Huddle Spring 2023

Huddle St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School S P R I N G

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Huddle S P R I N G

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Leadership Principal Deputy Principal Student Leaders 2024

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Campus Development Aidan’s Place The Pavilion

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Junior School Interhouse Athletics Experiential Learning

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Meet our Teachers Giaan Keir Josephine Chu Brett Dionysius

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Senior Art Junior Art

Interhouse Athletics Music STAGE Dance

Creative Arts

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Space Design Competition

Senior School

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Book Week Junior School Parade

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Representatives Queensland and National

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International UK Exchange Homestay

42 P&F

44 Foundation

48 Alumni

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The Last Word

Cover Photo: Serephina (Prep) at the Junior School Bookweek Parade - The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson

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Contributors Wendy Biggs Gaye Brown Josephine Chu Jenny Crome Brett Dionysius Geraldine Ebbrell Sue Figliano Brett Dionysius Susan Figliano Tracey Jeanes-Fraser Giaan Keir Tim Kemp Anne Kruger Samantha Lee Sue McDonald Andy McGregor-Lowndes Julia McKenna Gillian Moses Toni Riordan Jennie Robinson Reuben Saayman Carly Stokes Shannon Tobin

Editor Carly Stokes Graphic Design Annie Fanning Photographic Contributors Murray Redpath Sarah Cutbush Sam McHugh St Aidan’s Staff Members

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.

H ENRY FO RD

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There is always something to celebrate, whether it is the first green tip of a snowdrop pushing up or the gathering of suncrisped shirts fresh off the clothesline. There are flowers to count and fruit to harvest.

Be conscious and hold on as we spin around the sun one more time.

N I K K I M c C LUR E - Ar tis t

From the Principal M S TO N I R I O R D A N P R I N C I PA L

The school calendar has a knack for disrupting our normal sense of time - as students, teachers, parents and families, we divide our year into academic terms in the same way nature provides the four seasons. But because our school days and workdays change at the command of last-minute calendar updates or push notifications of cancelations, it is easy to fall out of rhythm with the changes we experience in the natural world. This is a shame, as the beauty of a changing season comes with the offer to change in ourselves, often beyond the strict boundaries of our jobs or study schedules.

Here, at St Aidan’s we are witnessing notable change in our built environment right now, and I hope the transition into the spring season reminds our community to look toward the powerful opportunity for transformation that these changes will bring.

We expect our Junior School classes will have moved into the brand-new Pavilion classrooms by the time this edition of the Huddle is published. By the middle of Term 4, we will have hopefully all forgotten about our temporary tuckshop in the Archer and Templeton Science and Technology building and be making the most of our new cafeteria and social meeting area, Aidan’s Place. This exciting development heralds a start-of-the-art kitchen and technologically advanced, self-service area. It also includes the relocated O2 café, provides indoor and outdoor seating for 150 people and establishes a much-needed ‘entrance’ to the Senior School campus. Along with new amenities, this will be a game-changer for students and staff and will offer endless possibilities for parents and alumni community engagement.

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If you have been to Ambiwerra lately, you will have witnessed an incredible transformation. Our Sports Performance Centre, with two indoor courts, amenities and flexible learning area is moving quickly through the construction phases, and we are all getting extremely excited.

Understanding what is to change in the near future is exciting; however, it can also be equally confronting. Even when we know our lives - or ourselves - are nearing a change for the better, any deviation from routine can be daunting. This state of mind is captured elegantly by the writer and cut-paper artist, Nikki McClure, who says this of the changing seasons: “Begin to search for a new direction, but first keep the warm air (of) the comforter for a few more sleepy minutes. Eyes open and close and open. Branches slowly come into focus and a list is made of all the things to make and do for the next 1,000 years…”

Change may feel like those first few moments of a new day - even when we know the day ahead is full of excitement, joy and love, the comfort of a warm bed still makes getting up feel like an impossibility. As the future comes into focus, that list of “all the things to make and do for the next 1,000 years” tends to overwhelm. And of course, when the alternative list tells us only to stay cosy under the covers, change is hardly appetising.

I do not think McClure intends to reason that first moment of change - that desire to stay warm and safe in what is the same - as a negative state. Instead, she understands it as being the first part of a long, patient process. It is a moment of reflection, often a moment of gratitude, a moment to notice where we currently are, and to appreciate it before saying goodbye, and striding into the next stage.

McClure’s process reflects what change feels like in life. She makes artwork by methodically cutting away pieces of black paper, creating an intricate lace of shapes and colours, one sliver at a time, until she has uncovered an entire scene.

We begin wherever we are; with all our worries, our fears, and our insecurities, but also with our best traits - our courage, our adaptability, and our wisdom. And from wherever we are, we begin to cut away what we no longer need, in order to uncover a new, better version of ourselves, and hopefully a better version of our futures.

As a dynamic learning institution, St Aidan’s is transforming all the time and, in the process, challenging all who learn here to strive to be the best versions of ourselves. I look forward to considerable transformation at St Aidan’s in the coming season, and the seasons to come, and I feel the same way McClure does when she says: “There is always something to celebrate, whether it is the first green tip of a snowdrop pushing up or the gathering of sun-crisped shirts fresh off the clothesline. There are flowers to count and fruit to harvest.

Be conscious and hold on as we spin around the sun one more time.”

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Lifelong benefits to holistic education.

MRS GERALDINE EBBRELL D E P U T Y P R I N C I PA L

Education has undergone a remarkable transformation over the centuries, evolving from its traditional Latin roots to a more comprehensive and holistic approach. This shift in educational paradigms has not only redefined the purpose of schooling but has also emphasised the importance that learning beyond the classroom has in shaping well-rounded individuals. Several empirical studies have found lifelong benefits to holistic education approaches that integrate academic, social and emotional learning.

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A holistic education is an approach that acknowledges the significance of academic learning and values the continuation of learning beyond the classroom through extra-curricular endeavours.

Extra-curricular activities come in many forms, the most common being sport, music and creative arts, clubs and community service. This contemporary approach to education acknowledges the importance of nurturing not just the mind but also the heart and body. Extra-curricular activities provide students with opportunities to explore their passions, develop essential life skills and foster a sense of belonging and purpose. Such attributes developed throughout schooling are pivotal for managing the challenges of adulthood.

There is a body of evidence to support the crucial role extra-curricular activities play enhancing students’ academic success. Contrary to the notion that they are distractions from formal education, these activities complement and reinforce classroom learning in several ways: Time Management: Participation in extra-curricular activities forces students to manage their time effectively. Balancing academic responsibilities with extra-curricular commitments teaches valuable organisational skills that are applicable to their studies. When students are required to manage their academic load and commit to extra-curricular activities they develop, persistence, motivation, goal setting, and problem-solving skills (Mars, 2022). The acquisition of these skills transfers to students’ academic success.

Social and Emotional Development: Extra-curricular activities foster teamwork, leadership, and emotional intelligence. These skills can enhance classroom dynamics, as students become more empathetic and cooperative, resulting in a positive learning environment. The communication skills learnt from being involved in these activities are necessary for success in the workforce and other future endeavours.

Stress Reduction: Engaging in extra-curriculars provides students with a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety, improving their mental well-being and, subsequently, their academic performance (Seow & Pan, 2019).

Education has evolved significantly from its traditional Latin roots to embrace a holistic approach that recognises the importance of extracurricular activities in shaping well-rounded individuals. Students at St Aidan’s are fortunate to have a rich and vast range of extra-curricular activities. Involvement in these activities cultivate valuable life skills and enhance not only academic achievement but lifelong success. As incoming Deputy Principal at St Aidan’s, I am looking forward to supporting the students through their journey of holistic growth and collaborating with staff to create the supportive and nurturing environment that St Aidan’s is renowned for.

Mars, H. (2022). The Impact of Participation in Co-Curricular Activities on Academic Performance and Retention Utilizing Data Collected for the Co-Curricular Transcript. St. John’s University (New York).

