The recent weather event has truly brought out the best in people, as demonstrated by those who have helped others impacted by the floods. True appreciation and acknowledgement is extended for the amazing efforts of our Director of Rowing, Ms Samara Quinlan and the sensational volunteers whose “Somey spirit” combined to completely clean up The Shed following the floods.

We also thank the parents and carers, staff, and students who supported those affected by the floods. The P&F Association have shown true Somey spirit with co-ordinating a community response and clean up campaign to help those suffering significant inundation in the Paddington area last Saturday (5 March). Our P&F are also offering to help with uniforms, essentials and school pick up and drop off. There have been many stories of the Somerville Spirit in action over the past few weeks and we would love to hear of those stories via [email protected].

2022 Next Step survey

The Queensland Government is conducting its annual state wide survey of all students who completed Year 12 in 2021. The Next Step survey is a brief, confidential survey that gains a comprehensive picture of the employment, study and life choices made by Queensland school completers in the year after they finish Year 12.

Between March and June, all our students who completed Year 12 last year can expect to receive instructions to complete a web-based survey or a telephone call from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office. Please encourage them to take part. If their contact details have changed, please assist the interviewer with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate. Thank you for your support of the Next Step survey in 2022.

Further information, including results from previous years, is available online or on toll free telephone 1800 068 587.

Junior School swimmers

Congratulations to our Junior School swimmers who won pennants in all age groups and achieved the amazing result of placing third overall.  Such great school spirit and excitement made for a wonderful day at the pool. A special commendation to the team and their wonderful coaches, Director of Swimming, Mr Tim Lane, along with Ruby, Jack, Mia and Simon.

Looking ahead to Saturday 26 March

I am looking forward to attending the second Annual All School Welcome from 3.00pm to 6.00pm on Saturday 26 March.  I really encourage parents from Pre-Prep to Year 12 to celebrate our new school year, by coming along to the Foundation Building on Level 7.  Ticket cost is $25pp, which includes a hamburger or hotdog, gelato and drink.  We are most grateful to the JSSG, MYSG and SYSG who are putting on this occasion with the novelty of being able to join together and enjoy the company of others. Plan to dress in casual attire with non-slip shoes and no heels. 

If time permits, I also encourage you to attend TEDxYouth@SomervilleHouse (from 9.00am to 12.00pm in VPAC, Saturday 26 March) prior to the All School Welcome.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS

Suhani G (11O) has gone above and beyond to organise this remarkable event – arranging all aspects of the event, including speakers, sponsors and marketing.

TEDxYouth@SomervilleHouse is an independently organised TED event, aiming to promote ideas related to C.O.V.I.D., or Courage, Opportunity, Vision, Innovation, and Determination. We hope all attendees of TEDxYouth@SomervilleHouse will leave reflecting on the speeches, and therefore spark change in their lives, and the people around them.

CLICK HERE to register.

Mrs Kim Kiepe
Principal

Year 7 will go on their long awaited camp next week and for some, the anticipation causes excitement. Others may find the change and uncertainty of what to expect causes them to feel a little unsure. The Somerville House suite of school camps are carefully designed to give the students particular experiences at particular times in their school life. The Year 7 camp provides unique experiences to challenge each person individually and provide support to each other, learn how to work together, and build relationships.

Parents can help their daughters get the most out of this experience by reinforcing a few points at home in the week leading up to camp week. Below are my three top tips.

1. Allow your daughter to talk freely about how she is feeling about camp. There is no need to solve any concerns, the act of listening allows her to articulate these fears and begin formulating her own solutions.
2. Encourage her to set herself up for success by sleeping and eating well. Even though there is a bed time, the temptation to talk after lights out can be irresistible. Lack of sleep or not eating well leads to low mood and can cause poor decision-making, lowering the overall enjoyment of the camp.
3. Tell her to give everything a go, even if she is a little nervous at first. The sense of pride she will feel if she gives all the challenges a go builds confidence and resilience. She may even surprise herself and achieve something she did not know she was capable of. That feeling is euphoric.

I hope all the students have a wonderful time and I cannot wait to see them all having fun at camp.

Mrs Jo Matherson
Deputy Principal

Sometimes in Chapel we sing the song Reckless Love, a hauntingly beautiful song about God’s great love for us. In that song there is a line that describes God’s love as a love that “leaves the ninety-nine”. This line is a reference to Jesus’ story about the lost sheep in Matthew 18, and the ninety-nine sheep the shepherd left behind when he went to rescue the lost one.

