Reflections 2024

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Reflections 2024

This publication comprises articles written by senior staff for the School’s weekly, BGGS News. As a collection, they provide the opportunity to reflect on the educational landscape of 2024 and the values, philosophy and direction of Brisbane Girls Grammar School.

Reflections 2024 also provides a platform for the voices of our students to be heard through their Perspectives articles.

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Can a lady protest too much? Lessons in life from Danish royalty.

Ms Jo Genders, Director of English

THURSDAY 25 JANUARY 2024

The surprise abdication in January of Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, after a 52-year reign, stirred within me a peculiar mix of emotions. Not due to any fervent allegiance to the Danish Royal Family—beyond the collective ownership of 'Our Mary'—but rather because it mirrors a recent event in the English curriculum. The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority's decision to stand down Shakespeare’s Hamlet from the booklist has left us all a little sad. A mainstay of the BGGS Year 12 English course for more than half a century, Hamlet—which follows the story of the eponymous Danish prince—has been much cherished and inspired many a Grammar girl to reflect closely on the play’s universal relevance.

One of our more popular assessments saw girls make connections with the play by exploring its intersection with their own lives. Observations were diverse—from comments on the resonance with overbearing parenting styles, to discussions of the ways 17th-Century gender double standards have hardly moved on. Many noted how Hamlet’s procrastination reflected their own fear of making big decisions, especially in the face of tertiary admissions processes. But what did emerge consistently is that despite great affection for the play, the titular character himself offers little in the way of good role modelling to young women. So, as we think about our own goals for 2024, and in some form of farewell to both Great Danes, Queen Margrethe and Prince Hamlet alike, I reflect on the instructive lessons that

each offers to our Grammar girls—a study in ‘what to be, or what not to be’, to borrow the young prince’s own famous words.

1. Adopt a positive mindset.

Putting aside debate around inherited privilege, Queen Margrethe exemplifies the growth that can arise from a positive mindset. Her destiny pre-determined, Margrethe’s stoicism in assuming the throne at just 31 years of age was evident when she declared, 'The task my father carried now rests on my shoulders. I pray for the strength to carry the heavy heritage’. As the world's longest-serving female monarch, Queen Margrethe's extraordinary popularity, which in recent years counted the support of over 80 per cent of Danes, is undoubtedly attributed to her wholehearted embrace of her responsibilities. Meanwhile in the fictional castle of Elsinore, Hamlet’s personal growth is hampered by his incessant complaints about his situation. When he moans that his very existence is a ‘cursed spite’ and tells anyone who’ll listen that he’s trapped in the ‘prison’ of Denmark, he highlights how ill-equipped he is to navigate challenges with strength and grace. It’s indeed ironic that Hamlet himself reminds us of the transformative power of a positive mindset when he says, ‘there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so’.

2. Be decisive.

Often, decisions that seem unpopular in the short term, contribute to long-term success. Faced with strong reactions to her decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, Margrethe issued an apology but refused to back down. Her insistence that the change would ‘future-proof the monarchy’ showed Margrethe to be a forward-thinking woman of conviction. Hamlet, by contrast, can barely make a decision at all. His obsessive thinking paralyses him, and his extensive rumination (evident in his seven lengthy soliloquies) means he never really accomplishes anything; in his own words he is ‘John-a-Dreams’ entirely ‘unpregnant of [his] cause’. Hamlet—perhaps the poster boy for ‘all talk and no action’—reminds us of the role decisiveness and courage in our own convictions plays in personal growth.

3. Hold your ground.

Margrethe's resistance to manipulation stands in stark contrast to Hamlet's vulnerability to pressure. We need look no further than the simmering discontent of her husband, Prince Henrik and his ultimatum that unless ‘she makes me a king consort’ he would not be buried in the official royal resting place alongside his wife. Henrik’s tantrum, however, did little to shake his steely wife, who upon his death in 2018, scattered half his ashes across the Danish seas and placed the rest in a private section of Fredensborg Palace gardens in a symbolic display of her refusal to yield. The monumental glass sarcophagus at Roskilde Cathedral, which will house only her, is testament to Margrethe’s resolve, even in matters of eternal rest. Hamlet, meanwhile, allows himself to be intimidated by everyone. He signs away his moral conscience when he makes a violent pact with a ghost resembling his late father to exact revenge against the new king, and then beats himself up when he falls short. Later in the play, he lets his stepfather get under his skin, allowing the tyrant to ship him off to England without so much as a whimper.

Hamlet’s surrender to those who push him around robs him of the growth that can happen when we stick to our guns with determination and assertiveness.

4. Be prepared to challenge bad behaviour.

Margrethe was much praised for her televised address to the nation during the height of the pandemic. The Queen’s ‘cruel to be kind’ reprimand of those still hosting celebrations as ‘unacceptable, thoughtless, and inconsiderate,’ prompted one Dane to proudly declare her a ‘stern mother telling us off—it only added to her popularity and respect’. Hamlet’s terribly misplaced admonishment of human transgressions exposes his lack of insight. Rather than direct the blame for his father’s murder where it lies (with the silver-tongued Claudius), his cruel jibes about his mother, the Danish Queen (‘Frailty, thy name is woman!’ is one of his tamer insults) highlight a lack of the kind of measured and constructive reprimand that can be effective in fostering positive change and growth in others.

5. ‘To thine own self be true.’

A fearless pursuit of passions and interests contributes to long-term wellbeing and fulfillment. From her study in prehistoric archaeology, to her unconventional work as a theatre costume designer and illustrator, to her flamboyant outfits, Margrethe’s refusal to let others dictate the terms of her life has ensured she will be long-remembered for her uniqueness. Hamlet, by contrast, is so preoccupied with his own inadequacy that he loses himself in the process, forgetting his childhood love for the theatre, for example, and instead becoming a kind of actor bogged down by pretence and duplicity. Hamlet’s deathbed instruction that Horatio ‘tell [his] story’ must have left his lifelong friend wondering which of Hamlet’s qualities he could possibly acclaim.

6. Take the driver’s seat.

Making decisive choices affords us confidence to grow. Ever the engineer of her own life, Margrethe’s decision to relinquish the throne—the first Danish monarch to do so in almost 1000 years—highlights her faith in her own agency. If only Hamlet had exercised such autonomy. From blaming politics, his mother, even the universe, his litany of complaints exposes his reluctance to take personal responsibility. In fact, his famous line, ‘there is great providence in the fall of a sparrow’, reveals his hope that external forces will make his decisions for him and his willingness to forsake any role in his own life. When Norwegian Prince Fortinbras declares that Hamlet would have ‘proved most royally’ had he survived the play’s tragic ending, we’re left wondering if Hamlet's abdication of responsibility made him fit to rule at all.

So, while we in the English Faculty bid farewell to Hamlet and the Danish people farewell their Queen, we can reflect thoughtfully on the life lessons from each. A comparison of the mindsets and actions of these two Danish royals—one real and the other literary—allows us to see the importance of positivity, decisiveness, resilience, and personal agency in creating and sustaining a fulfilling life. At the start of a new year, there is value in considering how adopting these dispositions can help guide us through life’s challenges and uncertainties, so we can look toward 2024 and the future with a sense of optimism and excitement.