Poh-Sun Seow & Gary Pan (2019) A Literature Review of the Impact of Extracurricular Activities Participation on Students’ Academic Performance, Journal of Education for Business, 89:7, 361-366, DOI: 10.1080/08832323.2014.912195 The Fruit of the Spirit: A Church of England Discussion Paper on Character Education, October 2015

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2024 SCHOOL CAPTAINS Sienna Demisch-Gilmore and Olivia McPherson with Principal Toni Riordan

Congratulations to all the student leaders of 2024

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2024 SCHOOL CAPTAINS Sienna Demisch-Gilmore Olivia McPherson

Leadership MRS MEG BISHOP DEAN OF STUDENTS

St Aidan’s values fostering and enhancing leadership capacity in all of our students. It is one of the five Wellbeing pillars of our Pastoral Care Framework. Personal leadership can manifest in many ways such as displaying pride in the school uniform or showing compassion and kindness towards peers. In these cases, an individual’s influence can affect the conduct and encounters of others. We consider this everyday leadership an important trait for all students at St Aidan’s to demonstrate. However, it is also acknowledged that formal leadership processes significantly contribute to the social, emotional, and cognitive growth of adolescents.

Therefore, as a school community we are extremely proud of all Year 11 students who embraced the challenge of nominating for leadership in 2024.

2024 sees the introduction of two new exciting Leadership portfolios – Pastoral Care Captains and Activity Captains. The Pastoral Care Captains will be challenged with implementing the Pastoral Care Framework across both the Junior and Senior School. They will be tasked to develop activities that link to our wellbeing pillars of Leadership, Inclusion, Amplify, Care and Connection, as well as work with Year Level SOAR Captains on student wellbeing. Secondly, Activity Captains will develop the overall leadership of all extra-curricular activities that fall outside Sport and Music. Students participate in activities such as Debating, Space Design, Science Club and Theatre Sports. With varied activities I am excited to see how our 2024 leaders bring these activity groups together.

At St Aidan’s, we take pride in our comprehensive and inclusive leadership program which offers all students a chance to cultivate self-awareness, teamwork, communication, strategic reasoning, and empathy – attributes we know not only promote individual growth and wellbeing but lead to positive outcomes for our wider school community.

PREFECTS

Louisa Atkin

Bobby Barton Sienna Demisch-Gilmore Isabel Goffage Felicity Horrocks Alexandra Jolly Claire Jung Tessa Kift Olivia McPherson Yuxuan Wu

SACRISTANS

Gina Ganjoo

Zoe Wang

SPORTS CAPTAIN

Caitlin Bailey Taylor Bonifant

MUSIC CAPTAINS

Annabel Ott Arin Seto

ACTIVITY CAPTAINS

Mia Stephensen Isabelle Woodruff

PASTORAL CARE CAPTAINS Elise Davies Beatrice Schwennesen

HOUSE CO-CAPTAINS AUSTEN Abigail Jones Rebecca Teahen

BARRETT

Matilda Lee Eliza O’Rourke

BRONTE

Grace Gullo Lily Holt

CAVELL

Sophie Beck Charlotte Worthington

HARTLAND

Charlotte Boothey Yanny Cai

NIGHTINGALE

Sophia Haber Caitlin Tainton

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Campus

Development

NEWS

The second stage of the Ambiwerra Sports Precinct Redevelopment is nearing completion and we are excited to open the doors to our St Aidan’s community very soon.

This is a significant milestone in the life of St Aidan’s and we are looking forward to unlocking the full potential of the Ambiwerra site in future years.

The opportunity to develop comprehensive educational, sporting and community facilities will enable us to increase our offerings in sport, health, wellbeing, and environmental studies as well as nurture our community partnerships. These new world-class facilities will benefit all our students and staff as we unlock the potential of the Ambiwerra site and realise the educational and wellness opportunities.

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Aidan’s Place The demolition of the Le Fanu undercroft earlier this year has paved the way for significant construction throughout 2023.

This ground level area, soon to be known as Aidan’s Place, will feature our re-located O2 café and a large self-service cafeteria with seating for over 150 people. This new area will provide an additional bright and welcoming entrance to the Senior School.

We look forward to Aidan’s Place’s opening in late 2023.

The Pavilion The Pavilion is finished and will soon be home to two new Junior School classrooms which will help us continue to grow our leaders of tomorrow and deliver a future-focussed girls’ education.

These new classrooms maximise the green surroundings and natural lighting that the Junior School offers. We cannot wait to open the new doors to students in Term 4, 2023.

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Junior School

Eat, Sleep, Athletics, Repeat

Interhouse Athletics MRS TRACEY JEANES-FRASER

On Friday 14 July the St Aidan’s Junior School held their Interhouse Athletics Carnival at Ambiwerra. The event was a huge success, with individuals from all Houses exhibiting strength and determination throughout the day.

Final House placing:

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1. Hartland

2. Bronte

3. Austen

4. Barrett

5. Cavell

6. Nightingale

Congratulations

Age

Champions!

7 Years 1.

Cordelia Rollo (BR)

2.

Coco Pan (AU)

3.

Rose Percival (HA)

8 Years 1.

Juliette Dube (BR)

2.

Bridget Keogh (AU)

3.

Dottie Smith (BR)

9 Years 1.

Catherine Jefferies (NI)

2.

Emily Fordham (HA)

3.

Lydia Shen (CA)

10 Years 1.

Lyla Austin (AU)

2.

Chloe Chan (HA)

3.

Isabella Kretschmer (BR)

11 Years 1.

Olivia Mo (AU)

2.

Felicity Kortoci (CA)

3.

Clementine Frere (HA)

12 Years 1.

Elodie Boyd (CA)

2.

Clare Couchman (BR)

3.

Sophia Totten (BA)

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Experiential Learning DR JENNY CROME

Year 5 Eureka Gold Rush Excursion Experiential learning is a powerful educational approach that engages our students in hands-on, real-world experiences to enhance their learning and development.

Keeton and Tate (1978) succinctly encapsulate the essence of experiential learning as “education where learners directly engage with the actualities under study. This contrasts with learners who solely peruse, hear of, or discuss these actualities but never truly engage with them as a core part of the learning process.”

Engaging in real-world experiences provides students with authentic and immersive learning environments and enables them to understand the curriculum content more deeply than just information on a page or presented through the lens of technology (Alderman & Green, 2020).

You can find this approach in Year 5 HASS where our students examined the key inquiry question: - How, and in what ways, did the gold rush of 1854 impact Australia?

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Rush Excursion which involved role-plays, tent making, observation and mapping activities, licences were bought, and gold was sought and exchanged. In short the girls lived the gold rush, experiencing the life of a simulated New South Wales gold field township of 1854.

The benefits of experiential learning, its impact on student engagement and motivation, and its contribution to our holistic education approach here at St Aidan’s has been well researched.

By providing students with hands-on experiences, this approach promotes active engagement and a deeper understanding of subject matter. Research has also shown that experiential learning increases students’ motivation to learn, leading to improved academic performance (Dewey, 1938; Kolb, 2014).

Our Year 5 classes went beyond reading, listening, or writing about the impact of the gold rush and came into direct contact with the realities they were studying, transforming their knowledge into lived experience.

Year 6 Canberra Excursion From Monday 17th July to Thursday 20th July, our Year 6 students embarked on an unforgettable journey to our nation’s capital, Canberra.

Previously an annual occurence, this was the first trip the school was able to take since COVID restrictions. It was good to be able to finally return to Canberra as it is a key feature of the Year 6 curriculum, providing an immersive learning experience that complements our HASS curriculum.

The capital city of Australia, Canberra serves as the centre of political and administrative activities, housing the Australian Parliament, government institutions, and various international embassies. Visiting these sites provided our students with a first-hand connection to their country’s governance and political processes.

Meeting with government representatives and the Governor General, His Excellency the Honourable David Hurley, enabled the students to understand the democratic process, governance, and the role they will play as citizens who will shape the future of Australia.

Tell me and I forget.

Teach me and I remember.

Involve me and I learn.

Xun Kuang

During the trip, students visited iconic landmarks, government institutions, the Australian War Memorial, Questacon, the Mint, the Electoral office, museums and art galleries gaining a deeper understanding of Australia’s political past, present, and future.

Many aspects of the trip provided an experiential platform for students to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world contexts, fostering a deeper understanding of their nation’s heritage, governance, culture, and identity.

