Huddle Autumn 2021

Huddle St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School AU T U M N

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Huddle Editor Alice Tidmarsh

Contributors Steve Baker Wendy Biggs Jo Butterworth John Cantwell Rachel Condos-Fields Sue Figliano Catherine Grant Samantha Lee Tracey Jeanes-Fraser Tim Kemp Karen Madden Andy McGregor-Lowndes Gillian Moses Holly O’Sullivan Williams Toni Riordan Claire Rush Sue Russell Kelly Swan Shannon Tobin Holly O’Sullivan Williams Graphic Design Annie Fanning Photographic Contributor Marc Pricop

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Content From the Principal

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Student Leadership Conference

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Professional Learning 6 Open Day 8 Mindfulness 10 Penguin Pals 12 Sew a Softie 13 Sticky Questions 14 Andrews Cup Swimming

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The Garret 18 Australian Space Design

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Music 22 Outdoor Education 24 Empowering Girls 26 Drama Production 28 Foundation 29 The Karen Spiller Fellowship

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Parents and Friends

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Saints in the Suburbs

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Alumni 36 The Last Word

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From the Principal We’re already a quarter of the way through 2021,

My experience of last year may serve here as a

a year that I’m sure many of us still hope will be

personal example. Early on, the balancing act of

the great reset after 2020’s trials and tribulations.

trying to continue the normal work of our school

Last year, we rose to the challenge to define

while also rapidly transitioning to online learning

our year’s experiences beyond the impacts of

and remote working was at times exhausting. So,

COVID-19, and I share with absolute confidence

when working from home became necessary, and

that 2020 was defined by the positive impact of

it became clear that the news cycle surrounding

community at St Aidan’s, and not by the pandemic.

the coronavirus was indeed 24-hours long, I knew

We are familiar with the significance of the attribute of resilience in a pandemic. What if I was to put to you another, not dissimilar attribute, which many have drawn upon in recent times?

And that is antifragility.

Antifragility is, of course, the opposite of fragility.

At first, this seems to point to simply not being fragile, and instead being stable, or perhaps stoic.

But not doesn’t mean opposite. The opposite of being fragile, of falling apart under pressure, is not withstanding pressure: it is thriving under pressure. Thriving because of pressure.

Last year, the St Aidan’s community demonstrated an astonishing antifragility, and we did indeed thrive. One dimension of our school that continues to exceed expectations is the incredible diversity of learning occurring in our school. This naturally includes everything we are learning in the classrooms and in the labs, but it also includes, in equal measure, what we are learning out on the sporting fields and tracks, in art studios and in rehearsal rooms, and much more.

We continue to enliven the Society of the Sacred Advent’s educational philosophy, which was never narrowly academic but actively sought to educate ‘the whole personality, physical, mental and spiritual that girls may live to their fullest capacity’.

Paradoxically, as recipients of a well-rounded education, having the choice to diversify learning

that keeping all of my attention on work would not only be unsustainable, but it would actually make me worse at my work. Trying to serve our school beyond my capacity would eventually make me unable to effectively serve at all.

Upon reflection, I realise that I diversified my focus.

What started as an effort to make my immune system as healthy and strong as possible became an interesting foray into hobbies, which I had never previously given myself time for. I made time for learning about cooking raw foods, which blended with and strengthened the interest I already had in gardening and cultivating potted plants.

Most nights after finishing work, I would unwind by knitting or playing board games from my youth with family. None of these are things I couldn’t do before the lockdowns and work-from-home orders, but the focus on making sure I was as physically, emotionally and mentally well as possible encouraged me to explore how things outside of my primary work could improve my work.

And that is exactly what I see in the stories in this edition of the Huddle. I see young women who are committed to being and becoming well-rounded scholars, philosophers, athletes, performers, artists, fundraisers and people. I take heart in knowing our students will continue to explore all that they can be.

Enjoy,

or participation, by choosing not to focus on one specific pursuit at the exclusion of all others, can in fact allow that one specific pursuit to benefit, even more.

Ms Toni Riordan Principal

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Student Leadership Conference Ms Holly O’Sullivan Williams For over two decades, the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia has hosted an inspirational conference for student leaders across the country.

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The aim of the conference is to allow student leaders to network with other young women with similar leadership roles at their schools. This year, the conference theme was Kaleidoscope with the vision of encouraging students to change the way they look at things for 2021 after a year of constantly shifting events due to the global pandemic in 2020. For the first night of the conference, St Aidan’s hosted an informal gathering for other all girls’ schools in Brisbane. Such an event allowed our School Captains and Sacristans to share their ideas and vision for the school in an environment that was both relaxed and supportive. The night was a celebration for young women as they worked together to recognise their potential as school leaders and decision makers. I could not be more proud of our girls’ efforts to connect with and listen to their peers.

