Huddle Spring 2022

St

Huddle

Wendy Biggs

Gaye Brown

Jenny Crome Helen Gardener

Rachel Hazlett

Tracey Jeanes-Fraser

Giaan Keir

Tim Kemp

Samantha Lee

Melissa Maclean

Karen Madden

Sue McDonald

Andy McGregor-Lowndes

Julia McKenna

Beth Miller (Year 12)

Gillian Moses

Holly O’Sullivan Williams

Kirsty Pickering

Toni Riordan

Reuben Saayman

Lauren Somerville

Lou Stanley

Shannon Tobin

Editor Alice Brandon Graphic Design Annie Fanning

Photographic Contributors

Sarah Cutbush

Lynda Davidson Marie Harper Marc Pricop Ella Saunders-Cuming

Where photos have been provided to us from a third party, individual photo credits appear on the image

Contributors

Monica Behrenbruch (Year 12)

Rachel Condos-Fields Jackie Child

Cover Photo: In May the Open Touch, Basketball and Soccer teams proudly represented St Aidan’s in our Indigenous jersey for the QGSSSA Reconciliation Round.

From the Principal

MS TONI RIORDAN PRINCIPAL

With the greater freedoms afforded by Queensland’s lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, this year, I have returned to regularly driving south on the Pacific Motorway, for weekend visits to relatives in NSW’s Northern Rivers region.

Over COVID lockdowns, I think I forgot about reckless drivers, and now find myself shaking my head at those drivers moving at top speed in the fast lane. No doubt they wish to get somewhere as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

Careful drivers, on the other hand, do what they can to ensure everyone travelling with them arrive at the destination as safely as possible.

I continue the driving metaphor to introduce St Aidan’s new, in-house leadership development program for staff, Learning to Lead. In the first session, participants were introduced to strategies to support Being Strategic. One of them was to scan the environment for opportunities and threats – and like driving a car – we don’t only look ahead at oncoming traffic. Instead, we have learnt to methodically use the rear-view mirror and side mirrors, in conjunction with the windscreen, to consistently check our environment.

Forty staff members across a range of teaching faculties, within the Junior and Senior Schools, with support and coaching staff, Senior Leadership Team members, some experienced, some early career, and not all with formal positions are united by the desire to learn together, within their own school context.

At St Aidan’s, we diligently nurture our learning community, so it makes sense for us to approach our leadership development as ‘leadership for learning’. We have a keen focus on our context, and on our own choices, and actions. We consider how we might use language to analyse and support our context, instead of using words with a hierarchical approach, which would be designed to control our context. From the historical lessons of the Society of the Sacred Advent to today, we know we are custodians of the ethos of St Aidan’s; we are all meaning-makers, ready to pass on our legacy to generations to come after us, thus, we all share leadership responsibility.

Leadership at St Aidan’s is intentional. Leaders recognise the value of their teams or community, in supporting School approaches; it is not only important to lead them, but to be led by them too. This reflects a concept of leadership coined by researchers, Hitt and Tucker in 2016, leadership both ways, and helps us to always anchor what we do, through the lens of community.

Like the habit of scanning the mirrors in the car, I notice the wonderous examples of leadership at St Aidan’s on a regular basis. Here are just a few, recent examples:

• Year 6 student ushers who confidently, warmly, and naturally welcomed to the Junior School special guests, Deputy Heads of other Queensland independent Schools, who attended their collegiate meeting, hosted by Mr Steve Baker, Assistant Head of Junior School.

• More than half of the Year 11 cohort who selflessly committed to the 2023 student leadership selection process and then genuinely supported their peers with the announcement of leaders earlier in Term 3.

• The well-deserved recognition of our Guidance Counsellor, Ms Jennie Robinson who was presented the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Queensland (ACELQ) Excellence in Educational Leadership Award in August this year, acknowledging her career in promoting student growth, always ensuring that young people in her care flourish to become adults of purpose with a passion for life-long learning.

• The responsibility and fastidious preparation demonstrated by our Senior School Sport and Activities Captains at our weekly Whole School Assemblies, as they deliver relevant and engaging news to their student audience.

• The creative and authentic leadership of our 2022 Sacristans, Beth, and Monica, as they introduce initiatives for engagement and share their stories to encourage and inspire their peers and younger students.

• Our 2022 School Co-Captains, Ava, and Bridget, who generously support the student body daily, often in very quiet ways, for instance, donning their space suits on a Saturday afternoon to lead the ‘tunnel’ of encouraging family members and staff, as our International Space Design teams set off for competition, in July.

Leadership at St Aidan’s is deliberate and practised and is expected to bring out the best in those who are led.

Leaders help us all strive for excellence in education; however, they do this in cautious and careful ways. They are not the fast-lane drivers; they are not required to lead at breakneck speed. Instead, they take the time to be with others, to try to capture the moment, and recognise that situated in our daily lives of hard work and commitment, also rests a genuine sense of fun and joy at our School.

I hope you also recongise the careful, fun, and joyous examples of all the ways we lead, within this latest edition of Huddle.

Reference: Hitt, D H & Tucker, P D (2016) Systematic review of key leadership practices found to influence student achievement: a unified framework Review of Educational Research, 86: 2, p 31-69

Learning and Leading

Leadership at St Aidan’s is not a foreign word or concept. From the Year 6 Leadership Day in the Junior School to the Year 11 Leadership Journey in the Senior School, our students are familiar with the term and what it means to be both a leader and of course, a follower. The same can be said for leadership in terms of staff. The saying “lead from where you are” encapsulates how we see leadership at St Aidan’s. One does not need a title or a badge to be recognised as a leader rather, a plethora of attributes are associated with leadership including the disposition to set a direction, create a vision, encourage growth, manage people and be connected… The list goes on.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Laura Cooke, Joel Speranza and Louise Burgman

The leadership structure at St Aidan’s could be perceived as being disproportionately heavy at the top. With a Senior Leadership Team which comprises of the Educational Leadership Team, Heads of Faculty, Year Level Coordinators, Heads of Sport/Extra-curricular and PARs (Positions of Added Responsibility), our model served the school well when we were operating within the parameters set out by the previous OP (Overall Position) system.

With ATAR, new processes have provided many staff members with new challenges. All new assessment items, units of work, ISMGs (Instrument Specific Marking Guides), QCAA (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) roles such as endorsers and confirmers, have been added to the load of teachers. Adding to the daily role of teaching, nurturing, supervising, professional development, marking, reporting and extracurricular activities, it has been a journey.

Many teachers in the Senior School expressed in the annual Staff Survey of 2020 that the current middle leadership design was no longer fit for purpose. As a result, this year we engaged with ISQ (Independent Schools Queensland) to conduct a curriculum review which consisted of interviews, surveys and follow-up meetings with staff to ascertain what needed to be changed in order to address the new challenges that came about with a state-wide senior assessment change. In addition, with feedback from students and parents via Student and Parent surveys, it became increasingly apparent that the review was timely.

The result of the review came a call for a distributed leadership (Spillane, 2005) model. Distributed leadership has long been recognised as a style of leadership that suits schools due to teachers all having opportunities to lead in different contexts. A model which favours the sharing of the load, so to speak, is what we are transitioning to for 2023. The organisational chart will now have Learning Area Leaders (LALs) who will play a major role in promoting academic leadership of the School. A LAL is a professional role model and mentor to teachers. This role includes special responsibilities for the leadership of staff and provides vision and purpose appropriate to the culture and ethos of the School. Furthermore, there will be Curriculum Leaders (CLs). A CL is equivalent to a middle management position in the organisational structure. The CL has responsibility for curricular and co curricular activities, the learning/teaching process, administration and the academic progress of students within the subject area.

Adding to the mix, we have three newly appointed roles including Head of Digital Capabilities (K-12) - Joel Speranza, Head of Academic Support (K-12) - Louise Burgman and lastly, a Director of Academic Operations - Laura Cooke, who will be a member of the SLT. This new leadership model acknowledges our exemplary staff who are at the head of the game in terms of their subject knowledge, QCAA process and pedagogical practices that put our students at the forefront. You will not find teachers who are better than the ones we have here at St Aidan’s. They are inspiring, engaging, highly intellectual and model what it means to be a lifelong learner. In conjunction with the revised Pastoral Care Model shared in the previous edition of the Huddle, we are confident that we are not only addressing the feedback we have gathered from our school community but are a leading school in terms of valuing the contribution that our teachers make to the lives of our students both academically and pastorally. As they say, lead from where you are. (Maxwell, 2010)

Student Leaders 2023

St Aidan’s has a proud and long tradition of developing leadership opportunities for our students. Individual leadership can be informal, such as wearing the correct uniform or showing care for their peers, whereby an individual’s influence can positively impact on the behaviour and experiences of others. We like to think of this as the everyday expression of leadership and one that we promote at St Aidan’s. However, there is a recognition that processes of formal leadership play a significant part in the social, emotional and cognitive development of adolescents. At St Aidan’s we are proud of the rigorous and inclusive leadership program that has been developed over many years. This formal structure provides students with experiences and opportunities to develop their self-awareness, teamwork, communication, strategic thinking and empathy as they hone their future potential leadership qualities.

The St Aidan’s school community commends all students who demonstrated the courage and commitment to participate in the program and congratulates the appointed Leaders for 2023.

