Staff farewells

We acknowledge staff leaving our Senior School this week, with a farewell to Mrs Alison Walls (Library Assistant) after eighteen years at Somerville House. Thank you to Miss Victoria Albert (Health and Physical Education teacher), who is relocating to Sydney and Mrs Mary Trabucco (Teacher Aide – Learning Development).  Mrs Daniella Clever (Music) is currently on maternity leave and has advised she will not be returning in 2022.

We also farewell Mr Tyrone Barrett (Director of Tennis) and in the Junior School, we thank and acknowledge Mrs Robyn Lulham (Teacher Aide), Mrs Mary Stilianos (Administration Assistant) and Ms Felicity Addison (Music).

We also wish Mrs Elizabeth Allotta (Science), Dr Helen Power (Maths), Mrs Phillippa Comino (Art) and Mrs Allyson Down (Junior School Administration) the very best for their leave in 2022.  Ms Tess Millman (Junior School Teacher Aide) and Mrs Loxienne Sutter (Uniform Shop Assistant and Senior Boarding Supervisor) are taking Maternity Leave and we look forward to hearing the news of the new arrivals in the weeks ahead. We thank Mrs Vicki Fuller for her work as a Teacher of Drama on Mondays throughout Term 4 as she taught Ms Rose Isbell's Monday classes while Rose was taking maternity leave. Vicki will continue in her role as a Private Speech and Drama Teacher.

We wish all staff who are leaving Somerville House all the very best for their future endeavours and thank them for their contributions to the School.

Thank you to volunteers from the Parents and Friends’ Association

This evening our Parents and Friends’ Association will host a thank you to all volunteers in 2021. I also pay tribute and give thanks to the supportiveness of our parent community. We know that parents support us in a myriad of ways – “on the ground” in classrooms, through home activities such as hearing reading, monitoring online activities or supporting homework, being extra hands at social or fundraising activities, being at working bees and assemblies, attending excursions … and the list keeps growing. We are very fortunate to have this support – it helps us to keep improving.  Thank you, friends all.

2022 resumes

The School Reception will officially reopen on Tuesday 4 January 2022, with students resuming classes on Monday, 24 January, 2022.

I thank all members of the School family for your support this year and wish everyone God’s richest blessings for a peaceful, safe and Happy Christmas.

The gift of love.

The gift of peace.

The gift of happiness.

May all these be yours at Christmas.

Mrs Kim Kiepe
Principal

Patience is a virtue

At this time of year, it is hard to be patient. We are just days away from the summer holidays and some days feel like a bit of an effort to stay focussed. In our fast-paced world, where so many things are available instantaneously through our devices, we may become impatient when waiting for something.

The Bible is full of stories where people had to wait patiently for God to act. For example, Abraham and Sarah waited until old age for God to grant them a child, and the Jews waited 400 years for God to deliver them from slavery in Egypt. As we contemplate Christmas, we remember how long God’s people had been waiting for the coming Messiah; sometimes, we have to be very patient to see promises fulfilled.

What are you like when things don’t happen in the time frame you were hoping for? Are you a patient person? They say patience is a virtue, and in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, patience is listed as one of the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit; in other words, a character trait we can ask God to help us develop in our lives. When we pray for something that doesn’t happen straight away, we can be very disappointed, but when the answer comes later, we may forget to thank God. I remember a friend standing in her front yard with her three-year-old son as she realised she had locked herself out of the house on a hot summer day. She suggested they pray to God for help, and around five seconds after she had finished the prayer with “amen”, and she was considering what to do next, her son said, “Well, that didn’t work! What will we try now?”

We are encouraged in the Bible not to give up in our praying but to be persistent in prayer. Patience in everyday life and prayer can be very challenging, and being impatient can lead us to become angry and frustrated and say or do things that we later regret. If everyone were a bit more patient, perhaps we wouldn’t have things such as road rage or people fighting over toilet paper in the supermarket. Developing patience involves changing our perspective on things, slowing down and not expecting everything to happen straight away, being less selfish and waiting for others to go ahead of us and being tolerant of unexpected delays.