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AT H L E T E M E N T O R I N G P R O G R A M

Professional L E A R N IN G A focus on feedback Mrs Jo Butterworth Staff engagement in professional learning at St Aidan’s continues to be a priority for the ongoing development of individual professional growth and the opportunity to collaborate about, challenge and create shared teaching practices.

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During the staff professional learning days at the beginning of this term, teachers engaged in a professional learning day focused on establishing learner-centred feedback practices. Contemporary views of effective feedback practice emphasise the need for students to be taught how to play an active role in seeking, providing and using feedback to improve their learning outcomes (Brooks et al., 2021). This important shift in recognising the active role of the student in the learning and feedback process will be the focus of professional learning in 2021.

When teachers provide feedback, the aim is to close or reduce the gap between students’ learning goals and the quality of their performance. Over time, studies of the feedback process have recognised that enabling students to actively engage in dialogue with their teacher about the quality of their work is central to their success. However, the use of feedback to improve performance still remains a challenge for many secondary students, including St Aidan’s students, and our teachers are committed to exploring, experimenting with and evaluating feedback strategies.

Heads of Faculty play a central role in facilitating the implementation, experimentation and evaluation of feedback practices. Specific professional learning activities focus on: •

Making sense of assessment criteria

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Learning how to engage students in dialogue about the quality of their work

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Refining our understanding of effective modelling practices

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Learning how to create peer assessment opportunities.

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) recognises the important role of feedback in the learning process. AITSL have drawn on the work of Hattie and Timperley (2007) who suggested that for students to be able to respond to feedback than the learning environment needs to be guided by three questions: •

Where am I going? (What are the goals?)

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How am I going? (What progress is being made toward the goal?)

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Where to next? (What activities do I need to do now to make better progress?)

These questions will guide St Aidan’s professional learning approach to building a feedback culture that values the creation of a learner-centred environment. In turn, this will develop students’ capacity to become self-regulated learners, able to tackle complex understandings across subject areas and beyond school. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/feedback/aitsl-feedback-factsheet.pdf?sfvrsn=2b2dec3c_4

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Open Day In early March, we welcomed over 200 visitors as part of our annual Open Day. In 2019, we made the decision to move from a Saturday morning format to instead open our school so that visitors could see a normal school day. Timetabled classes ran as per usual for visitors to observe and during lunch, staff and visitors enjoyed ‘Aidan’s on Display’, a combination of musical performances, sport demonstrations, art, clubs and robotics and coding activities. It was an incredibly hot day and our wonderful student tour guides showed grit and enthusiasm on the day, a special thanks must go to the P&F parents who volunteered to cook a sausage sizzle for guests and students.

Your hospitality and community spirit were greatly appreciated on a sweltering day!

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Mi n dfuln ess Mrs Kelly Swan In 2021, a new activity was introduced into the St Aidan’s Junior School extra-curricular program. Mindfulness, facilitated

by ZenEd, brings together years of research into an 8 week program for primary aged students. Thousands of studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in general. It aims to promote an awareness, a mode of processing information and a character trait.

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Several disciplines and practices can cultivate mindfulness, such as yoga and tai chi, and the St Aidan’s Mindfulness program incorporates a range of skills from these disciplines. It aims to teach self-regulation practices that focus on training attention and awareness in order to bring mental processes under greater control and thereby foster general mental well-being.

In Term 1, some of our Year 3 and 4 students participated in the program and have thoroughly enjoyed learning about breathing, relaxing the mind, considering their own awareness and skills in developing focus.

The following benefits are anticipated for students: • improved focus, concentration and work productivity; • improved self-regulation and emotional intelligence; • improved resiliency and academic performance; improved self-awareness;

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improved mental health and sleep;

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improved relationships and empathy for others.

IN

DFULNE S S

M

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Penguin Pals Mr Steve Baker The Junior School has been filled with excitement throughout Term One with the introduction of our Penguin Pals program.

Penguin Pals is our new buddy system that matches every student from Kindy to Year 3 with a student from Year 4, 5 or 6. At scheduled times throughout the week, the Penguin Pals meet and enjoy spending time together participating in a range of activities around the school.

Already this term, students have worked cooperatively to complete a playground safari, read together and learn the Charma, generating lots of positive feedback and enthusiasm for the next Penguin Pals session. The program has been implemented to nurture authentic, caring, confident, creative and connected students in line with our school’s values. Research has shown that buddy programs such as Penguin Pals contribute to the creation of safe, friendly and caring school communities and assist students to develop skills associated with empathy and compassion.