School Co-Captains: Lucy Maki-Neste and Lucy Bristow with Principal Toni Riordan

Student Leaders 2023

Sports Captains

AFL:

Isla Williams

Artistic Gymnastics: Tammy Vo Athletics: Jemima Bennett & Meg Tait Badminton: Kiara Jayasuriya & Selina Wang

Basketball: Jessica Clarke & Olivia Shoesmith

Cricket: Isabel Goffage & Scarlett Varidel

Cross Country: Ellie Reid & Arabella Dickfos

Hockey: Lola Harris Netball: Vienna Tran & Olivia Shoesmith

Rowing: Cora Masterson & Sofia Vidovich

Soccer: Sarah Bonifant & Hannah Fletcher

Swimming: Maya Clements & Sian Smyth

Tennis: Bella Garnsworthy & L aetia Gallagher

Touch Football: Kaya Hillman & Zoe Watson

Volleyball: Zoe Cain & Mila Vajagic

Activities Captains

Link: Julia Day & Georgia Lane

Interact President: Olga Kypriadakis

Library: Leena Gayed & Lauren Whitla

STAGE Dance: Penny Baker & Oliva Fairlie

Band: Vivian Li & Jade Perina

Choir: Rachel McFarlane & Tiana Tan

Strings: Ellen Walker & Helen You Science: Helen You & Kanon Iizuka

Tech: Olivia Allison & Tanuri Jayabandu

Still Preparing a Place for God

REV GILLIAN MOSES CSSA

The Society of the Sacred Advent (SSA) has been the heart of St Aidan’s since its foundation back in 1929. And while the days of Sisters teaching in their habits and living onsite may have passed, the SSA is still hard at work preparing places for God, as its mission states, both at school and in the wider community.

2022 marks the beginning of a new stage in the life of the Society as we officially begin to welcome members of a new kind, alongside the Sisters. Vowed Members will live under vows similar to those of the Sisters, and with a rule of life, but will live in their own houses and may be married women as well as single. Sister Gillian continues to lead the Society, supported by Sister Sandra, and the two candidates for Vowed Membership, along with the Chapter of the Society.

And while St Aidan’s and its sister school St Margaret’s will always be jewels in the SSA crown, we are looking forward

to returning to our roots, offering quiet days and retreats, as well as Spiritual Direction, and other forms of hospitality to the people of Brisbane. We are also commencing a monthly Eucharist in the Sister’s Chapel at St Margaret’s, on the first Sunday of every month. Details will be advertised in the newsfeed. It is our hope that alumni, staff and families of St Aidan’s will also feel welcome to come along to any of these opportunities.

The SSA has always had at its heart a concern for women and children, and this has never been more important. As we grow into our new iteration, we look forward to developing new ways to encourage and nurture women and children in all aspects of life. Forthcoming events for the SSA include a Quiet Morning on 29 September, and a Long Lunch on 19 November. For details of all these events please visit the website, www.societyofthesacredadvent.org or watch the St Aidan’s newsfeed.

Building a Peer Tutoring Culture

MS SAMANTHA LEE

A long-standing tradition in the academic program at St Aidan’s has been the inclusion of an Academic Preparation and Skills Building (APSB) program in the senior years. With the growth in literature about the advantages of peer tutoring, it has become a strategic priority to redevelop the existing program to build a culture that supports peers working together to learn and revise. This environment is shown to positively influence students’ motivation, selfregulation and self-efficacy, as well as their metacognitive skills to support the development of the cognitive skills of learning (Topping, 2015).

To build a peer tutoring culture in APSB, we used a design thinking approach to explore a range of strategies in Year 11 across two targeted phases, which included pre and post-intervention survey data, and testing of a range of peer tutoring strategies that support and encourage student-centred learning. St Aidan’s Alumni were invited as peer tutors in the second phase of testing. These alumni offer academic expertise and experience across a range of subjects and students were able to organise themselves into subjectspecific groups, or individually engage a peer tutor. The process promoted

study agency by allowing them to make their own subject specific priorities and prepare their study program based on their emergent needs. Teachers were always present in these sessions and played a valuable role in facilitating the interactions between the students and the Alumni.

The two phases revealed the significant impact of peer tutoring on improving social skills and social interactions and reducing disruptive and off-task behaviours during study sessions (Cofer, 2020). Allowing for student voice and student led tutoring strategies was important for ensuring engagement and “buy in” to the program. Students have become more comfortable with the process over the year and are now more willing to engage with other students within their own cohort as well. The postintervention survey indicated a gradual increase in self-efficacy and motivation and students expressed that they understand more about their own role in the process.

In July, the research process was presented at the Independent Schools Queensland Big Ideas Summit held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Sharing research with other

independent schools to promote further growth and create a professional dialogue is a valuable collaboration. It is an opportunity to gather differing perspectives which broadens the depth of the professional education community; likewise, it consolidates St Aidan’s position as a leader in research.

The next step for peer tutoring is to continue to engage the Alumni with Year 11 and Year 12 students in their preparation for internal and external exams. Into the future, we are looking at the introduction of a formalised after school program of peer tutoring in the library as well as providing support within the lessons allocated in the timetable. The development of our current senior students to act as academic peer mentors while at school is another area of development and possible leadership role for the senior students.

Cofer, R. (2020). The Peer Tutor Experience: Tutor Perceptions of Academic Performance and Skillset Gains. The Learning Assistance Review, 25(1), 41

Topping, K. (2015). Peer tutoring: old method, new developments. Journal for the Study of Education and Development, 38(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/02103702.2014.99 6407

AWARDS 2022 ALUMNI

The St Aidan’s Alumni Awards celebrate the diverse achievements of our alumni.

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.

Photography Ilona Nelson, 2021

Mother Emma Award

Hannah Gartside (2004)

After working briefly in the fashion industry in Brisbane, Hannah moved into costume-making and design. She worked for two years for QUT Dance department, designing and constructing costumes for the students’ bi-annual performances, while also working in clothing retail.

Following the death of her father in 2008, she returned to QUT and completed her honours year in 2010, with a project that focussed on dolls as an object of emotional significance across cultures. During that year Hannah made a series of small dolls using her father’s shirts and ties. This opened her up to understanding the ability of worn cloth to hold space for feeling and transforming grief.

Following that, she spent four years at Queensland Ballet (QB) working both as a costumier, and in the theatre as a dresser during performances. At QB Hannah learnt precise sewing and material handling skills, how fabric moves on a dancing body, and how costumes communicate character, emotion and tone.

In 2014 Hannah moved to Melbourne to retrain in Visual Art. She completed a second BFA, in Sculpture and Spatial Practice at the Victorian College of Arts, University of Melbourne, followed by an honours year in 2019. Since 2017, Hannah has worked as an artist, exhibiting widely across Australia.

Hannah says, “My career path has been winding, it has taken quite a while for me to build my confidence and belief

in my abilities and talents. But, every experience has built on the one before, the consistent through-lines have been working with cloth and bodies to tell stories. I have always trusted the joy and sense of connection (to divinity, to other people, to myself) that I get from working with material to communicate ideas and emotions. St Aidan’s Art teacher Gaye Brown recognized my passion for materials and art-making very early. She introduced me to surrealist women artists Dorothea Tanning and Meret Oppenheim who I still love. I did not fit in at school and Gaye facilitated a supportive environment where I felt safe to explore and express myself. My ideas were respected and encouraged and I will always be grateful for being held in this way.”

Recent exhibitions include Primavera: Young Australian Artists, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW (2021); Making Art Work, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, QLD (2020); Fun Room, Wangaratta Art Gallery, Wangaratta, VIC (2020); Fantasies, Ararat Gallery TAMA, Ararat, VIC (2019); Performing Textiles, Ian Potter Museum, Melbourne, VIC (2019); Four Letter Word, Artbank, Sydney, NSW (2019); Dress Code, Museum of Brisbane (2018) QLD, and Beyond Reason, QUT Art Museum, QLD (2018). Hannah has undertaken residencies at Australian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne (2020) and in California, USA at the Varda Artist Residency (2017). She is represented by Tolarno Galleries in Melbourne.

Emma Betts Award

Sarah Kaese (2010)

After graduating in 2010, Sarah Kaese swapped her St Aidan’s dress and blazer for a whole new uniform which would take her across the world. In her initial entry course, commencing January 2011, Midshipman Kaese learnt the basics; uniform care, strict rack (Naval term for bed) making, marching and teamwork; all whilst learning to live by the Naval values at the time being Honour, Honesty, Courage, Respect, Integrity and Loyalty. Her time at St Aidan’s provided a strong foundation of teamwork and leadership which helped her integrate quickly into Officer Life and expectations in the Royal Australian Navy.

Sarah attended the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) to complete her Bachelor of Arts majoring in Information Systems at UNSW from 2012 to 2014, following her service on HMAS Sydney (FFG), HMAS Stuart (FFH) and ADV Ocean Protector (a Border Patrol Vessel) in late 2011. At the start of 2015, SubLieutenant Kaese commenced her Junior Warfare Officer Course (JWAC) to become a qualified Maritime Warfare Officer (MWO). The course involved four phases of Navigation and Warfare specific elements both theoretical and practical at HMAS Watson in Watson’s Bay, Sydney. During this course, Sarah served on HMAS Tobruk (an amphibious vessel now decommissioned), HMAS Pirie (an Armidale Class Patrol Boat) and HMAS Sirius (an auxiliary oiler replenishment vessel) where she received her Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate (BWC) Platform Endorsement.

