Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2017

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international renown and infectious musical passion — will be a rare and transformative experience, not only for the development of their musicianship but also in experiencing firsthand the dedication, skill and stamina required to perform on a global stage. There is a continuity in our humanity, in civilisation, in education — things often seem so new and evolutionary, but we are still dealing with some fundamental and timeless goals of education through a broad liberal approach at Girls Grammar. Ambitious projects — such as the Dorothy Hill Observatory at Marrapatta — remind us that humanity will lose neither its pioneering spirit and its innate sense of adventure, nor the yearning for knowledge beyond the limits of direct experience. To return to Bertrand Russell, there is no such thing as ‘unimprovable wisdom’ or ‘static perfection’. Only by thinking and connecting deeply and strengthening our relationships can we sustain an environment where, in the words of our own School Song, we encourage girls to ‘set your goals and strive, dare to let your dreams take wing and soar’.

challenge our students we develop in them disciplined intellectual habits and systematic curiosity for, like Alice down the rabbit hole, things become ‘curiouser and curiouser’ the more closely we examine them. It is our teachers who inspire and nurture this curiosity. The importance of the teacher-student relationship in student learning is well understood and teachers such as Ms Geri Bernard, Ms Alison Dare and Mr James McIntosh (see pages 4, 10 and 18 respectively) share with students their deep knowledge and expertise within their disciplines. While popular culture increasingly celebrates the ordinary and the average, at Girls Grammar we continue to laud the extraordinary and ponder the profound, taking our students deep into worlds that are different from the everyday experiences to which they are routinely exposed. The Education Partnership we have formed with Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO), will provide unique opportunities for girls to be mentored by professional musicians and typifies our pursuit of the ‘extraordinary’. For Grammar girls to be inspired by QSO’s Music Director, Alondra de la Parra — a conductor of

SUMMER ISSUE / 2017