Welcome to the 2023 academic year at Somerville House!  

I share this photo of the smiling faces of our English and Humanities Staff in our Senior School at the official ribbon cutting of

their newly refurbished staffroom space, held on Thursday 19 January, with special morning tea to follow.  The English and Humanities teachers are thinking of an appropriate name for their new digs, and so your daughter can locate her English or History or Geography teacher in D Block, Level 3. 

As we commence the 2023 year with a sense of normality after the interruptions of the previous three  years, I give thought to our new students and families starting at the School, as well as those who are returning to the familiarity of Somerville House.  Students may feel a nervous bubble of excitement about the start of year, while others might experience some anxiety. These tips (from Monica Foley) might give parents some strategies for helping their child settle into their new environment and manage the new year.

1. Avoid Dismissing Your Child’s Fears
It is important to pay attention to your child’s fears and address them with empathy and understanding. Returning to school is a significant step for kids. It may seem minor to adults, but children spend their entire day at school and then will, in most cases, have homework at night. Their lives revolve around school and the people they see there.

2. Point out the Positive Features of the School.
By looking for the positive aspects, you can show your children that the new school year may be fun for them - at least in some ways. These positive aspects will give them something to look forward to as they return to school.

3. Show Your Children their New Routine.
Kids love routines and will benefit from seeing how the new year will affect them. Will your child ride the bus, walk to school, or will you take them every day? Find the quickest route for your child to get to school if they're going to walk. If a new school, take the time to drive or walk along that route so that they know where they're going. If you're going to be driving your child to school, take them with you as you drive by the school. Help them get familiar with the route you'll take each day.

4. Involve Your Children in the Process of Getting Ready for the New School Year.
Your children can help you think of new breakfast ideas or favourite foods they want for lunch and after-school snacks.

5. Remind your Children that they have Overcome Other Challenges in their Lives.
Your kids will feel more confident if they remember the other transitions they conquered.

I extend my best wishes to all families for a successful and happy 2023 ahead. 

Mrs Kim Kiepe
Principal

Acknowledgement: Monica Foley “How to Help Your Children Get a Great Start in Their New School” Child development Institute. January 2023

Welcome to 2023!

The beginning of a new school year provides the chance for all of us to reset and consider what our priorities are. I would hope that school students might like to think about how they can make 2023 better than the previous year and I thought of this while reading a letter written by an older sister to her younger sister giving her advice as she begins her boarding journey. The advice here can apply to anyone, whether boarding or not and I share some highlights below. 

• You’ve already made, and continue to make, so many people proud so give it everything you’ve got. Don’t leave anything in the tank. You’ve got nothing to lose. 
• Surround yourself with people who bring out your best qualities and distance yourself from the people who do the opposite.
• Don’t wait for opportunities to fall at your feet and don’t be scared of rejection. Go after what you want, set goals, try new things and ask lots of questions. 
• Being ‘cool’ or ‘pretty’ or ‘popular’ is only a matter of opinion. Always stay true to yourself and don’t let anyone or anything stand in the way of the person you’re becoming. 
• Remember that the most valuable things you’ll walk out of school with will be your friends. Don’t ever let them go easily. 
• Stand by your opinion, know when to follow the crowd and when to walk alone. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, others and what you know. 
• Wear sunscreen, drink a lot of water and remember that sleep fixes most things. 
• Whatever you set your mind to, never underestimate yourself or your capacity to be better or do better.
• Have substance, don’t fear being different and try not to be critical of others or of what you don’t understand. 
• Walk with your shoulders back and search for confidence from the people who inspire you – one of whom should always be yourself. 
• You may not always feel strong but you can always be brave and the best thing about bravery is that even a little is enough.
• Always let your words pass through three gates – Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? 
• Don’t underestimate your ability to have a positive impact on someone and pride yourself on kindness and respect. 
• Whatever is going to happen will happen, whether you worry about it or not. 
• Ultimately it’s not what you get or even what you give, it’s what you become.
• You are loved, you are strong, you are brave and you are enough as you are. 