By mid-2018, Sarah had circumvented Australia visiting numerous rural ports and witnessed the beauty of coastal Australia as well as venturing through Southeast Asia on deployments. Sarah embarked on her next challenge to qualify as an Intermediate Navigating Officer. This involved more complete navigation procedures than what she had seen previously as well as assuming duties as the Operations Officer and Navigating Officer on-board a Minor War Vessel. At this point, Sarah had also developed a passion for Muay Thai which pushed her resilience and resolve.

In 2020, the Naval Values evolved to align with the whole of defence: Courage, Respect, Integrity, Service and Professionalism. Whilst not a stark difference to the previous values, Sarah identified closely with Service and found that in understanding her purpose to serve (learnt at St Aidan’s, years prior) she could fulfil all values and behaviours required of her. From this point, Sarah’s passion for service culminated in extensive training of Junior Warfare Officers; total revision of all standing Operating Procedures for both Armidale and Cape Class Patrol Boats; achievement of her restricted pilot licence and her conduct as Aide De Camp to the NT Administrator The Honourable Vicki O’Halloran between 2021 and 2022.

Within the last year alone, Sarah has had the opportunity to exercise her interest in global affairs and politics through her published essay on Stabilising the Indo-Pacific, which was awarded first place at the 2022 Indo-Pacific Sea Power Conference. Her winning submission to ‘The Forge’, entitled ‘Lecture 10’, approached the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Ethics. She now looks towards her next exciting challenge; becoming a Principal Warfare Officer following her Assistant PWO service on-board HMAS Brisbane; one of the Navy’s newest acquired Destroyer capabilities which has the primary role in Air Warfare.

Caroline Amy Award

Michele Sterling (Thorne 1978)

Michele Sterling attended St Aidan’s from 1974 to 1978 and was School Vice-Captain in her final year. Upon leaving St Aidan’s, Michele commenced a Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree at The University of Qld, graduating in 1982. She then worked as a clinical physiotherapist in both the public and private health sectors in Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia for 20 years.

During her time as a clinician, Michele provided care to many people with chronic life-long pain for whom current treatments had failed. These people were often maligned and were told that their ‘pain was in their head’, often leading to their anxiety and depression. Michele felt strongly that more research was needed to understand why and how chronic pain develops. This inspired her to complete a Masters of Research (1997-2000) and a PhD (2000-2003) at The University of Queensland. She has continued this line of research since 2003 providing continuous and significant national and international contributions and leadership to the multidisciplinary clinical and research fields including physiotherapy, medicine, psychology, economics, rehabilitation amongst others. Michele was made a full professor in 2012 and currently leads a NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Road Traffic Injury Recovery at UQ.

Michele has published over 200 scientific papers and three books (one a seminal physiotherapy textbook) on musculoskeletal injury and pain. She has received awards from the Australian Physiotherapy Association, the European Pain Federation, the Australian Pain Society, and the International Federation of Orthopaedic Musculoskeletal Physiotherapists and has been invited to speak at over 40 international conferences. Currently, Michele is a member of the leadership council of the International Association for the Study of Pain. She is Chair of the Scientific Program Committee for the 2024 World Congress on Pain, the first physiotherapist to hold this position.

Michele’s scientific curiosity nurtured at St Aidan’s drives her continuing research work. Her overall goal remains, that is, to improve the health of people after injury, so that they can return to productive and healthy lives, doing what they enjoy.

Emperor Penguins

Currently there is a large body of research worldwide that promotes the benefits of intergenerational connection. You may have recently enjoyed the series on ABC, Old People’s Home for Four-Year-Olds, a social experiment which showcased the wonderful benefits of bringing the old and young together.

St Aidan’s has a long history of engaging with our grandparents, however, we would love to see them on campus more regularly. There is a long list of benefits for both students and grandparents, including the improvement in conversation skills and inquiry-based learning.

With all this in mind, St Aidan’s is proud to introduce the Emperor Penguin Program, for grandparents and special friends who would love to be involved in our school. Grandparents are invited to join us in the Junior School to assist with activities such as coding and robotics, reading, playing with the giant games like chess and connect 4, skipping, building, knitting, supervising in the playground and on the play equipment, or maybe even playing handball.

This program is an opportunity to connect and learn, so don’t worry if the activities above sound a bit out of your comfort zone, everyone will be learning together! If you have a special skill you would like to share, we would also love to hear about that.

If you would like to become an Emperor Penguin please register your interest via email: jsreception@staidans.qld.edu.au

RoboCup

MRS JACKIE CHILD

RoboCup Junior Australia is an open platform robotics competition for students of all ages. St Aidan’s team of Year 7 and Year 6 students entered the OnStage division at the Novice Junior Regional RoboCup at Brisbane Boys College in June. The competition is an integration of science, technology, engineering, art and maths (STEAM).

OnStage challenges teams to design, build, and program robots to perform. Our team, Aidan’s Ladies, decided on a pirate theme. Each team is scored on their performance and their technical interview. Aidan’s Ladies created a pirate ship to follow a line using the colour sensor. Ultrasonic on the octopus picked up the ship approaching and moved its eight arms. The ship continued its journey to find the treasure and avoided being hit by a cannon ball. Treasure was found where the cross marked the spot!

Team Aidan’s Ladies (Sophie Morse, Isabella Butler, Isla Johnston and Ava Kneipp) gave an amazing performance and received feedback such as “a polished performance” and “best performance of the day” at RoboCup Junior Australia where they were awarded 1st place.

Recently, Aidan’s Ladies went on to enter RoboCup Junior State Championships at The University of Queensland, where they competed against 34 teams. The team performed well and were commended on their technical journal which was thorough and detailed. The team earned a place in the finals and went on to be awarded 2nd place.

St Aidan’s Girls Can

MRS LOU STANLEY AND MS GIAAN KEIR

Year Three camp – the youngest grade to attend an overnight excursion – eek!

Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision. Courage is the secret of life. It brings us freedom once we tackle challenges head on. It requires resilience, perseverance, and determination. The girls at St Aidan’s have this in spades, especially the Year Three girls who attended their first ever overnight camp at PGL Kindilan, Redland Bay on 11 and 12 August. The atmosphere on the bus to camp was a mix of nervous anticipation and excitement as the group speculated what the next two days would bring.

The girls challenged themselves to step outside their comfort zones, whether it was sailing through the air on the possum glider, paddling across the lake in a canoe, walking precariously on a tight rope, dressing up in a crazy outfit for the disco, or simply sleeping away from home for the first time. This took lots of courage and self-belief.

Possum gliding required girls to soar high in the sky and swing amongst the leaves where gumtrees stretched as far as the eye could see. For some, they had to be brave and courageous and overcome their fear of heights, trusting their peers holding the ropes below. While in canoeing the girls had to work in unison, listening to the instructor to successfully navigate the lake without hitting the bank or reeds. Teamwork and leadership shone through whilst giggling and negotiating could be heard when the canoes became stuck.

The girls had to work collaboratively and use their excellent communication skills in order to solve team challenges. The challenges drew on all students’ strengths, especially problem-solving skills. The girls had many goals and persevered until they achieved them. Chants of wisdom and cheers of success could be heard throughout the campground. Friendships, both old and new, blossomed.

To celebrate the girls’ achievements, at night a ‘whacky’ dressed themed disco was held. All the girls dressed in their camp clothes in the whackiest way possible - have you ever seen socks styled as hair accessories? Courageous in style and confidence!

Year Three camp was a momentous occasion. The Year 3 cohort were Born to Fly, and they certainly flew, through building self-confidence, strengthening problem solving skills, nurturing friendships and being courageous. Girls can. Girls will. Girls do.

Bookweek BookFeast

MRS HELEN GARDENER

Each year since 1945, the Children’s Book Council of Australia has brought children and books together across Australia. Authors, Illustrators, books and children are celebrated over one glorious week of imagination, participation and fun. This year, to create further involvement in the festivities of Book Week, the Junior School Library held a “BookFeast” competition. Students were asked to choose a book and represent that book using edible art. Cakes, cookies, fruit, vegetables and lollies were all used and the results were amazing. 37 students entered the competition. Students created their masterpieces, took a photo and uploaded it to Aidan’s Central. Entries were collated and the Junior School teachers then voted on each entry with a winner from each year level awarded a prize.

During Book Week, students were given the opportunity to see all the BookFeast entries, with many more students wishing they had entered.

Congratulations to our creative winners:

Prep – River-Rose Egan

Year 1 – Scarlett Lambkin

Year 2 – Holly Davies

Year 3 – Catherine Jefferies

Year 4 – Arielle Whitehead

Year 5 – Pippa Steer, Claire Jackson and Georgie Hocking

Year 6 – Audrey Petie

Start thinking about your entry for next year as we are looking forward to holding the BookFeast again in 2023!

The Junior School Interhouse Athletics Carnival held on Wednesday 13 July at Ambiwerra was a huge success, with students from all Houses exhibiting true penguin spirit with quality effort and performance in all events.

Senior

MRS LAUREN SOMERVILLE

The Senior School Interhouse Athletics Carnival held on Tuesday 14 June at Ambiwerra saw Senior Students from all houses showing their true house spirit and athletic ability, both in our competitive events and participation events.

placing:

Australian Representatives

Six Senior School Students have been selected to represent Australia across five different sports

MR ANDY MCGREGOR-LOWNDES

Tayla Sykes and Amielia Chadburn (U20) and Rhani Hagan (U18) have been selected in the Touch Football Australia National Youth Squad. The girls attended a camp in July as Touch Football Australia readies itself for a return to international competition early next year.

