Huddle St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School SUMMER EDITION I DEC 2016
Co nt e nt s
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Academics
Senior Sport
Senior Extracurricular
Junior School
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22
Community
Staff Achievements
Parents and Friends
Born to Fly 4
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Foundation
Archives
Alumni
Editor Alice Tidmarsh Contributors Karen Spiller, Michele Grant, Jackie Child, Megan Daley Claire Rush, Sue Russell, Wendy Biggs, Rev Gillian Moses Design Annie Fanning Photography Tahlia Stehbens, Annie Fanning, Wendy Biggs Editorial queries, feedback and change of address E: marketing@staidans.qld.edu.au
St Aidan’s Open Day Saturday 4 March 9am-12pm Visit our website to find out more:
www.staidans.qld.edu.au
From the
PRINCIPAL While on sabbatical leave earlier this year, I was able to visit haunts of our St. Aidan. Karen Spiller
MBA, MEdAdmin, BA, BEdSt, FACE, FAIM, FACEL, FAHRI, FAICD, FCEOI Fellow of Bond University
Iona, Lindisfarne and Bamburgh Castle were all places where he lived and worked. Being present in the places where he walked, talked and prayed has really helped me to understand a little more of why the early Sisters chose him as our patronal saint. Aidan was as simple man who dedicated his life to helping all people understand God and to have faith. In one of the books I read about his life, Aidan is described as “a man with feet on the ground”. It was said of him, “that he would instruct his students about keeping their feet on the ground. That they should not think of themselves as more important or above others, for all are children of God”. The author continues, “we have a spirit that needs to grow but we also have minds and bodies that need attention. We need to learn to live in this world as it is the world that God has created for us”. We do need a life that maintains a good balance, like the rhythm of the tides that influenced Aidan’s life, we need a time for busy-ness and a time for stillness. I can’t say that we do achieve much stillness at school during each term; what we do achieve is a balance between academic focus, life giving extra- curricular activities, commitment to others through service activities, a gentleness in our relationships that is inherent in how we do things here and that emanates from our dear Sisters and a blend of culture building activities that include whole school Eucharists and times for reflection. This edition of the Huddle provides further insight into the activities of our students and staff through the course of the last semester. I hope that it demonstrates something about the way in which we carry the work and actions of our patronal saint into life in the twentyfirst century; growing our spirit, mind and bodies and helping others. As we approach the summer holidays, I wish all members of our school community a balance between activity and stillness and a very happy Christmas time with family and friends.
Karen Spiller
MBA, MEdAdmin, BA, BEdSt, FACE, FAIM, FACEL, FAHRI, FAICD, FCEOI Fellow of Bond University
huddle I december 2016 1
academic - sisters in arms
SISTERS IN ARMS The Sisters started St Aidan’s in 1929 after the good people of the western suburbs of Brisbane requested of them to start a school, like St Margaret’s in the rapidly growing western suburbs. The foundation Headmistress, Mrs. Christine Hartland had been a teacher at St Margaret’s and was chosen to head the new school, St Aidan’s, under the watchful eye of Sister Elisabeth, who was then Head of St. Margaret’s. Interestingly, the young Christine and Elisabeth both attended Leeds Teacher Training College in England at the same time. It should be noted that Mrs. Hartland’s appointment was something of a first for Queensland. At that time and for many years after, female teachers in the state education system were forced to resign when they married, let alone be asked to head up a school.
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academic - sisters in arms
In her report to St. Margaret’s in 1928 Sister
It is the Trust, together with the two School
Elisabeth wrote:
Councils, which oversees the strategic
Next year we will see expansion of a different kind in the opening of a branch school in Corinda. Ten years ago, St. Margaret’s sent out a branch to the North, and Sister Vernon went from here on staff. St. Anne’s (Now the Cathedral School) has since grown to a school of 150 and has two daughter schools, one at Herberton and the other in Charters Towers. We are now starting nearer to home in a
development and evolution of the Schools. The Sisters were keen to establish the Trust to both see the schools work closely together, while maintaining their individual identity, as well as ensuring, that when there were no more Sisters, St Aidan’s and St. Margaret’s would still operate fully as Sisters’ schools and remaining faithful to their philosophy and traditions.
district which is rapidly growing and which
Since 2010 the schools have worked closely
has no secondary school. We shall aim at
under the leadership of both Principals,
carrying on there the spirit and tradition of St.
to bring the Sisters’ desires to fruition. A
Margaret’s, and at keeping the two schools in
tangible outcome of this is Shared Services,
close touch.
which is sometimes termed as SSA Schools.
Over the years, many staff and Sisters have worked in both St Aidan’s and St Margaret’s and of course, each school’s students engage in friendly sisterly rivalry especially on the sporting fields, while supporting each other against other schools.
Currently over 30 staff operate as SSA staff working across both schools in the areas of Facilities, Finance, Outside Schools Hours Care and Information Technology. Additionally, when many large contracts such as cleaning, bus provision or grounds upkeep are let, significant savings are driven through
In 2004, Mother Eunice and the Sisters
economies of scale. The same applies to
established the Society of the Sacred Advent
the purchase or leasing of IT hardware and
Schools Trust to oversee both schools into
infrastructure.
the future. It is the Trust who are the ultimate employers of all staff at both Schools. The Trust comprises Mother Eunice and Sisters, Bishop Jonathan Holland (past parent of St. Aidan’s), each school’s chairperson and two independent nominees. At the moment these are Judge David Thomas and Rob Morphet (past St. Aidan’s parent, current grandparent and past Chair of Council for nine years).
Much has also occurred behind the scenes as well. Staff share professional learning days each year and formal shadowing of roles occur, where teachers with aspirations for promotional positions, shadow a colleague in the other school. Both Principals, and School Councils, remain keen to see where further extension of Shared Services may add value for both schools, while remaining very aware
The Sisters over the last few years have
that the schools have their own rich traditions
stepped back from being on each School’s
as separate schools.
Council, they remain on the Trust and follow the progress and success of their two schools closely.
Karen Spiller Principal
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Educational EXCELLENCE
2016 Academic Results St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School students have received the strongest academic results in the school’s 87 year history with the release of this year’s Overall Positions for the 2016 senior cohort. This year’s results saw: • 11.63% achieving an OP 1 • 50% achieving an OP between 1 and 5; and • 97.67% achieving an OP between 1 and 15.
50% of our students achieved an OP 1-5 The OP results show St Aidan’s continues to be one of the top performing independent schools in Queensland with half of the cohort achieving an OP 1-5 and over 60% achieving an OP 1-6. St Aidan’s Overall Position Results (2016)
St Aidan’s OP 1
11.63%
OP 1-2
16.28%
OP 1-3
27.91%
OP 1-5
50%
OP 1-10
80.23%
OP 1-15
97.67%
Queensland Core Skills Test Results (2016) St Aidan’s 2016 graduates have also achieved outstanding results in this year’s Queensland Core Skills Test with 78.9% achieving an A or B on the test.