Mrs Jo Matherson
Deputy Principal

Acknowledgement: Ruby Riethmuller, Destination Boarding, January 17, 2023 

The start of a new year brings many changes and it takes time to adjust to them all. Students and teachers have new classes with new names to learn and people to meet. Many students are starting new subjects, moving into new seating areas and many students have started with us this from other schools or have moved from our Junior School to the Senior School. Welcome to all of you, and a special welcome to our new Boarders who have had the biggest change of all, moving here to live at Somerville House. It is good to think about how we behave when we go somewhere new, how we go about trying to fit in, how we adjust to the changes and how we make our mark.

Over the Summer break I saw the movie Avatar: The Way of Water. What spectacular special effects and fantastic underwater creatures, I wish they were all real! If you don’t know much about the series, it features a world of strange blue avatars, whose planet is constantly being threatened by the “Sky People”, who have destroyed their own planet and are trying to take over this new, unspoiled one. When the Na’vi family have to move tribes from the jungle to the reef due to being hunted by the Sky People, the children in particular have to make many adjustments. There was certainly some teasing, conflict and loneliness along the way, but as the children threw themselves into their new environment, they eventually made friends, learned new skills and gained the respect of their new community. Of course, mistakes were made along the way, but nothing that couldn’t be rectified.

In this story the characters I admire are those who make the time and effort to reach out to the newcomers, to introduce them to the ways of their new world and include them in their friendship groups. Most of us know our way around Somerville House already, and we understand the culture quite well. Wouldn’t it be great if all our new students, staff and parents could say about us, that it is the most friendly and inclusive school they have ever experienced?

It is the way of Jesus to reach out to and include everyone, no matter their background or how different they are to us. In Matthew’s Gospel chapter nine, we read of Jesus having a meal with His disciples and friends, but also being joined by those who others thought of as outcasts, the ‘different’ people. He was criticized for his actions by some observers for including the outsiders - some people are very exclusive. Let us be inspired by his example at the start of a new year, and make sure that no-one feels alone, or sits alone at Somerville House.

Ms Chris O'Gorman
Senior Chaplain

Road Safety

We seek support from you to help us keep your children safe.  We have noticed in the three days of school a significant number of students expecting to cross Graham Street and Stephens Road amidst traffic. It is vital for them to cross only at designated crossings. Please only park on the school side of the road and if they are required to cross Graham Street, they are required to cross at the traffic lights only. Our busy precinct is not one to be underestimated. Thank you for helping us to keep them safe. 

Healthy Habit

Was one of your resolutions for this year to set yourself up with routines to help make your life easier? Preparing my clothes the night before was mine. So far, I am feeling far more relaxed driving out of the driveway and a little earlier than usual each day. 

Healthy Habits reduce cognitive load and help to develop a happier and calmer you. They significantly help your children as well. Here is some helpful advice from Lea Waters AM, PhD, one of the world’s leading experts on Positive Education, Positive Organizations, and Strength-Based Parenting and Teaching. She espouses the following to help parents assist their children to develop positive habits to begin a new school year. There is no better time to start than now.

Habits are the automatic actions, thoughts, and things that we do. These all start as our intentional thoughts involving actions that we set out to do deliberately.

As we repeat the action, our brains tend to ‘rote learn’ the action in a way that it gets committed to memory so it’s easier for us to do next time (e.g. think of brushing your teeth)

The more we practise the action, the more automatic it becomes and when it becomes automatic, this is when it turns into a habit. An action we do without having to think much about it.

Waters explains that a better understanding of the habit cycle can lead to better ones. With the right habits, young people can have a higher chance of thriving in their studies and in life. Since habits are formed through repetition, you can help them develop better study, eating, or sleeping habits. And you can also guide them in breaking bad habits and replacing them with better ones. But you can only do this properly if you understand the elements that form our habits:

#1. The Cue
This is anything that triggers your child to act on a habit. It can be a place, the time of the day, someone’s action, or even something that stimulates the senses. For example, if it’s 4.00 pm, they may have the urge to go outside to exercise. Particularly if they regularly find themselves playing at that time. 4.00 pm is their cue.

#2. The Action 
This refers to the actual habit. And in the example above, exercise is the action.

#3. The Reward
This is what we get from doing an action and what makes us start a habit in the first place. So, a reward your child can get from exercising at 4.00 pm is they feel happy and free while doing it.

The more your child goes through the habit cycle of cue, action, and reward, the higher the possibility of forming the habit.