It tells us that though God loves everyone, He is interested in every single one of us as an individual, not just as part of the crowd. And He is not just interested in the noisiest, the most talented or the most "important" people, He is especially interested in the "little one" as the passage describes them. The late Bishop Desmond Tutu described them as the "so-called small people", the ones who are often overlooked - the poor, the weak, the disadvantaged.

The Bible tells us that Jesus values everyone, that He would leave the ninety-nine who did not need His help and pursue the one who is lost. Jesus is the one who noticed the woman in the crowd who touched His coat looking for healing, who saw the tax collector Zacchaeus up the tree watching him, who stopped to pray for the blind beggar.

I have always admired people who take time for the so-called "little people" around them. The people I mean are the teachers who notice the student who is quietly anxious about an up-coming exam and takes the extra time after class to help them, or the Year 12 student who takes the time to stop and ask the Year 7 student she comes across how her day is going.

I am talking about the mother who can read her child’s mood and cooks her favourite meal, without being asked, just before an important exam. 

I am referring to people like the late Dr Catherine Hamlin, who noticed that young, poor girl with the terrible fistula condition waiting patiently outside the obstetrics hospital in Ethiopia and organised life-changing surgery. Or the Chief Health Officer who states she is not comfortable with the loss of even one life in a pandemic.

These people all reflect the love that Jesus showed in this parable, love for the one, especially when that one is lost.

Ms Chris O'Gorman
Senior Chaplain

For more information about the School's Anti-Bullying policy, please click here. 

Mrs Julie Brunckhorst
Dean of Student Wellbeing

1. Hats must be worn to and from school and when outdoors. 
2. Jumpers must only be worn on campus and not to and from school. 
3. Satchels (Years 10 to 12) are to be placed in lockers for the day. They are not to be carried to class.

Year 6 Leadership/Whole School Welcome event

At our special leadership assembly last week, our very first Junior School in-person assembly for 2022, the Junior School Captains, House Captains and Monitors were presented with their badges. All Year 6 students also received their Year 6 badge, acknowledging the important role each student undertakes as a leader in the Junior School.  Next Friday 18 March, the entire Year 6 cohort will have the opportunity to participate in a morning of leadership and team-building activities facilitated by Character Builders.

Already this year there have been a number of occasions where Year 6 students have actively lived their 2022 theme Better Together. They have shown that leadership is about making things happen and supporting others to be their best. They have been organised and committed, set team goals, delegated tasks, encouraged others, and worked hard for the success of the team. As a cohort, they have displayed a positive attitude, compassion and good listening skills, set good examples and inspired others. Year 6 have also modelled that effective team members are good at helping, sharing, and taking turns and are loyal to the team.

We congratulate our Year 6 students for the wonderful start they have made to their final year in the Junior School, and we look forward to sharing with them the joys and opportunities of the year ahead.

The Somerville House ‘Clean Up Australia Day’ last Thursday (10 March) was a wonderful example of this leadership in action. Led by the Environment Monitors (with the amazing support of Mrs Claire Reynish, Ms Whitney Turner and Ms Melissa Alexander, staff and students of both the Junior and Senior Schools joined forces to help care for our beautiful school grounds. For an environment as well kept as ours, everyone was surprised by the multitude of tiny bits of rubbish present - often missed by passers-by. The girls had a great time filling their bags with these little offenders. It proved a fun and inspiring way to learn about the impact of litter on the environment and the importance of coming together, in teams and as part of our wider community, to solve this problem.

The Year 6 theme, Better Together, equally applies to the entire school community. In recent weeks, I am proud to say that I have witnessed many incredible acts of kindness and generosity when some members of our school needed it most. These actions affirm what research clearly indicates, 

To this end, I warmly encourage parents and carers to attend the 2022 All School Welcome on Saturday 26 March, hosted by the JSSG, MYSG and SYSG, to celebrate the commencement of the new school year. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know other members of the Somerville House ‘team’ so that we can indeed be Better Together.

• DATE: Saturday 26 March
• TIME: 3.00pm to 6.00pm
• VENUE: Foundation Building – Level 7, Somerville House
• TICKETS: $25pp + Booking fee. Ticket price includes hamburger or hotdog, gelato and drink (dietary options will be catered for).
• RSVP: 4.00pm, Friday 18 March
• DRESS: Casual attire. Please wear only non-slip shoes and no heels to protect the Tennis Courts as the function may spread into this space.

The event will have year group areas so parents and carers have the opportunity to meet others with children in the same year levels.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS

Andrews Cup Swimming

Congratulations to our 2022 Andrews Cup (AC) Swimming Team on their performance at Monday 7 March at the AC Swimming Championships.

Lead by Captains Ivy W (6A) and Annika P (6C) the girls represented the School with great determination and courage all day on their way to a third-place overall finish.