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Meet our Teachers Giaan Keir (Ms Keir) Subject/s and Year Level/s Taught: Year 3 - English, Mathematics, Literacy, Science, HASS, Art, RVE, SOAR, Technology.

Qualifications: Bachelor of Education

About the Students If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?

If you set your mind to it, you can achieve anything!

What’s a school activity or school sport you enjoy watching?

Any! I enjoy cheering on all St Aidan’s teams!

If you could take the students on a field trip to anywhere in the world, where would you take them?

To South Africa to see animals in the wild.

About School Life How do you show your school spirit?

You will always see me in a yellow tutu for interhouse events – gooooo Bronte!

How do youTokeep things fresh theonclassroom? achieve this goal, we in focus providing our studentsdisplays with a comprehensive education that Frequent classroom created by students.

not only emphasises educational excellence but

cultivates critical being thinking, What’s thealso best thing about a creativity, teacher?and

adaptability. To this end, we have developed three signature programs in the Junior School with each program aligned to the St Aidan’s Strategic Direction 2022-2025, the Australian Curriculum and evidence-based research.

Being with students! I am joyous when students have a lightbulb moment!

About Life Outside of School

What are some pets you’ve had or would likealways to own?

With student engagement and progress at own the centre, Aidan’s delivers I would like to a goat St named Polly.

Pollythese wouldthree live in my backyard. signature programs to encourage balance, deep

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be? learning, challenge and innovation.

An actuary.

What can you cook to perfection? Are you willing to share the recipe?

A boiled egg. I actually eat a boiled egg every day for lunch.

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What is your favourite book?

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff or That Pesky Rat

by Lauren Child.

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Meet our Teachers Josephine Chu (Ms Chu) Subject/s and Year Level/s Taught: Chinese – Prep, Year 4, 5, 7-12 Qualifications: Bachelor of Accountancy, Post-graduate Diploma in Education

About the Students If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.

If you could take the students on a field trip to anywhere in the world, where would you take them?

Crystal Castle in Mullumbimby.

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About School Life How do you show your school spirit?

Be kind, be helpful to everyone you encounter in life. I try to surround myself with people who have positive energy and are willing to give their best in everything.

What is your favourite book?

Joy Luck Club

by Amy Tan

What accomplishment fills you with pride so far this year?

My amazing prep classes can sing lots of Chinese songs and recognize many Chinese characters in just six months of learning with their teacher.

In which other teacher’s class would you like to enrol for a day?

Why? I would like to visit Ms Gaye Brown’s art class as I find creating any form of artwork is interesting, enjoyable and inspirational.

About Life Outside of School What would the students be surprised to find out about you?

I enjoy yoga.

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be?

Accountant

What is your first memory of school?

I loved my teacher and friends. I had great fun participating in the dance group and the band. Great fun.

What song do you love singing out loud?

A Chinse song titled “I am sorry, my Chinese is not good” sung by an English band ‘Transition’.

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Meet our Teachers Brett Dionysius (Mr Dionysius) Subject/s and Year Level/s Taught: General English, Essential English and Literature Qualifications: Bachelor of Education (Secondary) Master of Philosophy (Creative Writing) Dissertation: Fatherlands (poetry manuscript) Graduate Diploma in Business Administration Bachelor of Arts (Humanities)

About the Students If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?

Don’t stress. There is life outside of school, and university will always be there for you, many times in your life.

If you could take the students on a field trip to anywhere in the world, where would you take them?

Greece, to visit the ancient historical sites like the Oracle of Delphi. There you can feel the winds of history blowing over you.

About School Life What accomplishment fills you with pride so far this year?

As co-coordinator of St Aidan’s Debating, I would say we had some great debating success this season with our 9.2 team leaping into the semi-finals of the 2023 QDU Brisbane Schools Competition and our 12.1 team making the quarterfinals in the same competition.

What sort of morning routine do you have to get pumped for teaching?

My morning routine consists of heading straight to Katie at the O2 Café for a skinny cappuccino!

She makes the absolute best coffee for miles around and no matter how busy she is, she has a kind word for everyone. It’s also a great way to say hello to colleagues who also flock to her coffee machine of wisdom.

How do you keep things fresh in the classroom?

Laughter and mutual respect are good ways to keep things fresh in the classroom. If students know that you’re sincere and care about them, then you can build great relationships and give them the confidence to do their best.

What inspires you?

My wife, the novelist Melissa Ashley’s work ethic. The amount of deep research she does for her historical fiction projects is the equivalent of doing a PhD every year!

What’s the best thing about being a teacher?

Discussing books and literature and poetry all day for a job! How about that!

In which other teacher’s class would you like to enrol for a day? Why? Sam Doig’s Literature and or English class without a doubt. She is one of best teachers I have ever seen. Such an inspiration!

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About Life Outside of School What is your first memory of school?

Catching the school bus to Tara State School on my very first day of Year 1 as I hadn’t gone to Kindy before this, living so far away on the farm. I was proud that I rode the bus in with my brother and sisters and didn’t need mum.

How do you think students will remember you and your class?

What song do you love singing out loud?

Just recently with the sad passing of Sinead O’Connor – her 1990 song, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” – particularly the lines, Through their own words/ They will be exposed.”

Fondly!

In which Hogwarts house would you be sorted?

Slytherin.

If you could grow up in any decade, which would you choose?

1890s, 1920s, 1960s.

What is your spirit animal?

Cats. A lynx.

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Debating MR B R E T T D I O N YSI U S D E B AT I N G C O O R D I N ATO R

This year St Aidan’s, once again, competed in the Queensland Debating Union’s, Brisbane Schools Competition which runs for three terms!

Fifteen teams from Year 7 to Year 12 committed to weekly practise with their coaches and to prepare throughout the season. The Debating Team was wellled by its Co-Captains Katya Hirst and Emerson Sharp who chaired meetings and ran skills workshops for junior teams.

All students, from those new to debating in our Year 7 cohort, right through to our seasoned senior teams, revealed their true St Aidan’s school spirit, encapsulated by a commitment to community, by representing the school with grace, dignity and respect for all people within the QDU debating sphere.

We had some great success in the competitions with our 12.1 team making the quarterfinals and our 9.2 team making the semi-finals, both against St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace.

Debating attracts a large cohort of students – usually over one hundred, who, amongst all their other assignment and work commitments, maintain a dedication to public speaking and quick-thinking.

They develop essential lifelong skills… research, critical thinking, conflict resolution and both oral and written communication.

The topic for the Year 9 semi-final was, “That We Regret Politicians’ Increased use of Social Media to Communicate.”

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OUTDOOR

Duke of Edinburgh “They are our future – and we’re in very good hands,” Dr Jeanette Young AC PSM (Gold Award Ceremony Speech, July 2023)

St Aidan’s has proudly maintained a longstanding tradition as an award centre for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Program. This program amplifies the values of our community and provides a flexible and inclusive learning framework that prioritises students’ wellbeing and engagement, fosters resilience, builds self-esteem, and creates a sense of belonging.

Bronze and Silver Award participants recently completed a Sea Kayaking experience as their ‘Adventurous Journey’ paddling between Runaway Bay and Cabbage Tree Point and camping overnight on small islands between South Stradbroke Island and the mainland.

It was a challenging experience and students developed kayaking and navigation skills as well as the responsibility of setting up camp, cooking and planning their expedition.

In July, the Governor of Queensland, presented three of our 2022 Seniors their Gold Award.

Congratulations to Alyse Dowd, Sarah McArthur and Jojo Yuen. The Gold Award is the culmination of a multi-year journey that requires a long-term commitment to service and personal growth.

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smART

and critical thinking expressed by Year 12 students It takes bravery, honesty, and vulnerability to seek a meaningful and authentic voice in Year 12 Art and to make representations around intensely personal and collective issues.

This year some of the explorations have included the environment, memory, gender, neurodiversity, metaphorical vessels, flight and psychological responses to colour.

Aarya Wijemanne

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Brittney Wu

Julia Day

Laetia Gallagher

Angelina Gjorgioski

Bella Garnsworthy

Kiara Jayasuriya Emerson Sharp

Kiara Jayasuria

Lucinda Alexander huddle I spring 2023 25

ART JUNIOR SCHOOL

On Friday 8 September our community came together to enjoy our Junior School Art Exhibition which showcased the creative talents of every Junior School student.

