In this issue

Newsletter Article: Term 1, Week 2 2024

Welcome back to the new year. I am delighted to be back alongside our inspiring Principal – Mr Daniel Crump for 2024. I also look forward to working in partnership with all in our Stuartholme community to offer a Sacred Heart Education that enables every child to leave the world a little better than they found it.

It has been an absolute delight to connect with many of you in person at the start of year functions and parent evenings over the last couple of weeks and I look forward to many more opportunities throughout the year.

Building community as a Christian Value:

 This year our focus goal is building community as a Christian value. During Staff Week, we engaged in formation experiences around this theme and were encouraged to consider how we bring this to life through our daily practices at Stuartholme.

The concept that I shared with our staff that deeply resonated with me, revolves around the profound commitment to uphold the charism of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. It underscores our collective endeavour in stepping up to the challenge of shaping young women to make an impact in the world. This certainly cannot be a solo act. Rather, each of us in the school community has a vital role to play in unison.

Our Cor Unum at assembly last Wednesday led the way in articulating exactly how each of us can enact the courage required to achieve excellence in practice with their powerful theme launch – “Lift her up!”

Working together to encourage courage, compassion and confidence  

 Whether your daughter is in the opening stages of her academic journey in the Junior School or well along the path as a Senior, one thing is certain – the inherent strength of a partnership approach in enlivening our graduate vision.

Each of us has an important role to play so that she can develop the dispositions of a Stuartholme graduate. One who exhibits, the courage, confidence, and compassion to be an agent of transformation in the world and demonstrate resilience in the face of challenges.

It will be important to continue to work together as a school community to drive our tradition of excellence through outstanding student outcomes and equitable access to education. In this way, Stuartholme will remain a leader in girls’ education, turning out graduates with the skills required to thrive beyond school and make a global impact.

Best wishes for a successful 2024.

Deborah Lonsdale-Walker
Deputy Principal

Newsletter Article: Term 1, Week 2

Building Community as a Christian Value

Faith, Hope and Love are at the heart of building community. “Love” is summed up in Mother Madeleine Sophie Barat’s original inspiration: “One Heart and one mind in the heart of Jesus.”

St Madeleine Sophie Barat

A special welcome to 2024! I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of our community and the local area as 2024 begins with a sense of energy, joy and spirit!

It has been wonderful to make new relationships and renew and strengthen old friendships at Stuartholme.  I feel very welcomed along with our new staff commencing at Stuartholme School.

My name is Andrew Beiers and am married to musician, Jane Massingham. I have two daughters, Gabrielle and Helena. I have a great passion for social justice, story-telling, service learning, the creative arts, sport and First Nations’ spirituality.  I would encourage you to make yourself known as I appreciate the opportunity to hear your stories and the story of this community. See you soon!

Our Sacred Heart Tradition

It was heart warming for me to meet up with Sr Rita Carroll who I had previously worked with on retreats some years ago.  Sr Rita shared some important insights with me about Sacred Heart spirituality and how the community of the Society of the Sacred Heart embraces the five goals of Sacred Heart Education:

1. A personal and active faith in God;
2. A deep respect for intellectual values;
3. Building community as a Christian value;
4. A social awareness that impels us to action;
5. Personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.

This year, our Focus Goal is:

Building community as a Christian value.  

Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat’s desire was that every student of a Sacred Heart School, and many others through them, should come to know that they are personally loved by God. She believed that this would enable them to grow to fulfilment as persons and to be life-bearers to others. For her and for us today, education is a work of faith.

Working together in Faith, Hope and Love

We work together to develop and grow this Sacred education founded on faith, hope and love to support and nurture your daughter’s whole being and life-long journey.

I want to sign off with this beautiful quote “Do Not be afraid to offer a timely word of Faith, broken and shared: your faith.

Blessings for the year ahead,

Andrew Beiers
Dean of Mission

References: Religious of the Sacred Heart. 1994. The Heart of our God: Documentary Sources of the Goals.