We also finished with a pennant in every age group including a first-place finish for the 12 Years age group.

• 8 Years - 2nd
• 9 Years - 3rd
• 10 Years - 2nd
• 11 Years - 3rd
• 12 Years - 1st

A huge thank you to all of our 2022 AC Swimming participants for their efforts over the course of the year. You all played a major part in our team's success.

Prep to Year 6 Parent Teacher Interviews

Semester 1 Parent Teacher Interviews for Prep to Year 6 are scheduled in Weeks 9 and 10, with both classroom and specialist teachers as follows:

• Dates: Monday 21 March, Wednesday 23 March, Tuesday 29 March
• Time: 3.30pm to 6.00pm
• Venue: Junior School Classrooms

There are various ways for teachers to communicate with you regarding your daughter’s progress, and this may have already been happening over Term 1. These meetings are an additional opportunity to liaise if required. Class teacher interviews will be thirteen minutes and will focus on your daughter’s transition into her year level, academic progress and pastoral development. Specialist teacher interviews will be eight minutes.

Bookings opened on Monday 14 March and can be made via SomerLink, by clicking on Parent Teacher Interview. Access is via your login details, in the Parent Teacher Interviews section. Please indicate when you book if you would like to attend in person or meet via MS Teams.

Bookings will close on Friday 18 March at 6.00pm.

We look forward to seeing you / connecting with you at these interviews and sharing your daughter’s progress with you.

SomerLink assistance

We are keen to support you in using SomerLink, fine-tuning the set-up of your notifications and stepping you through how to access information to ensure you stay up-to-date with your daughter’s activities and progress.

• Thursday 17 March – 8.45am to 9.30am (IN PERSON) JS Science Lab – K.5.01
• Thursday 17 March – 5.00pm to 6.00pm (ONLINE)
• Friday 18 March – 8.45am to 9.30am (IN PERSON) JS Science Lab – K.5.01

You are welcome to attend any session for however long you need - pop in just to have a few questions answered, or stay for the full session to receive detailed information.

Please click here to register your attendance.

A reminder to have your mobile/tablet/laptop (whichever device/s you use to access SomerLink) with you.

Mrs Louise McGuire
Head of Junior School

This Friday 18 March, marks the 2022 National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. At this time, we will all renew our pledge to say no way to bullying or harm to another person. At Somerville House, we are fortunate to have a clear code of conduct that at its heart promotes respect for each other. The Student Code of Behaviour and Management plan as well as the School’s Anti-Bullying Policy, can be viewed in the Family Handbook on SomerLink.

More importantly, we actively encourage students to build a relational culture within our school community and this includes carrying out everyday acts of kindness. Earlier in the year, I shared the Have You Filled a Bucket Today book with students. This book reminds us that happiness is something we create by genuine acts of kindness towards others. Through these acts of kindness, we develop empathy and compassion that generates strong, protective factors to inhibit aggression or harm.

However, conflict is an inevitable and sometimes important part of the human experience. For our students, we learn appropriate ways of managing conflict. Put simply, we teach strategies for de-escalating conflict and restoring relationships. 

Doing the Five helps students to apply a five-step framework for managing conflict appropriately. 

1. Talk friendly – a gentle reminder to do the right thing.
2. Talk firmly – an assertive request for the wrong action to stop.
3. Ignore – choosing not to engage in conflict.
4. Walk away – removing yourself from the conflict.
5. Report to a trusted adult – seeking adult intervention.

With so much of our world currently in turmoil, it is a timely reminder that we all need to work together to prevent bullying and violence and promote a culture of kindness. For further advice and information please click here. 

Mr Tim Smetham
Assistant Head of Junior School – Pastoral Care & Administration

An integral part of learning, assessment can serve various purposes. Assessment can be used ‘for learning’, ‘of learning’ or ‘as learning’. Generally, a learning assessment is completed at the end of a learning cycle to determine how successful students can apply key concepts or skills taught. Assessment as learning can be used during a learning cycle as an opportunity to teach essential knowledge and skills.

Assessment can also be summative or formative. Assessment is summative when the standards or marks achieved contribute to overall result outcomes. In the Middle Years, assessment completed throughout each semester is usually summative as it contributes to overall results in Mid-Year or End-of-Year-Reports.

Recently, the School adjusted Term 1 assessment in Years 7 to 9 to support student learning in what has been a challenging and disrupted term. Students will complete set tasks to receive feedback. Tasks will be graded ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’; however, no specific standard or mark will be applied. This shift from summative to formative assessment provides greater scope for assessment as learning, enabling students even greater opportunities to consolidate the key understandings and skills they will need in the future.