SARA KORMAN / 10O

Reflection on Friendship

Mrs Sybil Edwards, English Teacher and Head of Lilley House

FRIDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2024

Every year at an orientation afternoon tea, I ask incoming Year 7 students to fill in a sheet highlighting their hopes for the year ahead. Almost without exception, they state that they wish to make friends. Let’s face it, having friends is one of the joys of life—they make the highs more enjoyable, the lows more bearable and learning at school easier. Just as some students are gifted in Maths or are talented musicians, some students have a knack for making friends. They draw people to them and can navigate group situations confidently. Conversely, some students struggle to initiate or deepen friendships, feel anxious about facing new social situations, and worry about how to join or leave friendship groups. As we finish up the first few weeks of the School year, I wonder how those girls, now Year 7 students, are faring in this very important part of School life. Here are a few thoughts about the friendship challenges of the School journey, and some advice for parents about how they can support their daughters.

Firstly, our new Year 7 Grammar girls! They may have come to BGGS with many other students from the same primary school, or perhaps she arrived knowing no one. Either way, their House Groups will consist of many completely new faces that will accompany her throughout her six years at BGGS. Having most lessons with this group means that the Year 7s will get to know their House Group quite quickly. But, that does not mean that their first impressions of their classmates will be accurate. Shyer, more introverted students take their time to relax and reveal their true personalities, while some more extroverted types may seek attention to, in fact, cover their insecurities. It is quite rare that the first friend that the girls make will be the one that lasts the distance. It may take them a long time to make friends, and this is completely normal. I encourage parents to support their daughter to be open to her whole class, to smile and engage in conversation, be brave and ask other students if she can sit with them at lunch, join co-curricular activities and attend lunchtime

activities such as Pay It Forward, Libellum and PAL (Play at Lunch). Our school psychologists also offer help in a group or individual setting to students who struggle to make friends.

PARENT TIP: the one thing parents can do is to normalise the struggle, and try to avoid interrogating their daughter every day about who she sat with at lunch (as tempting as it may be!).

Now some advice for older students and their parents. Each year brings new opportunities to make new friends, even for Year 12 students. Groups are not set in concrete, and navigating changing friendships means practising important life skills not just specific to school. It’s a blessing if a student is not in a core class with her best friend, or once again must meet completely new classmates. Having a wide group of friends means that if there are tensions with a particular friend, they have other lunchtime or social options. Keeping up with friends from primary school or other family friends is also a great idea to provide connections away from School. The biggest support that parents can provide is to reassure their daughters that they believe they have the confidence and the attributes to make new friends and navigate issues. Sometimes when parents have had problems making friends or have suffered from social anxiety, it is tricky to keep their daughter’s difficulties in perspective. Providing an empathetic ear without feeding anxieties is the key to managing their daughter’s distress. It is a difficult task—we all want to ‘fix’ what we perceive to be an issue—but very important.

As we look to the rest of 2024, know that in the life of a teenage girl, there will be ups and downs, moments of loneliness, drama, and anger. There will also be plenty of laughter, exciting new friendships to discover and comfortable old friendships to provide support in the classrooms and grounds at BGGS.

Managing all these experiences is all part of students’ education, and it is just as important as any academic subject.

ELYSE GUNLUK (10O)

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

ALISA WANG (9R)

Keeper of Books

Ms Rachael Christopherson, Director of Library and Information Services

FRIDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2024

The unofficial mascot of the Girls Grammar reading club, the Libellum Society (est. 2001), is a life-sized, black-feathered owl whose eyes flash a menacing red when you flick the switch on its back. This owl was a regular feature at many of the Libellum literary events from 2007 to 2022: hiding in the bushes at the Alice in Wonderland café; perched on the long tables at the Harry Potter Hard Quiz; and peering from the shadows at the ‘Murder in a Teacup’ Year 7 Welcome lunch. It belonged to Leia Kirkham (2022), a long-standing member and sometimes captain of Libellum, whose love of books and sharing the magic of stories was evident in her committed contribution to Libellum events from when she joined the Society in Year 7 to when she graduated in Year 12. At Libellum’s farewell party for the Year 12 members in 2022, Leia handed on the baton to the club members by gifting us the owl. Not long after, I came across a postcard in a bookstore that featured a black owl, and the caption, ‘Keeper of Books’. Both are now aptly installed in the Libellum Society meeting room in the Beanland Memorial Library.

A ‘Keeper of Books’ is a meaning not lost on the devoted bibliophiles of the Libellum Society, or on its coordinator: me. I learned from a young age the value of books and the rich enjoyment that can be gained from reading. It was my paternal nanna who instilled this love of books in me. On long May and December holidays in the small seaside town of Kingscliff, my siblings and I were left for many weeks in the care of our grandparents. A regular outing for us was a visit to the Kingscliff library. It was a small, one-roomed, demountable building with creaking floorboards, colourful beanbags and just one librarian. But there were enough

books to keep us mesmerised for hours, and we always seemed to have trouble deciding on which ones to borrow without exceeding our loan limit. After each morning spent at the beach, we always spent the afternoon resting and reading. My nanna liked books about faraway places, fascinating explorers, artists, designers and chefs. She travelled the world in her books but never left Australia’s shores. There weren’t many books in the Kingscliff beach house—that’s what the library was for—but there were two of nanna’s favourite novels that all of us devoured: M.M. Kaye’s The Far Pavillions and The Shadow of the Moon. Kaye’s vivid descriptions of eighteenth-century India, with so many interesting characters, and plots of adventure, romance, and intrigue, captured my imagination. In 2015 when I wandered the passageways of the Red Fort in Delhi, I was transported to those stories that I had read so long ago. For years, I have been giving Kaye’s books to family and friends, wanting to share with them a story that for me, is more than a narrative: it is an experience, a feeling and a memory of my nanna and those sleepy Kingscliff days.

The connection that we sometimes experience with a really good book is hard to capture. Marcus Zusak described it this way: ‘Sometimes you read a book so special that you want to carry it around with you for months after you’ve finished just to stay near it.’ Books have that effect on people. The Japanese refer to this as ‘nutsukashii’, which describes a feeling of fondness or gratitude for a treasured memory—that we return to many times—such as one that comes from a well-loved book.. Whenever I finish a great book, I can’t wait to share it with my students. I want to tell them all about the story, the characters, the writing, and about how it made me feel. I want

them to experience the delight of a gripping suspense story, a moving drama, or a laugh-out-loud comedy.

This connection is expanded through the curation of a collection. We all know where the good books can be found—a good bookstore, or a well-resourced library. When I travel, I inevitably end up in a bookstore or library, for hours. An essential stop in Paris is Shakespeare and Company beside Notre Dame, or the fantastic second-hand bookstores in London’s laneways, and of course the Readings bookshops in Melbourne. Recently, I spent a few days in Sydney and spent nearly two days in the NSW State Library, and that still wasn’t enough time to do justice to exploring the Shakespeare Room or the Map Room.