Being patient in waiting for God to answer our prayers is also something we need to learn to develop, and patience helps to grow our faith as we see God at work.

Have a wonderful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and a great holiday in readiness for 2022.

Ms Chris O'Gorman
Senior Chaplain

• Optional change to Winter Uniform this week.
• Compulsory change to Winter Uniform on Monday 23 May (Week 6) due to shipping delays
• Check hems and buttons on blazer and white shirt collar and sleeves.
• Uniform Angels will be out and about to help you.  Be on the lookout for them. 

We wish you all a happy and restful time over this school holiday break. We hope you have a balanced holiday filled with fun family togetherness, physical activities, lots of sleep-ins and social get-togethers.

This holiday season is a good time to review your family technology use, privacy settings, social media access and age limits, number of Snapchat and Instagram accounts, and the parameters your family intends to expect during holiday and school time, in readiness for the coming year.

Parents have sought advice to keep their children safe this coming holiday. We recommend Internet Safe Education Cyber Safety courses, which are specifically designed for parents and other courses specifically for students. These will give you the skills and confidence to know what will keep your child safe in this constantly changing environment, and especially during this holiday when they will be interacting online with their friends. Brett Lee is offering online courses for parents of different age groups and a bundle deal: four to eight years, nine to eleven years, twelve to fourteen years and fifteen to nineteen years.

May all the blessings of Christmas keep your family happy and healthy over the break.

We are looking forward to celebrating a stellar year together in 2022. We look to focus on our best selves working in best teams to produce best outcomes for all.

Together Stellar

Sylvia Ann Hewlett is an author, economist and entrepreneur, the CEO of Hewlett Consulting Partners and Founding President of the Centre for Talent Innovation, which built a task force of ninety global companies focussed on Leadership in an Age of Inclusion. A favourite ‘stellar’ quotation by a woman of substance who aims to create more inclusive leadership cultures:

Final week

The final week of the School year provides students with opportunities to consolidate their learning within subjects and strong social, emotional, and personal learning.  It is a time for building community and developing connections across and within year levels.

Timetabled lessons will continue throughout the week.

In addition, Year 7s will attend an incursion -  Character Builders and conduct a fundraising bake sale. Year 8s will connect with their Year 3 Sisters and attend an incursion – UPP Stronger Connections. Year 9s will prepare for and celebrate their Middle Years and attend an incursion – Socialising Safely. Year 10s will attend an excursion – RYDA Driver Education. 

Years 7, 9 and 11 will welcome the Year 6s to the Senior School in a special Crossing of the Oval ceremony. The Year 7s and 8s will celebrate the leadership of Year 9s in their Celebration Service.

Year 11s will engage in exams within Unit 3 of their final studies.

It is a time for celebrating a full year, building connections in their community and consolidating their learning.

Mrs Julie Brunckhorst
Dean of Student Wellbeing 

As I sit down to compose this, my last newsletter for the year, I am amazed by the speed with which my second year has passed. I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to yet another wonderful year in the Junior School: to the teaching and support staff for their dedication, professionalism and care of the students; to parents for their much-appreciated assistance and support; and of course, to the girls, for their hard work and enthusiasm in the classroom and when participating in the co-curricular life of the School.

I wish you a safe and relaxing vacation and a happy and Holy Christmas. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year, ready to embrace the new opportunities that 2022 will bring.

Year 6 Chapel and Presentation

I share with you some of the joys of the last week, including our Year 6 Chapel and Presentation evening last Thursday 25 November. Thank you to the JSSG Class Reps for all their organisation behind the scenes and to the staff who worked so hard to make this event a very special opportunity for our Year 6 students to celebrate the end of their primary schooling. 

2022 House Captains

We congratulate our 2022 House Captains elect, who were announced at our Junior School assembly last Tuesday 23 November. We thank our outgoing House Captains for all their wonderful work over 2021.