Both the Junior and Senior School music ensembles entertained our guests as students, parents and friends celebrated and admired the diverse range of creative masterpieces from our budding artists.

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ART JUNIOR SCHOOL

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International Our trip to NASA

SPACE Design

On the morning of the 21st of July, seven St Aidan’s girls with students from Padua College, Windaroo Valley State High school and Corinda State High, joined our USA expedition to compete in the International Space Settlement Design Competitions (ISSDC) at the Kennedy Space Centre in Titusville, Florida. This marks the sixth year in which St Aidan’s girls have represented Australia in this international competition. Our tour was filled with sightseeing in Washington, New York City and Orlando. We united to navigate and organise our daily activities, making excellent use of our teamwork abilities.

From the 29th to the 31st of July, our team Rockdonnell comprised of students from the USA, Argentina, Pakistan, and Portugal, tirelessly collaborated and were proud to submit our proposal for the first large space settlement “Alaskol” on Earth’s moon. Over this weekend, we honed and tested our leadership skills and the Aussie’s didn’t back down in this high-stake competition, with two students securing director roles. Our girls’ capabilities as innovative engineers and problem solvers shone in this male-dominated environment, with special congratulations to Yuxuan Wu in Year 11 who was awarded the prestigious Dick Edwards Silent Leadership Award for her leadership demonstrated in the competition.

With tears in our eyes, we said goodbye to our friends from Argentina, whose enthusiasm matched our Aussie energy, and though we hadn’t won, we were all grateful for the opportunity to travel, learn and to work with people of different cultures.

The STA Space Design team has recently submitted their qualifying entry for the 2024 ASDC competition led by the girls of the ISSDC team, and we look forward to continued success in the years to come.

Zoe Wang Captain - Year 11

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Congratulations National Representatives Rhani Hagan

Rugby 7s and Touch Football

Zara Hagan

Athletics

Portia Falk

Futsal

Malia Ruri

Touch Football (PNG U20)

Penina Wilshere

Touch Football (PNG U20)

Queensland Representatives Isabella Valinoti

Triathlon

Isabel Goffage

Cricket

Phoebe Finlay

Swimming and Cross Country

Charlotte Boothey

Swimming

Lucy Quinlan

Tennis

Eloise Nealon

Athletics and Touch Football

Tiana Keke

Athletics

Aurelia Boyd

Athletics

Amelie Boyd

Athletics

Rebecca Teahen

Athletics

Jemima Bennett

Athletics

Arabella Dickfos

Athletics

Gracie Behn

Equestrian

Sarah Bonifant

Soccer

Anika Te Namu

Touch Football

Kaya Hillman

Touch Football

Ella Grant

Touch Football Referee

Shanna Lee

Badminton

Vanning Kuo

Volleyball

Lillian Smith

Hockey

Phoebe Finlay

Cross Country

Eloise Whitehead

Water Polo

Anoushka Falk

Water Polo

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Senior School

Interhouse Athletics ANDY MCGREGOR-LOWNDES

Congratulations to Austen House who were the overall House Champions for the 2023 Interhouse Athletics Carnival. Thank you to all students for your participation and spirit on the day. It was terrific to see some competitive racing, throwing and jumping, as well as lots of colourful and fun outfits!

Final House points and placing:

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1. Austen

1242 points

2. Hartland

1035 points

3. Bronte

1011 points

4. Cavell

1002 points

5. Barrett

886 points

6. Nightingale

647 points

Congratulations

Age

Champions!

12 Years 1.

Eloise Nealon (BR)

2.

Amelia Lee (BA)

3.

Clara Best (BR)

13 Years 1.

Portia Falk (BR)

2.

Eliza Staunton (HA)

3.

Rosie Swale (NI)

14 Years 1.

Aurelia Boyd (CA)

2.

Amelie Boyd (CA)

3.

Jorja Lennon (AU)

15 Years 1.

Isabella Valinoti (CA)

2.

Vanning Kuo (HA)

3.

Zara Hughes (AU)

16 Years 1.

Alex Jolly (BA)

2.

Rebecca Teahen (AU)

3.

Taylor Bonifant (BR)

17+ Years 1.

Tessa Kift (AU)

2.

Ellie Reid (NI)

3.

Jemima Bennett (CA)

St Aidan’s Gift Alex Jolly (BA)

huddle I spring 2023 31

A N TE

above the rest MS SH A N NO N TO B I N HE AD O F P E R FO R MA N C E MU SI C

32 huddle I spring 2023

Term 3 has seen the St Aidan’s music students perform at multiple competition venues around the city.

The Junior String Quartet, Chamber Winds and Senior String Quartet competed at the inaugural Redlands Eisteddfod Youth Chamber Music Competition and came away with two 3rd places and a 2nd place respectively.

Paganini Strings, Symphonic Winds and Ensemble Volar competed at Music Fest. All ensembles are to be congratulated on their performances with all groups receiving Gold Awards.

MUSIC TOUR 2025

The St Aidan’s Music Department has begun initial preparations for the 2025 European Music Tour.

The girls can’t wait to perform on the world stage.

huddle I spring 2023 33

STAGE Dance M R S S AM AN T HA L EE STAGE DAN CE CO O R D I N ATO R

Our STAGE Performance have had a phenomenal 2023 season.

They recently competed at the Quota Beenleigh Dance Eisteddfod, walking away with two 2nd places for their lyrical and contemporary routines, and one 4th place for their jazz dance. They also competed at the Dance X Eisteddfod, and came 5th for their contemporary dance which secured them a spot in the Dance X State Championships in October.

Our dancers have put in long hours and have worked incredibly hard behind the scenes.

Well done girls – we are so proud of you!

34 huddle I spring 2023

Language

Collaboration

Language plays a fundamental role not only in a child’s linguistic education but also in areas of social enrichment and cognitive development.

Our Year 9 Japanese students visited the Junior School recently to share their knowledge and connect with their kouhai (junior peers) in Year 3. Sometimes the best teachers are students, and it was a great opportunity for the ‘big girls’ to foster their leadership skills and be Sensei for the day.

Stage 3 of the Ambiwerra Master Plan will see the addition of a café, green space, a designated learn to swim pool, and a 10 lane, 50 metre Olympic pool for swimming and water polo.

The Year 9s lead their kouhai in a variety of fun language activities. Students practised their hiragana skills using playdoh and calligraphy ink and competed in a fast flyswat game. Students also engaged in cultural activities, making all sorts of wonderful origami creations and learning about bonsai. To end the day, students had a dance party and showed off their moves to some Japanese pop!

huddle I spring 2023 35

36 huddle I spring 2023

BOOK WEEK 2023

Each year since 1945 the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. St Aidan’s students and staff love spending this week celebrating books and Australian children’s authors and illustrators. Our libraries were awash with colourful displays and our teachers and librarians developed activities, ran competitions and told stories relating to the theme: READ GROW inspire..

The free dress day is always an exciting and important day with fundraising for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

This year we were able to donate $702 thanks to the generous support of our school community.

huddle I spring 2023 37

Exchange Program UK This year, St Aidan’s was excited to re-introduce our International Exchange program. In March, six of our Year 10 students travelled to England to join their host students from St Helen and St Katherine’s School in Abingdon and St Mary’s School in Cambridge.

In July, our girls returned the favour and welcomed their exchange partners for three weeks. Here are just some of the things our Exchange girls had to say about their experience.

“Exploring the rich history and breathtaking landscapes of the UK taught me the value of cultural exchange and challenged pre-conceived notions. The differences in education systems challenged me to adapt and embrace new learning methodologies, exposing me to a wider range of perspectives and approaches.”

Zahra Fraser “This exchange experience was a really amazing opportunity to build connections and friendships with people in another country... [it] taught me about cultural differences and reminded me of the fact that friendship and connection transcends national barriers”.

Matilda Allen

“The friendships I made at St Mary’s are life-long connections, with my host family, the other girls on exchange and the students at St Mary’s… it has opened my eyes to the possibility of studying [and] living abroad.”