You see libraries and bookstores are special places, which house incredible treasures. Our own Grammar collection is no exception. Some of the precious books in the Beanland collection include, The Grammar of Ornament: A Visual Reference of Form and Colour in Architecture and the Decorative Arts (1928) by Owen Jones, an exquisite A3-sized visual publication gifted to the School by former Art teacher, Vera Cottew in 1947; John Austen’s 1922 illustrated Hamlet Prince of Denmark, with its ornate Art Deco designs; or the intriguing illustrated books on Marine Science or Palaeontology. Of course, the vast collection of fiction titles is also a treasure.

A well-curated collection that will entice a many varied reader is essential to a school library. In his poem, ‘Half-priced Hardback’, Les Murray lamented the disappearance of bookstores fearing there would be:

no history…

nothing strange. No poetry. No local memoirs, no spirit, no religion, no theory, little foreign except tourist guides,

Thankfully, the Beanland Library (named for Sophia Beanland, Lady Principal 1882-1889) continues to grow, and our collection is shaped by our community’s interests and needs, and by the curation of a passionate library staff. From 1884 when Sophia Beanland first set up her bookshelf, books, and indeed the library itself, have been covered and catalogued, treasured, explored, hidden and found again.

It was a humbling privilege to be entrusted with the stewardship of the Beanland collection in 2022 after Kristine Cooke’s 25 years of meticulous care. To be the next ‘Keeper’ of such a priceless collection is a responsibility I value immensely. Not long after I had moved into her office in the far corner of the first floor of the library, the library team and I were alerted to a ruckus outside our windows. The crows and noisy miners were bothered by something hidden in the shade of the trees just outside the library staffroom. Peering through the glass we were astounded and delighted to see that staring out at us was a beautiful, white, barn owl.

Feelin' Groovy

Mr Andrew Pennay, Director of Creative Arts

FRIDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2024

If life is like a box of chocolates, then the history of Brisbane Girls Grammar School is certainly like a vinyl record. So, let’s warm up with a problem: How long is Side A of the original release of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme by Simon and Garfunkel? Email me your answers to for a chance to win! Yes, there are prizes.

In working through this problem, you may encounter some frustrations. In short, I haven’t made life easy. Is there a right answer? How much historical context is relevant, but missing? Which other aspects of the problem remain veiled? Do I expect you to answer in ‘minutes’ or in ‘metres’? Must you show your working? Why is there more than one prize? As we dig deeper: Should a linear measurement include the micro-oscillations?

Do I want you to only measure ‘sounds’, or also the ‘sounds of silence’? Kids, your (grand)parents will explain this last queasy quip. Sit with the problem as a family, then email me.

Problem (re)solving

In the same way that the questions above cannot be answered neatly, learning experiences in our Creative Arts subjects centre around a largely tacit proposition: traditional takes on problem solving are insufficient in our current era. Instead, more creative problem resolving pushes us towards less systematic ways of thinking, less formulaic methods, and less standardised responses. In other words, arts learning can actually thrive when empiricism, quantification, mathematical proficiency and even assessment validity give way to subjective interpretation, intuition, ambiguity, expressiveness and artistry.

To further illustrate this problematisation of problems, let’s look inside Ms Eadie’s Visual Art classroom, just as she presents a class of learners with a new artistic problem. The girls are to represent themselves through a sculpture made entirely of cardboard. Soon enough, a single solution is found through the engineered structure, the scale, the texture, and the palette, but the slower resolution of this particular problem will likely linger across the year(s). ‘I just don’t know who I am!’, cries one girl … but she’s only just begun! Ms Eadie pushes on to curate the necessary collective introspection (and ensembled individualism) that these learners need, and they tackle the problem together/alone/in earnest.

Creative problems—both in schools, and the wider world—are therefore often resolved in teams, with (obviously) a whole bunch of creativity.

Beyond this, their resolution may take iterative, visual, physical, ephemeral, multiplicitous forms. Imagine that: real problems that cannot be solved by an individual in a two-hour handwritten test! How fantastic! In fact, how essential!

To acknowledge that life—full of collaboration, uncertainty, not-yets, design labs, and glorious problem resolution—is not always like school, is to reveal a disconnect: to be frank, all schools stigmatise non-standardisation. Although a life of resolution over solution naturally sits well with children, such a view of learning is provocative and counter-cultural in our neoliberal climate. Increasingly, when Arts teachers ask questions that genuinely have no set answer (or suggest that responses may be founded on physical expression or artistic interpretation), people make wild leaps to panic about 1)

the economic utility of the subject, and 2) the subject’s suitability for standardised testing. Students also fall into a groove of consumption: Is there an exemplar? Will this be on the test? Internationally, there is a trend away from the groove of a broad, liberal education.

Interlude: A very short history of groove

In Medieval times, a groover in a groove was a miner in a mine. By the nineteenth century, a ‘groove’ had come to signify a routine, narrow ‘rut’, but phonographs and then jazz propagated more positive connotations for the term.1

By Simon and Garfunkel’s time, records were well and truly (and literally) groovy, as physical manifestations of sound carved into vinyl channels to be interpreted by a needle, amplifier, speaker, then groovy listener. 2

Slow down, you move too fast

We dropped the needle on the Brisbane Girls Grammar School record in 1875, just two years before Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. In perceiving our 149-year history as being somewhat akin to Side A of a long play vinyl record, some playful observations start to follow.

For the School, our singular groove (aka culture) has deepened to embrace a fuller understanding of what a life enriched by learning might entail. Through a variety of tracks, beyond the scope of this article, we have seen a continued evolution of our own culture through waxing and waning political and School-based imperatives. If nothing else, Side A of our School history—our groove—has played out as ‘relentless work’ in navigating classicism, pragmatism, utilitarianism, and liberalism.3

To spin the metaphor further, let’s explore the phenomenon of inner-groove distortion: the closer we get to the centre of a record, the more compressed things become, with the needle travelling an ever-shorter distance each revolution. In other words, the same amount of music is squashed to take up less space. This inner-groove distortion is a real issue in the music business, resulting in unwanted audio artefacts when music is too loud or bassy near the centre of the disc.

Such a physical constraint has led to a creative resolution in the world of vinyl pressing. To escape this potential acoustic warp, artists and labels often close each side of a vinyl record with a quiet ballad. Feelin' Groovy, and the timeless/classic Wham!’s Careless Whisper, are obvious examples. Even Harry Styles finishes Side A of his self-titled vinyl release with the acoustic ballad Sweet Creature.

Beyond vinyl, though, the concept of inner-groove distortion provides the opportunity to reconsider the compression of time seen in schools in recent decades. Globally, school life proceeds with inadequate pause, rushed change, and dwindling engagement of the ‘listener’, time after time. 4 As such, Girls Grammar’s pending 150th anniversary provides an important opportunity for a slow dance, perhaps a quieter, less bassy moment in which to consider next moves.

Record breaking

Some records are worth breaking entirely, or at least flipping over.5 In any case, in this closing ballad of our School’s Side A, we ask what the next 150 years of Brisbane Girls Grammar School might offer: The swift adoption of a broader range of perspectives? Ever-wider exposure to a life of joyful uncertainty? Collaboration as the very basis for senior assessment? (Shock!) An incessant drive for human-centric creativity in an age of artificial intelligence? The dwindling of a neoliberal push towards ever-more standardised senior assessment?