2022 Junior School House Captains Elect

CHISHOLM: Holly H (5A) and Elle M (5C)

DURACK: Gemma C (5C) and Olivia N (5C)

FRANKLIN: Elsa B (5B) and Maika P (5A)

GILMORE: Lucinda H (5B) and Olivia T (5C)

MACARTHUR: Amelia W (5A) and Lindsay Z (5C)

OSBURN: Zara B (5A) and Arabella S (5C)

Year 6 who started in Prep assembly

Last Tuesday, we were led in a very special assembly by our Year 6 students who started with us in Prep. These students each shared a special memory of their Junior School years. Together, these memories wove a rich tapestry of all the opportunities on offer and the fullness of life in the Junior School. Thank you, girls, for inspiring us with your presentation.

Prep to Year 2 Swimming Carnival

Last Friday, our Prep to Year 2 students enjoyed a day of aquatic fun with their carnival - swimming 25 metre freestyle, ‘frogs in togs’, backstroke and mermaids’ events at the Somerville House Aquatic Centre.

The carnival was based on participation and fun allowing the students to experience the spirit and competitiveness of a school swimming carnival. There was lots of cheering and applauding and plenty of splashing in between! Congratulations to all who participated – we saw much energy and good spirit with students challenging themselves to do their best. 

Thank you to all the parents who came along and supported their daughters and to the Year 5 students who were allocated official positions, including some pool work supporting the swimmers with their 25 metre swims.

We especially thank Ms Kym Phillips, who coordinated and organised the carnival and all the staff who assisted on the day, which was a great success and enjoyed by everyone. We share below some pictures.

Year 5 edible gardens

In Science, during Term 3, Year 5 students researched the types of plants that would survive and thrive in our climate and be ready to harvest in 10 weeks or less. It was an exciting day last Friday when students harvested their crops.

Many students used harvested items in a DDT (Digital Design and Technology) project where they created a snack or meal with locally sourced produce. Some girls took cuttings home, others rinsed and tasted them during harvesting, and the Junior School Staff gratefully received the remainder.  

Christmas concerts

A reminder of the timings for our Christmas Concerts this Friday 3 December – our Prep to Year 2 concert is 9.00am to 10.00am, and parents attending may take their daughter home with them after the concert if that suits. Our Years 3 to 6 concert is from 11.00am to 12.30pm, and then our day finishes. OSHC is available from 12.30pm if needed. Both concerts will be in VPAC and a reminder that there will be no parking available on campus at this time. Students are to wear Christmas attire on this final day.

We look forward to sharing the joy of these concerts with you.

2022 information

Stationery, texts and online subscriptions

As per the email sent on Tuesday 23 November from Junior School, we will be bulk ordering all stationery, texts and online subscriptions for 2022, and the costs will be included with your Term 1 fees.

2022 Class Allocation

We will be communicating 2022 classes with families early in the School Holidays.

First day of school – timings and drop-off procedures

The first day of school is Monday 24 January.

To help ease traffic congestion, please note slightly later drop off times for our Years 1 to 3 students on Day 1.  Siblings of older students can be dropped off at the earlier time and will be supervised.

8.00am to 8.30am – Years 4 to 6 students

8.30am to 9.00am – Years 1 to 3 students

Prep drop off times are 8.30am, 9.00am, 9.30am and 10.00am, and families will be allocated a time when we communicate 2022 class information. We ask Prep families to arrive at their allocated time to ensure a smooth start to the day for all Prep students.

You may park outside the School and walk your daughter into the Junior School, or drop her at the Students’ Set Down Loop. Staff and students will be there to assist as needed. Unfortunately, there is no parking available on the School campus.

Subsequent days – start time

On Tuesday 25 January and all subsequent days, the School day will start at 8.25am.

A reminder that Wednesday 26 January is a public holiday for Australia Day.

Thursday 27 January is the first day for Pre-Prep.

Afternoon collection

Afternoon pick-up for next year remains as per the times below.