Tayla Sykes (Year 12)

Tayla has also been selected in the squad for the Australian Youth 7s Team. This squad includes players who have displayed ability both on and off the field, to potentially graduate to the Rugby Australia National Program. Tayla has attended a number of camps over the last six months and the team will compete at the World Schools Rugby 7s Championship in Auckland, New Zealand in late December.

Rhani Hagan (Year 10), Amielia Chadburn (Year 12) and Tayla Sykes (Year 12)

Georgina West (Year 12)

Earlier this year Georgina was selected in the 2022 Hockey Australia Women’s Future (U18) Squad. Players selected in this squad have been identified as having the potential to represent the Hockeyroos at major international competitions over the next decade.

Following her performances at the Australian Hockey U18 National Championships in July, Georgina was selected for the Australian U21 Women’s Squad ahead of the Junior World Cup in Chile next year. Georgina joins alumni Ruby Harris (2018) in the Jillaroos squad.

Yumi Sakurai (Year 7)

In July, Yumi travelled with the Australian U12 Futsal team to play in the Costa Blanca Cup in Spain. They played a number of teams from across Europe, eventually going down to England 4-2 in the Final.

After winning a silver medal in the U20 Javelin at the Australian Track and Field Championships in March, Angelina was selected to represent Australia at the 2022 Oceania Athletics Championships where she won a bronze Medal. In June, Angelina travelled to Saipan to represent Australia at the Pacific Mini Games and won a gold medal.

Angelina Tignani (Year 12)

Learn to Golf

MR ANDY MCGREGOR-LOWNDES

In partnership with the Brisbane Golf Club, St Aidan’s is excited to introduce a golf program for Senior School students. The fun and creative program offers students an opportunity to experience the game of golf in an enjoyable and supportive environment.

Focussing on the fundamentals of golf, skill development, etiquette and course strategy, the program provides a clear pathway from the complete beginner through to girls who wish to play competitively.

The golf tuition is conducted by Asha Hargreaves, Assistant Golf Professional at Brisbane Golf Club. Asha currently coordinates the BGC Junior Academy, along with their highly successful Ladies Let’s Golf program.

Over 30 girls participated in the pilot program in Term 3 and the feedback from the girls has been excellent.

“I have enjoyed the challenge of learning new skills with my friends. Asha is a fantastic coach and caters for girls of all ability levels. I look forward to the session each week and I love the feeling when I hit a good shot.” Jasmine Keke – Year 9. All sessions take place before school at the picturesque Brisbane Golf Club in Tennyson, which is ranked in the Top 100 Golf Courses in Australia by Golf Magazine Australia. The club also offers outstanding practice facilities which include a 270-metre driving range with a full grass hitting area, a short game facility for chipping and bunker practice, a separate practice putting green and three spare holes.

We look forward to offering this program year round in the future.

Get to know: Ms Shannon Tobin

Our very own Head of Performance, Ms Shannon Tobin, is a long-time member of Camerata, Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra. Camerata was founded in 1987 by acclaimed string educator Elizabeth Morgan AM, as an idealistic ensemble of emerging Artists which she then formed into a professional chamber orchestra in 2005.

Performing without a conductor, the Artistic Associates and their guest artists proudly take full ownership of the music to form a thriving, refreshing and acclaimed voice within the Australian Arts landscape.

The constantly evolving group undertakes a major concert season annually in both Brisbane at QPAC and The Empire Theatre in Toowoomba. In addition, the orchestra perform regularly in festivals, collaborations, regional tours, live-to-air national broadcasts, recording, and fundraising activities.

Ms Tobin has also performed with other music ensembles and orchestras such as the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She studied overseas in Switzerland for three years and had the wonderful opportunity to perform in the Luzern Symphony Orchestra. She likes a diverse range of music and

has played with ballet and musical companies, likes contemporary classical music, and in the car, she listens to the latest popular music songs.

At St Aidan’s, as well as being the Head of Performance, she is the conductor of Corelli Strings, Vivaldi Strings, Dolce Strings, Clementi Celli and Da Capo String Quartet. She thoroughly enjoys teaching and being able to develop the next generation of musicians. Her career goal is to support students through their own musical journey and send them on their way when they leave school with a love of music.

At the moment, Mrs Tobin is enjoying turning up the car radio with her family and singing along to Shivers by Ed Sheeran and getting all of our talented music groups ready to perform at the Gala Concerts at the end of Term 3.

Photo by Morgan Roberts Creative by Sean Dowling

Anglican Schools Music Festival

MS SHANNON TOBIN

The Anglican Schools Music Festival is a biennial celebration of the music talent from Anglican Schools across the South-East Queensland, Hervey Bay and Toowoomba regions which culminates with a concert in the Concert Hall at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. On Friday 12 August, 30 St Aidan’s students joined with 250 other secondary students to form a choir, concert band and string ensemble. This was an exciting occasion for all involved as there were very few students who remembered the last festival which was held four years ago due to the 2020 cancellation from COVID.

With only one pre-rehearsal day, the students were guided through a day of rehearsals with guest conductors. They worked with Dr. Rob McWilliams, Ms Sandra Milliken and Ms Loreta Fin all of whom travel extensively as composers and musical educators both within Australia and overseas. Each ensemble rehearsed tirelessly collaborating, stretching their abilities, creating new sound scapes and most of all forming new friendships.

After a long day of rehearsals, each ensemble then performed four separate pieces of music for 1000 people in the Concert Hall. Special congratulations must go to Rachael McFarlane, Jojo Yuen, Claire Lau and Brenda Lee who led their section of the ensemble or were featured in solos at the concert. All students at the festival showed their passion and love for music which was evident by the sheer amount of music played and high standard of performances on the night.

One final element of the festival is the experience of performing a world premiere written and conducted by a living composer as the last part of the concert combining all three ensembles together. This year, Paul Jarmin was the composer chosen and he wrote a programmatic piece about The ‘Stinson’ Aircraft disappearance between Sydney and Brisbane in 1937. It was an amazing piece of music and to hear 280 school students perform this as a world premier was a highlight of the evening.

Congratulations to all of our students who represented St Aidan’s at this year’s festival.

Theatre Sports

MS KIRSTY PICKERING HEAD OF DRAMA

During Term 2 and 3, a group of enthusiastic students participated in Theatresports as an extracurricular activity. Every Tuesday morning, Theatrsports students learnt how to collaboratively act out improvised stories on the stage. Theatresports challenges students to apply critical and creative thinking skills to devise a scene on the spot. It requires excellent communication within a group, and the application of key skills of drama such as acting and applying stagecraft.

In Term 2, a select team of six students from Years 7-12 bravely competed in the Youth Theatresports Queensland competition at Anglican Church Grammar school, where they had the opportunity to demonstrate these skills that they had learnt. The team, Dancing Penguins, competed against schools around Brisbane in four rounds of improvisation games. While they didn’t come away with a win, they did come away with the award for ‘Magic Moment’, as well as memories of a night full of laughter and fun.

In Term 3, all Theatresports students competed in the inaugural St Aidan’s Theatresports Competition. Four teams competed in four rounds of improvisation games, where they delighted the audience with their humour and improvisation skills. The winning team, Penguins of the Opera, were awarded with welldeserved vouchers for the O2 Café. While there could only be one winner on the day, all students were winners in that they applied their hard work throughout rehearsals to a high-quality night of performances.

Year 12 Visual Art

As part of the Year 12 creative journey ends, their works remind us of the power of art to give students a meaningful voice to communicate meaning and interrogate a myriad of issues, both private and public.

Sarah McArthur

You Are What You Eat twists the commonly known saying into a reality, conveying that today’s fast-paced capitalism is consuming us itself. Thus posing the question; is the consumer or the consumed in control? Widely known as a symbol for addictive sweetness, chocolate was utilised. Using this edible material to replicate my hand, the medium used to act upon our impulses, conveys that in our gluttony we can lose our identities and become our addiction. This also reveals that despite what we choose to think, humans are slaves to our own greed.

Estella Sherlock

Teach Me How to Fly is inspired by the notion of emotional baggage and generational trauma. It is represented through layers of transparent fabrics that I encase myself in. Trauma can be hidden or seen visually through behaviour. The healing process that I metaphorically allude to as flight is essential to human wellbeing and growth. These events and the emotional links to them can be passed on through generational trauma that is inherited genetically from parent to child. I chose to display the emotional baggage as clothing. In this image I am encased in ethereal fabrics seeking freedom.

Poppy Roberts Star Gazer

My work explores how both the spatial and temporal world are inextricably linked. I draw comparisons between humanity’s perception of ‘time’ and its evolution through millennia. From when time was measured in the movements of celestial bodies, the blow of a breeze or dappled rays of light, to the metronomic, synthetic beat of contemporary life. Otherworldly time exists in constellations, such as The Pleiades, shining through the dark and into the light. In the end, deep, intimate communions are delivered between the viewer, the primordial land, and the Cosmos – in time both measurable and immeasurable.

Valentina Kostiono Chemical Trees

Chemical Trees is a series of seven images depicting a futuristic world where human and natural worlds have fused together. I explore a probable future where the two binaries have merged due to humankind’s inherent control over nature as part of the flawed human condition. The circular photographs capture small fragments of this fragmented world, leaving the audience to ponder on what else lies beyond the frame. The relationship with humans and nature has historically been one of imbalance where many human activities result in environmental degradation.