If any of these questions have ‘legs’, we need to pursue them at a national and state level. But, again, I’m getting ahead of myself. When Paul Simon wrote Feelin' Groovy, he was clear about intentional brevity and the need to slow down. He summarised his position well in The New Yorker: ‘When you've made your impression, stop’.

So, on that note, I look forward to your creative resolution by way of an emailed response: Again, how long is Side A of the original release of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme by Simon and Garfunkel? And, in fact, I’m offering bonus points: What do you think awaits us on the Girls Grammar Side B?

References

1 Whatever you do, don’t consult The Oxford Dictionary of Music, unless you intend to discover—by its notable absence in the text—that the term ‘groove’ is not associated with ‘Music’! From this text and context, we might go further to infer that music is most esteemed when it lacks groove, and when it is composed by dead, white men to be consumed by tired couples in expensive concert halls.

2 As you may now know, if you opted to listen with a stopwatch in hand, S&G’s gentle ditty The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) closes Side A of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Young learners are always keen to unpack this final/ultimate definition of ‘groove’!

3 McWilliam, E. (2013). Educating girls. University of Queensland Press.

4 Another Side A closing track, this time by Cyndi Lauper!

5 For instance, here I am, a male author celebrating a male inventor, male performance duos, and (perhaps, in the eyes of our students) the most famous current male solo artist. Talk about falling victim to the old ‘rut’ of male perennialism in the arts!

6 Stevenson, J. (1967, August 26). Simon & Garfunkel: The music duo discusses poetry, popularity, and pain. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/ magazine/1967/09/02/simon-and-garfunkel

POPPY M c GUIRE (10E)

The Complex Unfamiliar Problem

Dr Peter Jenkins, Head of Department—Mathematics Curriculum Development

FRIDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2024

The bane of many secondary school mathematics students is the complex unfamiliar problem. As the name suggests, these problems are both complex (requiring knowledge of multiple concepts to complete several steps) and unfamiliar (different to problems already practiced).

To complete such problems, students need a conceptual understanding of, and flexibility with, mathematical techniques. Although they are based on concepts and techniques that students have been studying, their unpredictable nature means that even the best mathematics students find them challenging—particularly in a supervised examination, when panic can sometimes compromise the ability to think clearly and calmly.

It’s tempting to ask why schools include these problems on examinations given the distress they can provoke. The most obvious reason is that they appear on all senior mathematics exams (including all external exams), and the more students practice them throughout Years 7 to 11, the better equipped they will be when it matters most.

At a deeper level though, the ability to face and solve unfamiliar problems is one of the most important skills we need our future generation of professionals to possess, regardless of field. This ability is also the essence of mathematical thinking: mathematics is not only about practicing and mastering rules. Much more importantly, it’s about developing a deep understanding of abstract patterns and structures. Why? So we create new, or adapt existing, rules and procedures to solve problems we haven’t yet encountered.

While students typically understand these reasons, a common response is still ‘Why do you have to make them so hard?’

Of course, we don’t go out of our way to make them difficult. We design problems to be appropriate for the given Year level or course; their very nature is what makes them seem hard, especially when one is under time pressure and without access to any resources. It is not easy to apply appropriate mathematical tools to unfamiliar problems, particularly as students are still building their understanding and mastery of topics. While we hope students develop their skills to progress with these problems, it would be a mistake to think that competence with the complex unfamiliar problem is all that matters.

These problems comprise only 20 per cent of the marks in any exam (including external exams), which means that students can still perform quite well in mathematics, even in the worst-case scenario where little to no progress is made in these questions. We point this out to students not to suggest that attempting these problems is futile, but rather to take the pressure off, so that they perceive such problems more like ‘bonus opportunities’ to demonstrate their skills. This can dramatically reduce student anxiety and support them to think more clearly in the face of the challenge. Although completely solving such problems may be out of reach for some students at a particular point in time, it will often be possible for them to at least make a start and receive partial credit; this should obviously be celebrated when it happens as it indicates progress.

So, how does a student improve their ability to solve these problems (and all the other complex unfamiliar problems the world may throw at them)?

Students will have little chance of making any progress in complex unfamiliar problems unless they have thoroughly mastered key concepts and techniques. Imagine a player attempting a challenging level in a video game without having completed the previous levels. They may have the best problemsolving abilities in the world, but if they haven’t mastered the relevant moves in earlier levels, they’ll have little chance of making progress in a more challenging one. It’s easy to underestimate the amount of practice needed for a new mathematical concept or technique to be mastered, and most importantly retained. Students who learn something once, then revise it just before an exam will almost certainly not have a firm grasp of it. Instead, students must allocate some time each week to reviewing topics studied weeks or even months earlier.

It’s important for students to take advantage of every opportunity to practice such problems. As with any new concept, the more experience students have tackling complex problems, the better. Most students practice diligently—but fall into the trap of only practicing problems they have previously been shown how to do—waiting to be shown how to do something unfamiliar before practicing it. There is a certain logic to this—it enables such students to be efficient and often do reasonably well. But there is a downside if they are too entrenched in this mode of learning. Consider the video game analogy again—this time imagine that our player attempting the challenging level did complete all previous levels, but did so by following instructions found on the internet. This is not all bad; the player will have practiced the relevant moves and likely be able to make some progress in the more difficult level. But they will neither be proficient in choosing the right move without instruction, nor be accustomed to the feeling of not knowing exactly what to do and being forced to try something new (knowing it may fail). These skills have been sacrificed for efficiency in passing earlier levels with minimal time and effort, and avoiding the initial discomfort of feeling stuck, or even failing. Not only will this tactic ultimately not serve our player well, it also takes much of the joy out of playing video games in the first place!

Mathematics learning is not exactly like a video game. The ‘moves’ you make when solving a mathematics problem often took the greatest minds in history years to develop. They require skilful explanation and teacher demonstration for students to learn how to implement them. That said, there are still many situations in which students should not be shown the way forward, and instead need to practice making leaps on their own.

In the classroom, teachers provide students with opportunities to practice ‘making leaps’ in a structured, safe, environment. Learning activities are carefully designed to help students build their confidence, creative thinking and decision-making skills, and depth of understanding. Even in traditional teacher-led lessons—when a teacher is going through a worked example— there are moments in which they’ll pause and ask students to try to work out what the next move could be. It’s tempting in these moments for students to remain quiet and wait for another student to answer, or for the teacher to explain it. But, this is exactly the moment that is crucial for students to be fully engaged in thought—about possible next steps, how the ideas could be generalised or adapted, and so on. By engaging in this process, valuable class discussions transpire whereby students will ask whether their idea would still work, or why using another method might not be as beneficial. Subtleties of concepts are explored, mistakes can be made with no consequences, and connections between different concepts are made. Incidentally, this is part of the reason why it’s often very challenging to help students catch up after missing numerous mathematics lessons. They can readily obtain class notes, homework exercises and problem sheets, but they’ve missed out on experiences that strengthen their understanding and ability to cope with novel ideas.