“I feel safe knowing that I have my Penguin Pal to help me if I need them.”

“I like playing games with my Penguin Pal.”

“I love reading the messages that my Penguin Pal writes to me.”

It is exciting to see strong, trusting and supportive bonds being established across multi-year levels and we look forward to seeing them continue as the girls move into the Senior School.

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Sew a

SOFT E

for Friends with Dignity Mrs Caitlin Clarke

Year 2 students in the Junior School are engaged in the 2021 ‘Sew a Softie’ Global Kids Sewing Party.

The ‘Sew a Softie’ project is an annual event held in March and invites children from around the world to make a softie to give to someone in their community.

The recipient may be a friend, family member, elderly neighbour, hospital or local community group. The project, founded by Trixie Symonds author of ‘Sew Together Grow Together’, aims to empower young children to take civic responsibly.

Our Year 2 students have designed and created their unique softie to donate to Friends with Dignity, a not-for-profit charity that provides practical programs to support survivors of domestic violence in collaboration with refuge and crisis centres. This project has helped our Year 2 students understand that they can both have fun and make a meaningful contribution to their community.

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Sticky Mrs Kirby Egan Instead, you may overhear our school community members inviting neighbours, siblings and grandparents to engage with rich open-ended questions such as, “Does technology make the human race stronger or weaker?” (Year 6), “When you look at your baby photos, do you see yourself or someone you don’t know?” (Year 2) or “Would the last person on earth be rich, or poor?” (Year 5).

This is because in 2021, St Aidan’s Junior School have implemented an innovative Prep to Year 6 resource titled, ‘Sticky Questions’. Each week, each year level interrogates a new question which is sent home on a Thursday and discussed in the classroom the following week.

St Aidan’s households and classrooms are buzzing with powerful discussions as our students, parents and wider community embrace a collective quest for deeper understanding. No longer are short car trips from school to netball training or family dinners filled with silence…

The very name of this resource illustrates its beguiling nature; often these questions will ‘stick’ with you for days. By thinking deeply and broadly, Sticky Questions promote highly sought after twenty-first century thinking skills, behaviours and dispositions such as, inquisitiveness, intellectual flexibility, and open-and fair-mindedness. Ultimately, Sticky Questions are a catalyst for promoting collaborative conversations which strengthen students’ critical and creative thinking skills; encouraging them to think for themselves as well as examine questions from opposing perspectives.

Here at St Aidan’s we are revitalising the art of conversation. Our students are effectively engaged in deeper-level thinking in the classroom and at home!

I encourage you to start digging a little deeper and ask a ‘sticky’ question today.

Tim, Helen and Joyce Barrett 1931

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Why students love Sticky “I like talking to my dad about Sticky Questions.”

Arabella – Year 1

“I love them. I even have my own folder to keep them forever!”

Josie – Year 3

“I like that they’re really challenging, and they’re questions you wouldn’t usually think about.”

Aria - Year 5

They make you think about different opinions.”

Olivia – Year 4

“They’re really tricky to think about and that makes you think even harder.”

Kinsey – Year 6

What parents are saying: “Squestions – as my daughter calls them – are brilliant!”

Jess – Year 3 Parent

“We love how they can be serious or funny.

They’re also great for when we pick up the boys because they can join in the conversation too!”

Caroline – Prep Parent

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Andrews Cup Swimming Mrs Tracey Jeanes-Fraser The St Aidan’s Junior School swimming team competed at the Sleeman Sports Complex, Chandler on Monday 8 March. Being one of the smallest schools out of 10, our team of 49 girls had an incredible day of success with exceptional results and many girls in their individual and relay teams placing in the top three positions, producing personal bests and breaking Andrews Cup records. All team members are to be congratulated on their commitment leading into the competition and on the day of the competition. A special mention must go to our 12 year old girls who placed first place in their age group, our 8 and 9 year old girls who placed fourth in their age group. Congratulations on such an exciting day of swimming, your St Aidans sporting spirit and your comradery shone brightly.

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So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for the ages or only for hours, nobody can say” (Virginia Woolf, 1935, A Room of One’s Own.).

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A fervent group of St Aidan’s writers decided it was time to create “a room of their own” in which to write.

Year 9 students, Bridie Allen and Freya Woodman, approached Ms Madden, a teacher who they knew shared their passion for writing, and enlisted support from their friends Charlotte Worthington, Gina Ganjoo and Mitta Bak. A lunchtime gathering later, The Garret was named, posters were designed, and an extracurricular writing group formed.

The Garret is an open group for students in Years 7 to 12 who like to experiment with different creative writing styles and share their work with each other.