So, if you want your young people to form positive habits to consolidate their learning, sleep, eat healthy foods, relax, play and exercise, find a cue to trigger the new habit, engage in the action, and reward them after executing it. 

Older children are encouraged to seek their own reward. Habits provide the automaticity to decrease your cognitive load and that of our busy students. 

Professor Lea Waters invites you to join The Strength Switch, an online positive parenting program. 

Mrs Julie Brunckhorst
Dean of Student Wellbeing

It’s time to really think about what you want this year to look like. I’m sure many of you are thinking, this year is going to be my year! Whether you have your sights set on academic, sporting, musical or personal achievements, here’s some quick tips from me to give you the best possible chance of achieving those goals.

Tip 1: Be SMART
The SMART goals technique has become more and more popular in recent years. SMART is an acronym, and the idea is to set goals that are:

S - Specific - What will be accomplished? What actions will you take?
M - Measurable - What data will measure the goal? (How much? How well?)
A - Achievable - Is the goal doable? Do you have the necessary skills and resources?
R - Relevant - How does the goal align with broader goals? Why is the result important?
T - Time-Bound - What is the time frame for accomplishing the goal?

Tip 2: Keep it simple
Another important thing to consider, is not to set yourself too many goals to achieve in a short timeframe. If your attention and motivation is divided between too many things, you may risk not achieving any of your goals for the year! So, start with one goal that is really important to you this year.
 
Tip 3: Habits, Habits, Habits
Think about habits – small things you do every day that take you in the direction of your goals. For example, if I have a goal to read 24 books this year, I will need to spend at least fifteen minutes reading every day. (Yes, this is Miss Winkleman’s real goal for 2023!)
 
And lastly, remember that you are more than your achievements. Reaching goals should always be celebrated! But even if you don’t quite reach them this year, know that you are still worthy and amazing human beings.

Miss Sarah Winkleman
Student Counsellor - Psychologist

As this is my first newsletter to our Somerville House community, I would like to extend my thanks to the students, staff and parents who have made my first few weeks here exciting, informative, welcoming, and supportive. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone and getting to know the School and I am looking forward to the year ahead.

Last Monday, it was a delight to see everyone arrive to school in their vivid green uniforms, Panama hats with broad smiles, ready to embrace new opportunities for the year ahead. There was a wonderful buzz at the turning circle, with holiday stories and friendships to catch up on. Thank you to the Year 6 Captains who joined staff at the turning circle to support students into their classrooms last week. The girls were helpful, they used their initiative, and they were clearly proud to be there to support Mr Smetham, Ms Kirk, and myself.

I made it a priority last week to visit each classroom and I have been so impressed by the girls enthusiastic and determined approach to learning. Year 2 were busy learning how to write their names in Japanese, Year 6 were contemplating number and problems solving and I was delighted to receive postcards from Year 4 sharing with me their holiday adventures.

During Assembly, I talked to the girls about the year ahead and the importance of goal setting. As I moved around the stage, I was keen to hear their views and ideas. Some are determined to score twenty goals in soccer this season, some want to make sure no one is without a friend in the playground, some want to get better at their times tables but importantly they all had a goal they wanted to work towards, and it was personal to them.

I encouraged them all to reflect on previous learning experiences and this year to be brave, embrace new opportunities, to be kind and respectful, to be adventurous, curious, and creative. I shared with them that I wanted to learn all their names and one interesting fact about each student. I have been inundated with introductions, pet names and hobbies – our wonderful students really are making me feel very welcome here at Somerville House.

Some staff updates to share with you – we farewell and thank Mrs Emma Trevor, Learning Development Teacher, who resigned late last year. Her replacement is to be confirmed, and we will be in touch with relevant parents as soon as we have confirmed plans. We welcome back Ms Liz Edwards, HPE Teacher, from Long Service Leave in Term 4 last year.

Mrs Trish Honeywill has moved to part-time (Monday to Wednesday lunchtime) and Ms Rachael Harris has joined the Art Department and will teach Year 6.

Ms Colleen Moriarty is filling in Teacher of Learning Development covering Mrs Catherine Tomei while on leave until the end of Term 1.

