of these issues to her classmates, Anna arranged for an Aboriginal Elder

to speak to the Year 10 cohort on a curriculum related topic rn 2014 the lJralla club has worked with the student councii to support the school charity for the year Anna and her peers hope that Girls Grammar students will be able to contribute to closing the gap for our First Nation people. Llnder Anna's leadership, members of the Uralla Club are learning much about the enormity and signiflcance of this task. The order of Australia Association Secondary Schools citizenship Awards were inaugurated in j ggg and are designed to foster pride in Australian citizenshrp They are presented to those oueensland secondary school students who have demonstrated outstanding service to their schools and to their communities. In 2014 the awards were presented by FIis Excellency the Flonourable Paul de Jersey AC Governor of oueensland at Parliament House

Service Captains Amy Fiancell ftZg and Eugenre Smirh (12M) with Uralla CIub student Leaders Anna lMcArthur-Dow[y (11R) and Joseflne Ganko (11R)