St Aidan’s
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State
A
43.7%
18.64%
B
35.2%
28.88%
C
18.3%
34.72%
D
2.8%
17.77%
E
0.0%
0.02%
a c a d e m i c - 2 017 s c h o o l c a p t a i n s a n d s t u d e n t l e a d e r s
VICE CAPTAIN: Rimaz Toto and SCHOOL CAPTAIN: Annalise White
We congratulate our 2017 School Captains and Student Leaders SCHOOL CAPTAIN: VICE CAPTAIN:
Annalise White Rimaz Toto
PREFECTS: Romany Beckinsale Gabriella Cooper Alexandra Gehrke Olivia Harris Ella Morrison Emma Schoutrop Abbey Scott Rimaz Toto Isabella Vuong Melissa Wilcox Annalise White
MUSIC CAPTAINS: Erin Park Ruby Turner HOUSE CO-CAPTAINS: Austen Keely Brannigan Kimberley Bessinger Barrett Lara Thornton Georgia Trainor Bronte Hannah Robinson Donna Tromp Cavell Georgia Goffage Sarah Thompson
SACRISTANS: Gabriella Cooper Abbey Scott
Hartland
SPORTS CAPTAINS: Romany Beckinsale Kate Russell
Nightingale Gina Danckwerts Tamsin Oswin
Sachini Godamunne
DEBATING CAPTAINS: Amelia Anderson Natasha Haughton
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academic - year 12 celebrate
congratulations Class of 2016!
Our newest Old Girls
celebrated in style, with colourful and creative dress transformations and a week of celebrations.
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academic - year 12 celebrate
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art - learning through the lens
The K-2 Family Messy Church service in February was a great start to the year. Built around the theme of
“There’s no place like home”,
the service involved lots of singing, storytelling, prayers and of course, messy crafts.
LE ARNIN G
through the lens This year, all Year 11 and 12 Art students have engaged with photography—not just to record their work and development of ideas, but, more importantly, as a tool of inquiry and exploration for expressive and visual communication.
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art - learning through the lens
The photographed and manipulated image is everywhere as we weave our way down the post-internet path. Deloitte Global estimated that in 2016, 2.5 trillion photos will be shared or stored online, a 15 percent increase on 2015. About three-quarters of this total will likely be shared, and the remainder backed up online. Photography’s appeal is partly about capturing and sharing a moment: smartphones enable both to occur almost simultaneously. It is estimated that over 90 percent of the photos shared or stored online will have been taken by smartphone. The dominance of the smartphone for photo sharing is due to its versatility, ubiquity and the rate at which owners are choosing to upgrade their phones. Also, they remove the lengthy time lag with standard photographic film between taking and sharing a photo as seen in traditional photographic practice. It is estimated that using a Smartphone one can reduce the processes of taking, altering and sending a high definition photo to less than a second. This growing ease of creating and sharing images is arguably shaping the way people communicate. The speed and quality with which we can take photos encourages photos and videos to be substituted for spoken or written words. Also, increasing volumes of photos are being backed up because of the growing range of tools that enable this, at minimal or no cost to the user.
In a historical context photography was used as a study of human behavior in the fields of visual anthropology, visual sociology, photojournalism and media literacy. Photography in the curriculum promotes inquiry-based practices. Just like searching for the correct words to give meaning, photography requires deliberate decision-making and considered acts of selectivity. Photography is powerful in its ability to portray complex meanings. Images often have an advantage over text when expressing and communicating ideas as dual coding takes place in the memory and people often retrieve information at a later date through image recall. Photography can provide great challenges to students, affording opportunities for students to become critical, independent users of it—elevating it from the simplistic by making works that are sophisticated and discerning. The accompanying Year 11 and 12 photographic outcomes explored diverse subject matter such as the Seven Deadly Sins, Domestic Space and Childhood. This year we welcomed the support of photography in the senior Art curriculum of past student and photographer Paul Clark who has instigated a photography award for Year 12.
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senior school - academic
Top picks for Year 7 & 8 The most read books of 2016
H OLIDAY Reading
Recommendations from the St Aidan’s Library Book Reviews adapted from Goodreads and Riverbend Standing Orders. Follow the St Aidan’s Library on Pinterest to keep up to date with the latest arrivals: pinterest.com/librarystaidans/ The Rat Catcher’s Daughter by Pamela Rushby (Historical Fiction, Black Death, Plague) Set in Brisbane in 1900, thirteen year old Issy has to leave school to start her first job; a maid in a funeral parlour, which she is not happy about! However, there is much worse to come as an outbreak of the plague affects her family and community. Issy ends up working with her father’s terriers as they are trying to rid Brisbane of the plague-carrying rats. Pamela Rushby based this book on research she did after seeing photographs at the Qld Museum, with the caption ‘from the plague epidemic of 1900.’
Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks (Mystery, Crime, Family) This is an exciting story about thirteen year old Ben and his family who are on the run, after a police visit to their home. As they travel to an old cabin in the woods, Ben slowly starts to piece little bits together as to what has happened and what exactly it is his parents have done. The problem is, if Ben is right, should he go to the police, or help his family?
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Top picks for Older Readers and Adults
Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
With Malice by Eileen Cook
(Romance, Obesity, Brain Damage) The two narrators are both dealing with serious issues. Libby with obesity and Jack with face blindness and he cannot even recognise members of his own family. As people are often judgemental and hurtful, Libby and Jack cope in different ways. Libby tries to be positive and move forward and Jack makes poor decisions, but continues to be popular. The two get tangled up in a cruel high school game, which lands them in group counselling.
(Mystery, Accidents, Memory) While in Italy on a school trip Jill was involved in a dreadful accident and had to be flown home to receive hospital treatment. All she now knows is what she has been told, as the last six weeks of her life are a complete blank. What if the accident wasn’t an accident and If you can’t remember what happened, how can you be sure you’re not to blame?
The Dry by Jane Harper (Crime, Mystery) Set in a remote Australian country town that has been going through a long drought, Luke Hadler turns a gun on his wife and child before shooting himself. Or did he? When Detective Aaton Falk returns to his home town Kiewarra for the funerals he gets involved in the case. Who really did kill the Hadler family?
senior school - academic
All teams did very well and a special congratulations to the Year 9 team who came first and the Year 10.1 team who placed second. We also farewelled our Year 12 team who have participated in Inter-School Readers Cup competitions since Year 8.
INTERSCHOOL
Readers Cup Many girls participated in the Brisbane West Inter-School Readers Cup competitions over this year. The competitions requires reading 5 set books and working collaboratively as Year 10 - Emmaline Monteith, Alice Baumann, Amy Stalley, Lucinda Bankowski, Isabella Cosgrove
a team to answer quiz style questions. Throughout the Semester the girls have worked very hard, reading, re reading, meeting regularly and quizzing each other on the assigned books.
Year 9 - Rebecca Chae, Bianca Leathers, Ella Lau, Sarah Hodge
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senior sport
- athletics
On Friday 14 October, our Athletics team equalled their best ever performance at the QGSSSA Championships by placing 3rd in the Stephens Aggregate Cup and winning the Del Mellafont Percentage Cup. Thank you to our Head Coach, Jayden Russ and to our Athletics Co-ordinator Mrs Bishop for their work throughout the season. I would also like to thank and acknowledge our captains Maddy Attlee and Khameela Noendeng for their outstanding leadership. They, along with the other senior girls, have helped to create a strong culture and leave behind a legacy which they can be very proud of. Finally, thank you to our parents who have helped with afternoon teas at the meets, taken great photos and organised the end of season break-up.