Newsletter Article: Term 1, Week 2 2024

The beginning of a new school year is a time of excitement and optimism and a time to come together to reconnect and welcome new members of our community.  One of the highlights for me so far was joining our Year 5 students and families in singing “Spirit of Cor Unum” at the Embrace ceremony.  ​The song goes, “Be brave.  Believe…   Be Strong.  Succeed…   Be wise and free.”  These words beautifully capture what “academic courage” looks like for a Stuartholme student:

​Be brave by asking and answering lots of questions.  We embrace co-agency and want our scholars to be active participants in their learning.  In class, teachers will encourage students to use a variety of Thinking Routines and the “three before me” strategy which involves them asking questions of each other and seeking answers through research to find solutions before confirming their understanding with their teacher. This helps students to build confidence and develop their metacognitive skills. ​

​Believe that students are not expected to get it on the first go or even the second or third goes!  Research tells us that it takes about 21 days of learning or 50 repetitions to form a new habit.  Practise is key which is why homework is important.  Students should still be doing a bit of practise each day even if their teacher has not set specific homework.  Revisiting questions from class, summarising notes, and pre-reading for the next day all help students develop a solid study routine. ​

​Be strong – we know that physical strength takes time to develop and that we often stumble along the way towards achieving our sporting goals.  We should apply the same approach to developing academic strength as well.  At Stuartholme, we encourage our students to adopt a growth mindset and to embrace failing as an important part of the learning process.  Throughout the year, students will engage in Academic Skills sessions embedded in our Wise Wellness program to help them to develop the tools they need to strengthen their performance and achieve their individual academic goals. ​

​Succeed by remembering that everyone grows at their own rate.  Sometimes, students feel that they are only successful if they achieve an A result or receive an award on assembly.  We want our students to know that success also looks like improving from a B to a B+, persevering when learning something new, and coming to school prepared for learning every day.  We encourage students to become comfortable with talking about what challenges them to build academic resilience through reflection.  ​

​Be wise and free – Socrates says that “wisdom is knowing you know nothing” and this may be exactly how our students feel as they a new school year.  Most of what they need to know is available in their student diary, on myStuartholme or in their class OneNotes.  The Semester One assessment calendar will be released next week.  I shows the due dates for all their assignments and exams in Terms 1 and 2.  Adding these dates to a shared family calendar is helpful to support students to manage their schoolwork, cocurriculars and other commitments in their life.  Free time is also important here and, like most things in life, it is all about balance. ​

​If you have any questions about your daughter’s learning journey throughout the year, please get in touch with her classroom teacher in the first instance.  Our expert teachers know their learners well and are best placed to answer most questions you have.  You can find teacher email addresses via myStuartholme because our teachers are just as excited as students for the new school year.  We also have Parent Student Teacher Conferences each semester and we look forward to seeing you at the many other school events on offer throughout the year. ​

​

We look forward to walking alongside you and your daughters this year.

Annie Van Homrigh

Dean of Teaching and Learning Innovation 

Newsletter Article, Term 1 Week 2, 2024 

Welcome back!

Welcome to all students and families to our 2024 school year. There has been a wonderful buzz of excitement in the air, especially as we welcomed Year 7 and Year 5 students along with 26 new students across other year levels. Our community is growing!

I have enjoyed interacting with many parents and caregivers at our Parent Information Sessions over the last 2 weeks. For those who were unable to be present, you can access the recordings from the Live Stream Tile on My Stuarthome.  Establishing expectations for our students  and reinforcing the importance of our partnership with parents and caregivers is integral to supporting a journey of growth.. Our Leaders of Student Wellbeing spoke to parents about how they will be encouraging their cohort to step up to the many opportunities on offer this year . We look forward to working in partnership with both you and your daughter this year. I reiterate my message about ensuring that we as adults keep our expectations high, care deeply for our young people, but always remain firm.

Wellbeing structures

Our Wellbeing structures here at Stuartholme provide our students and families with the necessary support for our students to thrive. Our Teacher Mentors play an essential role in the lives of our young people, setting them up for the day in TMG and quietly monitoring each students’ wellbeing throughout the year. Your daughter’s Teacher Mentor is your first point of contact should you require support. Our Leaders of Student Wellbeing are also a wonderful support as they over see the whole year level. Our Wise Wellness Program, driven by of Leaders of Student Wellbeing, is another integral facet of our Wellbeing Structures here at Stuartholme. Research by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) suggests that participation in a Wellbeing program can have positive impacts on academic performance equivalent to 3 months of additional learning. Our Wise Wellness program together with our Wellbeing structures ensures that our integrated approach between academics, wellbeing and spirituality enhances the potential for our students to flourish.

