HONOUR POCKETS IN TERM 4

The Honour Pocket Committee wishes to advise that the Term 4 Honour Pockets will be sent out at the end of Week 4. Students will be notified of pocket eligibility via email from the Student Wellbeing Office upon meeting the criteria for General Awards. Students are then invited to apply for Special Awards regarding any co-curricular sporting activities not recognised through the District (Northern Eagles), Regional (Metropolitan West), State (Queensland School Sport) pathways. Special Awards forms should also be used to notify the Sports Department or other co-curricular areas of three years’ service award pockets.

If, your daughter is eligible for a Special Award (which includes service awards), she needs to complete the Special Awards application form after it is emailed to her by the Student Wellbeing Office in Week 5. Students will need to have the teacher-in-charge of the relevant department sign the form and then return the form to Mrs Gilchrist by 9.00am on Friday, 4 November 2022.

Blazers need to be handed in to the Uniform Shop on Monday, 7 Wednesday, 9 and Friday, 11 November 2022. Also, for your convenience your daughter’s blazer can be dry cleaned at the embroiders for the sum of $16, which can be charged to your school account if you prefer. You will be provided with this option on your daughter’s Honour Pocket form which you will need to complete before handing it in to the uniform shop.

HONOUR POCKET COMMITTEE 2022

Our annual Celebration of Excellence is happening next Thursday, 20 October and there is still time to grab your tickets to this event. This year we are excited to be able to invite our whole community to acknowledge and celebrate our students’ hard work, achievements and their contribution to our community.

Please note that this is a ticketed event, so please secure your seats via this link:

https://www.qpac.com.au/event/sn_stuartholme_school_22/

Parking will be available at the Cultural Centre not at QPAC and students who are receiving an award have now been notified.

We look forward to sharing this significant event with you all.

A group of lively Year 9 parents recently enjoyed a night together at Pino & Picasso, with much laughter and fun at Ashgrove, putting their artistic talents to the test.

Over nibbles and a glass of wine, it was great to see the unique and spectacular results of ‘Flower on Canvas’.

Many thanks to the Year 9 parent reps, Fiona Woodard & Rachel Robinson for organizing the night.

During the School holidays, we welcomed over 100 of our future Stuartholme girls to the school for Summer Camp. Our Summer camp program provided the girls with a fun filled day of activities and opportunities to familiarise themselves with the school and make new friends. Summer camp is one of the many initiatives offered to girls as part of our Transitioning to Secondary School  Program.

We have once again been able to access the services of a Milliner who can re-block and clean school hats.

Can you please check your daughter’s hat and if it is in need of cleaning, please place it into a plastic shopping bag with your daughter’s name and class on the outside of the bag. Please then have your daughter drop it into the Mission and Student Wellbeing office on either Thursday 24^th or Friday 25^th November 2022.

Cost will be $25.00, and it is to be placed into an envelope accompanying the hat.  If your hat needs a new trim as well, the cost is $35.00.  Hats that require further mending or is extremely stained will be charged slightly more and the money will be collected once the hats are returned to school.

Hats will be ready for collection at the beginning of term one, 2023.

Brisbane Portrait Prize Award

Congratulations to May McKenzie Forbes (Year 8) whose entry into the recent Brisbane Portrait Prize was awarded an ‘Honourable Mention’ in the ‘Next Gen’ category. May is a talented artist who comes from a creative family and so it is great to see her beautiful work so justifiably recognised.

This was her first ever entry in the awards, so it is a wonderful achievement!

Congratulations, May! We are so proud of you!

Year 10 Artist Workshop – Dylan Jones

The Year 10 students were treated to a workshop with the exceptional Brisbane Artist, Dylan Jones. Dylan is represented by Jan Manton gallery and captures people and places in both warm and cool tones and with thick, rich brushstrokes. Having a teaching qualification also makes Dylan a great communicator and he was able to deliver a workshop that the girls thoroughly enjoyed and using a Matisse image for reference. This workshop and the Excursion to GoMA and the Powerhouse to see the Brisbane Portrait Prize is designed to inspire students for their upcoming self-portrait painting assessment. See more of Dylan Jones’ work here: https://www.dylanjonesart.com/gallery

