Grammar Gazette - Issue 2, 2023

JULIE CATON PRESIDENT, OGA ASSOCIATION

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‘ LIFELONG LE A RNING on the path to WISDOM BGGS OLD GIRLS ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES 125 YEARS L ives Enriched by Learning’. This aspiration is as important today as when BGGS first opened its gates to

for active engagement. OGA events are highlights for me as I hear how lives have taken different paths, but also marvel at how Grammar Women share so much in common. As this is the last edition of Grammar Gazette for 2023, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the 2023 graduates who will, upon graduation, become members of the BGGS Old Girls Association. Grammar girls will be gifted an OGA badge at the Valedictory dinner in honour of becoming Grammar Women.

It made me reflect on why she felt this way and why I had felt the same those many years ago. With age comes wisdom. I now appreciate my education more than ever. That eagerness to question and explore—to be a lifelong learner—has brought depth and richness to all aspects of my life, and the life of my daughter. This edition of the Gazette celebrates the shaping of lives through learning experiences. The Old Girls Association (OGA) strives to maintain contact with all graduates and provide opportunities

girls in 1875.

It is widely accepted that learning takes place in a variety of contexts, with formal schooling being at the forefront for a child, teenager and sometimes beyond. Brisbane Girls Grammar School has always strived—through offering a diverse curriculum, employing passionate educators and providing strong leadership—to encourage Grammar girls to embrace a love of learning. When at secondary school, the seemingly continuous study and assessment can sometimes cloud this as students try to balance life and school. For me, it was when I graduated and ventured out into the ‘real world’ that I realised what a special gift I had received by being a student at BGGS. From the beginning, I questioned during tutorials, I asked for extra help, and I meaningfully engaged with lecturers and other students to understand and do better. My daughter, a 2016 graduate, has also said she felt she was sometimes the only one during university tutorials who spoke up and engaged. CAPTIONS 1 RACHEL OLSON (2003), JESSICA HUGHES (2003), JACINTA (JIXIN) MCHUTCHISON (XING, 2003) AND ANGELA SHEU (2003) 2 OGA VOLUNTEERS, ISABELLA BYRNE (11M), NISHIKA LAKSHMI NARAYANAN (11R) AND SIONA DANAIT (11M), WITH PRESIDENT OF THE OLD GIRLS ASSOCIATION, MRS JULIE CATON (CLEGHORN, 1981)

125 Years of the OGA: Save the Date Next year, 2024, is the 125th anniversary of the BGGS Old Girls Association. As one of the oldest associations of its kind in Australia, the Committee is working closely with the School to appropriately mark this very special milestone through opportunities both near and abroad. Mark your diaries now for a Gala Dinner to be held in Brisbane on Saturday 18 May 2024 . Invitations will be sent next year, and tables will be limited. Please RSVP early to ensure you are able to connect with your Grammar sisters, and celebrate the gift of being a Grammar Woman.

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GAZETTE • ISSUE 2, 2023 ISSUE 2, 2023

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL