PRINCIPAL’S ANNUAL REPORT With IT resources, Grammar continues to hold strong in its use of meaningful technology in education, enabling our students and staff the utmost opportunity to reach their full potential with an emphasis on a culture of anywhere, anytime learning. As part of our annual e-Safety Awareness Week, the School invited Mrs Susan McLean, a former police officer widely known as the “Cyber Cop”, from Cyber Safety Solutions to be a guest speaker as part of the year’s proceedings. During her visit, Susan gave three separate presentations to students in Years 5-12, sharing a wealth of expertise and experience regarding a range of issues faced by young people when online. Susan’s presentations prompted many discussions throughout the week between students and staff in classes, in addition to the learning embedded in our ICT curriculum. With the appointment of Mrs Beth Gilpatrick as our specialist Careers Advisor, individual appointments and group sessions were provided to ensure that careers and tertiary entrance information was made available to each student in a timely manner. Using narrative counselling and elimination techniques, students are welcomed back for individual appointments to help narrow their choices for future employment. The Work Experience programme provides valuable knowledge for students to explore their work choices. This is a flexible programme where students are able to organise experience through an employer, at a time convenient to all parties. This year, over 50 students were placed with employers in Health, Dentistry, Law, Engineering, Diesel Fitting, Hairdressing, Defence and within the Townsville City Council. Operationally, day and boarding students have all benefited from the student focussed leadership of the Heads of School. Each of these senior managers has, in turn, been supported by a number of very dedicated support personnel, committed to the very best environment for our students. In particular, I acknowledge the work of Deputy Head of the Junior School, Mr Chris Gray, Year Level Co-ordinators Ms Karyn Kybus (Year 7), Mr Adrian Moran (Year 8), Ms Megan Nelson (Year 10), Ms Yvonne West (Year 11), Assistant to the Director of Boarding, Mrs Therese Stewart, School Psychologist, Mrs Dannielle Charge and the Nurse in Charge of the Health Centre, Mrs Nerida Jacobsen and her nursing staff. Pastoral Care and opportunities for the development of student leadership remain at the forefront of our day to day work with students.
“Positive Education continues to be embedded across the curriculum and many students thrive on the opportunities provided” Positive Education continues to be embedded across the curriculum and many students thrive on the opportunities provided to learn about their own character strengths and, in turn, grow positive relationships, emotions, health, engagement, accomplishment and purpose.
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Staff and students are progressively becoming more familiar with the meaning of positive psychology and appreciating the benefit of journaling and mindfulness. As a school, we continue to facilitate Positive Education professional development opportunities for our staff, both internally and via external facilitators. We acknowledge the wonderful support of Dr Jo Lukin, our Positive Education mentor. Dr Lukin and the Head of Positive Education, Mrs Susan Ahern, hosted a very successful parent information evening on Positive Education early in the year and Mrs Ahern has also brought Positive Education to the community by speaking at Parent Network meetings, Boarding staff briefings and at events such as Open Night and the Middle School parent information evening. Dr Lukin is highly sought after in the schools sector and has delivered a number of presentations at the Association of Heads of Independent Schools (AHISA) in Queensland. As students’ progress through the School, the opportunity for leadership roles develop and expand, reflecting the age and maturity of the boys and girls involved. The following Year 6 students are commended on their Junior School leadership appointments in 2014: Lachlan Carey and Miella Sartori (Junior School Captains); Lachlan Williams and Maya Miller (Music Captains); Harrison Baxter and Emily Price (Community Service Captains); House and House Vice Captains: Michael Cooper and Emily Lafferty, Connor Latouf and Phoebe Lavender (Hodges), Jake Cuttell and Taylah Cuttell, Tom Greenwood and Kalani Guillien (Miller), Christopher Kirk and Ashleigh Richardson, Tylan Dowthwaite and Annabel Kelly (Whight), Lucas Aitken and Georgia Hooper, Job Verkuijl and Lucy Bragg (Rowland). The following Year 9 students are commended on their Middle School leadership roles in 2014: Luke Moran and Danette Potgieter (Middle School Captains); Tate Hinchy and Brianna MacDonald (Vice-Captains); Inaugural Music Captains, James Hultgren and Ruby Ioannou; House Captains, Joseph Boggild and Kajsa Souter (Hodges), Oliver Meade and Rebecca Stephenson (Miller), Zack Bourne and Anna Caleo (Rowland) and Matthew Maguire and Isabelle Oxley (Whight). The following Year 12 students are commended on their Senior School leadership roles in 2014: School Captains, Philippa Collins and Thomas King; School Vice-Captains, Chloe Kern and Roger Murray and Boarder Captains, Hayley Blyth and Harry Terry. The pinnacle of recognition in the student leadership structure of the School is to be appointed as a School Prefect and the following students are acknowledged accordingly: Thomas Barlow, Renae Bertucci (Hodges Vice-Captain), Hayley Blyth, Kurt Boldy, Liam Bonner (Hodges Captain), Philippa Collins, Eliza Croft, Sam Dennis, Alexandra Fullerton, Chelsea Gerrard (Rowland Captain), Daniel Goonetilleke, Maisha Jamali (Miller Captain), Elyssa Kelk, Chloe Kern, Thomas King, Sam Lanskey, Heidi Lynch, Sarah Maguire (Whight Captain), Bailey Metcalfe-Smith (Rowland Captain), Katelinel Moores, Margaret Murray, Roger Murray, Rachel Nutchey, Jake Rebgetz (Hodges Vice-Captain), Shruti Roche, Sofia Santagada, Kimberley Terrace, Harry Terry and Aleeah Winkler.
2014 School Magazine