The group shares a love of writers and writing, including poets, songwriters, playwrights, novelists, essayists and short-story writers. Each fortnight they meet to write what they wish to write, knowing that whether it matters for an hour or an age, matters not.

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Australian Space Design Competition Champions Mr Tim Kemp Our St Aidan’s Space Design team has recently been named as National Champions at the Australian Space Design Competition final. The Australian Space Design Competition is an aerospace and engineering industry simulation for secondary school students from around Australia who are interested in STEM careers and the future of space exploration.

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The finals are usually held at the University of Queensland over two days with finalist teams from around the country attending. This year the finals were conducted entirely online over three days. This added an extra layer of complexity as St Aidan’s teamed up across time zones with The Hutchins School in Tasmania and Cherrybrook Technology High School in Sydney to form the Magellan Aerospace company. Their company was one of 6 that were competing to produce the winning submission in response to a Request for Tender (RFT) for a space settlement on Mars.

This marks the 16th consecutive year that St Aidan’s has qualified for the finals amongst an ever-increasing number of schools that are competing. It is the 4th time that St Aidan’s has been National champions. As winners, the students now qualify for the International Space Settlement Design Competition.

This is usually held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida in July. While it is unlikely that there will be an opportunity to travel overseas this year, the team is looking forward to participating in the international competition online.

Special mention must be made to the Magellan Company CEO, Clare Allison in Year 12, who has worked so hard throughout the past year to develop her team members. Her ability to coordinate the communication between departments and across state borders during the finals was first class. Another special mention must go to Ava Schwennesen in Year 11, who was awarded the Peter O’Keefe Silent Leader Award, for her work at the finals.

We look forward to the International competition later in the year and will shortly be inviting students in Years 9-12 to become a part of this year’s qualifying competition.

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Mus i c Ms Shannon Tobin & Mrs Sue Figliano The beginning of 2021 has seen a flurry of performance opportunities for our music students. At the Academic Awards and Honours Ceremony at City Hall, 87 students performed in four ensembles: Chorale, Four Seasons String Quartet, Paganini Strings and Symphonic Winds. What a wonderful opportunity this presented for the girls to perform in such a prestigious venue with a capacity audience! It has been over a year since students have been able to perform to such a large audience and the standard of performance was outstanding. All the students and their conductors should be congratulated on their efforts, especially being so early in the year.

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There have also been many other opportunities for the St. Aidan’s musicians to perform throughout Term 1. The newly formed Junior String Quartet have been busy playing at the Years 5-7 Academic Awards Ceremony, Open Morning and the Mother Emma Service at St. John’s Cathedral. The Year 4 Music classes sang an Irish Blessing for the Year 6 Leadership Eucharist and there were two beautiful piano solos at the leadership service and the Year 5-7 Academic Awards played by Mira Wang-Lee and Yolanda Wang. To add to the ambience of our Ash Wednesday service, Ensemble Volar sang a rendition of Hosea. Open Morning also provided an opportunity to showcase the girl’s talents and hard work in Paganini Strings, Con Brio Band and Chorale.

Finally, but not least several students in both the Junior and Senior School signed up to perform at the Senior and Junior School Performing Arts Recitals this term. Many of these girls have performed before, however there were many students who played and sang for the first time.

The girls should be incredibly proud of how they conducted themselves and succeeded in the delivery of their performances. It was wonderful to have a range of year levels involved from Year 1 girls all the way through to the senior students, with diverse repertoire and instruments. It is a tremendous beginning to the year for the music department and can’t wait to see how the girls flourish as the year continues.

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Outdoor Education Dr John Cantwell In Australia in the 21st century most young people’s lives are dominated by technology. Phones and computers are their almost constant companions. Screens flash at them from the moment they awake to long after dark. For many of them nature exists but only on the periphery. In this context an outdoor program is a vital part of a complete education. It provides ‘technological natives’ the opportunity to ‘unplug’ for a few days and appreciate the natural world whilst building real relationships with their peers as they respond to challenges of this new setting.

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The St Aidan’s Outdoor Education program seeks to provide all students with an opportunity to spend time in nature undistracted by technology to build connections with their classmates and build resilience through experiencing age appropriate challenges. In Year 7, students load up their packs and head out on an overnight hike, learn to share a small hiking tent and prepare and cook their own meals. The camp experience also includes activities such as raft building that require students to both show initiative and work together to solve problems. A steady progression occurs over the years of camps culminating in the multi-day expeditions of Year 9. Overcoming the many small challenges of camp life encourages students to demonstrate their adaptability and build resilience. These are critical skills for our students to successfully navigate the everchanging world in which we live.

Days spent in the natural world provide inspiration and opportunity. Iranian, mountain climber, Sara Safari when asked why she climbed responded:

‘I wanted to challenge myself to do something out of my comfort zone to prove to myself that I’m capable of anything …

I wanted to prove to myself and other women that we can do anything men do.’

For her it was the process that was important.

‘It’s not about summit or success and glory. It is about learning how to deal with fears and failures… It is about showing yourself and other people that anything is possible.’

It’s also about building memories. Memories of places, friends and shared experiences. It is not a coincidence that when school friends get together the time spent on camp so frequently feature in their conversations. Our Outdoor Education program is a key part of a St Aidan’s education and the girl’s high school experience.

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As we work towards helping young women to grow into strong and confident adults, our efforts in educating them will never be enough unless the men in their lives stand beside them.

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Empowering Girls for Societal Change Ms Holly O’Sullivan Williams The United Nations estimated in 2010 that there were 101.7 males for every 100 women, meaning that women account for approximately half of the world’s population.

In Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics report that the population of women is consistently more than men, with approximately 98.4 males per 100 females in 2020.

With this in mind, it should be no surprise to anyone that the voices of women are being heard powerfully across the country and indeed, many parts of the world when it comes to misogyny, pay inequality, gendered violence and other discrimination on the basis of gender.

The March4Justice movement on 15 March saw around 100,000 women protest with the purpose of demanding the Australian Government swiftly devise an action plan in response to gendered violence. With the collective voices of Brittany Higgins, Chanel Contos, Grace Tame and countless others, the message is clear when it comes to gendered violence, Australia has had enough. This is not a tale of women hating men, nor is it a narrative of revenge stemming from the MeToo movement of 2017.

As we work towards helping young women to grow into strong and confident adults, our efforts in educating them will never be enough unless the men in their lives stand beside them. We are fortunate that so many of the males in our community; fathers, stepfathers, brothers, teachers, coaches and so on, are supportive of the movement and the women in their lives. They stand beside our girls and acknowledge the inherent vulnerability and the fact that we have a problem across the globe that requires addressing. Many females in our community are afraid to walk alone at night, attend parties where they could be assaulted or become the victims of violent abuse.

Sex education programs with topics including consent continue to be part of our Social Emotional Learning curriculum at St Aidan’s. Not because the National Curriculum mandates it, but because regardless of gender, our students need to know what their rights are, what consent is and how to feel empowered to speak up. In spite of the education we provide at St Aidan’s pertaining to consent and safety, there continues to be a problem in society. We need more men, young and old, to stand beside their wives, sisters, daughters and partners on this issue, for society to see any change. We cannot stop at schools in fighting this injustice.

We thank Chanel Contos and all the other brave women who have spoken out; for inspiring educators, parents and the wider community for speaking up to make the changes necessary for a better world.

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O U T D O O R E D U C AT I O N - Y E A R 7 C A M P

St Aidan’s presents

23 & 24 July, 7pm Adult - $15 Student - $10

Tickets on sale soon!

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F O U N D A T I O N

From the Foundation Chair

I’m delighted to announce we have begun 2021 with some new faces around the Foundation board table. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our newest members, Craig Lennon and Patrick O’Connor who have recently joined our Board of Directors – they’ve already been valuable contributors attending our strategy workshop held in December and our first board meeting for 2021, in February.

Mrs Rachel Condos-Fields

I have previously shared our commitment to work closer with all peak bodies to share insights, unleash the power of diversity and have a more unified approach to capital campaigns, so it is very exciting to announce the Foundation and P&F Association will be working together this year to bring you an exciting new lunch event scheduled for 8 October. I have every bit of confidence that together we will bring our community a well-attended, fun and successful event. We look forward to sharing more details as they are confirmed.

Together, we can contribute to the vision of St Aidan’s, take pride in being part of this community and leave a legacy to develop future generations of St Aidan’s women. I am looking forward to connecting with you throughout the year.

Golf Day

6 August 2021

Giving Day 3 June 2021

Sponsorship opportunities now available!

Contact: foundation@staidans.qld.edu.au

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AT H L E T E M E N T O R I N G P R O G R A M

Independent S T UDY Culture Mrs Samantha Lee Karen Spiller Fellowship Recipient (2020)

The Karen Spiller Fellowship has provided me with the opportunity to pursue an area of research that I believe will make a tangible difference for our students. This project aims to enable students to achieve their senior schooling goals and to set them up for the life of learning they will encounter as they step beyond schooling and into the world of work.