Outside of class, students may feel helpless when they encounter difficulties without a teacher to assist. However, feeling stuck and being forced into proceeding unassisted is crucially important for their development. The best mathematics students don’t mind repetitive practice of

techniques, but more importantly, they look forward to tackling something that’s not easy. They’ll try something, realise it’s not working, then try something else. If nothing is working, they may go back over their notes from class, find an online resource to give them a different take on the concept, or practice related, easier problems. Whenever a student has been unable to solve a problem, but can tell or show their teacher three things that

they tried, that student is going to do well in the long term. Conversely, when students are too afraid to take risks and instead spend their time exclusively polishing notes or repeating procedures they’ve already been shown, they risk failing to develop the important learning habits that ultimately lead to long-term success (not to mention, they deny themselves the joy and richness of the complex unfamiliar experience)!

KYLEEN TSENG (10H)

SCARLETT COOKE (9H)

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Rhythm and Rituals

Mrs Sally Callie, Year 7-9 Advisor and Science Teacher

FRIDAY 1 MARCH 2024

As Term 1 unfolds, Brisbane Girls Grammar School is alive with the vibrant energy from House parties, where creativity knows no bounds. Students raided dress-up boxes, explored second-hand shops, and even ventured into their parents' 1990s wardrobes, resulting in a kaleidoscope of outfits proudly showcasing their House allegiances. From purple wigs and fluoro orange legwarmers to white angel wings, the School transformed into a lively spectacle. With the upbeat tunes of Taylor Swift resonating from the Cherrell Hirst Creative Learning Centre, students relished in pizza and House-coloured cake, and engaged in spirited games like Knights, Mounts, Cavaliers. While these gatherings may, on the surface, appear as frivolous fun, they set the stage for a series of events and traditions that collectively weave the fabric of our School culture, known as School spirit.

Similar to the way significant dates shape our lives, symbolic events at the School create a distinctive rhythm, fostering a profound sense of belonging and identity among students. Assemblies such as the Induction of Student Leaders and reading of Speech Day prizes—at the start and end of each year—serve as pillars that unite the School community, providing a platform to recognise new beginnings, celebrate achievements, and bid farewell to the passing year. The collective voices of a thousand students singing ‘Nil Sine Labore’ or chanting the School war cry, arms entwined, serve as tangible and spirited reminders of our shared vision and community spirit.

Beyond the classroom, Interhouse competitions, exemplified by the recent Interhouse Swimming Carnival, hold a significant place in the School calendar and draw enthusiastic

participation and certainly, nurture House spirit. However, it is the smaller, idiosyncratic events and traditions unique to BGGS that contribute to the cultivation of a rich and cherished culture. This was made clear to me when I asked some students about what makes our school unique. A Year 12 Lilley student told me it was the tunnel created by the House to welcome new students during their first House assembly. A Gibson student described the tradition of each Year 7 student pledging the Gibson oath as she is ‘knighted’ by her Year 12 buddy at their first assembly. Other students highlighted traditions like Blue Days and recent events like Galentine's Day, where pink tutus, red ribbons, face paint, hearts, and streamers transformed the School into a sea of pink. These events go beyond being breaks from the ordinary; they provide shared experiences and a sense of community strength as girls unite to support each other and contribute to the broader community.

Throughout history, the significance of rituals in providing rhythm, order, and meaning in the lives of communities has been recognised by churches and religions. The strongest cultures are steeped in traditions that bind people and mark their lives with significant moments. As Brisbane Girls Grammar School approaches its 150th year, there is much to celebrate. The School's culture is rich, and its traditions are robust. A well-established House system, robust Arts, Sports, and Service programs, and opportunities for student leadership contribute to a profound sense of belonging and school connectedness. It is essential not to underestimate the importance of seemingly trivial traditions and rituals, including songs, war cries, parties, and assemblies, in shaping a thriving Girls Grammar community.

A matter of wisdom, virtues and skills (not scaling)

Dr Rashna Taraporewalla, Head of Department—Ancient History

FRIDAY 15 MARCH 2024

The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) Report for the cohort of 2023 was released in February (QTAC, 2024). Ostensibly, it reports the calculation of ATAR, along with the outcomes of the inter-subject scaling process for Year 12 students who graduated in 2023. As educators are witnessing, however, the ATAR has had a transformative effect on senior secondary schooling, with increasing numbers of students pursuing a ‘quest for a higher score’ (Geelan, 2020), rather than selecting subjects about which they are passionate. This subject scaling, in turn, can influence students’ and families’ subject choices and their evaluation of the worth of a subject.

This was not the intent of the scaling process, which aims only ‘to express subject results on the same scale, so that raw results achieved in two different subjects can be compared fairly’, and applies only to the results of a specific cohort in a given year (QTAC, 2022). To value subjects based upon ‘how they scale’ is problematic for a multitude of reasons, especially given that it is not the same from year to year, or across all percentiles—that is, a subject will scale differently for a student who receives a result of, say, 58, than it does for a student who receives a result of 98. To use scaling as an index of the worth of a subject can be equally damaging for both subjects that are perceived to ‘scale up’ and those that are perceived to ‘scale down’. Those that ‘scale up’ begin to attract students without an aptitude or an interest in the subject.

Those that ‘scale down’ are diminished by the tyranny of metrics, undervalued with fewer and fewer students in their classrooms. Research indicates that fixation on academic scores can profoundly impact the mental health of students (Wallace, 2023). According to a U.S. study, fixating on scores competitively can result in a marked increase in student levels of anxiety (Wallace, 2023). What is more, these mindsets, behaviours and coping skills can stay with them into their twenties and thirties; results that hold an ephemeral value as a means by which to access a tertiary education, can potentially cast a long shadow.

In a school such as ours, which strives to prepare girls for full, rewarding lives beyond graduation—not merely academic success—we know there are other, more appropriate, ways by which to value a subject.

We could, instead, value subjects in terms of the level of personal enjoyment and fulfillment they provide students when engaging with their content and mode of thinking. According to this method, each individual would have a different metric for each subject. Quite rightly. One of the tragedies of applying the utilitarian calculus of scaling to gauge the worth of a subject is the funnelling effect this has, such that the majority of students all take a very similar suite of a limited six (perhaps 7) subjects. As a result, is our

educational ecosystem increasingly producing deeply unhappy, identical copies of a high circumscribed learning profile? And yet, we know that the loves and loathes of each individual are unique. Norse mythology held that each individual had their own personal destiny, their wyrd, from which our modern word ‘weird’ is derived. Neuroscientists confirm that each of us has a unique network of 100 trillion synaptic connections, in which the 100 billion neurons in our brain each make at least 1000 connections with other neurons (Zimmer, 2011). To try to comprehend this number, consider that 400 billion stars exist in the Milky Way galaxy—a human brain contains more connections than 5000 Milky Ways.