Year 11 Artist Workshop – Zac Moynihan

To provide inspiration for their current IA1 assessment, the Year 11 Art students visited GoMA and the Queensland Art Gallery, but also had the privilege of working with Brisbane landscape artist Zac Moynihan. Not only is Zac an exceptional, self-taught artist and recent winner of the major prize of $10,000 in Doyle’s Art Prize for the highly competitive ‘Landscape’ category, but he also happens to be a talented Instrumental Music Teacher here at Stuartholme! We are lucky to have such a wealth of creative knowledge on staff!  Zac introduced students to using oil paint, and how to employ specific techniques of traditional landscape painting, and the girls surprised themselves with the beautiful images they were able to produce. See more of Zac’s artwork here: https://www.zacmoynihanfineart.com/

Work in progress pieces…

Year 12 Creative Generations Awards for Excellence in Art 

We are so proud of our artists at Stuartholme and our Year 12 students have excelled this year. Mrs Martinuzzi and Ms Curties were spoilt for choice when they had to select just 4 entries for the Creative Generations Awards for Excellence in Art this year and were beyond proud to enter the works by Jayden Whitehead, Lily Beck, Grace Rose and Audrey Fraser. Each of these students achieved exceptional results for their high quality, conceptual artworks and it is wonderful to see how these artists have grown over the years to use their artwork as a vehicle to express their feelings about themselves and their world in such a sophisticated manner. See their work below and in the online digital exhibition for Creative Generations, Metropolitan Region exhibition.

https://www.e-award.com.au/2022/cgenvisualarts/gallery/gallery.php?id=1&sc=875&sn=&am=

Jayden Whitehead Lily Beck

Grace Rose Audrey Fraser

Samantha Martinuzzi

Details for Year 7-8 Readers cup finalists

Best wishes to the Year 7 and 8 finalists who are competing this week. Below you will find details regarding this.

Year 7 Final: 

Date- Wednesday October 19th

Time- 6pm for a 6.30pm start. Finishing between 7.45 and 8pm

Location- Hillbrook Anglican Colledge, 45 Hurdcotte Street, Enoggera, QLD 4051

Host contact- 3354 3422, lorisp@hillbrook.qld.edu.au

Year 8 Final: 

Date- Tuesday October 18th

Time- 6pm for a 6.30pm start. Finishing 8pm

Location- St Aidans Anglican Girls School, 11 Ruthven Street, Corinda, QLD 4051

Host contact- 33735962, k.lewis@staidans.qld.edu.au

A big congratulations to the Year 9 and 10 readers cup participants who competed this week!

During the holidays, the Stuartholme Equestrian Team had four of its members go to the Sydney International Equestrian Centre with their horses, to represent Queensland in their chosen discipline at the Marcus Oldham Australian Interschool National Championships. The riders who competed were:

• Bridgette Dalmau in Medium Dressage
• Chloe O’Rorke in 60cm Combined Training
• Sienna Pelto in 95cm Eventing
• Grace Anthony in 2* Eventing

This is a very impressive achievement as for them to make it to this competition, they had to qualify for the State Championships and then place in the top four in the state for their chosen discipline. Below each of the girls have written about their experience at Nationals representing Team Queensland.

Chloe O’Rorke

I had a lot of fun at the National Championships down in Sydney, it was great to ride amongst some of Australia’s best junior riders and meet new people. My horse, Brazil, gave me a great ride and I couldn’t be happier with how she took the long trip.

Grace Anthony

During the September holidays I travelled to the Sydney International Equestrian Centre to compete in the week-long Australian Interschool Championships with my horse Belltrees Nelson. I gained a spot to compete in the 2* (115cm) eventing and was also lucky enough to be named the eventing vice-captain for the QLD team. After having a few days to settle into the venue, the competition started with dressage on Monday, show jumping on Tuesday, and cross country on Wednesday. Overall, I was really happy with Nelson’s performance and my final results. It was a privilege to proudly represent not only QLD but also Stuartholme at this event.