Paige Edwards

Mourning Jewellery relates to the loss of my grandmother, and my companions of many years - my horse and dog. As a homage to them I used objects and parts associated with and of them: jewellery, my horse’s hair, and flowers I dried that were given to me on the death of my dog. Inspired by Victorian mourning jewellery I assembled elements of them together into boxes I lined with flesh-coloured fabrics as new jewellery mementos. I combined more flesh-coloured fabric and horsehair into a surface they could be displayed on in a symbolic circle evoking forever remembered.

Visiting Artists

MRS GAYE BROWN

As part of our enrichment drive for Visual Art students this term we were very fortunate to secure the presence of Dr Anna Carey and Leith Maguire. Although their practices are vastly diverse in both technique and inspiration, the rich insights they communicated about their work provide ongoing inspiration. Both artists communicate meaning related to loss, identity, and nostalgia for diminishing worlds.

Sienna Demisch-Gilmore (Year 10) and her completed response following Leith Maguire’s visit.

Anna‘s work incorporates multiple processes of model-making, drawing and photography. Harnessing memory and imagination, she creates fictive architectural spaces based on often familiar iconic architecture that is being lost in the landscape through urban sprawl and commercial development. Much of this is from the Gold Coast and America where she has recently lived and exhibited her work. We thank the P&F for their assistance in funding Anna’s residency at St Aidan’s.

Leith‘s work conveys the vulnerable, in both the natural environment and the human world. Her sensual black ink drawings are informed by the cyclic narratives related to death, decay, and preservation where she often morphs symbolic imagery of animals and humans. Leith’s work is driven by intuition and emotion, allowing her works to evoke unpredictable and poetic qualities.

International Space Design Competition

At the start of Term 3, a team of students in Years 10-12, represented Australia at the International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC). After winning the Australian Space Design Competition (ASDC) in January, St Aidan’s was invited to participate in the international competition along with students from the USA, India, the United Kingdom, China and Latin America.

This year’s competition, hosted at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was a hybrid event with some teams attending in person and others, including St Aidan’s, participating online. As well as navigating various communication challenges, the girls also had to work through cultural differences and manage their own ability to work through the night on Florida time.

The three-day event was launched this year with a celebration attended by ELT, ASDC alumnae and parents, highlighting our success in the competition over the past 15 years. Over this time, St Aidan’s is the only school that has participated in every Australian final. 2022 also marks the 5th time that St Aidan’s has qualified for the international competition.

After an exhausting weekend of intense collaboration, the team was proud of the work they completed to produce a proposal for a space settlement on the planet Mercury. Congratulations to Year 10 student Zoe Wang who was awarded the prestigious Dick Edward Award for her leadership demonstrated throughout the weekend.

Our Space Design team, under the guidance of CEO Olivia Allison, has recently submitted their qualifying entry for the 2023 ASDC competition and we look forward to continued success in the years to come.

MR TIM KEMP

Success in SPACE

St Aidan’s has officially earned its place as the most successful school in both the Australian Space Design Competition (ASDC) and the International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC). To mark this auspicious occasion, St Aidan’s Space Design alumni joined with the 2022 ISSDC team and their parents, for a celebration at Spicers Balfour Hotel, New Farm. The extracurricular club’s current coordinator, Mr Tim Kemp, provided an illuminating history of St Aidan’s involvement in both competitions, and fittingly honoured Mr David Madden who introduced the program at St Aidan’s in 2007. Alumni, Jessie Madden and Sarah Krause entertained the room with inspiring, albeit entertaining, recollections of young women learning to speak up for themselves and take the lead. The evening closed with a hearty send off for the 2020 team lead by school captains, Bridget McCormack and Ava Schwennesen.

MS KAREN MADDEN

Clothing Swap

BETH MILLER AND MONICA BEHRENBRUCH, SACRISTANS (YEAR 12)

In May we held the first ever St Aidan’s Senior School Clothing Swap with the help of our wonderful group Anam Cara, our coordinator Ms Forristal and Reverend Gillian. Over the first five weeks of Term 2, we collected clothes that were no longer used or wanted from the student and staff body.

We were incredibly excited to welcome Kate Littmann-Kelly from the Thread Together Project, who was our inspiration for the event. Thread Together gathers unsold retail clothing and distributes it to those who would not normally have access to such items. All money we raised on the day was donated to the Thread Together Project.

The main focus of this event was to bring greater awareness to fashion waste and create ways to promote ethical fashion. We ensured that all the equipment we used on the day we already had or could be reused/recycled to minimise our own

waste from the event. This included Anam Cara making our own bunting from paper rather than buying decorations.

A special thanks to Mr MacDonald who helped us to design and print the special ‘Anam Cara Tokens’ which were used during the afternoon to ‘purchase’ clothing. We were also so blessed to have an Anam Cara bake sale (and the baking was delicious) and a performance by Paganini Strings, conducted by Mr Bonetti.

When we started this journey, we had no idea how well this idea would pan out. We were quite worried that no one would bring anything, or that no one would show up… but the response was overwhelming. The sheer amount of clothing that was brought in was incredible, and so we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our idea with such gusto.

All in the Family

REVERAND GILLIAN MOSES

Family Services are an important part of our community life at St Aidan’s. Worshipping together outside of the school day is another important way to create community and has always been important to the Society of the Sacred Advent.

In my time as chaplain, Family Services have faced significant challenges, not least with the restrictions placed upon us by Covid. However, they still provide great opportunities for parents and their daughters, along with other siblings and even grandparents to gather together, to celebrate particular contributions from students and to engage in the liturgical life of the school.

This year we have been reimagining Family Services, moving away from Holy Communion which can be challenging for families who are unfamiliar with the liturgies of the Anglican Church. Instead, we have adopted a pattern similar to the Celtic ceilidh service, gathered around music and storytelling. In place of a sermon there is always a time of conversation and reflection.

In the Music and Stage Family Service earlier this year, these contributions were particularly present through dance and musical offerings. In the Year 11-12 Family Service the focus was on noticing the small things, and we told stories about microforests and other signs of hope. For the Year 9-10 Family Service the focus was on balance and taking time out to just reflect and give thanks for our community. Candle lighting was also involved!

Sometimes, the thought of one more commitment after hours can seem like too much in our busy lives. While there is an expectation that students and staff prioritise the family services, I also hope that families will welcome these times to gather with their daughters and their teachers to celebrate our belonging together as a community of faith (and faiths), and the many gifts we bring. Our family services remind us that we are more than a school; we are a true community founded by the SSA to be a place of worship and belonging.

REV GILLIAN MOSES

On Friday 5 August, five Year 8 students attended the Anglican Schools Commission’s Goodji Festival at St John’s Anglican College, Forest Lake. Unity, Juliet, Maggie, Sophia and Pari reflect on the day and what they are bringing with them back to St Aidan’s

The Goodji Festival is about young Australians coming together to improve future Earth. There were speakers focusing on the climate, poverty, refugees and more! Most of the speakers were people at the top of their field looking to help others and inspire the next generation to make a change.

The Festival was a great opportunity to learn how to interact with our peers about things we care about and expanding our knowledge on these topics. It celebrated differences and acknowledged those who had achieved extraordinary things. But its main purpose was to empower us to make active change, to encourage us to be bold, creative, and different, basically to be open-minded and think outside of the box. As one speaker said, “If you want change you can’t keep thinking the same way; you have to change the way you think.”

Duku Fore was the standout speaker on the day. Duku was a United Nations youth delegate and former refugee. He believes that storytelling is an extremely effective way to connect and empathise with other people. It was inspiring to see someone who cared so much. We could all learn something from him, whether it be to love yourself, love others, love stories, or to have confidence in yourself. Also speaking at the festival was Tony Rinaudo who spoke about deforestation and the solutions that are already happening.

Alongside the speakers there was live music (a band from St John’s), dancers, food trucks, and various workshops taking place. One of the workshops was called Jewel. It was a storytelling circle, where we listened to real stories that others shared with us.

We would like to share with St Aidan’s the Jewel workshop. It would be an environment where everyone felt safe to share their stories, no matter how big or small. It would create a culture of wondering, listening, and respect.

We learned that it is so important to pursue your dreams. All the speakers loved what they did, even though it was often difficult to get where they are today. We also learned the importance of helping others in your community. Did you know, for example that just $5 billion would wipe out hunger in Africa, so even if we all gave a little bit, imagine the difference we could make.

We will definitely attend the Goodji Festival again. It was informative, and entertaining. We learned about what we can do to help the world even as high school students. It is a great experience if you aspire to be a leader and make great change.

Maggie Charles, Sophia Evenden, Unity Maxwell, Pari Meta, Juliet O’Donnell (Year 8)

At St Aidan’s our focus is to develop and promote authentic, caring, confident, creative and connected women who value reason, imagination, truth, compassion and responsibility.

Due to increased demand, we have added a new class for Year 2 commencement in 2023. If you are interested in joining the St Aidan’s family, we are offering a very limited opportunity to secure a place without paying the normal Application Fee. To take advantage of this offer, please contact us: registrar@staidans.qld.edu.au 07 3373 5999

Parents & Friends SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY

We’re all in this together!

The P&F has continued to offer families the opportunity to connect with other parents in a fun and welcoming environment. Over the past few months, we have created connections through our various events which are aimed at strengthening our sense of belonging and building our community.

We have continued creating connections through celebrating the significant women and mothers in our girls’ lives with our annual Mother Daughter Breakfast and our Junior School Mother’s Day Stall. Thank you to Ally Cooper and Steph HuntSharp for volunteering to coordinate these two events. The breakfast event was a sell out and a great success with 345 people attending.