There has never been anybody else in the world like you, with the same constellation of connections, nor will there likely be anyone like you again; your galaxy of connections spiral in entirely unique rotations. What delights you, excites you, stimulates you, animates you, places you into a calm state of flow, is yours and yours alone. Young people should thus be urged to use their secondary school years to find their own unique pattern of loves, and to pursue them through their own combination of subjects in which they personally find value, for these will surely lead them to their own distinct, meaningful contribution during the infinitesimal time they have upon this planet. Anything less is a recipe for an unhappy life, one in which they will find themselves busily occupied by things approved of by others, but with an attendant vague anxiety that their life has not achieved its ultimate meaning and significance. Education thus becomes an exercise in survival, an effort to complete the exams and assignments necessary to secure a precious passport out of this world— an ATAR—in a gloomy procession from primary school to secondary school, to university to work. Students become passengers in their own lives, lived at the mercy of a fickle algorithm that changes from year to year.

Further, the focus on such results reflects a utilitarian and economic logic, narrowly aimed at acquiring what David Brooks (2015) refers to as ‘resume virtues’, the skills an

individual brings to the job market. The increasingly competitive consumer marketplace encourages us to value subjects according to their ability to confer these resume virtues. And yet, we are aware that education is now outpaced by the speed of change in today’s world, that the skills and facts taught at school cannot equip young people to excel in their chosen field. It is impossible to prepare learners for jobs we cannot conceive of yet, and reskilling the workers of today in even perennial occupations such as medicine, teaching and auto construction is a constant challenge. Moreover, it is doubtable that most leaners in science classrooms are there to become physicists, chemists or biologists, just as it is questionable that a history classroom will produce professional historians, or a mathematics classroom, mathematicians (Pennay, 2024). More importantly, to spend time only cultivating professional skills is to remain ignorant of the sources of meaning in life, and where our skills are best devoted.

Brooks identifies a second set of higher virtues, the ‘eulogy virtues’, those that a person might hope are attributed to them at their funeral... such as kindness, wisdom, empathy, a strong sense of social justice, an appreciation of beauty. Most people, if asked, would agree that the eulogy virtues are, ultimately, most important. Does it not make sense, then, to particularly esteem subjects which nurture such virtues? Our contemporary culture devotes more time to the acquisition of the resume virtues, yet many subjects, undervalued according to the metrics of the ATAR, nurture these eulogy virtues. Indeed, while subjects within the Humanities and Arts do build transferrable skills in critical thinking, creativity and argumentation, it could be argued that their inherent value lies instead in their ability to cultivate the eulogy virtues.

School should be a place where learners are encouraged to foster their uniqueness, where they are guided in understanding it, honouring it and applying it towards their own learning. It should be a place where wisdom and virtue are acquired alongside skills. To value subjects based only upon ‘how they scale’ is to devalue the learning experience as a whole.

References

Brooks, D. (2015). The Road to Character. Penguin. Geelan, D. (2020, July 31). Students are more than a number: Why a learner profile makes more sense than the ATAR. The Conversation https://theconversation.com/students-are-more-than-a-number-why-a-learner-profile-makes-more-sense-than-the-atar-143539

Pennay, A. (2024, February 24). It’s time to descale the arts machine. [Article]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/its-time-descale-arts-machineandrew-pennay-ndqmc/ QTAC. (2022, August). Calculating the ATAR in Queensland – Technical Document. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/ https://www.qtac.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/20210713_Calculating_ATAR_in_QLDv14.pdf

Wallace, J.B. (2023). Never Enough: When Achievement Culture becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It. Penguin. Zimmer, C. (2011, January 1). 100 Trillion Connections: New Efforts Probe and Map the Brian’s Detailed Architecture. Scientific American Magazine Vol. 304 (No. 1). https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/100-trillion-connections/

AUDREY CHOU (9L)

The opportunities in assessment

Mr James Keogh, Dean of Studies

FRIDAY 22 MARCH 2024

Stress. Worry. Panic. Determination. Resolve. Focus. Calm. Relief. Joy. Laughter. Sadness. Tears. Acceptance.

The ebb and flow of school life carries with it a vast array of emotions—a veritable tumult of highs and lows, soaring peaks that are wished to never end, and at times, valleys hidden in shadow that may seem to have no end. And, this cacophony of emotions is just over assessments, let alone the other activities inherent in school life.

I have been reminded of late of the emotional range experienced during periods of high assessment, be that individual or across a cohort. The reminders came as I watched the recent Year 12 and 11 exam blocks, the Year 7 and 9 students undertake NAPLAN testing, and during the rich conversations in the one-on-one Year 12 Academic Planning Meetings.

As the Dean of Studies, it might seem fitting to talk about the role of assessments in providing evidence of scholastic learning, as a tool in identifying areas for future learning, or maybe about appropriate study habits and strategies to achieve one’s best academically. However, I wish to take a different tack: assessment as a time of emotional growth and learning.

No human endeavour is undertaken free from the thousand emotions that human flesh is heir to (my apologies to Shakespeare for appropriating and amending, even butchering, his work). Equally, life is not devoid of demands, pressures and challenges. Our ability to understand our emotions in such situations—learning how to best respond to them—as opposed to being overwhelmed by them or trying to simply deny them, can help us confront challenges in a more controlled manner.

Thus, we can become more the master of the situation than be at the mercy of it. With such an understanding of our emotional self, we would know that fear or anxiousness can be breached and not hold us back; or to embrace and relish the joy in accomplishment without getting lost in a sense that happiness must always be there; or also, accepting disappointment, though troubling, is but fleeting, if you allow it to be such.

Where can children and young adults experience such challenges in a safe environment? Where can they be placed in a maelstrom of emotions and learn to find a path through, while there is support and guidance close at hand? Where can they learn the emotional skills that will, in time, help them step out into an adult world? The obvious answer is at their homes, with the oversight of parents close by. However, I would contend that schools, with oversight from teachers, Heads of House and councillors, and in fact assessments, form a major avenue for such emotional learning.

Assessments are far more than instruments to demonstrate subject knowledge or a mechanism to obtain a grade; they provide an opportunity for true self-reflection. A reflection in time of demand, a reflection of emotional regulation and a reflection on emotional growth.

So, to all our students having just undertaken, or about to commence assessments, I wish them every success in their academic learning and also their emotional learning. I hope that they see them as a true opportunity for growth, reflection and afterwards, of course, enjoy the well-deserved holiday break.

AMELIA PERRY (12E)

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Contemplating Legacy: What Would Lilley Think Now?

Ms Melinda Egan, Dean of Students

THURSDAY 28 MARCH 2024

One of the greatest delights about stepping into the classroom at Brisbane Girls Grammar School is seeing the students’ intelligent thinking in action. Recently, my Year 12 English class delved deeply into the intricate layers of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, a powerful and timeless literary masterpiece. Amidst discussion on the concept of female agency, I presented my students with a challenge: to encapsulate the essence of eponymous Jane in a single word. With unwavering confidence in their capabilities, 24 unique attributes emerged, painting a vivid portrait of Jane’s character—a testament to both the students and the genius of Charlotte Bronte. I posed the question ‘Is this familiar?’ and the answer was clear to all. The girls had not only come to understand Jane as passionate and intelligent, but had described her as ‘principled, balanced, curious, adventurous, and independent’—the aspiration we have for our students at Brisbane Girls Grammar School.

Now, some may question the relevance of studying a novel penned over a century ago. Upon its publication in 1847, Jane Eyre sparked both admiration and controversy. Some called it daring and rebellious, whilst others thought it preternatural and intelligent. No matter the opinion, the novel was captivating, even catching the eye of Queen Victoria, who wrote about it favourably in her diary. Indeed, the novel left an indelible mark on the Victorian era and beyond.