Highlights
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•
3rd place Stephens Cup (Aggregate)
•
2016 Del Mellafont Percentage Cup Champions – 3rd consecutive year
•
17 Years Age Champions (including 10 individual victories)
•
17 Years 4 x 100m A Relay - QGSSSA record and the fastest ever relay time recorded in QGSSSA history
•
44 top 3 finishes including a school record 17 1st, 14 2nd and 13 3rd
•
Reduced margin behind overall winner from 205 points in 2015 to 172.5 points in 2016
•
73 of our 124 performances of the day were placed in the Top 5
•
Our top point scorers for the day were led by Katie Colebourne with a perfect score of 30 individual points (for the second year in a row) and 12 from the relay
•
Australian Schools Knockout Champions 2016
senior sport
- athletics
Congratulations to our Senior Girls Athletics team - Australian Schools Knockout 2016! huddle Champions I december 2016 15
senior sport - team of the year
SPORTS
Awards 2016 Celebrating Excellence in Sport St Aidan’s Team of the Year QGSSSA 17 Years Athletics Madeleine Attlee, Katie Colebourne, Sachini Godamunne, Khameela Noendeng, Millie Morrison-Davies, Susanna Hutchinson, Amelia Lewis, Eliza Sherington, Emma Stubbs, Jessica Stallard, Alexandra Nothdurft and Hayley Walker. Season Highlights
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•
2016 QGSSSA 17yrs Age Champions and led the school to a 3rd place overall finish and a 3rd consecutive Percentage Cup title
•
10 Individual victories
•
17 years 4 x 100m A Relay (QGSSSA Record 48.81 also the fastest relay ever run in QG history)
•
Brisbane Track Classic – Fastest School in Queensland 4 x 100m (1st Place)
•
University of Queensland - Great Court Schools Relay (Champions)
•
Schools Knockout Athletics South Queensland Final - Senior Team (1st Place)
St Aida
senior sport - team of the year
Caitlyn Bowell •
QGSSSA Swimming
•
QGSSSA Cross Country
•
QGSSSA Gymnastics - A Grade (2nd Place)
Representative Highlights •
Queensland School Sport Athletics State Championships (3rd Discus, 5000m)
•
Queensland Open Diving Championships (1st Place - 1m, 3m and Platform)
•
Queensland Elite Junior Diving Championships
•
Queensland Academy of Sport Diving Squad
•
Australian Elite Diving Championships (Top 10 finish in each event)
•
Australian Diving Domestic Grand Prix / World Cup Trials (Finalist)
•
2015 Pacific School Games – Queensland Diving Captain (1st Synchro, 2nd 1m, 4th 3m & Platform).
•
2015 Oceania Diving Championships – Melbourne (7th 3m & Platform).
Sportswoman of the Year 2016 Caitlyn Bowell
Samantha Watkin •
Interhouse Swimming Runner-up Age Champion, Fastest Girl in the School Final
•
QGSSSA Swimming
•
QGSSSA Open Gymnastics (Premiership)
•
QGSSSA 8A Touch Football (3rd Place)
•
QGSSSA Athletics
•
QGSSSA 8A Badminton
•
Schools Knockout Athletics South Queensland Final Senior Team (1st Place)
•
Sporting All-rounder Award
Representative Highlights •
Queensland School Sport Athletics State Championships
•
Women’s Artistic Gymnastics State Championships – Level 9 (Overall Champion)
•
Australian Gymnastics Championships Level 9 WAG (2nd Overall /Queensland Team Gold)
•
National Club Championships – Delta Brisbane (National Champions)
an’s Team of the Year
Junior Sportswoman of the Year Samantha Watkin
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senior extracurricular - lions youth of the year
LIONS
YOUTH OF THE YEAR
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A number of students from regional schools participated in the 2016 Lions Youth of the Year competition. Meghan Hood, in Year 12, represented St Aidan’s in this challenging competition. Over a period of two days, a panel of Lions Club members judged each student’s skills and performances during an interview, a seven minute speech, and a number of impromptu responses on a range of political, economic and ethical questions. Congratulations to Meghan who won the award for The Best Public Speaker in the region. Her outstanding performance engaged and entertained the Darra/Oxley Lions Club members.
junior community - children in charge - philanthropy program
Children In Charge - Philanthropy program During Term Four, Year 5 were introduced to the “Children in Charge - Philanthropy program.” This program involved the girls working in small groups to direct their own independent learning project. The girls worked within a framework of guidelines to select an area of interest to them, plan how they would conduct their project, set goals, monitor progress, reflect on what they are learnt and finally, present their project to the Junior School. This project aimed to take the focus of the Christmas season away from commercialisation and to think of others who are less fortunate. The goals for this project included guiding students to: •
Learn about the role of philanthropy
•
Understand that giving to and helping others is a worthy cause
•
Develop life skills
•
Ignite their passion for entrepreneurial projects
•
Feel internal satisfaction at having achieved something special
Projects included:
BAGS
with wings
•
Raising money for MS and RSPCA
•
Raising awareness of White Ribbon Day and the plight of the homeless
•
Creating funny movies to cheer up sick children in hospital
•
Face painting to raise money for the Xavier Respite Centre
•
Making Travel Bags for Angel Flight
The Year 5s managed to raise a total of just over $1000 which is a testament to their organisation and the generosity of all St Aidan’s Junior School students.
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junior school - coding and robotics
CO DING and Robotics
Our Coding and Robotics Club has continued to grow this year with over 30 students participating in 2016. The girls enjoy unplugged games and activities to understand computer literacy, explore many coding apps available on our iPads and create interactive animations and games using Scratch. Coding strengthens computational thinking, problem solving, planning, designing and collaboration while having plenty of creative fun. It is considered the new 21st century literacy and recently the Queensland Government has made it mandatory for students from Prep – Year 10 in all schools to learn to code as part of the ‘advancing education plan’ for 2017. At the end of each year the Junior School take part in an ‘Hour of Code’, where all the students have fun coding online or enjoying unplugged activities joining millions of children around the world during Computer Science Education Week which is held in December. In Robotics, the younger girls enjoy programming Bee Bots to solve problems presented in navigating a circuit, while others build and learn how to program Lego WeDo. Many girls have used the Tickle app to program our BB8 droid and our mini parrot drones to perform manoeuvers around the library. Other girls have been building and programming Lego NXT Mindstorm robots to complete various tasks and to dance! This year a team entered The First Lego League competition at QUT and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of programming EV3 to perform missions.
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junior school - maker space
MAKER S PAC E
St Aidan’s C O
&
Our junior library has a space where students can engage with information, resources and technology to provide them with skills which will carry over into all areas of their lives and for them not to be just consumers of technology but creators. Our girls are able to play, explore, create, build and ‘make’ projects which interest them by designing and taking ownership of their learning in innovative ways. In the Makerspace girls are thinking critically and creatively, communicating and collaborating, developing teamwork and social skills whilst having fun. Our area has extended this year into include a room for our 3D printer and our ever growing collection of drones, droids and robots. Throughout the year the girls have been introduced to equipment and tools used in the Makerspace in their library lessons where literature is often the springboard for ideas. The library hosted its first Maker Faire during Book Week where students displayed projects they had made stimulated from 2016 Short Listed Books.
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junior school - discover bright sparks
DIS C OV ER
Bright Sparks
Technology & Engineering Showcase The Bright Sparks Science and Technology Showcase was once again held in August and saw students from Kindergarten to Year 6 come together to share the wonderful work being done in class. This day provided students with an opportunity to be the experts and demonstrate what they had learned in class about the wonders of science, ICT, engineering and technology.