Bridgette Dalmau

On Friday 23^rd of September, Chloe O’Rorke, myself, and my mum, loaded our horses, Cougar, and Brazil, onto our horse truck and started the trek to the Sydney International Equestrian Centre. It was a 12-hour journey, and our first stop was at the Coffs Harbour showgrounds, before travelling to Taree NSW, and spending the night at the showgrounds there. Early on Saturday morning, we once again loaded the horses onto the truck and drove the final 5 hours to SIEC (Sydney International Equestrian Centre). SIEC was where the Sydney 2000 Olympics were held for the equestrian disciplines, so the facilities are second to none and are based on outstanding grounds. We arrived on the grounds on Saturday afternoon and met up with the other Stuartholme girls and took our horses out for a ride, in preparation for the competition ahead. I wasn’t competing until the following Wednesday, so I had a few days to watch the other riders and help out the QLD team. On Sunday, we had the opening ceremony, before the first day of competition. On Wednesday I competed in the secondary medium dressage class, with the 4B and 4C dressage test. While I was happy with our performance, there were flaws in the tests, which resulted in us finishing 9^th in the field. While these were not the results I had personally hoped for, QLD finished as the winners of the dressage along with winning the most spirit award. The week was filled with lots of fun with karaoke and trivia for night-time entertainment, and the opportunity to make new friends from across Australia while watching multiple athlete and equine combinations succeed at this major competition! Once the closing ceremony was completed on Thursday afternoon, we left SIEC, and travelled home to QLD, and gave the horses a well-earned break.

I cannot thank the organising committee enough for putting an immense amount of work into this nationwide competition, along with the QLD captains for their leadership and the other Stuartholme equestrian girls for their support. It was a wonderful way to end the 2022 season, and I cannot wait for next year’s competitions!

Sienna Pelto

Competing in the 2022 Interschool Nationals was such enjoyable experience. It was the biggest journey I have gone on to compete at an event which luckily was easy and uneventful. I rode in the EvA 95 on my horse Tomfoolery R and we were lucky enough to end up placing 3^rd. This was such a rewarding experience however it was the Queensland team that made the event special and memorable.

On Friday 7^th October, we were invited by Professor Melissa Brown, Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland to attend the UQ Science Ambassador 22nd Anniversary and Awards Evening. This event invited schools who have participated in the program for 13 or more years. I would like to thank Sabrina Aggens Burchill, Isobel Tracey and Mia Polak for attending this event with me and receiving our award for 17 years of participation. This award recognises the participation of all students as ambassadors of the program, past and present.

Thank you, students.

Upcoming events and opportunities:

Queensland Biology Summer School (17 – 19 January)

The UQ Queensland Biology Summer School (QBSS) will provide you with a deep dive into contemporary topics in ecology, conservation biology, plant science, and zoology and how these disciplines apply to the management and use of our environment and the workplace.

Click here to find out more:

https://study.uq.edu.au/events/queensland-biology-summer-school#:~:text=Queensland%20Biology%20Summer%20School%20The%20UQ%20Queensland%20Biology,

and%20the%20workplace.%2017%20-%2019%20January%202023

Butterfly Survey at Dillingen Street and Merri Merri Parks, Chapel Hill

Time: Thursday 20 October 2022, 09:00 – 11:00
Place: Meeting Point: open grassy area between Dillingen St (near Lambeth Pl) and Greenford St, Chapel Hill
Contact: Jutta Godwin 0407 583 441

Description:

Join Brisbane’s Big Butterfly Count, CWCN and Merri Merri Park Bushcare Group for the first survey at two great rehabilitation sites with promising butterfly populations.

Everyone is welcome. We will have the Challenge Employment trainees who are working in our catchments joining us on the day. A great way of learning why rehabilitation is so important and what effect it has on native fauna, no matter how small or large.

BYO water, wear protective clothing and closed shoes. We’ll have the sunscreen.

For other count sites and dates: https://brisbanesbigbutterflycount.org.au/index.php/diary.html

Research Immersion Program (https://di.uq.edu.au/sparq-ed/research-immersion-programs)

The SPARQ-ed Research Immersion Program provides you with an opportunity to work alongside a dynamic group of scientists and like-minded peers on pressing biomedical problems facing society. The program is open to Year 10, 11 and 12 students with an interest in STEM throughout Queensland.

Over the 5 day program you will:

• Gain experience using the latest technology and techniques in our state-of-the-art PC2 biomedical research laboratory
• Collaborate with world ranked research teams on a live project
• Attend cutting-edge biomedical science research seminars
• Learn valuable academic research skills
• Showcase your findings in a research forum

Working in a team on a real research project, you will use the latest technology to examine, test and analyse your results, then discuss your findings with world renowned university researchers based at the Translational Research Institute.

At the end of the program, you will have the opportunity to complete two written tasks which are used to assess your suitability to receive an ATAR adjustment factor for entry into selected programs at UQ. Contact the SPARQ-ed team for more information.

To apply, please complete the SPARQ-ed Research Immersion Program application form (registrations open mid-November 2022) and email to sparqed@uq.edu.au by the relevant closing date. Note, there are sections that need to be completed by a teacher from your school, so allow sufficient time for this process.