It's certainly possible that Sir Charles Lilley (1827-1897), former Premier and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland, read Jane Eyre when it was published. As a 20-year-old young man, living in England, perhaps he too got swept away by Jane’s principled response to oppression and inequality. Like Bronte, Lilley became known as an advocate for education and unheard voices. Would Lilley’s five daughters and eight sons also have gone on to read Jane Eyre in their youth in Brisbane? I can imagine the Lilley household engaged in robust discussion about education around the dining table all those years ago.

Sir Charles Lilley’s vision to establish a girls’ school—to enable equal access to education—was far ahead of its time and viewed as a radical experiment. On the cusp of Brisbane Girls Grammar School reaching 150 years, it’s timely to reflect on how his daring idea has evolved. The legacy of Lilley’s vision for girls and young women has brought about a cascade of intelligent thinking and action at Girls Grammar.

Many would argue that the fast-paced changes we see around us today—whilst novel and exciting—are detrimental to common sense: cancel culture; narcissism; and consumerism to name a few. Additionally, and remarkably, new technologies and even different modes of working that we wouldn’t have imagined possible will continue to emerge. Whilst some may feel the world’s gone slightly mad, a quality education

provides a reliable anchor to what’s good and right. Amidst the challenges, and to ensure girls flourish in an uncertain and changing world, how does Girls Grammar continue to advocate for the grounding qualities of being ‘principled, balanced, curious, adventurous, and independent’?

We need not look far to see examples of girls mirroring Jane’s own impressive example. It’s right there in the adventurous spirit demonstrated by our rock-climbers and our swimmers, and in the principled approach of those many students who prioritise service to the School and the community at large. It’s on display in our youngest students as their strive for balance on their first Outdoor Education Program at beautiful Marrapatta, and in the independence of our Seniors as they work toward their external exams by harnessing the lessons learned over the previous six years. Jane’s curiosity finds its

modern parallel in our enthusiastic members of ‘Educate and Empower’, who have chosen topics of interest to explore in their inspiring discussions. It’s plain to see Jane everywhere we look, made possible by Lilley’s daring vision of a broad, liberal education for girls.

Why does Lilley’s legacy matter? An education is the foundation for widening horizons and leading change for the betterment of self and others. So, as we prepare to celebrate 150 years of a Girls Grammar education, we can reflect on the ripples made by many generations of Grammar Women to contribute to a more just world. Resistant ideas—like those of Lilley and Bronte—challenge us to embrace new opportunities and possibilities for the future. I’m confident that this generation of Grammar girls will make their mark, and Lilley would be delighted by their capacity to make a difference.

MAYA ADIB (10G)

GIGI ROMBOLA (9B)

Reflections on Rhythms

Ms Kim Wood, Director of Outdoor Education FRIDAY 19 APRIL 2024

Over the Easter break, while things were a little less busy, I had the opportunity to stay still and take notice—the sun setting earlier, the nights getting cooler, and fewer trees and plants in flower. At Marrapatta we are also noticing misty mornings across the Moocooboola/Mary River valley, an increase in frog sounds at night following the recent rain, and the drier grass ready for burning as we transition from summer to autumn, from the season of the celebration of bunya harvest to the time of custodianship of Country and community. Nature has a rhythm of her own, at times seemingly unconnected to our daily concerns and schedules, but ultimately an intimate aspect of our daily rhythm, if only we give it the time to be heard.

As we return to school for Term 2, we resume a different rhythm, dictated by class timetables, School calendars, and assessment planners—but, of course, we are also welcomed by the many familiar faces of the blue community to which we all belong, and which we all play a role in building and sustaining. In this busyness we become less aware of the rhythms of nature, and more attuned to the rhythm of lessons, co-curricular activities and homework, of Monday to Friday and weekend commitments, of Alpha and Beta weeks, and of assessments and deadlines.

Yet, we are all part of not only the rhythm of Girls Grammar, and our families and friendship groups, but also the rhythms of nature and the cycles of life. By slowing down and connecting to nature’s rhythms, we feel part of the world around us and see ourselves as more than the various roles we play.

Nature has a restorative power. By tuning in, we experience awe, as beings of the utmost significance and also total insignificance—we have a sense of being part of the world around and beyond us. First Nations Peoples across the world understand the importance of honouring this connection as a fundamental human need, and the responsibility we have to care for Country, to protect not only the environment but our own wellbeing.

As a teenager, I had the opportunity to develop a love of nature, adventure, travel and the outdoors through studying Outdoor Education, participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and going to Japan as an exchange student. These experiences helped me to become a considered risk taker and problem solver, and set me up for a life of curiosity. When I go on a trip it always amuses me to observe the way that travel focuses us on life’s necessities—‘where are we sleeping tonight?’, ‘when are we eating?’, ‘where is the toilet?’

The experience of being away from our familiar places and routines makes us aware not only of the needs of our stomach and feet, but also the weight of our belongings, the weather, and the people and environment around us. We find ourselves slowing down our thoughts and worries, and getting into a rhythm that is about meeting our most basic needs and those of our travelling companions, while contemplating the bigger picture of our life and dreams. Having planted these seeds of slowness, of wellbeing and connection, we return to our ‘normal’ lives with a fresh perspective.

The Outdoor Education Program at Marrapatta has been designed to provide students and staff with the opportunity to slow down in this way, and to adopt a different rhythm while developing a sense of community among a small group of peers. We focus on noticing ourselves, others and the environment, and working together to meet everyone’s needs safely. We take time to check in with each other every morning and evening, to solve problems together, and to reflect on how we feel physically and emotionally. We get to know each other over meal preparation and dishwashing, reflect on our observations of birds, insects, trees and animals, how they interact with each other, and fit into the broader rhythms of the seasons. We observe the movement of the stars across the night sky and contemplate our place in the universe.

These experiences provide an opportunity for our students to take time to reflect, and better understand themselves and our world. While we hope that students enjoy paddling on Borumba (place of minnows) Dam and Nguthuru (shadow, ghost)/Noosa River, building rafts, roasting marshmallows, choosing and cooking their own meals, that they remember celebrating completing the ropes course, laughing with their friends and the satisfaction of achieving their goals for the week. Ultimately, we want them to return to Brisbane with a fresh perspective, and a renewed understanding of themselves and their peers. By working through their individual discomfort—whether that be learning to ride a bike, being away from home, eating different food or existing without their phone—students come to understand and value their strengths, gain confidence in their ability to do hard things, and listen to their inner voice. They have the opportunity to create a new pace for themselves, to connect and grow with the world around them, and to take responsibility for their contribution to sustaining the life-giving and life-enriching rhythms of nature.

SIENNA SANTORO (10W)

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Reflections on Romeo and Juliet

Mrs Katrina Riveros, Head of Department—Drama FRIDAY 26 APRIL 2024

Two households, both alike in dignity, will come together to stage one of the most iconic plays of all time for this year’s Senior Drama Production—William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

The collaboration between Brisbane Girls Grammar School and Brisbane Grammar School’s Drama departments is exciting and long-awaited—much unlike that of the Houses of Capulet and Montague—and has enriched our co-curricular programs and resulted in a dynamic piece of theatre.