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This year, the event was held in the Science and Technology Centre, giving guests the opportunity to visit the various classes and also explore the modern laboratories that our girls are able to access. Within the various labs, students were able to engage in a variety of interactive and informative displays. Our wonderful Kindy students explained why some parts of the earth are cold
and some parts are hot, Prep described how the universe and everything in it is continuously moving and changing, Year 1 provided experiments to show how sound waves travel, Year 2, after hours of strength testing, water-resistance testing and glue testing, displayed their creative and effective lunch box designs, the Year 3 energy explorers presented the solar ovens they created, Year 4’s budding
junior school - discover bright sparks
professors designed and constructed a range of games to explain a concepts associated with physics, Year 5 worked collaboratively to build robots to solve futuristic problems, Year 6, equipped with wire, light bulbs and homemade switches, displayed ordinary doll houses in the most extraordinary way using their knowledge of electricity and circuits. The Showcase also provided an opportunity for our library staff to demonstrate the students’ coding
skills as they manipulated and controlled drones, droids and robots. There was also a hands-on display that highlighted the outstanding Makerspace program within the Junior School with STEM activities being the main focus. The event was once again very well attended and included friends, families and also invited guests and will once again be eagerly awaited in 2017.
STEMies SAVE THE DATES 2017
SCHOOL HOLIDAY EVENT is open to all girls in Years 4 to 6, offering the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops with STEM topics.
Wednesday 12 March Thursday 6 July Thursday 28 September To register please visit www.flexischools.com.au and search for St Aidan’s
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junior school - native stingless bees
Native
Stingless
S t Ai dan’s
BEES
THANK YOU TO OUR Native Bee Fund DONORS
Boden Family Child Family Daley Family Hodge Family Lee Family Love Family Martin-Perry Family McGaw Family Morrison Family Pillans Family Reynolds Family Thompson Family Tidmarsh Family Wood Family
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The 2016 Earth Angel Captains, Eloise Wood and Lucy Thompson, have had a keen interest in Native Stingless Bees for some years now and as they graduated to the Senior School at the end of this term, their final project for Earth Angels was to see a Native Stingless Beehive and bees installed in the Junior School grounds We used a local company, ‘Sugarbag Bees’ at West End so we that could ensure the bees would be suited to our climate and because of their extensive work with schools. A stall selling secondhand books and entirely upcycled ‘Microgreen Microgardens’ raised funds for our Native Stingless Beehive and bees and several families made donations, which will be acknowledged on a plaque near the hive. Dr Tobias Smith from ‘Sugarbag Bees’ and ‘BeeAware Brisbane’ came to install our hive in the correct position and gave a fascinating talk to most of the Junior School – Kindy children were particularly enthralled by the bees and Dr Toby’s talk! Dr Tobias Smith will be back early in 2017 to give more extensive talks to Junior School students on being native beekeepers and the importance of bees to our ecosystem. With life-cycles studied at several year levels, the native beehive will be an excellent teaching tool and will enrich the learning of our students. Bees are absolutely vital to the ecosystem and we
have plans for work looking at the vital role of the bee in crop pollination and the sheer variety of bees which exist in Australia. Earth Angels members will be taking observations of bee behaviour and will take the lead in beekeeping. The hive will be regularly weighed to ensure it is being filled and when it reaches maturity, ‘Sugarbag Bees’ will be back to split our hive and help us to start another. We aim to have four-five hives in total with some for production of honey and some for breeding. A Native Stingless hive of the size we have will produce about 1 litre of honey a year – native bees are an investment in the ecostystem more than honey producers! The honey is strong tasting as it contains much tree resin and is worth around $200 a kilo. The Junior School students (and their teacher librarian and teacher in charge of Earth Angels) are extremely excited about our venture into the world of beekeeping. If families are interested in learning more, we have a growing collection of books about bees in the Junior School Library.
junior school - grandparents day
Grandparent’s and Special friends The annual Grandparents and special friends day was a great success, with junior girls showing off their school to their beloved family and friends.
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junior community - prayer space
BIG QUESTIONS from little people
In October we opened the first Prayer Space in the Junior School. The library classroom was transformed into a hands on prayer experience for all students from Kindy to year 6.
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junior community - prayer space
Students were invited to pray for the world, either for family and friends who live overseas, or for those places around the world they had heard about in the news. It quickly became apparent that even in a small school such as ours, our students are already global citizens, surrounding all parts of the globe with prayer. The Be Still tents invited students to take a little time out of their busy school days to do nothing. This can be quite challenging, even for older girls. It reminds us how important it is that we practise being still and allowing God to speak to us. Even in Junior School, students experience conflict with one another, or bring hurts from siblings to school. Fizzy Forgiveness helped these students to concentrate on letting go of hurts and sadness, allowing the bubbles from a fizzy tablet to symbolise the choice to let these things float away. The children also crawled inside old washing machine boxes to experience something of what it might be like to be homeless and living in a Cardboard Home. These experiences prompted many children to write prayers of thanks for their own cosy homes, and prayers of concern for children who do live on the streets.
If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
Finally, we asked some big questions. And they were big: Who made God? Why do people have to be violent? Why don’t we share things better? Why is my sister sick? Is my nanna in heaven with you? Prayer Space encourages children to learn to pray with everyday items, about all kinds of issues. It helps them to look up and out, and to think about their own lives. It demystifies the practise of prayer and shows students that they are agents of powerful prayer.
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junior school - year 6 valedictory
Y E AR 6 Eucharist
“You can hear the wind, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.” (John 3.8)
Each year we are privileged to celebrate with our Year 6 girls as they prepare to transition from Junior to Senior School. Inspired by the kites made by the students in their art classes, the theme of the Transition Eucharist was “Catching the Spirit” as we explored how the students, like kites, are born to fly upwards on the wind of the Holy Spirit. For parents and teachers, the challenge is to loosen the strings to let their daughters and students test their ability to catch the Spirit and dance at the end of the lead.
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junior school - year 6 crossing the road
YEAR 6 CROSSING of the road
The service also included a candle lighting liturgy, which symbolises thanksgiving for the journey so far, the beauty of the present moment and the hope of all that is to come. As is our tradition, we were blessed to have our incoming School Captain Annalise White, Vice Captain Rimaz Toto, and Sacristans Gabriella Cooper and Abbey Scott joining us. And this year we were overjoyed to welcome Mother Eunice SSA and Sister Gillian SSA to the Eucharist, and to have Mother Eunice present candles to the graduating students. We look forward to seeing how these young women, blown by the Spirit into their future, respond to the opportunities before them. Reverend Gillian Moses
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community - celebrating St Aidan’s day
CEL EBR AT IN G
St Aidan’s Day
A highlight of the end of Term 3 was St. Aidan’s Day. We held a Eucharist at which we acknowledged Mother Eunice’s 80th birthday and announced the 2016 Alumni Award recipients. This was followed by the traditional St. Aidan’s Day activities and house games at Ambiwerra for all in Prep to Year Twelve.
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staff - achievements
STAF F
Achievements •
Four St Aidan’s staff have Doctorates and 23 have completed their Masters, with a further four currently studying for their Masters qualifications. This makes 56% of our teaching staff who have a post graduate qualification.
•
Teaching staff collected 360 degree feedback on their classroom practice using the online tool, Educator Impact. SMART goals were developed based on feedback.
•
Mr Shane MacDonald and Mrs Sylvia Hicks presented at the Australian Science Teachers Conference (CONASTA).
•
Ms Tracey Jeanes-Fraser was reappointed as QLD Fusion Assistant Coach and took leave to be the U17 QLD Netball coach, she has also been appointed coach for the 2017 and 2018 Australian Netball League season. Tracey was also named a finalist for one of Netball Queensland’s Pinnacle Awards, Coach of the Year.