Cor Unum theme launch

Lift Her Up

The Cor Unum Captain Susannah Streeton and Committee members Rosie Sheehan, Mia Woodhouse and Stella Berge, were inspirational in welcoming all students and staff back to this new academic year with their 2024 theme launch  “Lift Her Up”, supported by the artistic talent of Alexa Rose (Year 12) and her sister and alumnae Grace Rose, who designed the logo.

The Cor Unum committee articulated the significance of this year’s theme:

“This year’s Sacred Heart goal of “Building community as a Christian value” speaks to this spirit instilled in the people here. To respond to this goal, we wanted a theme that celebrated the unique strengths and talents all of us bring to the table. Whether you’re a rower, a musician, a maths whizz, or public speaker, we wanted to create an environment where you all feel valued and rallied behind. With this goal, we wanted to honour our Christian values, especially Mad Soph’s vision for the school. But also, we wanted something you could use to cheer on your friends and celebrate one another’s wins…. Lift Her Up is also a call to action, a commitment to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate within our wider community. Mad Soph was a strong believer in the power of actions over words. Embracing this spirit, we challenge you to take part in social justice initiatives and fundraisers that can “lift” the lives of those less privileged than ourselves.”

Such a wonderful challenge for our community this year!

Working together to create the atmosphere for self-knowledge, passion and purpose

To support the students in settling back into school routines and creating the atmosphere for success, the Leaders of Student Wellbeing and Teacher Mentors have been highlighting “positive expectations” challenging them to:

• Positively engage with the school ethos
• Show self-discipline and dedication to academic requirements
• Be punctual to school and all classes
• Show self-respect
• Adhere to the school dress code
• Respect others’ rights and property.

Mobile Phones

Thank you for your support of the updated Student Responsible Use of Technology and Social Media Policy. Our students are adapting to having limited access to their phones at morning tea and lunch. Your ongoing support in ensuring your daughter has access to either an eftpos card or Flexi schools to pay for purchases at the café, is appreciated.

Blessings and all the best for a smooth start to the year.

Elizabeth Foxover

Dean of Student Wellbeing  

Reference: Student wellbeing programs improve academic outcomes – ACER Discover

It is with great enthusiasm and pleasure that I introduce myself to you as Stuartholme’s Leader of Learning – Mathematics. I have devoted myself to the education of young women in various Catholic Girls’ schools in Brisbane for my entire career and I am passionate about nurturing students in these wonderful supportive environments where they can be inspired to be the very best they can be.  I am also committed to continuing our legacy of excellence, and I am honoured to work alongside our exceptional Mathematics teaching team.

Some of our key focuses for the year in our Maths classrooms are the following:

1. The importance of Mathematics for all future careers.
   As Maths teachers, we are often asked by our students where they will use the content that is being taught later in life. For those who choose a career in the STEM field, this is obvious but for others it is not as apparent.  However, mathematics is important for all of us in developing problem-solving skills and is a gateway to cultivating analytical and critical thinking skills, resilience, and creativity.  These skills are not only crucial for academic success but are also transferable to any potential career our students may choose.  In an ever-evolving post schooling world, the ability to approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset is an incredibly valuable asset.
2. Embracing Mistakes.
   In Mathematics, mistakes are not indicators of failure but rather opportunities for growth and refinement. It is through the process of identifying and rectifying mistakes that true understanding and mastery emerge.  When homework has been completed and answers are checked and found to be incorrect, the best Maths students will then go on to determine the source of the error and rework their responses recognising the capacity to learn from one’s errors.  These students are then less likely to make these same mistakes under exam conditions.
3. Positive language towards Maths.
   The words we choose in our classrooms and interactions play a pivotal role in shaping the mindset and confidence of our students. Encouraging positive math language fosters an environment where students feel empowered to express their thoughts, ask questions, and engage in constructive discussions. The language that is used in a home setting is equally important. Every student can improve in mathematics through hard work. Mathematical prowess is not predetermined by genetics – it is cultivated through dedication, a growth mindset and commitment to the learning process.