Prep and Year 1 - after 2.30pm

Year 2 – after 2.40pm

Year 3 – after 2.45pm

Year 4 – after 2.50pm

Years 5 and 6 – after 3.00pm

Information Evening 

On Thursday 3 February, we will hold a Parent Evening to share information regarding the 2022 school year and specific year level requirements. You will be emailed early in Term 1 with details for this event.  

Mrs Louise McGuire
Head of Junior School

The last term is over and school’s out. Many students are going to think to themselves, “Now what am I going to do with all this free time?” Following on from Mr Smetham’s wellbeing tips for the holidays, here are some activities for families for the upcoming break. Sure, there are games to play, movies to watch, and friends to hang out with, but there are also plenty of productive things to do during the school holidays.

Set goals for next year

What do I want to achieve next year? How will I go about this? What do I need to set as a priority?

Watch educational YouTube videos

Storyline Online, National Geographic Kids, Finding Stuff Out, SciShow Kids, Kids Academy, ABCMouse.com, It’s Okay To Be Smart, The Infographics Show, Simple History

Watch documentaries

March of the Penguins, A Beautiful Planet, The Biggest Little Farm, Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, Imba Means Sing, Kindness is Contagious, Far From The Tree, I Am Eleven, Living On One Dollar

Find a cause you care about

Many organisations welcome interest or some extra help from the public. Causes like RSPCA invite people to help walk their dogs, Homeless Shelters invite volunteers to assist with cooking or serving food, visit an aged care facility to help with the elderly, participate in community clean-ups, help out at the local library, walk or run for a fundraiser.

Learn a new skill

Knitting, cooking, playing a sport, finding a new hobby are all new skills that are both challenging and fun.

Visit museums

There are many amazing and varied museums, both in Brisbane and around Australia. Take advantage of the holidays to visit a museum to learn about history, art, sport, music or science. There are many ‘wacky’ and weird museums that are also fascinating.

Learn to manage money

moneysmart.gov.au/teaching-kids-about-money

Write thank you notes 

Many people say “thank you” via text message or email. But few people write actual thank-you notes. This school holiday, become one of those people. Make a list of the people who have helped you in one way or another the past semester: friends, teachers, relatives, and family members. Thank you notes for Christmas presents is always a nice touch.

Learn about a country or new place

The world is a fascinating place filled with fascinating countries and cities. This school holiday, take some time to learn about the history and culture of a country or place you aren’t familiar with.

Learn about your family history

By doing this, you’ll discover interesting things about your family. Not only that, research indicates that people who know their family history tend to have higher self-esteem too.

Read

Reading increases vocabulary, interests, intelligence and general knowledge. 

Enjoy this special time as a family. Have a spectacular Festive Season and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2022!

Mrs Gaye Ryan
Assistant Head of Junior School – Teaching and Learning

On Friday 26 November, the Year 10 Legal Studies classes travelled to Boggo Road Jail to explore sentencing practices. Zoe H (10C) writes about the experience below. 

"We toured through the once operational jail led by an ex-prison guard and learnt about how the jail operated in the 80s/90s in comparison to modern-day jails. From touring the cells to areas where the “crims” just hung out, we learnt what a day in the life in jail looked like and how criminals and their minds acted. Stories were told of the great prison escape of 1989 with much excitement, and upon visit of the cells, we explored freely the once in-use cells, including that of Slim Halliday and learned the effect he had on this jail. We were taught the tips and tricks of how prisoners would bet (through a tennis ball), consumed alcohol, sneaked in drugs, protested and escaped under the watchful eyes of guards. Our tour guide, a past prison guard who had worked at Boggo Road for thirteen years, was a firsthand witness of almost all of the stories we were told. Upon reflection of this excursion, it is incredible how the punishment of criminals has changed and how much harder prison was back then. The punishment of pure “confinement” and literal bread and water will remain us in awe. This excursion not only was informative but a lot of fun and we all learnt so much about modern versus ‘olden day’ sentencing methods."