•
Mrs Karen Spiller was a workshop presenter at the 2016 Global Forum on Girls’ Education in New York earlier this year (February).
•
Mrs Karen Madden and Dr Wendy Mercer were nominated for the Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching award.
•
Ms Karen Gorrie has been appointed as Deputy Principal at St. Margaret’s Anglican Girls School commencing 2017.
•
Ms Natasha Mayne was appointed as Assistant Principal – Teaching and Learning at St. Rita’s college, commencing in 2017.
•
Ms Cherie Vega has been appointed as the Head of Business, VET and Pathways at Moreton Bay College starting in 2017
•
Dr James Cuskelly was featured in When We Sing, which played at the Barracks Theatre.
•
Dr Wendy Mercer and Dr James Cuskelly worked with the UQ Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation, demonstrating ways of involving students in deep learning with their Year 7 science and Year 1 music classes.
•
Mr Shane Macdonald received the 2016 staff award for Excellence in Teaching and Mr Matt Duncan received the award for Service to the School Community.
Mrs Sylvia Hicks won a prestigious Peter Doherty Award for Excellence in STEM Education, receiving $5000.
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staff - old girls
OLD GIRLS on Staff
It is always a pleasure to welcome Old Girls back to St Aidan’s as visitors, new parents and award recipients. It is even more gratifying when we are able to welcome Old Girls back as staff. As 2016 closes, we have had a number of Old Girls join us this year, including Rosie Sanders (Lowes 2005) and Emma Schafer (2006). Rosie Sanders joined St Aidan’s as our Special Education Coordinator earlier this year. Rosie is a 3rd generation St Aidan’s Old Girl, she graduated in 2005 and was a Prefect and Hartland House Captain. Rosie also received the Sherwood Services Club Award for Community Service and Leadership in her final year. Rosie went onto study Education at USQ and worked at Collingwood Park State School for 4 years prior to taking maternity leave for her first child, Edith (who recently turned 1). Emma Schafer joined St Aidan’s as our Kindergarten Teacher in January of 2016. Emma graduated in 2006, holding the position of Volleyball captain in her final year. After completing high school at St Aidan’s Emma went to QUT to complete a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood). After graduating she moved to Canberra and taught at Canberra Girls Grammar School in the Early Learning Centre. While in Canberra, Emma completed a Master of Education (Leadership and Management) and after four years in Canberra she has returned to Brisbane and St Aidan’s!
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Rosie Sanders (Lowes 2005) and Emma Schafer (2006)
Old Girls on Staff Alice Tidmarsh (2007)
Director of Marketing & Admissions
Amanda Holley (2010)
Brass Teacher
Bess Sellers (Powell 1986)
Teacher
Emma Schafer (2006)
Kindergarten Teacher
Fiona Bird (Hancock 1990)
Teacher Aide
Kate Atkin (Morphet 1999)
Teacher
Kim Williams (Mobsby 1996)
Executive Assistant
Kylie Black (Myers 1991)
Teacher
Lara Gill (2012)
OSHC Educator
Laurel English (2011)
Administration
Lisa Hoffman (2009)
Administration
Rosie Sanders (Lowes 2005)
Special Education Coordinator
Sarah Phelps (2011)
Administration
Sue Russell (Gibson 1979)
Alumni Manager
Susan Figliano (Cundith 1991)
Music Teacher
Wendy Biggs (Moore 1979)
Archivist
Wilhelmina Morrison (Rowlings 1997)
Event Coordinator & Foundation Liaison
parents and friends - 2016
PARENTS
and Friends 2016 has been a successful and busy year for the P&F. We wish to sincerely thank the St Aidan’s parent community, without your assistance and support the P&F’s work would simply not be possible. We started the year with our annual Trivia Night in February which is hosted by our very experienced Trivia Master ensuring the night is full of games, fun and lots of prizes to be won. It was a great night, raising approximately $9,000. The Trivia Night has now become a permanent annual event on the school calendar. The 2017 Trivia Night will be held on Saturday 25th March and tickets are now available via Flexischools. Of course, our regular school dances held each term, raised over $30,000. It is a safe environment for year 7 -10 students to have fun and mingle. Attendance at all dances has been tremendous and without our parent volunteers these could not happen. During the June/July holidays the P&F also held a sausage sizzle on the Federal Election day, with the CHC being used as a voting centre. We sold bacon and egg burgers, sausages, drinks and cakes, raising approximately $1,000. Our annual Dad’s Disco held in October was again successful for the Junior School and a lot of fun and was had by all. This was followed by the Melbourne Cup event in November held at The Brisbane Golf Club which was sold out in 2 weeks and raised $6000. Save the date for our 2017 Melbourne Cup Lunch – Tuesday 7 November. Each year we help facilitate the Year 12 breakfast which is hosted by the Year 11 students and parents to celebrate the last day of school. This is a lovely way for parents and Year 12 students to celebrate this important milestone. And we can’t forget to thank our staff and volunteers in our core service areas of the tuckshop, uniform shop and textbook hire. It has been another great year in all these areas and for your assistance we are truly grateful. Because of your collective contributions and efforts, the P&F has been able to make the following donations: •
$50,000 to the St Aidan’s Foundation for ongoing capital works.
•
$40,000 to the School which included the shade structure in Junior School and other much needed equipment and resources.
To all our volunteers and various support groups who have worked so hard to achieve such fantastic results this year, THANK YOU. All the work that we do is intended to make St Aidan’s the best it can be for your daughters. And we hope that, with your help, we can continue to support St Aidan’s for many years to come. We will be holding the P&F Welcome and Thank you Drinks immediately after our AGM in February 2017 and look forward to seeing many of you there, welcoming you back for a bigger and brighter 2017. We wish you all the best for the festive season!
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alumni - creating a living bridge
St Aidan’s launch
B O R N T O F LY 4 In 2016 we launched the fourth edition of Born to Fly, profiling a further fourteen past students from our school’s 87 year history. Their endeavours are spread across many decades and professions. What is common to them all is the experience of a St Aidan’s education, which they attribute as having a significant influence on their personal and professional life. Whether it be about an individual or group of teachers, or the authentic, aspirational culture of the school; each alumna has a story to tell of the way her experiences at St Aidan’s have shaped her life. It is with gratitude We acknowledge these women, the women of the three preceding issues of Born to Fly and all the alumni of our school.
A selection of those profiled in Born to Fly IV
Joy Roggenkamp OAM 1945
Dr Kate Stringer 1993 (Brunner)
Joanna Strmpf 1991
Artist
Breast and Endocrine Surgeon
Art Gallery Director
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born to fly To read Born to Fly I, Born to Fly II, Born to Fly III or Born to Fly IV visit our website : www.staidans.qld.edu.au
Joyce Yang 2006 Architect
Dr Shaneen Leishman 2001 Research Scientist
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alumni - creating a living bridge
ALUMNI
Awards 2016
Congratulations to our Alumni Award winners for 2016
Caroline Amy Alumni Award 2016 Dr Deborah Setterlund OAM (1965) While at St Aidan’s Debra was a Prefect and Cavell House Vice Captain. After School, Debra completed a Bachelor of Social Studies, Masters of Social Work and PhD, all from UQ. In 1993 she returned to UQ as an Academic at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work. A Volunteer in Nepal – over 17 years her projects include: • Grass roots community development • Leadership training for young people at Prisoners’ Assistance Nepal • Empowering lower caste women – income generating projects • Support after 2015 earthquake trauma recovery program • English language teaching.