Once again, our annual Trivia Night was an evening filled with crazy costumes, laughter and plenty of fun and games. This is a night not to be missed! Thank you to Kathryn Quarterman and her team of eager volunteers for creating another memorable event.

The P&F continues to support our families through funding. Recently, we purchased new robots for coding and robotics, funded Artist in Residence Anna Carey, and were able to give a generous donation on Giving Day. We were also able to assist in the funding for our music students to attend the Anglican Schools Music Festival which culminated in an outstanding performance in the Concert Hall at Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

We aim to strengthen our community through creating opportunities for our parents to volunteer and support the school. We are a P&F who care and are willing to support all within our school. This was evident when our parent body generously baked for our recent Open Day, which was a huge success.

Together as a community, we can make a difference!

Foundation

It’s been another busy period for the St Aidan’s Foundation as we focus on the re-development of our sporting facilities and holistic education for the future.

First of all, a big thank you to the St Aidan’s community for the generosity and spirit shown towards our 2022 Annual Giving Day – together we raised $252,277. An incredible outcome and something we should all take great pride in.

I also want to thank the staff, volunteers, families, friends and corporates who participated in our Golf Day – the feedback has been incredibly positive, and it was great to see such strong diversity of backgrounds, gender and age groups on the day representing the vibrant and diverse community of our school.

As a community, we want St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School to have truly sustainable success allowing future generations of young ladies to feel the joy and be part of that success. To do that, we are asking for your help to leave a legacy that will enable the next generation of St Aidan’s student to fly high. The redevelopment of the Ambiwerra campus can only be made possible with your support and now is a perfect time to express interest in making an investment into the future of our school. We are aiming to raise $1 million and have currently raised $791,305. If you would like to make a donation to the Fly High for Ambiwerra Capital Campaign, I urge you to contact Julia McKenna, Director of Development & Community: j.mckenna@staidans.qld.edu.au

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you at the Foundation Events scheduled this year.

Golf Day

The itel7 St Aidan’s Corporate Golf Day held on Friday 5 August at St Lucia Golf Club was another huge success with over 112 players in attendance including Kelli Donnelly, Debbie Grylls, Bronwyn Laidlaw (all former Wallaroo and Red’s players), and Dakota Davidson (a current AFLW Lions player), who formed the Principal’s Invitational team.

Over $25,000 was raised on the day for the redevelopment of the Ambiwerra Sports Precinct Redevelopment. We wish to extend a special thanks to our Event Sponsor, itel7, who have committed to sponsoring this event for the next five years, ensuring the ongoing success of this annual event. We also greatly appreciate our generous Hole Sponsors, many of whom were joining us for the second year in a row, and we look forward to their support next year and into the future.

It was fantastic to see over three all-female teams and we encourage others in our community to join us next year. It is a casual, fun day for all. Even if you don’t play golf, you can join us for lunch at the 19th Hole. Our winners of the day were Team Brisbane Lions and the best dressed team was awarded to CK Family Lawyers, who were all looking the part, in their matching attire.

Foundation Chair

Mrs Rachel Condos-Fields

Together We Gave

Mrs Julia McKenna

At a recent conference I attended, the topic of “Philanthropy” was spoken about in detail. The definition of philanthropy or being a philanthropist really resonated with me, and is “an individual who donates their time, talent or treasure.”

Giving Day 2022 highlighted that our St Aidan’s community are all philanthropists! Those that dug deep and donated on the day, those who generously gave of their time and volunteered in the Operations Room, and our Prefects and Student School Leaders who organised and ran the fantastic activities throughout the day. Plus many, many more!

This year’s Giving Day saw $252,277 raised in just 24 hours, for the Bursary Program and Stage 2 of the Ambiwerra Sports Precinct Redevelopment, which will include a gym and a multipurpose complex housing two indoor basketball courts, which will also be line marked for volleyball, netball, and badminton. We had an amazing 454 individual donations on the day, which were doubled, thanks to our matching families, alumni, staff, and peak bodies.

With the turning of the soil at Ambiwerra imminent, the funds raised for Stage 2 will be used immediately for this build. The development of our sports precinct will provide world class facilities to the benefit of all our students. The funds raised for the Bursary Programs will assist current families experiencing financial hardship and future students, who would otherwise not be able to afford a St Aidan’s education. A total of 19 bursaries were issued over the last 12 months to St Aidan’s families.

The Operations Room saw current parents, new parents to the school, alumni including past school captains, staff, directors of the Foundation, P&F Executives and even current students come together to reach out to our community on the day. A quote from 2021 School Captain, Tihari Jayasuriya, “I was very nervous to start with, however this was so much fun, I’ll definitely be back next year.”

We welcome any of our community who wish to be involved in next year’s Giving Day, either as a matcher or a volunteer to contact: Julia McKenna, Director of Development & Community j.mckenna@staidans.qld.edu.au

Foundation

Lyn Abercrombie Sitha Adriana Nick Agnew Imran Ahamed Nikki A-Khavari

Steve Aldridge

Amy Anderson Viraj Ariyarathne Sharada Athuraliya Himali Athuraliya Kirsty Atley Anjie Austen Austen House

Kayo Baker Craig and Rachael Baker Douglas Baker Kisa Baldwin

Vicki Baradel Morgan Baradel Barrett House

Georgia Barton Lydia Bell

Juanita Bennett Sarah Bennett Nina Bergin Jennifer Bernabe Emily Bishop Stuart Bishop Kim Bishop Pedrica Bishop Lilley Bishop Rosemary Blair Hamish Bonifant Terence Bonner

Andrew Boyd Alex Boyd Ann Boyle Georgia Boyne Helen Brodie

Richard Bron

Senior School Bronte Junior School Bronte Wesley Broomham Cameron J Brown Brian Brown

Anthony Brown Terence Brueton Peter Bruton Coralie Burcher Alison Cadman Kristina Cain Kristine Cairns

Danida Calley Amanda Carpenter Gemma Casaceli

Allison Casaceli

Senior School Cavell Junior School Cavell Rebecca Chan Tin Chan Eric Chan Cynthia Chan Eric Chan Manju Chandrasegaram Fernandes Chang

Joe Chao Adam Charrington Min Chen Yuxiang Chen Cecilia Chen Tiffany Cheng Rachel & Rebecca Cheng David Chin Jung Choi Yvonne Chong Joanne Chung Rosalind Clarke Vanessa Cockington Sue Condos John M. Condos Felicity Conlan Trevor Cook Richard Cooper Couchman Family Sarah Crane Rachael Cronin Shaun De Cruz Brett Cuthbert Emily Daley Cindy Davies Helen Deighton David Denholm Tilly Devendra Angeline Devoti DIAN Electrical & Air-con Co. Yonghua Ding Yonghua Ding Sally Ding Bo Dong Briony Dymock Rachel Eng Brett Euler Brian Falk Victoria Falvey Fairlie Family Fitzsimmons Family Fitzsimmons Family The Hindmarsh Family Brendan Felix Rachel Condos-Fields & Glen

Fields

Amanda Flack Michael Ford Susan Forrest Marian Free Jacqui Frey Jacquie Frey Leah Gabriel Seema Ganjoo Han Gao Rebecca Gardner Amin Gayed Judy Gibson Janie Gibson Gibson Family Louisa Gilles Fiona Gillespie Jen Gillespie Adam Gilmore David & Melissa Goffage Nathan Gordon Helen Gotterson Stephen & Deb Green Lisa Grosskopf Sophie Gu Erika Guan Catherine Gulhane Anita Haber Tahnya Hadi Leigh Hahn Anthony Hallam Susan Hamilton Angeline Hamilton-Ritchie Karen & Chris Hampton Cameron Hancock Ann Hancock Reece Walker & Alison Hamilton Karen Hands Tom & Amanda Hannaford Zarife Hardy Sally Harris Daniella Harrison Senior School Hartland Junior School Hartland Nathan Hatherly Yuko Hay Patricia Haymes Chen He Wendy Helman Cassie Henderson Andrew Henry Andrew Henry Elizabeth Hill Jenifer Hilless Fiona Himstedt

Christine Hipwood Hirst Family Covan Ho Thomas Frost & Chelsea Ho William Hodge Justin Howard Zhendong Hu Charlotte Huang Xiaoxiao Huang Janet Hughes Xia Huipeng Grace Humphrey Kirsty Hunt Huong Huynh Charean Jacobs Raj Kumar Jaganathan Jill Jagger Mark James Vanessa James-McPhee Josef and Nicole Jaramanazovic Priyanka Jayasuriya Tihari Jayasuriya Kiara Jayasuriya Kristen Jennings Qichao Jiang Craig Johnson Christopher Johnstone Margaret Jolly Rob Jolly Lina Jolly Elizabeth Jolly Krystina Jones Monica Jones Candice Jones Rob Jones Paul Joseph Junior School Year 5 Suk Fan Fanny Kam Hiroyuki Kano Ashley Keane Yasmin Kennedy Caroline Keogh Todd Kibsgaard Markus Kiel Jacqui Kift

Sara Kim Hyehyun Kim Sue Kim Esther Kim Joshua King Redemptor Kiplimo Mark Kneipp Yasuo Kondo Johana Kortoci Jano Kotzas

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 2022 community donors to date.