I encourage you to contact your daughter’s teacher at any time during the year.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance as well.  We look forward to a successful and supportive experience for your daughter in Mathematics in 2024.

Kate Sargent

Leader of Learning – Maths

Sport News

International Women’s Day Fun Run

Did you miss out on 50% off tickets for the International Women’s Day Fun Run? Do not worry, we have you covered. Mater Hospital has kindly provided discount codes for our community to purchase a ticket.

Please click the following link to join our team and use the discount codes below Mater Foundation – Stuartholme School

Anyone aged 16 and above will need to register as an adult and use the code: STUARTHOLMEADULT

Anyone under the age of 16 will need to register as a child and use the code: STUARTHOLMECHILD

*Please note the promo codes can only be used once in a transaction and won’t apply to multiple registrations in the one transaction. To register more than one person, the registration process will need to be completed for one person and started again for the next.

Wests Junior Rugby League coaching clinic tomorrow Saturday 3 February

The Wests Junior Rugby League Club are hosting the Maroons for a fan event and coaching clinic and you’re invited!

WHEN: Saturday 3 February 2024
TIME: 3:00-4:00pm
WHERE: Purtell Park, Bardon
WHO: All junior athletes interested in rugby league are encouraged to attend. NRL Game Development team will be running a coaching clinic and plenty of Maroons players will be there to meet you. Families are also invited.

Check out the club’s Facebook event for more information: (20+) Maroons’ Fan Event & Coaching Clinic | Facebook

Congratulations Hayley for representing Queensland Metro 

Congratulations to Year 8 student Hayley who recently represented Queensland Metro in the U14 Regional Softball Championships in Canberra. Hayley and her team finished 3rd after a battle with NSW to narrowly miss the final

Ord Minnett Stingers VS Canada

Last weekend, Stuartholme School hosted the Ord Minnett Australian Stingers in an exhilarating two-game match against Canada. This exciting event provided students and the community with a unique opportunity to witness world-class Water Polo excellence right on our own grounds.

You can read more here Stuartholme’s Bright Future in Water Polo – Stuartholme School

Goodluck District Swimmers

Stuartholme School wishes the following 33 students the best of luck as they compete in the Northern Eagles District Trials on Monday 5 February.

Year 5

Emily Dowrie

Annabelle Edmonds

Penelope Rocket

Vivienne Woodbridge

Giselle Cid

Isabelle Kneebone

Grace Lamberth

Ella Parslow

Georgie Vickery

Year 7

Isla Anderson

Lauren Bethel

Lucille Bryant

Erin Ellis

Maddison Condon

Sophie Greene

Emerson Hughes

Year 8

Olivia Drummond

Polly Hewlett

Matilda Hutchinson

Cordelia Kemp

Isobel Rogers

Chloe Bell

Sapphira Cid

Hana Jamieson Takahashi

Emma Mitchell

Year 9

Phoebe Dredge

Amelia Edmonds

Katie Kneebone

Year 10

Ruby Wilson

Madeliene Gervais

Year 11

Hannah Howes

Ella Peberdy

Olivia Totten

Paige van Gelder

INAUGURAL PICNIC ON THE GREEN

Stuartholme School presents the inaugural Picnic on the Green on Saturday, 13 April 2024!

Indulge in an exquisite luncheon amidst the beauty of the Stuartholme School grounds, accompanied by live music from 12pm to 5pm.

Tickets will go live at 9am on Wednesday 14 February

Save the Date

Open Day 9 March 2024

Open Day is always a fantastic community celebration of our school and one of the best opportunities we have to connect with staff, families, and students. It’s a chance to showcase all the wonderful aspects of Stuartholme!

To RSVP to this event, please click here.

The latest edition of the Cor Unum is now available online. If you would like a hard copy please visit Main Reception to collect.

To purchase your ticket please visit Stuartholme School Online Community (ptly.com)

Enrolments will be contacting families during 2024 to arrange enrolment interviews for Year 5, 2026 and Year 7, 2028. If you have a younger daughter and you haven’t yet completed an Enrolment Application, please complete the Application Form as soon as possible available here – https://stuartholme.com/enrol/enrol-now/

If you are unsure if you have completed an application form, please contact our Enrolments Team by emailing enrolments@stuartholme.com.