What a special welcome back to Term 2 we have had this week. It has felt like a re-set and refresh for the year after the conditions and circumstances in which we began Term 1, three months ago.
With the continued easing of restrictions it was wonderful to be able to welcome parents and families back on school grounds as boarders returned on Tuesday, and hold our traditional start of term boarder parent meeting. Days like these are such a vital part of the Girls Grammar community, where we are able to build connections and strengthen existing relationships with our parents who we don’t have the opportunity to see as regularly as day girls’ families.
Our 130th birthday celebrations were an exciting way to welcome all the girls back and I hope many of them enjoyed arriving through the balloon arches and 130 decorations at the school’s entrance and McKeague Deck.
Foundation Day was marked with a very special assembly where we had all students from Prep - Year12 and staff together in McKeague Hall for the first time in 2022. Members of our Old Girls Association, Mrs Kim Dixon, Mrs Ngaire Kane and Mrs Robyn Meredith were special guests and the girls had the pleasure of listening to Mrs Jan Davidson and Mrs Emily Hare our OGA guest speakers. I know we all enjoyed quite a few laughs and moments of surprise as these ladies described conditions and experiences with great clarity and humour from their time at Girls Grammar. Our 2022 Prefects took us on a trip down memory lane as they modelled uniforms that have been worn throughout the generations which was a fun and entertaining way to honour and celebrate our rich history. Our gold coin spiral created under the CAB following Foundation Day assembly raised over $1,000 to the ongoing restoration of Paterson House. These donations from the girls, parents and staff are greatly appreciated, and we are eagerly awaiting with anticipation the removal of scaffolding to reveal our brand new Paterson House roof in late May.
Thursday’s Anzac Day assembly was a touching tribute to the men and women who have fallen and those who continue to serve our country. As a school we came together to pay our respects to those who have represented our country and paid the ultimate sacrifice and were joined by special guests Mr Robert Lang on behalf of Rockhampton Rats of Tobruk as well as bugler Mr Graham Ivers who we were privileged to have play the Last Post and Rouse. This year we had the privilege to have Rockhampton cadets attend the service adding to the emotion of the ceremony. Our primary students participated in the laying of their class decorated wreaths and the inclusion of their hand decorated poppies along the stage were a special touch. Jennifer Hooper, PA to Deputy Principals and DP-Students Nadine Kelly must be thanked for the time and organisation that went into planning for such a well run, emotive assembly, that both our special guests and many staff praised as the most professional, engaging and well executed Anzac Day assembly they have ever attended.
As we commence a new term in what is our 130th year, I am proud to share with the Rockhampton Girls Grammar School community two documents that planning began for in 2021 and were finalised last term. Our Strategic Directions document for the next three years outlines our School’s Vision, Mission and Values and four core strategic focus areas. Each of these focus areas contain strategic goals and strategies we are committed to in upholding our vision for our great school.
Our Strategic Directions document can be found on our school website and a flipbook version accessed by clicking on https://fliphtml5.com/zpuj/lvub.
Our Master Plan is another document that outlines priorities for our school’s future and encompasses stakeholder feedback gathered throughout Semester 2, 2021. This document can also now be found on our website and flip book version viewed at https://online.fliphtml5.com/zpuj/cmhm/.
We hope you enjoy reading these and share in the exciting future that we have ahead of us here at Rockhampton Girls Grammar School.
Kara Krehlik
Principal
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