Marcia Kretschmer

Anand Krishnan

Anne Kruger

Arielle Kruger Hitesh Kumar Yvette Kypriadakis Hazel Lahey Damian Lambkin Joe Lau Kim Lawrence Stacy Lazarus Emmy Lee Craig Lennon Joan Li Wei Li Zhenjun Li Anna Li Elsa Li Xin Li Debbie Lim Nydia Lin Edward Lin Yang Lin James Lindley Anne Ling Susan Linnett Amy Liu Lainey Loneragan Aleia Lucas

Karen and Chris Luck Danting Luo Xiaodong Ma Cathy Maiden Mandy Maki-Neste Sanja Marais

Elaine Marks

Shelley Masterson Tim Mathers Cushla McBride

Aisha McDonald Yasmin McDonald Angus McDougall James McGaw Kerensa McGraw

Neil McGregor Martin McKenna Julia McKenna Keira McKenna Michelle McKinlay Scott McPherson Rachel Meehan Bhavna Meta Pam Miller Carmen Mills

Foundation

Anna Mlinarec Rosemary Morrall Judith Morrison Roberta Morrison Millie Morrison-Davies Richard Morse

Susan Moss Saheli Mukherjee Kelly Murphy

Annette Murtagh Isini Muthumuni Karunakaran Muthuthamby Mao Nakagawa Lisa Neale

Jemima Nelson Sheren Nguyen

Lynette Nicholson

Senior School Nightingale Junior School Nightingale Leo Nunnink Alice O’Donnell Patrick O’Connor Beng Ong Ashley Palmer Heng Pan Mikka Patterson James Edelman & Sarah Percy Nadeeka Perera Tania Perina Peter Perry Simon Petie Robert Petie Gayle Petrie Chi Pham Loretta Van de Pol Judith Van De Pol Rajnil Prasad John Preston Murray and Laura Procter

Lucy Quarterman

Carl Quarterman Sam Quarterman Kathryn Quarterman

Louise Rae Emma Rayner Ellie Rentoul Frank Rich Cassandra Rich Georgina Richards

Fiona Richardson Lenny and Archie Riordan Toni Riordan & Peter Foster Inge Roberts Mark Robinson

Christian & Jane Rowan

Jessica Rudd

Brian Ruddle Michael Ryall Jennifer Rylance Reuben Saayman Dimuth Samaranayaka Bradley Sartori Dianne Saunders Maggie Schafer Garry Schulz Evelyn Scott Sung Ho Seo Andrea Shackell Jeanne Shelburn Dean Sheppard Connie Shi Jia Shi Lana and Greg Shoesmith Shylet Sitima Richard Slatter Karen Smith Heather Snowden Karen Spiller Jason Steer Meghan Stephensen Lily Stevenson Jo Sturtevant Susie Su Tomomi Sugiura Yao Jii Benjamin Sum Demelza Sutherland Terry Svenson Jane & Jason Swale Luke Sweeney Wendy Tainton Maya Tanham Anthony Taylor Evelyn Unwin Tew Kate Thomas Susie Thornton Diane Tidmarsh Amy Tiller Jodie Timoney Lisa Timothy Clive Todd Amelia Tong Suzanne Tonge Linh Tran Lotte Turley Priya Unantenna Luisa Uriarte Beata Valinoti Wendy Varidel

Shane Veivers

Kathie Vining Panteha Voussoughi Pavlo Voytenko Ho Shan Wai Cecile Wake Sam Wakista Karina Walker Lynda Wall Tania Walter Lydia Wan Yujia Wang Alanna Wang Chong Wang Lily Wang Min Wang Meixi Wang Bo Wang Ella Wang Michael Ware Rowena Warren Roland Watkin D & C Watt Xiang Wei Susan Whitaker Kris Whitehead William Whiteoak Kim Wiegand Michael Wiley Lars Christer Wille Julian Williams Holly O’Sullivan Williams Sarah Willoughby John Wilmott Paul T Wilson Shona Woodruff Ivy Wooley Sophia Wu Joyce Xing Yingzi Yan Hongwei Yang Tina Yao Jing Ye Angus Yin Eileen Zhai Xiwang Zhang Allison Zhang Emily Zhang Allison Zhang Zhiqian Zheng Lilly Zheng Yingjian Zhu Bilu Zhuang

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

From the Archives

Sister Joan (Matron of St Martin’s War Memorial Hospital) in 1971 with the last group of nursing graduates. Image courtesy of the Records and

St Martin’s Hospital

In 2022 St Martin’s War Memorial Hospital celebrates their centenary. Over 100 years ago the Queensland community came together to raise funds to build a fitting memorial to those who had fought in World War 1.

This November, a celebration will be held recognising 100 years since the opening of St Martin’s War Memorial Hospital, with a gathering and sharing of stories associated with the original hospital and with the building it has become - St Martin’s House.

In 1922, The Sisters of the Sacred Advent (SSA) took on the management of the newly opened St Martin’s Hospital, previously having run the Pyrmont Hospital on the same site. Pyrmont was relocated to Wickham Terrace temporarily so that the St Martin’s could be constructed. Sister Caroline, Founder of the SSA had seen health and welfare, education and pastoral care for women as key aspects of the SSA mission. Pyrmont and then St Martin’s hospitals were the opportunity for the SSA to become directly involved with hospital work.

Sister Faith was the first of the SSA sisters to work professionally as a nurse starting at Pyrmont and then taking over as Matron of St Martin’s in 1926. The SSA ran St Martin’s until it closed in 1971. Val Donovan recalled that, “It was a happy hospital with a good rapport between the doctors, nurses and SSA” (Donovan, Val. 1995 St Martin’s Hospital – a History).

Our Old Girls might recall Sisters who had a long association with St Martin’s including Sister Joan (Mother Superior 1976 – 1982) and Sister Dorothy. Sister Julian also worked as the housekeeper and Sister Elisabeth worked there in 1949 after her office as Mother Superior.

Lyn Nicholson (1965) shared some of her memories: “Nursing staff wore a cornflower

blue long-sleeved cotton dress with a lightly starched white apron over the top as their uniform. The dress had white detachable collars, not unlike the St Aidan’s School uniform collar. The uniform was completed with a white cap covering most of the hair, brown stockings and lace up brown shoes.

On Sunday, the junior nurse’s job was to clean the door handles and brass plaques in every room. There was never any overtime pay at St Martin’s, staff just stayed until everything was done.”

Lesley Pearce (1943) remembers her father (Clifford Hughes) was a patient at St Martin’s Hospital for a gall bladder operation. He was a Returned Serviceman after WWI, having served in the Light Horse Brigade. Sister Elisabeth was working at St Martin’s at the time and Lesley remembers him saying that he would spend time talking with Sister Elisabeth, their conversations being spoken in Latin.

If you have a story or memories about St Martin’s you would like to share for their centenary celebration, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Wendy Biggs: w.biggs@staidans.qld.edu.au

and Archives Centre Anglican Church Southern Queensland

ALUMNI NEWS

Lights, Camera, Action

Melissa Maclean graduated from St Aidan’s in 1994, and what followed has been an exciting career in film and television. Melissa’s show, Travel Guides (Channel Nine) recently received a Logie and we had the pleasure of catching up with her to get the scoop on the Logies win and where her passion for film and television started.

Photo courtesy of TV Week & Yianni Photography

ALUMNI

What did you do after you finished Year 12 at St Aidan’s and did you know that this would be your career path when you were in Year 11/12?

English was my strongest subject at St Aidan’s, and I knew I loved storytelling, but I didn’t have the confidence or knowledge to pursue a career in television straight out of school. I did a double degree in journalism/law at QUT and worked briefly as a solicitor before realising I needed to chase my dreams. I did a Masters in Film & TV Documentary at the Victorian College of Arts and everything flowed from there.

What is your role and what does it entail?

I’m an Executive Producer in Unscripted Television, which covers Light Entertainment, Reality and Factual TV. For the past four years I’ve been working for Channel Nine making shows like This Time Next Year, Travel Guides and Parental Guidance. My role is to oversee the creative for the show from pre-production through production, post production and delivery to network.

What other exciting shows/movies have you worked on that we might know?

I’ve been lucky enough to work on a great variety of shows, including Gogglebox and a comedy travel series with Anh Do where we went to the Carnival parade in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. I also co-directed a feature documentary called Beyond Our Ken: you wouldn’t know a cult if you joined one.

What has been your favourite show so far? Travel Guides, of course!

What achievement in life are you most proud of?

Staying happily married with two beautiful children while working in an industry which demands so much time and energy! On a professional level, making an independent documentary straight out of film school was a gamble that paid off and accelerated my progression into the industry. I also designed and taught the first post-producing course for the Australian Film, Television, Radio School - which has helped me give back to the industry.

Have you received any other awards or accolades over the years?

Beyond Our Ken, our feature documentary, screened at the Melbourne Film Festival, Toronto Hot Docs and the International Documentary Festival, Amsterdam. I won Logies previously with Googlebox but didn’t make it to the red carpet.

Has your job seen you travel to any interesting places?

I’ve been so fortunate to travel a lot with work: I’ve been into secret tunnels of Bollinger in Champagne, France, canyoning in Mauritius, cruising on the Mekong and even swimming with pink dolphins in the Amazon. In between all of that are early starts, long days and cancelled flights but it’s all worth it.

Any advice for current students interested in pursuing a career in film/tv?

Going to film school is a great idea if you don’t have any existing connections in the industry but pick the right one, make sure it is hands on and will give you the skills in the areas you want. Make sure they have industry and alumni contacts and internships. Once you get your first gig, work your heart out. Going the extra mile will get you remembered and then your next job will follow.