Isabelle Mathers

38 huddle I spring 2023

St Aidan’s community… we need you.

Hosting an international student is a unique and rewarding opportunity for both the student and host family. Many families and students form lifelong friendships as they learn about different cultures languages and lifestyles.

For me, it is such a new rewarding experience for the whole family, learning how to accept people, communicate and learn from them, even if they don’t speak [much] English.

I love teaching them a culture and how we live.

My advice for new families: give it a go!”

We are inviting current families to host international students from a range of countries.

Kay, Homestay Guardian and St Aidan’s ‘Crossing Supervisor’

H O M E S TAY St Aidan’s International To express your interest in hosting a student please contact the UIL Homestay Coordinator

Living with a local Australian family has provided me with an immersive experience of Australian culture and daily life.

My homestay family is very eager to provide advice and guidance whenever I find myself puzzled or frustrated with schoolwork, helping me feel more at ease and less insecure.

Ashley, Year 10 International Student

Email: homestay@uil.edu.au www.uil.edu.au/accommodation

huddle I spring 2023 39

Words of Wisdom from our current Year 7’s

SE EN

Starting Year 7 is an exciting, but somewhat daunting experience.

Leaving the comforts of primary school and heading into the unfamiliar world of the Senior School can feel scary!

Some of our current Year 7 students want to put our new incoming Senior School girls at ease and have provided some handy tips to help the Year 6’s feel ready for their new adventure ahead.

Don’t be scared of asking for help.

You got this!

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huddle I spring 2023

On the first day, all the older girls and teachers are kind and thoughtful and can show you around if you are lost or just need help with anything. If you need help at any time you can go to student services and the teachers can help you with anything you need. To keep on top of all my schoolwork, I would study for a different subject each day after school. This helps me really understand and remember what I learnt that day for future assignments or tests.

Ava Souzani

To be honest, transitioning from primary to high school is not that different. Nothing really changes except there are more subjects than the primary school. Friend groups get bigger as more and more students arrive.

If you need help you can always go to your PC teacher or head down to student services. Ms Vowles will always be their helping girls when the don’t feel well or need something.

She has medicine, ice and food when needed. You can always talk to your mates.

Katherine Chiu

Year 7 is going to be an exciting new adventure filled with many opportunities for you to make new friends and create new memories.

Everyone is here to support you, and to make your high school journey unforgettable. And always remember, today is just not another day, it’s a new opportunity, a new chance, and a new beginning.

Trudy Chen

Try to join as many extracurricular clubs as you can fit in your schedule! It can really help you meet new people and make friends.

Maria Hanna

My fears were quickly wiped away upon meeting an amazing teaching faculty which welcomed me with open arms. The first few days was all about adapting to and appreciating our new environment while having access to a great facility and kind and knowledgeable teachers which allowed me to plan my goals for the upcoming year.

Leila Binesh

Transitioning from primary school to high school is a big leap but it is important that you have an open mind and stay true to yourself. You are not alone in feeling scared or worried about friends or finding your way around, so just put yourself out there and don’t be scared of asking for help. You got this!

Monica Felix

Coming from another primary school I was really nervous about meeting new people in a new school. The best way to stay grounded and enjoy yourself is being ready for change. Staying expectant and not being afraid to let new people or possibilities in. Have a go at everything and stay on top of schoolwork by getting it done as soon as you can.

Ciena Kisten

Welcoming our 2024 Year 7 Families Please join us for an

Sunday

19 GREEN Afternoon on the

November 2023 3pm - 5pm

Meet other girls who will be starting school with you next year

huddle I spring 2023 41 57

P a r e n t s & Fr i e n d s SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY

This year our dedicated P&F Association has been actively engaged in fostering a sense of community through events to enhance the educational experience offered to students.

In late July, the P&F launched the Friends of Sport Support Group. This event provided parents with the opportunity to hear about the aims and objectives of the group and how to support students in their sporting endeavours. Also in July was the Junior School Bush Dance, featuring the Bushland Boogie Band, and sausage sizzle.

To ensure the continued success of St Aidan’s, the P&F continued hosting fundraising activities, including the Parents Trivia Night, the Junior School Father’s Day Stall and the Father Daughter Breakfast.

At the Trivia Night, guests participated in interactive trivia games whilst cheering on the Matildas in their victory over France. Funds raised from the evening were put towards outdoor shades and classroom items.

The Father Daughter Breakfast allowed students and their special father figures to come together over breakfast. The event featured a performance by our very own Backbeat Band along with a live interview hosted by students Sienna Demisch-Gilmore (Year 11), Olivia McPherson (Year 11), and Mia Rentoul (Year 5), and three very brave Dads.

The P&F is looking forward to jointly hosting the annual Friends and Futures Lunch with the Foundation at the new venue, Rydges Hotel in South Bank.

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huddle I spring 2023

The P&F would like to thank their members for all the support received throughout 2023 and are excited about planning for more events and festivities in 2024.

UPCOMING EVENTS St Aidan’s

Celebrates AIDAN’S CELEBRATES Monday 9 October St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

Valedictory

2023

YEAR 12 VALEDICTORY

Thursday 16 November St John’s Cathedral Brisbane Convention Centre

SP RT AWARDS S SPORTS AWARDS

Wednesday 11 October St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

Last Day

YEAR 12 FINAL ASSEMBLY

Friday 17 November St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

Dream big Work hard

Tuesday 28 November Hillstone - St Lucia

YEAR 12 HIGH TEA

Sunday 12 November Rydges Southbank

Junior School

MOVIE NIGHT Junior School CHRISTMAS MOVIE NIGHT Friday 17 November St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

TERM 4 Concludes

Fly high

YEAR 6 Transition Service & Dinner

Let’s Celebrate

YEAR 6 CROSSING OF THE ROAD Wednesday 29 November St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

TERM 4 Concludes Kindy to Year 11 Wednesday 29 November St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

huddle I spring 2023 43

Fo u n d a t i o n

Acting Foundation Chair Dr Anne Kruger

Philanthropy research shows that women overwhelmingly want to give and donate to causes such as education especially if there is a vision for supporting future generations. The only problem? They’re often not asked! I recently witnessed this research in action from the phone conversations my fellow Foundation board members and I had with our generous donors after Giving Day. In one conversation, an Old Girl, now retired, received information for the first time via the post and was delighted at the opportunity. She was even more pleased when she heard about the impact of her donation - going towards scholarships for girls who would otherwise not be able to experience a St Aidan’s education. Others we spoke with donated to the infrastructure and capital works projects that are transforming our campus and Ambiwerra grounds.

They were thrilled at how these projects are enhancing the experience of current students while also leaving a legacy for St Aidan’s girls of the future.

This is not to exclude the men too! At St Aidan’s, we’re seeing a change in attitude where they want to make sure they give as much - and in some cases more - to their daughters’ school and the future generations as they would for their sons. In all, Giving Day raised $254,863 towards both scholarships and bursaries, as well as building developments throughout the school.

Our aim for Foundation is to foster a culture of philanthropy in our community for scholarships and infrastructure. The generous turnout for the Golf Day also saw this in action and brought along their sense of participation and fun! Parents, alumni, grandparents, friends, sponsors and suppliers raised almost $20,000 on the day.

The Foundation board members have recently decided they will be on hand to chat at more school events to take away the mystery of who we are and what we aim to do. I’m looking forward to having some of these conversations at the upcoming Friends and Futures lunch in October.

As you wander around the fresh, new campus and Ambiwerra grounds, please keep in mind there is still much work to be done and funding goals to be met.

Every donation counts.

St Aidan’s Foundation

GOLF Day

Fr i d a y 2 5 A u g u s t

T H A N K YO U

to our sponsors and attendees for a successful 2023 GOLF DAY.