We warmly welcome to the Junior School Ms Olivia Kirk, Assistant Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning), Ms Rose Hoger, Information Literacy - Prep, Years 1, 2 and 4, Mrs Sarah Mounsey (Thursday and Friday), Information Literacy - Years 3, 5 and 6, and Teacher Aides Mrs Sonia Tyter (Tuesday to Friday) and Ms Olivia Sugg.

I am looking forward to meeting you at our Parent Information Evening on Thursday 2 February, it will be an opportunity to make introductions, share aims for the year ahead and spend time with your class teacher learning about the year ahead.

Have a momentous year at Somerville House.

Mrs Susan Clarke
Head of Junior School

Please click here to view a list of upcoming Junior School events and activities.

In 2023, the Year 12 students have been wearing a white ribbon in their hair. This was an initiative of the 2023 Captains and links to the white stripe currently on the Senior Summer and Winter Ties. 

The ribbon provides a way of identifying the Year 12 cohort from the back and allows our Seniors to be identified by members of the Somerville House community as people who they can turn to for assistance and support, continuing the strong tradition of servant leadership. 

The Seniors of 2023 hope everyone loves the new optional uniform addition and that the younger students look forward to wearing it when they enter Year 12. 

The Middle Years Support Group welcomes you to join them for the Year 7 Welcome Function Pizza & Pool Party on Sunday 12 February 2023 from 3.00pm to 5:00pm at Somerville House Swimming Pool. We hope to see you there!

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE HOLIDAYS

Swimming - Congratulations to the thirteen Somerville House students who competed in the 2022 McDonald’s Queensland Swimming Championships in December. A special mention to the following students on their outstanding medal winning performances:

Eloise M (8C) – Eight gold medals and awarded Age Group Swimmer of the meet
Olivia H (10F) – Two gold and one bronze medal.
Tahlia H (11F) – One silver and one bronze medal. 
 
Softball - Isabelle M (11G) was recently selected to represent Queensland in the 2023 U18 Softball National Championship.  The National Championship was held in Western Australia last week (7 to 11 January) where her team competed over five days and  came fourth in the competition.

Trampoline - Leyla D (8B) has been selected in the Trampoline National Squad for 2023. She made Team Future for Trampoline and Junior Women's Squad for Tumbling. Further, she has been selected in the Queensland High Performance team for another year.

TENNIS

Welcome back parents and athletes. Hope you all had some quality time over the holiday break. Enrolments are live, so please get in early to avoid disappointment. Any questions, please email [email protected].

I extend my congratulations to Open Team Member Thea B (9B) who had some great success over the break. Thea was selected to play for Metro Green at the QLD Junior Teams Carnival in December. Her team won the U15 Division Champions. There were fifteen teams in the division from all around QLD and some interstate. Thea was a key part in her team’s success having won ten of her twelve matches throughout the event. 

Also, a congratulations to our Open Orange Ball Team who played in the QLD Primary Schools State Finals at the United Cup. Annie T (6A), Alexis T (5B), Cat K (6C), Ellie Y (6C) and Brielle H (6A) had some tremendous results in the state final, eventually finishing fourth after losing a tight semi-final.

Looking forward to a big year on court! 

Mr Andrew McCabe
Director of Sport

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING - SOMERSTRONG SQUAD 2023

SomerStrong Junior Squad 2023

Strength and Conditioning complements Girls' training schedules by offering external sessions that target aspects such as; strength, power, speed and agility. The Strength and Conditioning program offers best practice coaching that aims to enhance the athletic development of all the girls participating in the Somerville House Sporting program.

The Junior Squads are a fun based training group that works on all things strength and conditioning to help develop well rounded junior athletes.

SomerStrong Junior Squad 2023

Who: Years 3 to 6
When: Sessions are available Wednesday afternoon (3.15pm - 4.15pm) and Tuesday and Thursday mornings (7.00am - 8.00am) term time, all year.
Training Venue: The upstairs gym located at the Murray Evans Sports and Aquatics Centre
Uniform: Sports Uniform
Fees Per Term: $285 per term for one session per week or $400 per term for twice per week

Click here to register for Junior SomerStrong or contact Director of Strength and Conditioning for any questions. 