Wendy Macdonald

LEADER OF LEARNING: Science

Last weekend the Stuartholme Rowing Parent Support Group hosted the inaugural Twilight Riviera Rowing Fundraiser at Toowong Rowing Club. The community enjoyed sunset drinks by the river, beautiful speeches from past and current rowers, Samantha Totten, Sophia Tully, Grace Bentley and Margie Betts, and a delicious dinner by Les Bubbles.

The rowing community were extremely generous in their support of our rowers through event tickets, raffles and live/silent auctions.

A big thank you to the PSG for hosting a fantastic event!

Emma McCarthy

Rowing Director

Excitingly, the Year 10 Future Problem Solving team has been successful in qualifying for the 2022 National Finals. The students involved are Laura Manson, Amelia Davies, Rosie Sheehan and Susannah Streeton.

Future Problem Solving, an international competition for gifted students, aims to foster creative, critical, and futuristic thinking skills in students with the ultimate goal in every competition of developing innovative solutions to issues and challenges that the world is likely to face in the future. This year, the students have investigated Water Supply, Building Green, and Insects. Their Insects booklet was outstanding and qualified them for the Australian Final which is being held in Melbourne this weekend.

The topic for the Australia Final is Mining and teams are presented with a scenario set in the future. In a two-hour lockup situation, they are to identify sixteen challenges, an underlying problem, sixteen solutions, write five criteria to evaluate their solutions, come up with their best solution and write a plan of action to implement the solution

The girls have worked very hard leading up to this competition, researching, brainstorming and demonstrating admirable collaborative skills while thinking critically, futuristically and creatively.

The girls are in Melbourne from this Thursday to Sunday the 16th of October.

We wish them the best of luck!

Lara Rich

Term Four is upon us and what an eventful term it is!  Our Year 12 students are at the front of everyone’s minds as they are finishing up their lessons and engaging in the final preparations for their External Assessments.  My words of advice to our senior students are always “take care of your brain and your brain will take care of your exams”.  Our Year 12s know that exam preparation began the moment they started Unit 3, way back in Year 11.  If they have studied consistently throughout the last twelve months, they should be feeling confident that their brains have stored all the knowledge required, they just need to give their brains the right environment to access all that learning under exam conditions.

Through our Wise Wellness program, students have learned a variety of strategies for managing their time and handling stress.  They have also met one-on-one with their Academic Mentors to discuss targeted strategies and have been learning subject-specific exam planning tools in their lessons.  During the External Assessment period, students should employ these strategies and tap into their support networks when they need to.

Parents of Year 12s play an important role in supporting Year 12s through this period.  I recently read a great article in The Conversation entitled, “Preparing for exam season: 10 practical insights from psychology to help teens get through”.  The article was written by Melanie Woodfield and Jin Russell who are academics from the University of Auckland.  They outlined research which shows that a student’s behaviour is a product of their capability (both physical and psychological), opportunity (physical and social) and motivation.  The students who are most motivated to study are the ones who believe that they are capable and are provided with the resources and support they need.  Conversely, a lack of motivation is normally influenced by limitations in capability and/or opportunity.

Woodfield and Russell advise that parents should “zoom out” to support their teen to study.  This involves supporting and encouraging their young person’s capability and opportunity to study, rather than forcing the study itself.  Their ten recommendations for parents include:

1.       Motivation fluctuates – ask “how can I create an environment where my teen will be a bit more motivated than they were last night?”

2.       Good foundations – sleep exercise and balanced nutrition are key

3.       Balanced thinking promotes capability – encourage teens to adopt a growth mindset

4.       Focusing on what teens can control – praise effort over achievement

5.       Reinforcing their worth, no matter what – separate who they are from what they do

6.       Behaviour as communication – do not take negative behaviour personally

7.       Worry might have a purpose – some anxiety may help to enhance performance

8.       Validate what you can – do not rush to solve the problem or rapidly fire questions

9.       Collaborating to solve problems – avoid doing things “for” and instead do “with” them

10.   Acknowledge to create habits – recognise hard work and reinforce positive emerging habits

For more strategies and practical tips, a range of resources can be accessed from:

·         Tthe “Student Wellbeing” tile on myStuartholme: https://my.stuartholme.com/homepage/4095

·         The QCAA: https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/assessment/external-assessment/preparing

·         Atomi: Study plans and timetables

For individualised support, students can book an Academic Performance meeting with me by emailing: avanhomrigh@stuartholme.com

Annie Van Homrigh

DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT & PERFORMANCE

Celebrating our wonderful Seniors of 2022

There have been many special events in our Stuartholme community to acknowledge and farewell our Seniors of 2022 this week. After our beautiful Goals Assembly, during the lunch break, our Year 11 House Captains coordinated the House Parties. These were an opportunity for each House to say thank you to their Seniors for their incredible contribution towards a myriad of events. This evening as a community we celebrate their graduation at our Vale Mass and Valedictory function.