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The Karen Spiller FELLOWSHIP This project will develop and implement a formalised peer tutoring program within the senior school. The development of an independent study culture that sets students up for success has been shown to be conditional on the ongoing interaction between students (Topping et al., 2017) that a peer tutoring program will provide.

The first steps are underway with a literature review of independent study culture, and an action research project that will involve measuring the impact of peer tutoring on the development of successful study strategies. As part of the Academic Preparation and Skills Building (APSB) program already in place, students in Year 11 will be explicitly taught how to participate in effective peer tutoring sessions. The success of this intervention will be measured using a modified version of the Motivation and Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich et al., 1991).

Student led solutions create engagement and are more likely to result in buy in from students (Bloemert et al., 2020).

Additionally, we know that when we listen and respond to student voice in authentic

ways, we not only develop better programs as a result, but we also provide the opportunity for girls to experience that their voice can have an impact, which is vital for their development. This project holds valuing student voice at its centre and will include ongoing consultation with students about what works and what support is needed for the program to flourish. This, I have no doubt, is what will contribute to its positive contribution to student outcomes.

Bloemert, J., Paran, A., & Jansen, E. (2020).

Connecting students and researchers: the secondary school student’s voice in foreign language education research. Cambridge Journal of Education, 50:4, 429-449. doi:10.1080/0305764X.2020.1720603 Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A. F., Garcia, T., & McKeachie, W. J. (1991). A manual for the use of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Ann Arbor, Mich: National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning.

Topping, K., Buchs, C., Duran, D., & Van Keer, H. (2017). Effective peer learning: From principles to practical implementation. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315695471

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

Container Recycling Project The P&F and the Student Representative Council (SRC) are participating in a recycling program facilitated by Scouts Recycling Centres. Seven large bins were purchased by the P&F and distributed between Junior and Senior Schools. Although there have been some challenges with items deposited in the bins, we are very excited that we have filled our first container. We will continue to work with the community to ensure that the recycling message is embraced and to keep this project successfully running.

Year 7 Parent Function A twilight barefoot bowls parent event was organised by the Year 7 Class Representatives in February to welcome new parents to St Aidan’s and to catch up with old friends. It was very well-attended and a relaxed and happy time was shared by all.

Open Day A very generous group of parents volunteered to cook the Open Day sausage sizzle in sizzling hot conditions. Their efforts were extraordinary…..it was HOT and they delivered a wonderful, engaging community experience for all.

QGSSSA Swimming Unfortunately the 2021 QGSSSA Swimming competition only allowed parent spectators to attend the Sleeman Sports Complex in person, but the Seniors didn’t let this dampen their spirit, gathering in the Auditorium to watch the live-streamed events in a fantastic display of St Aidan’s school spirit and support of their peers. The P&F was delighted to contribute to this celebration by providing boxes and boxes of Krispy Crème doughnuts for the girls to enjoy while spectating!

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TRIVIA Night

S AV E T H E DAT E Saturday

6.00pm10.00pm

22

May 2021

Dress for your dream holiday

Proceeds will go towards funding the 2021 production, Alice in Wonderland.

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

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Saints in the Suburbs Reverend Gillian Moses Many of the older members of the St Aidan’s community will remember Rev David Binns, who was chaplain at the school from 1988 - 1992. As well as being a beloved and fondly remembered chaplain, David Binns was also an artist of talent and renown, who blessed the school with many examples of his artistry. You only have to visit the chapel to see his legacy in the great Triptych of women in the gospels, and in the saints of the stained glass windows.

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In February this year, two more of David’s works came to St Aidan’s on a long loan, courtesy of his widow Mrs Vivienne Binns. The two paintings, The Visitation and The Flight into Egypt form part of a 9-part work called the Saints in the Suburbs. This series of paintings brings aspects of the Jesus story into colourful life amid instantly recognisable Brisbane settings, making the bible stories come alive again in our context.

The Visitation tells of Mary, pregnant with Jesus, coming to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who will soon give birth to John the Baptist. The setting is utterly familiar: a subtropical garden in front of an old Queenslander house. Mary and Elizabeth celebrate each other’s good news just as many Brisbane women must have over the years.

The Flight into Egypt places the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus at a Queensland Rail station, in

front of a very familiar train. They are surrounded by commuters, including a schoolboy from a nearby boys’ school, as they wonder how they will get to safety. The scene is so recognisable that it triggers the accompanying smells and sounds in the viewer’s memory.

While the paintings are beautiful, and while they retell old stories in new ways, they also bring joy. It is impossible to view them and not smile. That in itself is a clear communication of the Good News that Jesus brings, even now.

The Visitation and The Flight into Egypt are currently hanging in the Wellbeing House, so come and visit these two beautiful paintings. St Aidan’s acknowledges the generosity of Mrs Vivienne Binns in lending us these works.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Engagements Isabelle Edmunds (2012) to Jake Davey Emma Schafer (2006) to Mitchell Sainty

ALUMNI News

Marriages Tiffany Jooste (2011) married Scott Barnsdale in March 2020 Rachel Tupicoff (2005) married Jim Mee 3 October 2020

Thank you We would like to thank Old Girls who have generously fit us into their busy schedules as guest speakers at recent school events. It is so rewarding and inspiring to have Old Girls share their stories with our current students.

Meg Russell (2009) married Simon Warren 28 November 2020 Alice Tidmarsh (2007) married Matt Brandon 26 March 2021

Anna Molloy (Henderson 2003) spoke at our Honours Assembly in February covering her journey in the Human Resources profession.

Renee Davidson (Brunner 1995) is the General Manager Marketing a nd Membership at RACQ. Renee spoke at our Assembly for International Women’s Day on Tuesday 16 March. RACQ are a major sponsor of the International Women’s Day Fun Run which St Aidan’s has a long history of supporting.

Rachel Colquhoun (2009), Meg Warren (Russell 2009), Eloise Bankowski (2009)

Births Tiffany (Jooste 2011) and Scott Barnsdale welcomed Millie in September 2020 Steph (Tupicoff 2008) and Nicholas Spiller welcomed Olivia on 25 November 2020 Bethany (Phillips 2004) and David Wass welcomed Henry on 30 June 2019 Ellie (Slater 2007) and Josh Kersevani welcomed Sullivan on 27 July 2020 Andrea (Tjoeng 2002) and Mark Davey welcomed Astrid on 4 March 2021 Danielle (Prince 2007) and Greg Tischljar welcomed Henry on 21 February 2021

Anna Molloy (Henderson 2003)

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Anne (Smith 2009) and Alex Woodland welcomed Franklyn (Frankie) on 16 March 2021

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1980 Sister Lois, Mother Joan, Marjorie Neil and Sister Julian

Vale Miss Marjorie Neil Past Headmistress 1980-1991 In great sadness we share the news of the passing of past Principal of St Aidan’s, Miss Marjorie Neil (1980-1991). Miss Neil passed away peacefully 28 October 2020, surrounded by her nieces and nephews.

Miss Neil, an Arts graduate from the University of Queensland with a degree in Education, had been the Deputy Headmistress at St Hilda’s prior to commencing as Principal at St Aidan’s in 1980. Her first introduction to St Aidan’s students had occurred while watching a ball games competition where St Aidan’s had won but disqualified themselves when they realised they had played with one fewer team member than required. Miss Neil was highly impressed by such ‘tremendous values’ and St Aidan’s reputation as a genuinely caring school was embedded in her memory.

When the position of Headmistress became available, she applied and was warmly welcomed to St Aidan’s. Miss Neil found that with St Aidan’s being a small school it had the advantage of catering to the individual needs of the students.

At the time, conditions for teachers were less than ideal – no superannuation, no sick leave provision; there was the need for a management structure to accommodate these and other issues.

Miss Neil’s first year as Headmistress was a time of staff consolidation and preparation for some updating of the school’s infrastructure.

A shyer personality with a keen sense of humour and highly organised, Miss Neil led St Aidan’s for 12 years. Her greatest challenges were ‘to find the spark in each child, and to provide a range of educational programmes to develop this spark, to uphold the Sisters’ ethos. She was particularly concerned to develop all students, the non-academic and the academic students alike, for success in later life.

Under Miss Neil’s leadership, the first classroom of computers was installed at St Aidan’s. A testament to her years of hard work and foresight is the Christine Hartland Centre (formerly the Performing Arts Complex) which was fondly dubbed the ‘Marj Mahal’ by students, staff and parents alike.

Miss Neil was very strict but earned the respect of both students and staff in all positions.

Marjorie celebrated her 80th birthday in February, this year. She was in regular contact with the School in recent years and we were delighted that she could join us in 2019 for our 90th birthday celebrations at our Ascension Day Service, in St John’s Cathedral.

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ALUMNI News Vale Madisen Gill (2015) passed away 5 December 2020 Stephanie Theobald (1986) passed away in December 2020 Hilary Blackband (Alroe 1936) passed away 17 December 2020 aged 101

Kate Gleeson, Cheryl Brugman, Jan Mendham, Karen Gorrie

Vale Mrs Cheryl Brugman It is with much sadness we share the passing of much-loved teacher, Mrs Cheryl Brugman. Cheryl taught at St Aidan’s from January 1989 to December 2005. She is remembered most fondly by her many students and her colleagues. A good friend of many, Mrs Mendham recalls how Mrs Brugman had a huge impact on the girls she taught particularly the 2004 year when she was the Year 12 Coordinator. They have been sharing beautiful memories and tributes to Mrs Brugman. Cheryl leaves behind her husband, Peter, who was Head of Sport at St Aidan’s from 2002 to 2005 and their son, Ben.

