Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2014

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Our support of the Oxbridge Academic Summer Programme is also integrated into the academic travel model with girls every year applying to participate in courses offered at internationally recognised universities in places such as Oxford, Cambridge, Paris and New York. The biennial US Space Trip is another avenue for cultural immersion in stimulating environments that present a diversity of cognitive, physical, social and cultural experiences. While the internet has brought the world into the classroom for our students, it has also brought about a real need to experience the world outside of the classroom (Donati, 2011). The capability to communicate across borders in order to flourish and engage in the world of the future requires a level of intercultural understanding and global citizenship, which we value in our School’s guiding principles. International travel is the perfect platform for developing such engagement opportunities and we continue to design enrichment opportunities that appeal to our student community.

In 2015 Girls Grammar will be restructuring the international travel model. A Twilight Travel Expo scheduled for Tuesday 17 June 2014 will provide information about all of our international educational travel opportunities for 2015 and beyond. All interested students and parents are warmly encouraged to attend with further details to be published closer to the event.

REFERENCES

ACARA. (2011). Intercultural Understanding. http://www.australiancurriculum. edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Pdf/Intercultural-understanding Donati D. (2011). Whole world learning. How schools are approaching overseas student travel. Learning & Teaching , 36(2). 52. Fischer J & Mazurkiewicz, G. (2011). Expeditionary teaching and learning: One means of authentic education. The Social Educator , 29(2). 6.

WINNER TAKES A BOW

Under the guidance of my teacher, Mrs Andrea Messenger I developed and rehearsed my repertoire. It’s fantastic that the School has a competition just for viola players, and that the players have the opportunity to perform with such an accomplished accompanist as Ms Kathy Sander. It is a rare occasion when we students can play solo and take advantage of the beautiful acoustics of the String Roommixed with the tonal quality of the Steinway piano. Such is the superiority of this instrument, upon auditioning for the Queensland Youth Orchestra a former student was asked if she was playing the ‘Girls Grammar’ viola, recognisable by the sound it produced. Previous winners have continued on to study viola at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and perform in orchestras including the Queensland Youth Symphony and the University of Queensland Bell Orchestra. Dr Gainsford said his late mother would be thoroughly delighted in the students’ success and enjoyment of this beautiful instrument. From the very first conversation I had with the School’s Director of Instrumental Music Mark Sullivan, it was clear many talented students would directly benefit from the Edmee Gainsford Viola Prize. Some lovely performances and results have been achieved through the strong support of the School and the abilities shown by successive numbers of students. Girls Grammar has a proud tradition of musical excellence and encourages its students to pursue their talents, no matter what level of skill they possess. The Edmee Gainsford Viola Prize is open to all viola students enrolled in the School music programme.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND A year honing her craft on a world-class instrument has not been lost on the 2014 Edmee Gainsford Viola Prize recipient, Elizabeth Simmers (10W). Elizabeth is the sixth student to be fortunate enough to be handed the Garbor Drasckoczy viola that was generously donated by Dr Len Gainsford in memory of his mother Edmee (Park 1936). Her lifelong interest in, and encouragement of young musical performers and composers prompted this unique gift. Elizabeth shares this passion, and said after months of preparation it was a privilege to be named this year’s winner.

WINTER ISSUE / 2014