The Cor Unum Committee was given the responsibility to choose a senior gift and made the decision based on a close link with the goal for this year “a personal and active faith in God”. They were also guided by the notion that it should have relevance for the students and wanted to make it a legacy that they leave behind.

The Cor Unum presented the 2022 Senior gift as a symbol of their gratitude for the community and the principles which have raised them and guided their lives over the past 5 years.

This year’s gift from the Seniors of 2022 is a spectacular painting embodying the Yr 12 theme “See the Rainbow, be the light”, designed by Indigenous artist Danielle Leedie Gray, herself an alumni. Significantly, this artwork captures a rainbow representing our school and wider community and the diversity our faith journey may embody, inspired by our 2022 focus goal.

It was a very special moment when we farewelled from the Chapel for the very last time our senior group. The whole school community warmly applauded our Senior class of 2022 as they departed through the Year 8 guard of honour lining the Stuartholme chapel to embark on a bright future which awaits them.

2023 Leadership Positions

As part of our Goals Assembly this morning, we integrated our Leadership handover where we announced the 2023 Leadership Positions.  I am delighted to include these in this newsletter. We warmly congratulate all the students who were named as leaders.

Thank you to our 2022 Cor Unum Committee

The Cor Unum Captain Sophie Howard and Committee members Greta Robinson, Holly Clemson and Angelique Boland have been inspirational in their leadership in 2022 under the direction of their theme launch “See the Rainbow, Be the Light”.

From the outset, they have exemplified the warmth and spirit that our community fosters, a love for each and every individual united in Cor Unum. We thank them for their outstanding leadership.

Stepping into Success

The Wellbeing and Learning staff continue to work in partnership to support students across all year levels to step into success.

This week during the final Yr 12 Wise Wellness lesson Ms Lonsdale-Walker, Ms Lacey and myself led a workshop supporting our students to remain resilient. We began by praying for wisdom and discernment during the exam period, did a deep dive into the components of resilience and concluded by workshopping a number of scenarios and sharing ideas to ensure our students are exam ready.

As we embark on Term 4, a reminder that we have a terrific parent portal offering advice and guidance on a range of student wellbeing topics. This is available through My Stuartholme and covers tips related: to mental health, optimising success, cyber safety, positive coping strategies, respectful relationships, study habits and helpful contacts.

Elizabeth Foxover

ACTING DEAN OF STUDENT WELLBEING

Student Leadership Handover, Goals Assembly and Year 12 Farewell 

It’s that time of year when we farewell our Senior Class. This morning, we gathered for our Student Leadership Handover and Goals Assembly where the Seniors of 2022 passed the leadership of the school over to Senior Class of 2023. This was also the moment where the school community farewelled Year 12. It was a rousing occasion with guards of honour, prayers, speeches, singing, the giving of badges and handing over of symbols – all symbolic acts of transition. This evening we will gather with the Seniors of 2022 and their parents for the Valedictory Mass and ceremony, a eucharistic celebration followed by the graduation moment where each Year 12 students will be called by name to be farewelled by our Principal and then welcomed into the Stuartholme Sacré Coeur Alumnae Association.  

One of the great moments of our celebration today was the address given by our outgoing Cor Unum Captain, Sophie Howard. Sophie has a gift with words, and has expressed beautifully the significance of a Sacred Heart Education for herself and her peers. 

Cor Unum Captain Goals Assembly Address 

“Come as she is, and she will be loved”.  

Love. With no better word could my Sacred Heart Education be defined. Traditionally a school is always a place of determination, diligence and passion. But what I have truly come to find about Stuartholme is the immediate love one feels. The love that I have felt throughout my entire schooling. The love that I have learnt to foster from within, and the love that has been provided for me time and time again.  

Being it our senior year, I can’t help but to think about our senior year in primary school, when we all fought over who was going to the best high school. After six years I will happily, and maybe with bias, argue the same thing.   