44 huddle I spring 2023

Aidan’s St

EVERY

G I F T M AT T E R S Giving at a glance 2023 Building a culture of philanthropy at St Aidan’s

293

$

DONORS

$

Giving Day

L

together helped raise

254,863

1

Smallest gift

$

50k

Largest gift

HOUSE D O N AT I O N S $

Austen

40,216

$

Giving Day D O N AT I O N S

Oldest

ALUMNI Donor

Graduated in 1949

Youngest

ALUMNI Donor

Graduated in 2022

$

25,964

DONATIONS

69

$

DONATIONS

Totaling

Totaling

$

224

176,912 Towards Building Fund

$

77,951

Towards Scholarship Fund

Barrett

Bronte

15,017 Cavell

12,240 Hartland

$

19,038

Nightingale $

43,166

66 A warm welcome to families and Alumni who donated to St Aidan’s for the first time

huddle I spring 2023 45

Fo u n d a t i o n The St Aidan’s Foundation warmly thanks and acknowledges the support of our community for their generosity, belief in and support of the School.

Following is a list of our 2023 community donors to date.

Adam & Catherine Charrington

Clive & Summa Todd

Hitesh & Poonam Kumar

Afshin & Nikki A-Khavari

Connie Shi

Huan Feng & Zhengyan Mei

Alex & Cecile Wake

Co-Van Ho & Joyce Lin

Ian Finlay & Katrina Withers

Amanda Richards

Craig & Melissa Lennon

Inge Roberts

Andrea McGrath

Craig & Rachael Baker

Jackie Child

Andrew & Ellie Rentoul

Daniel Jung

Jackie Lydon

Andrew & Katrina Grant

Darren & Anne Stevenson

Jackson Yu & Angela Wu

Andrew & Kumi Henry

David & Daniella Harrison

James Edelman & Sarah Percy

Andrew & Rosalind Clarke

David & Marcia Kretschmer

Jane Muir

Andrew King & Sara Kim

David & Sue Russell

Janet Court

Angus & Alissa McDougall

David Chi Wong Ng & Wing Kam Ho

Janie Gibson

Ann Badger

David Denholm & Nicole Haines-Denholm

Jarad Smith

Anna Ding

David Li & Huihui Zhai

Jenny Crome

Anne & Paul Kruger

De Van Vu & Hanh Pham

Jeremy & Lisa Ferrier

Ashley & Aanne-Maree Keane

Dean & Skye Firmin

Jian Shi & Yunxuan Tian

Ben & Julia O’Rourke

Dean Sheppard & Meredith Chapman

Jianzhong Yu & Xiaoyan Xiang

Bhavna & Mahendra Meta

Dongbing Pan & Cuiyin Huang

Jin Li & Han Feng

Bin Cai & Yingzi Yan

Dongyangyang Liu & Liting Wang

Jinyu Zhang & Lu Pang

Bin Wang & Jing Pan

Drew & Megan Stephensen

Joe & Shih-hua Chao

Bo Dong & Yaqi Chen

Emma Ayres

John & Amanda Flack

Brett & Sharee Cuthbert

Evelyn Scott

John Lahey

Brian & Janette Gibson AM

Felicity Conlan

Joseph & Susan Moss

Brian Moller & Anne Wallace

Feng Qin & Chun Wang

Judith Van De Pol

Bruce & Jacqueline Frey

Fleur & Stevan Ristic

Judy Gibson

Bruce & Prue Fairlie

Fred Jeuken & Jacqui Johns

Justin & Melanie Howard

Caleb & Siobhan Ruri

Gary & Kersensa McGraw

Justin Walsh & Deidre Stark

Catherine Oberhardt

George & Linnette Kyprios

Kai Chen & Xin Li

Celia Lian

Glenn & Cindy Davies

Kara & Andrew Plummer

Chao Li & Dingling Zhou

Gloria Lou

Karen Sheppard

Chaoliang Guan & Wanjun Huang

Grant & Nichole Menzies

Karen Spiller OAM CF

Charlotte Huang

Greg & Kisa Baldwin

Karunakaran Muthuthamby & Manjula Karuna-

Chen He & Chen Zhao

Greg & Lana Shoesmith

karan

Chih-Chien King & Xi Wu

Greg Anderson

Keith & Katherine Vining

Chris & Fiona Johnstone

Greg Romans & Cushla McBride

Ken Thomas

Christian & Kristen Jennings

Han Gao & Ran Yan

Kewu Li & Fang Liu

Clifford Yu & Debbie Lim

Hiroyuki & Masaki Kano

Kim Bishop

Guiping Liu to you by the Kenneth & Tara Fitzsimmons Brought Hamish & Lisa Bonifant Keryn Smith St Aidan’s Foundation and the P&F Association

Chris & Jacquelyn Schofield Chris & Jill Deveney

46 huddle I spring 2023

Fo u n d a t i o n

THANK YOU

Thank you to the many donors who have chosen to remain anonymous; we appreciate your generous support.

Kim Hernandez

Qian Wang & Chong Feng

Tihari Jayasuriya

Laura Cooke

Qiang Jin & Hui Wang

Timothy & Demelza Sutherland

Leo & Catherine Nunnink

Qin & Yuan Li

Timothy & Tracey Kendall

Lexee Auston

Reece Walker & Alison Hamilton

Timothy & Georgina Rose

Lezah Gildea-Marega

Richard & Alyson Cooper

Tin Chan & Yue Pan

Lily Van Gilst

Robert & Georgia Barton

Tom & Sue McDonald

Liming He & Meifang Sun

Robert & Jacqueline Kift

Tom Kummerow & Alicia Shumack

Ling Duan & Lu Jiang

Robert & Lina Jolly

Toni Riordan

Liza Peapell

Roberta Morrison

Toni Williams

Mariana Moussa & Amir Gayed

Robyn Biasibetti

Tony Wang & Jennifer Lin

Mark & Alexandra Day

Rohan & Kim Lawrence

Trevor Cook

Mark & Amber Kneipp

Rosemary Blair

Tyrone Marega & Lezah Gildea-Marega

Mark & Karyn Krzysica

Rosemary Morrall

Venkat Alla & Poormina Sunkara

Mark & Lisa Neale

Rowan & Gillian Gower

Viraj Ariyarathne & Thanuja Gunasekara

Mark & Melissa Robinson

Sam & Alisha Twidale

Wei Chen & Xiaoqing Wang

Mark Davies & Judith Morrison

Sam & Emma Bristow

Wei Jin & Dan Liu

Martin & Jennifer Ryan

Sarah Chu

Wei Ma & Xin Ni

Martin & Julia McKenna

Sasha Moor

Wendy Biggs

Matthew & Louise Cooper

Scott McPherson

Wing Cheung & Fanny Kam

Matthew & Ros Humphrey

Shane & Alex Veivers

Wing Yin Ho & Ho Shan Wai

Michael & Ella Bryan

Shaun Charles & Karen Hands

Xiaming Wang & Xiang Ling

Michael & Patti Brennan

Shirley Power

Xianze Chen & Yingbo Liu

Michael Duce & Georgina Richards

Shu Pan & Xiaoying Jin

Xiaoguang Wang

Michael Ford & Tanya Angus

Shunyu Wang & Limin Zhang

Xiaoyang Sha & Xiaoxiao Huang

Mingdong Huang & Yang Lin

St Aidan’s P&F Association

Yang Song & Bilu Zhuang

Minseong Jun & Hyehyun Kim

Stephen & Deborah Green

Yi Guan & Tingting Yao

Mjolnir (Australia) Pty Ltd

Steven Li & Grace Liu

Yijie Ge & Jing Ye

Murray & Laura Procter

Stuart & Pedrica Bishop

Yong Ma & Xiaolian Wang

Nathan & Paula Hatherly

Susan Linnett

Yu Chen & Joanne Chung

Nigel & Kate Thomas

Susan Whitaker

Yuan Wu & Yang Wang

Oliver Tsai & Nydia Lin

Susie Su

Yueshun Li & Chong Wang

Patrick & Cathy O’Connor

Tammy Watt

Yunqiang Su & Lin Zhang

Patrick Moniaga & Sitha Adriana

Tania Walter

Zhenfei Gu & Lin Zhang

Peter Comino & Lisa Grosskopf

Tanya Dobeli

Zhenjie Wang & Lina Fang

Peter Dalley & Caroline Keogh

Terence Bonner & Barbara O’Conor Nash

Zhigian Zheng & Manyan Wang

Phong Nguyen & Rebecca Gardner Priyanka & Shaniya Jayasuriya

S U P Thomas P O R TFrost I N&GChelsea O U RHo C O M M U N I T Y Tianxiao Zheng & Jintong Xie

huddle I spring 2023 47

ALUMNI NEWS From the Archives Did you know, the very first ‘Recorder’ was a 20-page booklet typed on a typewriter and published in 1931.