Distinguished Young Alumnus 2016 Chelsea Higgins (2011) •
• • • • • •
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Chelsea suffered severe injuries in September 2010. She was competing for Queensland at the Interschool National Equestrian Championships, when her horse misjudged his stride, hit the fence and flipped over landing on top of her. Suffering a major brain injury, fractured scapula, lacerated liver and perforated lung. Chelsea had to learn to walk, talk and function again. Now classified as a Grade III International Para Equestrian athlete her achievements since then include: Shadow squad for 2012 London Para Olympics Equestrian Queensland Para Equestrian of the Year 2012 – 2014 2013 Equestrian Australia finalist for Domestic Athlete of the Year Award Selected on the 2014 Australian Team for the World Equestrian Games in Normany France Top ten overall at the World Championships 2014 Shadow team for the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics 2016.
A Y E A R IN RE V IE W
foundation
St Aidan’s
huddle I december 2016 35
F O U N D A T I O N
16 foundation - a year in review
F O U N D A T I O N
foundation - confidence to grow
FOUNDATION News
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE We welcomed a number of new Directors throughout the year including Stuart Bishop, CEO of Wallace Bishop who already is making a fabulous impact, and Sally Harris a great organiser who will be a real asset to the foundation. Most recently we welcomed Rebecca Brice, sister of Anna Cottell, who will take Anna’s place on the Foundation Board. In advance we thank Anna for her outstanding contribution to the Board. We are very fortunate to have a well credentialed Board to achieve many great things in the years ahead.
Mothers’ Day Breakfast The Mother’s Day Breakfast again was a great success. Our Guest Speaker Emma Betts was very well received.
Innovation & Design Hub Campaign We kicked off the IDH Campaign in earnest. This project when complete will put St Aidan’s well ahead of other schools in this critically important area for our students. Fundraising activities commenced during 2016 and will continue in the forthcoming year. We are most grateful for those donors who have assisted in contributing funds. If any parents have not had the opportunity to contribute we would be most grateful for any assistance you can offer to enable this project to come to fruition.
Foundation Lunch The annual Foundation Lunch occurred on 19 August and was yet again an outstanding event. This year we were privileged to have three highly successful old girls speak in a panel forum. Our speakers were Sarah-Jane Clarke, Meg Rylance and Joanna Strumpf and the insights gained from these amazing ladies were invaluable.
Father’s Day Breakfast The annual Father’s Day Breakfast was well attended and a great success. Thanks go to all who worked behind the scenes.
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201 7 Y EA R A H EA D 2017 is shaping up to be a big year for the Foundation as we continue our efforts to raise much needed funds for the Innovation & Design Hub (IDH). Whilst we will again continue our many annual activities, our top priority will be the completion of fund raising for the IDH. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Directors for their hard work during 2016, say thank you to outgoing Directors and a warm welcome to incoming Directors. I would also like to thank Karen Spiller and her staff who have provided enormous support to the Foundation Board during the 2016 year. I wish the school community a safe and happy Christmas and look forward to seeing everyone refreshed in 2017. Simon Morrison Chairman
2017
Foundation Events Friday 12 May Mothers’ Day Breakfast Friday 2 June Foundation Luncheon Friday 1 September Father’ Day Breakfast Friday 13 October Father’s Lunch
WA L L O F I N S P I R AT I O N
We are seeking your support for our fundraising for the Innovation + Design Hub. This $4.7 million project is going to transform the oldest area of our school into a dynamic learning area, hosting large, warehouse style work spaces and open learning areas, both indoors and outdoors. These learning spaces will be weather proof and provide specialised facilities and equipment for Art, Graphics, Design Studies and Innovation and Design subjects. 100% of the School Leadership Team have donated to the IDH campaign and I hope that you will join us by doing so as well. You can assist by donating through our Wall of Inspiration, where 60 works of Australian art, inventions and innovations are available to be sponsored for $1,000 each (there are only 45 left, so get in quickly!) Your name will be listed as sponsoring that artwork or innovation on a 3.4m screen in the Art Plaza. To sponsor your piece, visit
innovationdesignhub.com.au,
alternatively, you may wish to make a cash donation, which you can also do here on the website. The Innovation + Design Hub will be available for student use in the second half of 2017; but we need your help to bring the vision into reality.
huddle I december 2016 37
F O U N D A T I O N
foundation - confidence to grow
F O U N D A T I O N
foundation - confidence to grow
C A M PA I G N P RO G R E S S $800,000 _
Thank you to our 2016
Innovation +Design Hub DONORS
$700,000 _ $600,000 _ $500,000 _ $400,000 _
$317,625
$300,000 _ $200.000 _ $100,000
Alice Tidmarsh Anne Greany (nĂŠe McNee) Annette Ebzery Annika Launay Anonymous Bishop Family Bland Family Boyd Family Briana Cicchelli Cameron and Anna Goffage Cheryl Parkyn Cottell Family David and Melissa Goffage Fanshawe Family Frank Rich Gillian Moses Greg Anderson Harris Family Hirst Family Jacques Family James Cuskelly and Michael Muller James Roache Jayasuriya Family Jean Adam Jennie Robinson Ji-Shao Family John, Katherine, Gabrielle and Sarah Preston Jolly Family Karen Gorrie and Bradley Burton Karen Madden
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Karen Spiller Kenny Family Kerr Family Kim Wickham Liz Vella Louise McGuire Markwell Family Martin-Perry Family Matthew Clapham Morrison Family Morrison-Davies Family Mullis Family Muthumuni Family Nanette Lilley Rob Whiteley Rylance Family Shane, Julie, Jayla and Zoe Lawrence Stalley Family Timoney Family Tina Henson Tong Family Toni Riordan Toni Williams Tracey Barker Trainor Family Vitale Family Wake Family Walker Family Wallace Bishop Jewellers Whelan Family
huddle I december 2016 39
F O U N D A T I O N
foundation - confidence to grow
F O U N D A T I O N
St Aidan’s FOUNDATION LUNCH
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F O U N D A T I O N
The 2016 Foundation Luncheon was again a highlight of the school calendar. Old Girls Sarah-Jane Clarke (1991), Joanne Strumpf (1991) and Meg Rylance (2007) were part of a Q&A style discussion panel, speaking about their chosen industries and what role St Aidan’s played in helping them get where they are today. The event was well attended with over 160 guests who all enjoyed themselves and helped raise just over $20,000 for the Innovation and Design Hub. Thank you to our sponsors Wallace Bishop (Platinum), Ray White (Gold), Shine Lawyers (Silver), War Planes and Tarnya Smith MP (Bronze) for your support.
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alumni - creating a living bridge
From the Archives We are currently researching the Clara Street Hostel, in operation at St Aidan’s from 1952-1957.
