As I write this it is difficult to believe that we are once again in the midst of end of term assessment, only two weeks from the holidays. The term has flown by, characterised by a full program of academics, co-curricular activities and events.
Central Highlands
Last weekend, Stacey McCarthy and I visited Rolleston, Springsure and Emerald. It was my first time to the townships of Rolleston and Springsure and I was fascinated to find out about the crops grown in the area, to learn about the cattle properties of our families and to hear more about the mining industry in the area. I would like to thank the Priddles for having us for dinner on Friday evening and for hosting a get-together on Saturday morning. We had 24 for an outdoor gathering on what was a beautiful sunny day. I enjoyed chatting with current families – the Priddles, Knights and Jones families – as well as meeting three Old Girls and three families who were interested in finding out more about Girls Grammar. Sunday morning we had a meet and greet with two more families in Emerald before collecting our boarders who had enjoyed the weekends with their families and heading back to Rockhampton that afternoon.
We found out last week that the ICPA State Conference in Roma has been cancelled but we would like to still spend a weekend visiting the region next term. If you live along or near the route and would like to catch up with us, or know someone who would like to find out more about Girls Grammar, please let me know by emailing principal@rggs.qld.edu.au.
NAIDOC Week
On Wednesday this week, we came together as a community to celebrate our ATSI girls’ history, culture and achievements with a NAIDOC assembly. We started the celebration with a traditional smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country by Wade Mann, a Darumbal Elder. This was followed by a performance by our ATSI dancers, an original contemporary indigenous dance choreographed by Andrew Toby. The group, who have been practising for several weeks, included ATSI girls from across all areas of the school. It was wonderful to have them share this part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture with our school.
Year 12 Formal
This Friday evening is the Year 12 formal. This event is quite a milestone and one the seniors traditionally look forward to with much anticipation. Sadly, like so many other aspects of life this year, the formal has been impacted by Covid restrictions and requirements. This has necessitated a number of changes to the way the event has been run in the past. Our walk-through will still go ahead, but only in front of our school community. After lunch, our P-11 classes will be released from classes to watch the girls hop out of their cars and walk along the eastern side of Paterson House where the group will assemble for a formal photograph. Later in the afternoon, the girls will attend a dinner with their parents and guests. The girls have all spent a great deal of time planning and preparing for their formal and we wish them an enjoyable and memorable night.
Musical
Next week the school’s performance of Alice in Wonderland Jr opens, with four performances across the weekend. A great deal of time and effort has gone into performances, set preparation and music rehearsals. The sets look amazing, the music is fantastic and the show will be one to remember. Tickets are still available and we would love to have you join us for our outdoor show – details are available on our Facebook page.
Art Club
On 4 and 5 September, Girls Grammar will be hosting a day art camp for students in Years 5 to 9. Mrs Hanasy-Cheers will be running workshops related to the Alice in Wonderland theme. This is a great opportunity for girls who love visual art to engage in a program that will allow them to develop skills that complement the learnings of the Australian Curriculum visual art subject studied in class. For further information, please contact rachelhinton@rggs.qld.edu.au.
Learning Conversations
Over the next ten days, our girls will be completing both formative and summative assessment. This will provide teachers with data and evidence that they can discuss with parents during Week 9’s learning conversations. These meetings provide a great opportunity for us to work in partnership to discuss your daughter’s academic, emotional and social progress at school. They also allow us to receive feedback about how we can better support your daughters and to work in partnership to get the best possible outcomes for her.
Girls are also encouraged to attend these conversations to hear firsthand the teacher’s feedback as well as to play a key role in raising her learning needs and highlighting her academic goals.
Meetings with teachers are available both face to face and online between Monday 7 to Friday 11 September. If you haven’t yet booked an appointment time, you can still do so by 4.00pm Friday, 4 September. If you are unavailable during the week allocated, please contact your daughter’s teachers who will be happy to discuss your daughter’s progress either online, via telephone or in response to emails.
I wish everyone a lovely weekend and look forward to catching up with our parents and families at gatherings over the coming weeks.
Mrs Deanne Johnston
Principal
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