From house reports to university results, and from sporting successes (and criticisms) to event summaries, the Recorder was a well-read booklet by the school community.

Students’ original stories and artwork were also included for entertainment and enjoyment.

The first Recorder contained Notes from the Old Girls’ (of which there obviously were only a few) announcing the beginning of the Old Girls’ Association.

Marriages Georgia Warburton (2014) married Lonan Simmonds on 8th April 2023.

Births Bethany Wass (née Phillips 2004) and David Wass welcomed Frederick Donald Wass on 7th June 2023, a little brother to Henry.

Vale Athele Deller (former staff member 1986 – 1998) passed away recently.

Diane Berryman (1969) passed away recently.

Margaret Labatt (née Lalor 1963) passed away on 25 June 2023.

Sister to Libby Philip (née Lalor 1969) Ann Dickson (née Franklin 1956) passed away on 26 June 2023.

Grandmother to Keelah Bennett (2020) and Dominique Bennett in Year 8.

Valda McMaster (née McKay 1947) passed away on 21 July 2023. Valda is sister to Janette Gibson (1954), Dawn Nicholas (also deceased – 1943) and Valda McMaster (also deceased – 1947)

Georgia Warburton (2014) Georgina Kerr (2006), Dina Magan (Amin) (2006), Emma Schafer (2006)Lonan Simmonds married and current kindergarten teacher and and Meredith Hartigan (2006)

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ALUMNI NEWS Congratulations Donations

Chloe Sawyer (2014) graduated with a Bachelor of Environmental Science (UQ) and is completing a graduate program at Nyrstar in Hobart. was one of three people (and only woman) offered the position in Melbourne.

Thank you to those who have generously donated memorabilia to our Archives:

Artists in Profile

Jill McEnerny (1952) and Julie-Ann Smith

Tayla Stafford (2013) is now an Investment Banker with Goldman Sachs. She

Emma Schoutrop (2017) visited Year 10 Art students and shared her story about being an art student and becoming an engineer.

Jennifer Redmond (née Hillhouse 1959)

Dord Burrough (2005) exhibited in Lon Gallery Melbourne. Her abstract

Christine (Tina) Morcom (1963)

paintings depicted “poetic memories of places and heart-felt states of mind.”

Paige Edwards - Mourning Jewellery

Berenice Muchsion (née Ward 1963)

Alexandra Matthews (née Harvey 1980) exhibited her latest collection of

Congratulations

Hazel Lahey (née Buchanan 1963)

paintings “Walking Pace” at Lethbridge Gallery in Paddington, Brisbane.

Paige Edwards (2022) whose work is now on display at GOMA, as part of the

Thinking of You state’s Creative Generations Awards for Excellence in Visual Art.

OurAlexandra thoughts and prayers(née are with the1980) family who of Leslie Trotter, (former staff Matthews Harvey won Best Acrylic at the Brisbane member 1974 2000) in this difficult time.

Rotary Art Show in July. Alexandra also recently won 1st Prize at the Royal Queensland Art Society, Brisbane Landscapes, Landmarks and personalities.

Meredith (Tooey) Elliott (née Pierce 1982) was awarded Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects in April. She is currently serving as the Deputy Director-General of Infrastructure Services with the Department of Education.

Judy Burroughs (née Ash 1971) Estelle Palmer (belonging to mother Billie Walker 1951) Lynda-Anne and Jane Griffith Ted and Anne Gibbons (belonging to Inez Gibbons 1950) David Murray

Alumni and Past Staff

ABOVE - 1957 Lifesaving Team Adrienne and Diana Benson (Shaw)

COCKTAIL PARTY Friday 17 May I The Link

LEFT - Jumping for joy Desley Wilson (nee Taylor) 1952 GPS Athletics Team

huddle I spring 2023 49

ALUMNI Awards ALUMNII

Celebrating the diverse achievements of our Alumni

Awards

CAROLINE AMY ALUMNI AWARD

Susan Figliano (1991)

Susan Figliano has devoted her life to teaching children of all ages, backgrounds, and diverse cultures. After graduating from St Aidan’s in 1991, she went on to study a Bachelor of Music Degree at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and then a post-graduate education degree at QUT.

The accomplishments of St Aidan’s alumni bring honour to themselves and to their School in a multitude of ways – through leadership in their professions; business and government; ground-breaking advances in science and medicine; achievement in sport, humanities and the arts; and service to global and local communities.

She has dedicated her professional life to the education of children through service in both classroom music and instrumental programs. Susan has taught with Education Queensland, through her own private instrumental studio and in the Independent Schools Queensland sector, both in classroom and instrumental areas. Across all areas and schools she has consistently offered extra time to ensure that children have access to music and the arts. Susan has committed countless hours to choirs, bands and ensembles outside of timetabled classes and has a long history of organising concerts at schools and taking students to eisteddfods and external competitions.

Sue has successfully grown the instrumental music programs and student numbers in classroom music in all the schools in which she has taught. She does this through a genuine care for her students and her ability to inspire students to love their music and assist them with their own music making goals.

She helped her students to balance their extra-curricular commitments, achieve their musical goals and ensure they were prepared for all performances. Sue was, and is, a very respected St Aidan’s staff member. Sue is currently the Curriculum Leader of K-12 Music, runs the Junior and Senior Band Programs – and dedicates numerous hours to rehearsals, concerts, workshops, assemblies, and performances. Sue has grown the Band Programs significantly.

Susan constantly keeps the school’s vision in sight with all that she does and creates a leaner-centred environment both within the classroom and extra-curricular space.

She is often one of the first staff to offer her assistance at quiet days and camps and regularly attends the liturgy services in the Chapel before school with Reverend Gillian.

As an old girl, she epitomises the whole learner as she is always striving for excellence but also serving others, providing multiple opportunities for the current student cohort to achieve a well-rounded holistic school experience.

CAROLINE AMY ALUMNI AWARD This pinnacle Alumni award recipient exemplifies continuous and significant contributions in professional, community, cultural, sporting or leadership achievement. They inspire and uplift those around them through their lifelong pursuits.

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ALUMNI Awards MOTHER EMMA ALUMNI AWARD Rachel Condos-Fields (1999) Rachel is a very modest individual with countless achievements – she’s always giving without thinking and receiving without forgetting. She is generous with a natural desire to bring positive change whenever something doesn’t feel right.

A proud Alumni of St Aidan’s, Rachel has fond memories of her time at school and always promotes the unique culture of the school in social settings and within business.

When she continued to hear stories of hidden hardship across the sporting world, she knew she had the ability to act and so she walked away from a full-time paying job to set up a new business, the WattleNest, with a dream to make sure affordability would not be a barrier to sport.

In six short months, she welcomed 96 athletes to her program, developed a TV series (For the Glory), onboarded more than 15 corporate partners and helped 12 athletes compete Internationally and represent Australia in qualifying events. They would not have had the opportunity to do this without her funding. Her TV show has interviewed 55 athletes and is averaging over 50,000 views each week – that’s more than the capacity of Suncorp Stadium! In fact, it’s more than full capacity at every stadium in Australia aside from the MCG. It is anticipated that For the Glory will be viewed by over 2.5 million Australians before December 2023. Rachel is determined to use sport for good. She believes her athletes have the power to build stronger communities, promote inclusivity and bring confidence to youth. She has a track record of using sport in developing countries, taking athletes to Nepal to bring hope, joy and inspiration to some of the most disadvantaged communities in the world.

The ambassadors she has around her is a testament to the trust and respect she has earnt. She is innovative, courageous and selfless, and has put her skills to use in a first of its kind program in Australia.

MOTHER EMMA ALUMNI AWARD Established in 2019, in celebration of St Aidan’s 90-year history, the Mother Emma Award celebrates achievement in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation. The award recipient demonstrates game changing and trail blazing endeavours across community or professional life. They may have pursued an alternative study or experience pathways to create their mark on the world.

huddle I spring 2023 51

ALUMNI Awards

23

EMMA BETTS ALUMNI AWARD Chynna Evans (2014) In high school, Chynna was two different people.