Congratulations

• Emily C (6D) - AMEB exam results - Grade 5 Oboe: A+
• Hillary H (9F) – AMEB exam results - Grade 8 Piano: A
• Harper H (4A), who has been appointed Concertmaster of the Qld Youth Orchestra's Junior String Ensemble
• Jiyou P (4B), who successfully auditioned for the Queensland Youth Orchestra on cello.

State Honours Ensemble Program - Primary

On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 November, twenty-five students participated in the SHEP Primary program hosted by the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. We have had a fantastic representation at the SHEP events throughout the year, including the participation of Ms Loreta Fin as ensemble director at several concerts. Congratulations to all students involved. Please click here to view full details on SHEP Primary. 

Mr Will Eager
Director of Co-Curricular Music

Athletics: Run Club

The girls had their last Run Club training session for 2021. Thank you to all the girls for pushing out of your comfort zone and turning up for early mornings twice a week to train together. Know that it is recognised and greatly appreciated. Thank you for your dedication and hard work.  

Mr Andre Sinclair
Director of Athletics and Cross Country

Christmas Holiday Strength and Conditioning Sessions

The Strength and Conditioning program is offering flexible training times for girls staying in Brisbane over the holidays. So, if you want to maintain your strength or try out gym training, this is the program for you. You can come to one, two or three sessions per week, but two sessions is ideal.

When - Senior School students 8.00am to 9.30am

Week 1: Monday 6 December, Wednesday 8 December, Friday 10 December
Week 2: Monday 13 December, Wednesday 15 December, Friday 17 December
Week 3: Monday 10 January, Wednesday 12 January, Friday 14 January
Week 4: Monday 17 January, Wednesday 19 January, Friday 21 January

When - Junior School students (Years 3 to 6) 8.00am to 9.00am

Week 1: Monday 6 December, Friday 10 December
Week 2: Monday 13 December, Friday 17 December
Week 3: Monday 10 January, Friday 14 January
Week 4: Monday 17 January, Friday 21 January

Where: The Murray Evans Sports and Aquatics Centre 

Who: All girls in Years 3 to 12. Sessions will programmed so that they are age group-specific.

Aim: To improve speed and strength specific to co-curricular sports.

Cost: $120 per student and $80 for current S & C squad participants (to attend any number of sessions)

Enquiries: Please contact Miss Freya Greensill at [email protected] or 0433 414 770. Please click here for more information.

Miss Freya Greensill 
Director of Strength and Conditioning

Term 4 Tennis Holiday Camp

Dates:

• Week 1: Monday 6 December to Friday 10 December
• Week 2: Monday 13 December to Friday 17 December
• Week 3: Monday 20 December to Thursday 23 December     

Times:

• Half-day option: 8.00am to 12.00pm
• Full-day option: 8.00am to 3.00pm 

What will happen on the day...

• Full-day: tennis/ multi-sport activities, swim and movie
• Half-day: tennis and multi-sport activities 

Where:

• Drop-off: Tennis Courts, Level 8 of the Foundation Building, Gate 1, 17 Graham Street, South Brisbane
• Pick-up: Full day attendees to be picked up at the Murray Evans Sports and Aquatic Centre, 4 Stephens Road, South Brisbane
• Half-day attendees to be picked up at the Tennis Courts

Who: all interested students, friends and family aged four to seventeen.

What to bring:

• Half-day: sunscreen, hat, drink bottle, tennis racquet and morning tea
• Full-day: lunch, extra water and towel

Cost:

• Half-day: $50 per day
• 5x half-days: $200 total (Monday to Friday)
• Full-day: $80 per day
• 5x full-days: $300 total (Monday to Friday)
• Private lessons also available by appointment/availability 

Payment Details: An invoice will be sent. 

Enquiries: Mr Tyrone Barrett, 0488 345 621, [email protected]

Staff: Mr Tyrone Barrett and Assistant Coaches 

Mr Tyrone Barrett
Director of Tennis