Mr Vivian Walker and Mr and Mrs Dance made 6 Clara Street available to be used as a boarding hostel for St Aidan’s to accommodate country or overseas students. A charming, spacious Queenslander on nearly one acre of land, it was convenient to the Corinda shops, train station and St Aidan’s. Mr Fred Dance, a quiet gentleman was kept busy outdoors with fruit trees and a grass tennis court. His wife, Mrs Ilma Dance ran the hostel from the inside – sometimes like a matron and sometimes a mother. We are interested in speaking to people who remember the hostel or lived there, for a story for the next edition of the Huddle. If you remember the Clara St Hostel and would like to share your information with us, please contact our Archivist, Wendy Biggs: w.biggs@staidans.qld.edu.au or 07 3373 5999
PAST STAFF LUNCH
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We welcomed past staff back to School in August. Mrs Common was the earliest staff member teaching at St Aidan’s from the 1960s until 1988. It was lovely to share the event with our past Headmistresses Miss Neil and Mrs Evans.
alumni - creating a living bridge
Alumni News Where are they now Amy Wagner (2004) is completing her PhD in Economics at Northwest University in Illinios. Raani Marks (2009) was selected as a finalist for the Australian HR Rising Star of the Year Award. The Australian HR Awards brings together industry leaders to celebrate excellence in the HR profession. The Rising Star Award recognizes the individual who has achieved impressive results with less than five years of commercial experience. Raani is currently working for the Department of Education and Training, delivering strategic HR transformation and reform across public sector education. Danielle Prince (2009) competed in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Individual all-around at the Rio Olympic Games. Danni commented in a note to school “Thank you for being part of my journey to the Rio Olympics, I thoroughly enjoyed my years at St Aidan’s and will always think of myself as a penguin”. Tina Wheldon (Wurth 2001) has started Sensational Play in New York. Sensational Play is an opportunity for sensory play that is fun, creative and unstructured. The type of play you might refrain from doing at home because of the mess. Glenn Demnar (Taught Art and Study of Society at St Aidan’s 1980 – 1994) has been enjoying making contact with his past students from St Aidan’s.
Marriages Sarah Gordon-Brown (2003) married Andres Coolee on 23 April 2016. Anna Henderson (2003) married Ryan Molloy on 30 April and is now in LA working for Shoes of Prey. Her bridesmaids were Katie George (2003), Katherine Aston (2003), Eliza Henderson (2005), Prue Henderson (2009). Katherine (Kate) Buckley (2006) married Ian Harvey Ross on 1 October 2016. Rebekah Boyle (2013) married Alexander Bickerton on 16 July 2016. Shona Gibson (2013) was one of her bridesmaids. Maya Tonisson (1991) married Jorma Adamson, in Tartu, Estonia on 16 July 2016.
Engagements Pippa Sheehan (2005) to James Grimwade on 16 February. Pippa and James will marry in March 2017 at Eagle Farm. Lisa Hoffman (2009) to Yann Hulot in August.
Deaths Our condolences to the friends and family of Old Girls who have passed away recently. Elizabeth Mathieson (1948) April 2016 Shirley Lynch (Bratchford 1942) 17 June 2016 Penelope Davis (1962) 26 June 2016 Robyn Blair (2003) August 2016 Jeanette Munro (Duncan 1953) Olivia Sawarde (2014) August 2016 Margaret Pearson (Holland 1938) 21 October 2016 Ray Robinson (1937) 2 November 2016
Births Vicki Morley (Henderson 1979) and Letitia Alder (Duncan 1979) are members of the Currumbin Dragons Dragon Boat club who went to Nationals in March and Worlds in April. They were in five races and won five medals. At Nationals they received a silver medal in 500m and bronze in 200m in the women’s standard 20’s boat and at the World Championships they received a silver medal in 2km and 500m and a bronze medal in the 200m.
Annika Launay (Lewington 2002) and her husband Tony welcomed twin girls Anaïs Isabelle and Clémence Olivia on 7 September. Maya Tonisson (1991) welcomed her second child Kristjan Leo Adamson on 1 December 2015. huddle I december 2016 43
alumni - creating a living bridge
INTERSTATE REUNIONS During 2016 we have hosted three interstate reunions (Canberra, Sydney & Melbourne). It was lovely to have girls from across the country and spread throughout the years together to share their stories of being a St Aidan’s girl.
SYDNEY REUNION 40 YEAR REUNION | 1976 Elizabeth Justo (Wylie) On Sunday 31st of July a group of wonderful women gathered to celebrate their 40th school reunion. The class of 1976 came from across the globe to reconnect, remember, share, appreciate and enjoy relationships built on strong foundations. Friends, some who see each other often, some occasionally, some as life allows it, but all with unbreakable bonds and a warm familiarity and affection that remains unchanged, built upon the education and strengths fostered at St Aidan’s. Women who have achieved and given so much, in so many
Jennie Robinson (Guidance Counsellor) and Pam Reisner (Pennycuik 1944)r
capacities - mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, teachers, lawyers, nurses, sports women, lecturers, doctors, neighbours, carers and friends. Women who missed and remembered all those who
MELBOURNE REUNION
were unable to join us on the day, women who remembered with such affection those who shaped us - Sister Julian, Mrs Common, Mrs Potts, Miss McCallum and more, women who could sing the school hymn word for word and give a rousing rendition of the Charma! We thank the school for its gracious hospitality, Mrs Spiller and Sue Russell for their welcome, hard work and the lovely meal, and Cammy Shay (our first USA exchange student) for making the effort to come so far to be a part of this special afternoon! Indeed a special year group from an exceptional school that we all hold dear in our hearts. A year born to fly!
Jean Adam (Beard 1940) and Lizzy Goldfinch 2004
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alumni - creating a living bridge
20 YEAR REUNION | 1996 Kate Palethorpe Just over 50 of the seniors of 1996 braved a wet and chilly night to reminisce about their time at St Aidan’s and contemplate where the past 20 years have taken them (where has the time gone?). Despite the passing of the years everyone looked the same, give or take a few extra laugh lines! The evening flew by as all the girls shared stories of where life has taken them and there were many laughs at a revolving reel of archive footage reminding us of an era of bowl cuts, double denim and Sportsgirl T Shirts. Although life has led us down many and varied paths we all found common ground in our pursuit of love, careers, children, family and friends. A big thanks to the staff and alumni office who helped out on the night. See you in 2026!
PREP REUNION In November, 14 girls who started Prep in 2004 came together to celebrate finishing Year 12. 2004 was the year Prep reopened at St Aidan’s. They had a fabulous afternoon catching up with old friends and their Prep teachers, Mrs Koh, Mrs Sellers (Bess Powell, 1986) and Mrs Levander.
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alumni - creating a living bridge
From the Archives
VALE D r Ray Ro bin s o n (12 July 1920 - 2 November 2016)
Ray enrolled at St Aidan’s in our very first year in July 1929. She was Student 28 on the roll and had first attended Miss Sutton’s School at St Matthew’s, Sherwood, along with many other of our early students including Joyce and Helen Barrett, Betty Davies (Park) and Cynthia Parkinson (MacMillan).
1936 Tennis - B Koch, Chara Thorn, Joyce Hunte, Ray Robinson Captain seated.
Ray completed her schooling in 1937 as School Captain, Prefect and Tennis Captain. Excelling in her studies, she was awarded the prize for Dux of the School.
The Old Girls had a tennis group who played every Saturday for twenty years from 1950s to 1970s. Ray recalled how they enjoyed the most delicious tennis afternoon teas.
When Ray was in her Senior years at St Aidan’s, Sister Elisabeth allowed her to attend classes at St Margaret’s to study Physics and Chemistry, completing 5th form and 6th form studies in one year, providing the subjects needed for her first year at University. Ray completed her degree in Medicine at The University of Queensland and then a postgraduate degree in Anaesthetics at The University of Sydney. In 1945 she was Registrar of Anaesthetics at the Brisbane General Hospital (Royal Brisbane Hospital) and by 1947 was a fully qualified Specialist Anaesthetist working in many of Brisbane’s hospitals until 1970.