To her friends; fun, outgoing, sporty and incredibly kind.

To her teachers; loud, crazy and always distracted.

At school Chynna received average to below academic results, yet at home she was coding her own websites from scratch.

It wasn’t until later (in her 20s) that Chynna was diagnosed with ADHD that these challenges made sense. She overcame challenges to recieve the “Archbishop’s Prize for Most Improved Student” Award in Year 12.

She credits this accomplishment to the help and understanding she received from her Art (Mrs Brown) and Maths (Ms Hosking) teachers. Chynna went on to study at the Queensland University of Technology for a Bachelor of Information Technology majoring in Computer Science.

During this time, whilst studying, working and competing in competitive gymnastics/ cheerleading competitions, Chynna was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. This meant for rhe rest of her life she would now have in-hospital treatment every 8 weeks.

The knowledge of this didn’t slow her down. In fact, it spurred her on to live her life to the fullest. In 2017, she started working for the Uber Eats office in Brisbane as a Restaurant Partnerships Representative. This was not Chynna’s end goal. She wanted to go further behind the scenes and work as a software engineer. She stayed back most nights to work on this, despite it not being in her job description. It was partly because she wanted to prove to her managers that she could do it and the other part was because she just loved it. After nine months she was promoted.

After graduating QUT on the Dean’s List (School of Science), Chynna was offered a job in New York City as a Software Engineer for Uber head office. Her incredible work had been noticed overseas. In 2019, Chynna made the jump and headed abroad; however, in 2020, as a result of a pandemic employee cull, Uber let go of thousands of their workers, including Chynna.

Stranded in NYC, severely immunocompromised in the middle of the pandemic, Chynna rallied. Within weeks she had job offers from Etsy, Pinterest and many other major firms. She ended up accepting a job with Facebook. Chynna is now 24 years old, lives with Crohn’s Disease and ADHD and works for Meta in New York City - one of the largest companies in the world, as a Solutions Engineer. She is truly a St Aidan’s success story.

EMMA BETTS ALUMNI AWARD Recognises young alumni (30 years or younger at the time of nomination) whose professional or volunteer accomplishments demonstrate a significant positive impact – locally, nationally or internationally. As an inspirational role model, they have raised their profile and standing within the community to create positive impact in their field.

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ALUMNI

Reunions

Young Old Girls’and 10 Year Reunion We had the absolute delight to welcome sixty of our 2013 cohort and our Young Old Girls back to the school on Friday 19 May. The Link was filled with joyous laughter and plenty of warm embraces as the girls rekindled cherished connections, reminisced about their time in blues whilst reconnecting with old friends.

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20 and 30 Year Reunion Our 20 Year (2003) and 30 Year (1993) Reunions girls reminisced about their school days as they toured the school and new Sports Performance Centre at Ambiwerra on Saturday 20 May. There was plenty of laughter as stories of past adventures and tales were shared.

The Link was decorated with uniforms and photos from the girls’ time at St Aidan’s. It was a lovely walk down memory lane.

The festivities continued with a twocourse lunch at Boucher in Graceville.

The girls continued on to The Regatta to celebrate into the evening. The reunion served as a reminder that while time may have moved on, the spirit of St Aidan’s remains embedded within each woman who has graced its halls.

In listening to the girls’ stories from their time at St Aidan’s and beyond, it was continually reaffirmed that St Aidan’s commitment to nurture confident and visionary women is alive and well.

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ALUMNI

Reunions 40 and 50 Year On 21 May we had the pleasure of welcoming our alumni from 1983 and 1973 to the school. The reunion was a heart-warming testament to the bonds forged at school and the profound impact of an all-girls education.

The Link brimmed with chatter as our alumni swapped stories about their diverse pursuits, family, travel, and careers. Amidst heartfelt conversations and shared laughter, they recalled their schoolgirl escapades and reflected how St Aidan’s had shaped their lives.

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ALUMNI

Ascension Day and 60 Year Reunion

Our annual Ascension Day picnic and Assembly was a lovely event.

As conversations flowed, it was fascinating to observe how everyone seamlessly transitioned from reminiscing about their time at the school to their current lives and achievements. After the Assembly the 1963 Old Girls were treated to a High Tea catered by Jocelyn’s on James Street. Throughout the High Tea there was a shared sense of pride in having been part of the St Aidan’s community during their formative years. It was a reminder that time might pass, but the bonds formed during your school years remain enduring and special.

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ALUMNI

Past Staff Lunch After a break for five years, it was decided a small lunch on the veranda at Fancutt’s House, Ambiwerra would be held to honour and acknowledge past Principal Karen Spiller OAM CF, following her recent retirement from the education industry.

In 2024 we are very excited to announce that there will be an Alumni Cocktail Party which all past staff are invited to attend. We believe that it is crucial to acknowledge and appreciate the significant role that our past staff members have played in shaping the foundation of our school. Their commitment to excellence, innovative teaching methods, and unwavering support are not forgotten.

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DATE

SAVE

ALUMNI Reunions 2 0 2 4 Ascension Day (All Welcome)

60 Year Reunion (Class of 1964) Thursday 9 May

Alumni and Past Staff Cocktail Party Friday 17 May

10 Year Reunion (Class of 2014)

20 Year Reunion (Class of 2004)

30 Year Reunion (Class of 1994)

Saturday 18 May

40 Year Reunion (Class of 1984)

50 Year Reunion (Class of 1974) Sunday 19 May

Melbourne

Saturday 25 May

Sydney

Saturday 1 June

Canberra

Sunday 2 June 58

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The Last Word

Baking for a better world Our kitchen is a riot of pots, wooden spoons, melted butter.

So be it. Maybe all this baking will quiet the angry voices next door, if only for a brief whiff.

While I have spent much of the year managing the symptoms of long covid, I have spent more time than I expected watching ‘fluff’ television – anything that didn’t require me to think. So it was that I got hooked on the Great Bake-off shows. So far I have seen Brits, Aussies and even Kenyans baking competitively, and I am currently on the Canadian version.

The Society of the Sacred Advent, in founding St Aidan’s, was much more interested in a school that was like a baking tent than they were in a school of competition. It is our constant calling to hold fast to that idea: to be a place where we praise good outcomes and recognise that all outcomes are valuable, as they help us to show students what to do differently next time.

I usually avoid competitive cooking shows. Cooking, for me, is the antithesis of competition, as cooking comes from a place of love and compassion. I am not sure how you win at baking, except that you cook something delicious and then get to eat it with family or friends – winning all around!

I want our summers

Still, the Great Bake-off shows manage to avoid the worst of competitive cooking. I see people who are there to do something they love, with other people who love doing it. The judging is less about criticising and more about encouraging, helping the bakers to see what they can do differently next time. And as each contestant leaves the show, there seems to be a genuine sadness at leaving such a place of learning and growth and encouragement. As though such experiences are uncommon.

I could draw obvious correlations with the aim of a school like St Aidan’s here, but I think they speak for themselves.

to always be like this—a kitchen wrecked with love, a table overflowing with baked goods warming the already warm air. After all the pots are stacked, the goodies cooled, and all the counters wiped clean—let us never be rescued from this mess.

I hope that our students leave with some sense of sadness at leaving a place where they learned to do better, but I also hope that in life those places are not so uncommon. We can all be a baking tent if we wish to. What a great society that would build!

Blessings, The Reverend Gillian Moses Chaplain Aimee Nezhukumatathil, “Baked Goods” from Lucky Fish. Copyright © 2011 by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Reprinted by permission of Tupelo Press, www.tupelopress.org.

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Anglican Girls’ School

St Aidan’s

AUTHENTIC CARING CONFIDENT A School of the Society of the Sacred Advent 11 Ruthven St, Corinda Qld 4075 Australia P +61 7 3373 5999 E reception@staidans.qld.edu.au www.staidans.qld.edu.au St Aidan’s School Council Ltd CRICOS Code: 01194K ABN: 310 749 995 27

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