Geoff Goadby (Year 1 1931) passed away 16 October 2020 Bethmay Watson-O’Loughlin (Watson 1965) passed away 7 February 2021

Donations Thank you to our generous Old Girls and families who have donated items to our Archive Collection.

1991 Miss Marjorie Neil’s senior jersey ‘The Boss’ donated by her niece, Lisa Neil.

A tribute to Cheryl Brugman written by Eliza Lewis (2004) Our beloved Bruggie, Mrs B was a truly an incredible woman who we all loved deeply.

While she was a fabulous History teacher, Mrs B enriched out lives in so many ways beyond the classroom.

She taught us fairness, gave us equal voices, helped us survive high school, always believed in us and gosh, we had so much fun!

She continues to be one of my greatest mentors and I am so blessed that I was in her year level. She was creative, dynamic, kind and sassy and always went over and above for her ’04 tribe.

Mrs B was one special person and I know how thankful we all are to be part of her ’04 cohort and to be taught, loved and mentored by her.

She will always hold a special place in our hearts.

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2021

Re u n i o n s

Young Old Girls Drinks 14 May, 5pm

(Graduating students from 2012 to 2020)

10 & 11 Year Reunions 15 May, 6pm 20 & 21 Year Reunions 15 May, 12 noon 30 & 31 Year Reunions 16 May, 12 noon 40 & 41 Year Reunions 23 May, 12 noon 50 & 51 Year Reunions 22 May, 12noon Ascension Day 60, 61, 70 & 71 Year Reunions 13 May, 11am Don’t miss your event invitation, update your details www.staidans.qld.edu.au/community/alumni or email paststudents@staidans.qld.edu.au 58

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Follow us www.facebook.com/st.paststudents

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The Last Word

A face on which the Holy Spirit found it easy to write As I was preparing my part of the Mother Emma’s Day sermon this year, I came across that description of Mother Emma: she had a face on which the Holy Spirit found it easy to write. I have not heard anyone described in this way before, so it sparked my curiosity! What did Sister Una Mary, the author of the quote, mean? What did she see in Mother Emma’s face?

I have heard people say, “it was written all over your face”, which usually means something is plain to see. And it’s true that some of us have terrible ‘poker faces’ where everything we think or feel is clear to read in our expressions. I can only wonder what the Holy Spirit had written on Mother Emma?

I think Sister Una Mary was trying to say that Mother Emma’s face

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couldn’t help but show the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Other people who knew her certainly describe her as loving, peaceful, patient (mostly), kind, gentle, good, faithful and disciplined.

I suspect that joy gets a look in there somewhere too! Those fruit of the Holy Spirit described by St Paul (Galatians 5) seem to sum up Mother Emma quite succinctly. I can imagine her face, as she said goodbye to the Sisters leaving to return to other schools after visiting Community House. I am sure it showed her great love for the women in her care, and her sorrow at seeing them go.

I wonder if the Holy Spirit finds our faces easy to write on?

As I look out at a class of students before me, or a year level gathered in chapel, I do see the Holy Spirit at work and writing. I see faces that radiate

kindness, goodness, love and joy.

I see faces that probably struggle to be patient, but which actually show incredible fortitude and persistence, which is just as important. I also see faithfulness to our St Aidan’s story, gentleness with those who are struggling, and faces which long for peace. And there are other gifts which Paul didn’t write about, but which I see all the same on these faces: curiosity, wonder, and creativity, just to name a few.

I feel blessed to spend my days surrounded by people whose Spiritedness is written all over their faces. I think Mother Emma would recognise the writing too.

Reverend Gillian Moses Chaplain

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Open Mornings 2021

St Aidan’s Open Morning is a wonderful opportunity to experience daily life at St Aidan’s and meet staff and students.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming Open Mornings:

Wednesday 9 June 9am-11am Thursday 9 September 9am-11am Wednesday 24 November 9am-11am Register here: www.staidans.qld.edu.au/events

St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

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Anglican Girls’ School

St Aidan’s

AUTHENTIC 11 Ruthven St, Corinda Qld 4075 Australia P +61 7 3373 5999 E reception@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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CARING CONFIDENT C R E AT I V E CONNECTED

19/03/2021 3:05:14 PM