Ray had great memories of the teaching staff at St Aidan’s, many were young enthusiastic students straight from university, others, such as Sister Elisabeth, had incredible knowledge and Mrs Hartland (Headmistress) made learning interesting and stimulating.
Ray’s love and skill at tennis continued after school when she joined the University team and was made Captain. Ray became the tennis champion and won a University Blue for tennis.
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Ray made lifelong friends at St Aidan’s many of whom she conversed with regularly by telephone and through letters. The bonds of friendship made so long ago held strong through the years and distance. In recent years, she hosted a number of tea parties at her home in Point Halloran and the ladies there were delighted to have many of our primary students perform for them; performances they thoroughly enjoyed.
alumni - creating a living bridge
VALE Sis te r A n gela
(19 August 1933 - 26 September 2015)
Sister Angela (Angela Patricia Daniels 1933 – 2015) CSF formerly a member of the SSA, passed away 26th September, 2015 in Birmingham, England, aged 82, after a long illness. We enclose part of the personal reflections from Joan Clothier White from St Catharine’s past students’ newsletter (Winter 2016). Sister Angela was Assistant Mistress to Sister-in-Charge Helen Marie at St Aidan’s in 1962 and 1963 and also Form Mistress and Bronte House Mistress. Angela Patricia Daniels was born in Sydney, 19 August, 1933, the eldest of three children to missionary parents, Canon Walter J.A. Daniels and Elfleda (nee Prior). The family moved to Hughenden and Angela subsequently began her long association with education overseen by the SSA. She attended St Gabriel’s in Charters Towers and was made senior prefect in her final year. Her spiritual focus was plainly seen when she took her vows with the SSA in 1956 and she never lost it. From its foundation in 1892 by Mother Caroline Amy, the SSA served by teaching girls in Queensland in an era when it was not a priority for girls to be educated or to occupy a place in the community outside of the home.
Having worked at St Catharine’s, Community House and Tufnell Home, Angela was a dedicated and well-loved teacher with a forte for Speech and Drama and with a passion for social work and those under her care. In 1971 after gaining dispensation from her vows, Angela studied for a degree in social work at the University of Queensland. She graduated with first class honours, completed a thesis in child care and lectured on social work at James Cook University. After moving to England, she was professed as Angela Helen in The Community of St Francis in 1987. Angela lived with Multiple Sclerosis for more than 25 years and in her later years also suffered dementia and underwent surgery for cancer. It seems fitting to end with her mother Elfleda’s words, inscribed on a plaque on the front door of the family home. It read:
“Home ― where each lives for the other and all live for God.” Taken from: “We remember Angela, CSF formerly SSA - a personal reflection on the life of a giving and gracious lady” by Joan Clothier White.
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VALE P e n ny D a v is (16 October 1945 - 26 June 2016) Penny attended St Aidan’s from 1957 until 1962. In her final year she was awarded the Petra Falk Memorial Prize for School Vice-Captain. Penny’s sister Dinah was also Vice-Captain one year earlier in 1961. She was involved in many school activities and in Austen House particularly with athletics, singing debating. Pride and Prejudice was a most successful and profitable School play in May 1962 and Penny played the role of Mr Collins. The following extracts are taken from the Obituary that appeared in the Courier Mail 13 August, 2016. “A passion for psychology led Penelope Davis to become embroiled in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa in the 1970s to helping improve the lives of acute patients in Papua New Guinea. Attending University of Queensland Penny was awarded the Guy-Goodricke Memorial Prize for Second Year Psychology and the British Psychological Prize for Third Year Psychology; graduating in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology, continuing in 1966 to earn first class honours. She moved to South Africa with her husband Herbert Qualls and adopted son, Robert, to undertake her Masters at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Their stay was cut short due to them becoming embroiled in the anti-apartheid movement, with a warning to leave the country or risk being jailed. Returning to Australia they moved to Townsville where Penny worked as a senior tutor in Psychology at James Cook University. Penny was involved in opening he first women’s refuge shelter in Townsville and worked as a volunteer counsellor. From 1972 to 1976, Penny also worked for six months as a psychologist in the acute psychiatric ward of the Port Moresby Hospital. Later she worked in the State Government’s community health centre in Townsville. After many years in research positions both in Australia and abroad, Penny was appointed senior lecturer at Griffith University, retiring at the end of 2012 – an academic career spanning 46 years. Penny battled cancer over the past eight years, and died peacefully in her sleep aged 70.
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2017 Alumni Events Saturday 4 March @ 9am Open Day
Saturday 10 June @ 6pm 20 Year Reunion
Tuesday 14 March @ 10am 50 Year Reunion
Sunday 30 July @ noon 40 Year Reunion
Thursday 11 May @ 7am Alumni Breakfast
Sunday 27 August @ noon Past Staff Lunch
Sunday 21 May @ 2.30pm Canberra Reunion
Friday 13 October @ 6.30pm Young Old Girls
Thursday 25 May @ 11am Ascension Day 60/70 Year Reunion
Saturday 14 October @ 2pm Melbourne Reunion
Saturday 3 June @ TBC Sydney Reunion
If you have news you would like to share in the next edition of the Huddle, please let us know: huddle@staidans.qld.edu.au
Disclaimer The Editors have gone to great efforts to ensure the accuracy of the information compiled in this publication but can accept no responsibility for inaccuracies or omissions. Although the Editors support the right of expression by members of the student body and other writers, we wish to make it clear that the views expressed by individual authors are not necessarily those held by the Editors or St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, Corinda.
faith - the last word
All I want for Christmas When my children were young, they participated in that venerable tradition of writing letters to Santa Claus. They tended to ask for simple things – a new Barbie, a book, or the latest fad in hair accessories. I probably encouraged them to think small, as that way they were likely to have their wishes fulfilled. The Letter to Santa always reminds me of AA Milne’s wonderful poem, King John’s Christmas, which was one of my favourites when I was very young. It tells the story of King John’s letter to Santa, with its grand beginning and humble ending: “TO ALL AND SUNDRY NEAR AND FAR F. CHRISTMAS IN PARTICULAR.” And signed it not “Johannes R.” But very humbly, “JACK.” King John, as the poem says, was not a good man, and so perhaps he shouldn’t expect much from Father Christmas. While he begins with a list that includes crackers, candy, chocolates, oranges, nuts, a new pocket knife and a big red India-rubber ball, by the end of the story he is just hoping for a ball, if anything. What do we wish for, at Christmas? Our lists are often like King John’s: a list of things that we are convinced will make our lives better. We will be surrounded by images of perfect Christmases, with perfect feasts, and beautifully dressed families, which might make some of us wish for that reality. How many of us wll revise those wishes as we draw closer to the day? The angels who sang to the shepherds outside Bethlehem wished for peace on earth. That wish seems the most unrealistic of all. So what if it turns out to be the wish most within our reach? Peace begins in relationships. We might think that world peace must come first, but like King John, it is wise to scale down our expectations. Peace within a family is no small task, and practising peace on a local level better equips us to think about peace on a large scale. King John received his big red India-rubber ball at the last minute. I pray that we may also be blessed even at the last minute, with the deep truths that we really hope for at Christmas. The Reverend Gillian Moses Chaplain
Anglican Girls’ School
St Aidan’s
11 Ruthven St, Corinda Qld 4075 Australia P +61 7 3373 5999 F +61 7 3379 9432 E school@staidans.qld.edu.au www.staidans.qld.edu.au A School of the Society of the Sacred Advent ABN 71079817981 CRICOS Provider Number 01194k
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