Shakespeare’s most famous play has been adapted, staged and critiqued countless times! From Hollywood reproductions to academic examination of its political philosophies, irrationality of the love between the young protagonists, and its reflection of social and cultural concerns of its time—we remain enamoured with the tragic tale, centuries after its creation.

Its themes of love, fate and violence, and familial and societal expectations, combined with the complexity of its characters sustains its universal appeal. Written in the 1590s, during a period of social and political upheaval in England, the play reflects societal and religious conflicts through the fractured relationship of the Montagues and Capulets, reinforcing the destructive nature of such division. While England was in the midst of widespread tensions, Europe was in its Renaissance

period, a time of great ‘cultural and intellectual flourishing’, which Shakespeare explores through the concepts of love and fate (Better Tuition Academy, ND).

While we now appreciate the timeless appeal of such a complex, layered play, Romeo and Juliet was not initially a success (Better Tuition Academy, ND). In fact, it wasn’t until the 18th century that it was perceived as one of Shakespeare’s greatest works, defining his legacy as a writer and playwright, and inspiring thousands of reproductions.

It has been a privilege to assist Director, BGS’ Ben Newth, to bring such a contemporary vision to life. Our production reflects our young actors’ own lives through a contemporary vision that showcased their vitality and youthful exuberance through the highly physicalised action and modern street aesthetic.

Daniel Evans’ slick adaptation of the timeless play breaks down the barriers of the traditional text, while continuing to honour the poetry and power of Shakespeare’s bard, by boldly interjecting with modern vernacular and his trademark wit. The production’s contemporary take juxtaposes old with new, bringing a fresh take on the oh-so familiar story by slamming the traditional text, settings, and contexts up against a modern and recognisable era, where young people … well, rule.

The voices and perspectives of the youth are honoured and privileged in this re-telling. The original version’s parental characters are removed to frame this modern take within a young person’s autonomous space, privileging their world view and painting a reflective lens of current society.

Audiences will experience this contemporary fusion in the architectural and historic chapel that is the Great Hall; a building that holds such symbolism for BGS, as it is the first entry point and final farewell place for the boys. Sharing this significant hall with our girls represents a small part of the synergy and mutual respect that we delighted in throughout this collaboration. The production’s clash of tradition and modernity extends to the physical with a minimalist, contemporary set design positioned within the monolithic sandstone structure of the cathedral-like space.

Costuming the large cast has been both a joy and a challenge as we looked to capture the expression of carefree fun and youthful abandonment, while still paying homage to tradition.

The creative team cleverly distinguished the opposing Houses through vibrant festival-like looks for the Montagues, against the slick street-aesthetic inspired costuming of the Capulets— with a contrasting Elizabethan ruff collar for both Houses.

It has been a privilege to work with our students to hone their understanding of the text, find their characters and detail the stagecraft for this ambitious work.

The tragic ending is not the message of this piece. Rather, out of the vibrant dance party scenes, audacious commentary and levity, emerges a real heart in this rendition. It reminds us that there is beauty and love to be found; that our young people are the future, and have dreams and emotions and life to experience. Of course, ultimately, it reminds us that regardless of setting or century, the themes and resonance of Romeo and Juliet are enduring.

For never was a story of more woe

Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

References

Why Astronomy?

Ms Gerri Bernard, Head of Department—Science Curriculum Development

FRIDAY 3 MAY 2024

Astronomy is useful because it raises us above ourselves; it is useful because it is grand; it is useful because it is beautiful . . . It shows us how small is a person’s body, how great a person’s mind . . .

—Henri

Poincaré, Translated from La Valeur de la Science (1904)

For as long as humans have existed on Earth, we have gazed at the stars and the Moon, and the planets of our solar system. We have noted their movements, appreciated how their appearance changed over time, and tried to understand the heavens above us. Each culture developed its own understanding of the meanings behind the patterns they saw, creating rich traditions that served as important cultural markers. We have tried to use the movement of heavenly bodies to explain human behaviour and personality, and even to predict the future.

With the advent of the scientific method, new techniques and technologies were developed to help us understand the comings and goings of our celestial neighbours. We learned that the position of the Moon and planets at the moment of a person’s birth did not, in fact, determine the course of their life in any meaningful way. We learned that we could use our knowledge of the heavens to predict the future, but only on a grand, cosmic scale and not on an interpersonal one (yes, you may meet a person today who will change your life, but not because Mars is in retrograde).

As our Year 7 students approach the beginning of their astronomy journey at BGGS, a journey that will culminate in more than 40 hours of learning time from Years 7 to 9, it is appropriate to reflect on why this subject is such an essential part of our curriculum and how it serves our students, both academically and beyond the classroom.

From a curriculum perspective, astronomy provides an excellent context for important science concepts across multiple disciplines. Students must know how the human eye works to understand how telescopes can magnify distant objects. They can learn to appreciate that the chemical reactions that take place in our bodies rely on atoms that were created in the fiery hearts of distant and long-dead stars. Astronomy is, of course, intimately linked to physics, and some of the most interesting scientific evidence for key physics concepts—such as the behaviour of light, doppler shift, and Einstein’s theory of relativity—are found in astronomical contexts. In Year 8, our data-rich astronomy unit teaches students critical analysis skills and builds their capacity for 3D spatial reasoning and imagination, as they try to see how the apparent movement of celestial bodies across our sky is caused by our planet’s movement around the Sun.

The ‘hands-on, minds-on’ approach that our curriculum uses requires students to engage actively with practical tasks, including work with the School’s Dorothy Hill Observatory (DHO). All students in Years 7 to 9 will engage with the DHO as part of their regular Science curriculum, producing beautiful astrophotography images of star clusters, nebulas, and galaxies. The tasks associated with this work are progressive and increase in complexity over time, allowing the students to develop attention to detail, patience, and problem-solving skills.

In Year 10 Physics, these skills are further developed as students analyse primary astronomical data and use their results to calculate the age of our universe.

The benefits of astronomy can be more intangible when placed in the larger context of life-wide learning. Celestial objects are inherently beautiful and, when students choose a particular celestial object and spend time looking deeply at its characteristics to produce a stunning final image, they can explore their creativity and develop a sense of connection to their chosen piece of the cosmos.

While other subjects may offer students an understanding of their place in the modern world, their place in history, or their place relative to a variety of cultures, astronomy introduces students to their place in the universe, an experience that can evoke astonishment and awe. Students are equipped with the knowledge of just how small and special our home planet is when compared to the vast, empty expanse that comprises most of our universe. It is our hope that this sense of wonder acts as a powerful motivator for lifelong learning and exploration, fostering in our students a culture of curiosity and discovery that extends beyond the confines of the classroom, and adds to the richness of their lives.

OLIVIA CHENG (9R)

Head of House—Beanland

10 May 2024

Mrs Sacha Cross, Head of House—Beanland

Mrs Sacha Cross

GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

GREGORY TERRACE, BRISBANE QUEENSLAND 4000 AUSTRALIA

BRISBANE