ALUMNI NEWS

Meet Rachel Hazlett

When Rachel Hazlett (Borchardt 2003) graduated from St Aidan’s she had dreams of becoming a reporter on the TV show Getaway. Fast forward nearly 20 years and she’s recently opened her own business, Women’s Nutrition, where she’s helping women improve their fertility, pregnancy journey and postpartum health and wellbeing.

“When I was 17, I had no idea what a dietitian was, and I thought going into business sounded like a lot of hard work – now I’m really passionate and excited by the work I’m doing.”

After studying journalism at the University of Queensland, Rachel went on to write for a property investment magazine and then a local freelance media company. However, she soon grew disillusioned with the industry.

“I thought being a journalist would mean I was on the road, exploring and meeting lots of new people. The reality for most young journalists is that they are stuck behind a desk, re-writing press releases and talking to people over the phone,” said Rachel.

After three years working as a journalist Rachel decided to have a break from writing.

“I saw a job working as a nanny in London which included lots of travel and I decided to take the leap, leave everything behind and explore the world.”

With her passport, a couple of thousand dollars and a friend’s couch to sleep on, she headed off to London to find a job. She interviewed at Buckingham Palace to work for the Queen’s Equerry, however, she bumbled that interview. Instead, she landed a role working for a banker’s family with homes in central London and Switzerland. “I had so much fun exploring the world going to places like Russia and Croatia but most of all I gained a sense of independence and learned that I could achieve so much on my own.”

While she was away, Rachel started to realise she wanted to work in a career where she could give something back. “I had a friend who had seen a dietitian and I remember thinking it sounded like a really interesting job. I love food and eating and I wanted a way I could help people – the two seemed to marry together perfectly,” she said.

She investigated dietetics courses and found that QUT had the best reputation in Queensland. Now 27 years old and technically a mature age student she applied for dietetics but got into QUT’s Nutrition Science program. After a year of hard work, she was able to upgrade her course to get into the dietetics stream at the university which requires students to have a GPA of 6.5 (equivalent to an ATAR score of 95 or above).

“It was really hard work in the first year. I was back to studying some really technical biochemistry subjects which brought back memories of my time in Chemistry at St Aidan’s,” Rachel recalls.

“All my friends were getting married and here I was single, studying at university again and living at home with my parents. While I had travelled the world, I didn’t feel very successful at my 10 year school reunion!”

After four years Rachel graduated with Honours from QUT. She got a coveted job working at Logan Hospital and began her third career at the age of 30 as an Accredited Practising Dietitian. “Working at the hospital was incredible. I really felt like I was making a difference helping people in the heart failure clinic and on the medical wards,” she said.

Six years later and Rachel is married with two children and living in Graceville. After having her kids and going on her own fertility journey, Rachel has become passionate about helping women to improve their health and wellbeing. “I’ve done additional study so that I am now a Certified Fertility and Pregnancy Dietitian. When I learnt that changing your diet can increase your fertility and decrease your chances of miscarriage, I was amazed. I want more women to learn how diet can improve their health.”

Her Business, Women’s Nutrition, is in its infancy however Rachel is really hoping to make a big difference. “I want to help women get pregnant, stay healthy and nourished during their pregnancies and feel their best as they journey into motherhood.

At St Aidan’s I learnt that with hard work and amazing dreams I could achieve anything. Now, I want the St Aidan’s girls to know that sometimes your career path won’t be straightforward. Maybe you won’t get the grades you need to get into your university course but, if you’re determined and willing to put in the work, you can really achieve anything.”

Womens Nutrition

Womensnutrition.com.au

Instagram: womens_nutrition_

ALUMNI

Marriages

Adele Hadgraft (2004) married Scott Murray at St John’s Cathedral on 15 January 2022 with St Aidan’s Old Girl, Jane Sliwka (2004), as her Maid of Honour. Adele wore two dresses for the wedding, the first worn by her maternal grandmother in 1949 and then worn by her mother in 1982 (pictured), before she switched to something more modern for the reception.

Annabel Tidmarsh (2009) married Richard Thompson on 10 June 2022 Grace Kirk (2009) married Matthew Sandstrom on 9 July 2022

Engagements

Georgia Warburton (2014) to Lonan Simmonds Belinda Wood (2009) to Adam Carberry

Births

Rachel (Armstrong 2001) and David Bentley welcomed Astrid Drew Bentley on 31 March 2022

Ellen (Armstrong 2004) and Andrew Woodgate welcomed Archibald (Archie) William Woodgate on 7 April 2022

Alice (Finley 2002) and David Pesce welcomed Beatrice Margaret Pesce 23 May 2022

Meg (Rylance 2007) and Adrian Dragicevic welcomed Indiana (Indi) Dragicevic on 2 June 2022 Carmen (Shields 2002) and Chris Cavallaro welcomed Georgia Cate Cavallaro on 6 June 2022

Zanny (George 2007) and Jim RobertsThomson welcomed Harry Adrian RobertsThomson on 25 July 2022

Zoe (Cruse 2009) and Nick Knowlman welcomed Oliver James Arthur Knowlman on 4 August 2022

Eliza (Goddard 2007) and Tom Woodley welcomed Jack Thomas Woodley on 11 August 2022

Congratulations

Krissy Teng (2022) was accepted and has commenced her study of Bachelor of Music at The Juilliard School in New York.

Melissa Maclean (1994) received a Logie for her role as Executive Producer on the hit television show, Travel Guides, on Channel 9.

Andrea Davey (Tjoeng 2002) was awarded CEO of the Year (Medium Corporation) at the Outstanding Leadership Awards.

Carol Lee (1980) was appointed as a Magistrate, in the role of Southern Eastern Coroner, based in Southport.

ALUMNI NEWS

Vale

Jane Tingwell (1975) passed away 26 February 2022

Jennifer Stevens (MacMillan 1949) passed away on 30 May 2022

Dawn Nicholas (McKay 1943) passed away 28 July 2022

Donations

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

Hazel Lahey (Buchanan 1963)

Clare English (2000)

Nicola MacDonald (Stares 1981)

Inez Gibbons (1950)

Dawn Nicholas (McKay 1943) pictured with her sister Janette Gibson (McKay 1954) on Janette’s first day at St Aidan’s in 1941

Krissy Teng - Photo by Puremotion Event Photography

YEAR Reunion

10 YEAR Reunion

ALUMNI NEWS

REUNIONS

We love hosting reunions each year at St Aidan’s. These events provide us with the opportunity to share what is happening on campus and within our community; and to reconnect with Old Girls from near and far. 2022 was a momentous year as we saw the return of some of our interstate and international Old Girls after a few years of them being unable to join us. We are greatly looking forward to the return of our interstate and international reunions in 2023. Thank you to those who made the effort to join us this year!

Reunion

Ascension Day

Reunions 2023

Ascension Day (All Welcome)

Thursday 18 May, 11am

70 Year Reunion (Class of 1953)

Thursday 18 May, 11am

60 Year Reunion (Class of 1963)

Thursday 18 May, 1.15pm

Young Old Girls (Classes of 2013-2022)

Friday 19 May, 5.30pm

10 Year Reunion (Class of 2013)

Friday 19 May, 5.30pm

20 Year Reunion (Class of 2003)

Saturday 20 May, 12pm

30 Year Reunion (Class of 1993)

Saturday 20 May, 12pm

40 Year Reunion (Class of 1983)

Sunday 21 May, 12pm

50 Year Reunion (Class of 1973)

Sunday 21 May, 12pm

The Last Word

This week I have been listening to the Archbishop of York, The Most Rev’d and Rt Honourable Stephen Cottrell talk about community. If you are familiar with the story of Pentecost, as our Kindy-Year 2 students are, you will remember that on that day the Holy Spirit came among the disciples, and they could suddenly speak in many languages so they could be understood by the many and varied people who found themselves in Jerusalem at that time. You can read the story in the Bible, in the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 2.

Archbishop Cottrell reflected that if he had been in charge that day, he would have ensured everyone could speak the same language, rather than giving the disciples the ability to speak many languages. How much easier is it when we are all the same, rather than needing to accommodate difference!

Time and again, however, it is brought home to us that a diverse and messy community of many different voices is so much more vibrant than a monoculture. Biology teaches us that biodiversity is key to a flourishing biome, and we humans are no different. We have better ideas, more interesting brainstorming, and much greater creativity when we are bumping up against one another’s difference. One might almost think God was onto something by keeping us as such a mixed bunch. Certainly, Jesus showed no interest in purifying the kingdom of God, but rather did everything he could to stretch the community wider and wider, to include the most unlikely people, even women, Samaritans and tax collectors!

We are always challenged to keep our community open to the other and to welcome those who are not like us. It is uncomfortable, and takes hard work sometimes, but it is the work of God’s people. At St Aidan’s I am grateful for every single person who is not like me (that is everyone, of course), because you constantly remind me that my idea, my position, my opinion can never, in fact, be the last word. Thank God for that!

Reverend Gillian Moses Chaplain

Leading the Future

Open Morning

St Aidan’s is a Prep – Year 12 school for girls with a coeducational Kindergarten, located in Corinda.

We invite you to come and experience everything that St Aidan’s has to offer at our upcoming Open Morning.

9am Wednesday 23 November

Register to attend: staidans.qld.edu.au/events

Or book a private tour: staidans.qld.edu.au/take-a-tour