The most valuable outcome of any assessment, whether formative or summative, ‘of learning’ or ‘as learning’, is the feedback students receive highlighting strengths or areas requiring further consideration in subsequent learning.

Ms Laura Duffield
Dean of Teaching Practices

On Tuesday 8 March, Senior String Consort was invited to perform at Government House for International Women’s Day. The students were delighted to be able to meet the Governor, Her Excellency, the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young PSM and her husband, Professor Graeme Nimmo (RFD). They also met the Premier of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk. Congratulations to these students and their director Ms Raquel Bastos for an amazing performance and for representing the high standard of Somerville House Music. For more details about the performance, please click here.  

Ms Raquel Bastos
Director of Strings 

AFL News

Our teams took on the final round of AFL in style at Metricon Stadium. Both teams showed massive improvements, their courage and team-first attitude shining through. Our Seniors pushed St Hilda’s and St Peters Lutheran College (SPLC) until the final siren, managing two goals along the way. The Opens finished the season at Metricon Stadium against St Margaret’s in an extremely close game, decided in the last two minutes. We are extremely proud of our inaugural AFL squad who have paved the way for the next generation of students.

Miss Lucy Bellinger
Sports Co-ordinator

Athletics and Cross-Country News

It was a heart-warming sight on Friday (11 March) morning when fifty, (yes fifty), Junior School students turned up to Andrews Cup Cross Country training. Well done to all our runners for their efforts and, of course, a huge thank you to our parents for waking up early to get our athletes here on time for a 6.45am start. Our team selection process is underway, so students are to encouraged to show us what they are capable of over the next few weeks. Here we grow. 

Please note, we can no longer utilise the South Brisbane Cricket grounds due to the floods. Until further notice, all training will take place starting on the School oval, commencing at 6.45am. 

Dates to remember:

• Monday 28 March - Interhouse Cross Country
• Monday 4 April to Saturday 13 April - Holiday Training (sign up will be sent)
• Tuesday 26 April - Mt Gravatt District Cross Country Trials (10 to 12 years of age / top five selected)
• Thursday 5 May - Andrews Cup Metro Meet, UQ Athletics Centre
• Tuesday 24 May - Metropolitan East Regional Cross-Country Trials, John Paul College
• Tuesday 31 May - Andrews Cup Cross Country Championships, Toowoomba

Let's RUN Somerville!

Mr Andre Sinclair
Sports Co-ordinator

Basketball News

Round one was completed in style against Brisbane Girls Grammar School (BGGS). Congratulations to all of the students who put all their hard work into play Friday (11 March) afternoon. Our Year 7As started their season with a strong 40-8 victory, with our 8A, Senior B and Opens teams also getting wins on the board. We are looking forward to games against Moreton Bay College this Friday 18 March.

Miss Lucy Bellinger
Sports Co-ordinator

Equestrian News

Congratulations to Tamika D (7C) who had a very successful weekend at the Caboolture Dressage Group Interschool Queensland Tag On Event.

• Prelim 1B IQ: 2nd; Open 3rd 
• Prelim 1C IQ: 5th, Open 7th
• Novice 2A IQ: 2nd, Open 3rd

Tamika has now qualified for states. Well done.

A big trip out to Pittsworth for Billie L (10O) and Pippa L (7B) (and a special mention to Billie who also played AFL at the Gold Coast on Saturday morning). Huge classes with lots of competition, some highlights include:

• Pippa: 7th in Special 2 Phase 90cm; 9th in AM5 90cm
• Billie: 4th in AM5 100cm; 6th in A2 100cm

Well done to both Bill and Pippa.

Dr Gemma Dale
Teacher - Biology and Science, Equestrian Co-ordinator

TEDxYouth@SomervilleHouse is an independently organised TED event, aiming to promote ideas related to C.O.V.I.D., or Courage, Opportunity, Vision, Innovation, and Determination.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

We hope that all attendees of TEDxYouth@SomervilleHouse will leave reflecting on the speeches, and therefore spark change in their lives, and the people around them.

• Date and Time: Saturday 26 March, 9.00am to 12.00pm
• Venue: Somerville House, 17 Graham Street, South Brisbane

CLICK HERE to register.

The JSSG, MYSG and SYSG invite all parents from Pre-Prep to Year 12 to celebrate the commencement of the new school year at the second annual All School Welcome.

Tickets are $25pp + Booking Fee* and includes your choice of hamburger or hotdog plus gelato and a drink (dietary options will be catered for).

Please click here to purchase your tickets. 

A quick, fun and spontaneous portrait created in ink, Ava’s intuitive brushstrokes expressively capture the spirit of her subject. Ava has emphasised the face and eyes, layering her ink and using bold marks.