SomerStrong Squad 2023

Who: Years 7 to 12 (any student not participating in an S&C sports program)
When: Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning (6.30am - 7.45am) and Monday afternoon (3.15pm - 4.30pm) (sessions will depend on numbers)
Training Venue: The upstairs gym located at the Murray Evans Sports and Aquatics Centre
Uniform: Sports Uniform
Fees Per Term: $365 for one session per week or $500 for twice per week (billed at end of term school fees)

Click here to register for SomerStrong or contact Director of Strength and Conditioning for any questions. 

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Congratulations to the following students on their AMEB exam results from late 2022!

Grade 8 Violin: Ashley C (11F)  

Grade 5 Viola (Repertoire): Stella F (9F)

Grade 4 Violin: Isabella X (6B), Xayleighanna C (9C) 
Grade 4 Violin (Comprehensive): Ai L (6C) 

Grade 3 Violin: Angela W (7D), Lexie C (7A) 

Grade2 Violin: Arissa L (6B), Mako K (5C) 
Grade 2 Violin (Comprehensive): Yarina W (8A)
Grade 2 Viola (Repertoire): Jessica W (6C)

Grade 1 Violin (Comprehensive): Esther L (8F), Florence S (6C)
Grade 1 Viola (Repertoire):  Josianna L (5D), Lynn S (5B)

Preliminary Violin: Grace T (4B), Sofia S (4C)     

Congratulations to the following students on their Somerville Exam results in late 2022:

Violin Grade 4: Lexie M (9C)
Violin Grade 2: Catarina K (6C)
Viola Preliminary: Isabella W (5C)
Viola Preliminary: Charlotte T (5D)

2023 READING DAY

Over the weekend of (21 to 22 January), our enthusiastic Band and String musicians took part in the 2023 Co-curricular Music Reading Days! 

Under the direction of our experienced staff and tutors, students were able to jumpstart their ensemble season, reading through a wide range of repertoire and developing technical skills in a social setting. As is the tradition for this event, students were delighted with the season commencement cake! We look forward to a great year ahead for our Band and String ensembles and wish the Choral Department all the best for their upcoming Reading Days on (10 to 11 February). 

Thank you to the Music Support Group for assisting with catering and running the snack stall.

Mr Will Eager
Director of Co-Curricular Music

PRIVATE SPEECH, COMMUNICATION and DRAMA LESSONS: Year 7 to Year 12

Private Speech and Drama lessons will commence in Week 2 – Monday, 30 January.

To be an effective communicator is essential in today’s world where people skills are vital to successful interaction. To have a positive self-image, feel confident and be a sensitive communicator depends very much on a complementary blend of verbal and non-verbal elements of communication.

 Some of the benefits of Speech and Drama lessons are:
✓  Practical means of increasing your child’s self-confidence, in and out of the classroom. It is our aim to promote self-assurance that will continue to grow throughout their schooling.
✓   Develops vital public speaking, reading, and presentation skills: which greatly assists with a variety of school assessment, as well as future career paths.
✓   Further development of creative and analytical thought, as well as the use of physical expression that evolves through Drama. Enhanced involvement in group dynamics and social interaction.
✓   Speech & Drama has an array of techniques for assisting students who experience any of the following characteristics: shy, softly spoken, prone to mumbling, speak rapidly, speech impediments, rarely use expression or gestures, use filler words such as ‘like’ or 'um' repeatedly, or simply wish to further their passion for creativity, performance, reading, and engaging with an audience.
✓   ATAR Benefits: As of 2023, QUT accepts Speech & Drama qualifications from 7th Grade AMEB for minimum entry requirements to degree courses. As a guide, a student will receive a selection rank of 84.00.

 Students will be prepared in vocal and dramatic skills for Speech and Communication and/or Drama and Performance Examinations, using AMEB (Australian Music Examination Board) Syllabus.
Small group tuition (40 minutes) will be available during the school day, on a rotation basis – with students permitted to miss the same subject only twice per Term. Year 12 students MUST have their lessons either before or after school.

The fee structure per Term is as follows:
Year 7 to 9:          $250 per student plus GST
Year 10 to 12:      $270 per student plus GST

Please click here for all enquiries or to obtain Consent Forms.

Ms Vicki Fuller
Private Voice, Communication and Drama Teacher

The P&F welcome you to save the date to come together for the 2023 All School Welcome on Saturday 18 February from 3.00pm to 6.00pm. Get your tickets here and we look forward to seeing you there!