And after six years I will confidently argue that ‘to be the best she can be’, is not an empty promise, or a catchy slogan, but a commitment – that each student will be guided to optimise their academic potential, and in an atmosphere of wise freedom and encouragement, each student will learn to understand the world, themselves, and how they will make an impact as a young woman of the next generation. Not only does a Sacred Heart education provide an environment in which we can grow, but the support to do so, support from staff, parents and our peers. This is how every student becomes the best they can be.  

I see this no better exemplified by the Senior Class of 2022. We all came to Stuartholme as timid 11 and 12 year old’s in our parents hopes of us becoming the best we could be. And through the persistent support of our teachers and the unique, profound nature of our Sacred Heart Education, these 11 and 12 year old’s became young women of intellect, dedication and compassion. They became young women of tenacity and love.  

Of course, this could not have occurred without the consistently immense support we have been given. I believe the uniqueness of Stuartholme comes from its community, in which each student is welcomed, loved and valued. Stuartholme’ s local and global community has truly given life to the words “come as she is and she will be loved”. She is not only loved, but celebrated. She is the best she can be not because she is the textbook definition of perfection, but because she has individually, and through persistence, given her own definition to the words passion, potential and intelligence.  

Throughout my academic journey at Stuartholme, I have come to appreciate the uniqueness of intellect. What it truly means to be ‘intelligent’. A Sacred Heart education has taught me that intelligence and talent have no definitions nor boundaries, giving our teachers, parents and our peers the opportunity to recognise any gift, nurture it and allow it to reach its full potential.  

The impact of an individual definition of intellect allows the opportunity for passion to reside in each aspiring young woman, including myself and Senior Cohort of 2022. I have no doubt that each of us have fostered a deep respect of other’s intellect and more importantly, a deep respect for our own. That is where empowerment and change is cultivated, the belief in one’s own abilities, and the appreciation of the abilities that surround you.   

I often hear that a high school education should prepare a student for the real world. Not only has my time at Stuartholme prepared me as a young woman of the next generation, but reflected the real world, reminded me every day how humanitarian society can be, gave insight into the power of kindness and the importance of community. I have never witnessed more compassion, spirit, resilience and solidarity than I have seen displayed by the staff and students of Stuartholme. Never have I felt more warmth and joy then to grow in an atmosphere where I am truly accepted.  

I understand that the real world is not always a reflection of this hospitality and is often diluted by corruption and injustice. However, it is not only the Sacred Heart Society’s social awareness, but evident and eloquent action that inspires me to do the same in the years to come. It is in this way I believe a Sacred Heart education not only prepares for, but reflects the real world.  

A Sacred Heart Education has not only allowed me to develop respect for myself and my peers, but for God. Personally, an active faith in God means to establish a relationship of mutual love and respect. To develop an active faith in God’s provisional strength, and with this strength have faith in myself to pursue my goals. The individual experience of faith, a collective impact of this, is something our Senior Cohort strived to celebrate this year through our theme ‘See the Rainbow, Be the light’. I could have not been prouder this year, could not have witnessed better exemplification of those words – be the light. Each day, every one of you emitted kindness, generosity and fairness. Every one of you emitted light. It was through this incredible light that I saw the rainbow, a display of your individual gifts and strengths.  

I never really understood how significant and influential the five Sacred Heart goals would become until I was asked to reflect on them at various points throughout my senior year. Without knowing it, those five Sacred Heart not only defined my education, but the development of my character. While I have learnt important lessons in academia, the uniqueness of a Sacred Heart education is fostered from the natural lessons learnt through these five sacred heart goals, these five foundations of my character.  

Of course, my character also consists of the lessons I have been taught by my peers. Lessons in the importance of persistence and support. Lessons in the power of empowerment and solidarity. And most importantly, lessons of unconditional love.  

What a Sacred Heart education unknowingly does is foster an environment of love and support that it cultivated from its wise, kind-hearted and grounded students. Without knowing it, Stuartholme has provided an environment for us to grow together, to educate each other.  

I hear that phrase, and often use it admirably – a sacred heart education. But on reflection, I have come to realise it is more than education, it is an experience, it is an effect.  I believe we are not coming to the end of our Sacred Heart experience, but merely leaving the grounds on which we began this journey. It is this effect that will be held in our conscience and in our hearts for years to come, that will guide us as we navigate the world outside of Stuartholme as young women.  

“Let us leave acts, not words. Nobody will have time to read us”. Madeline Sophie, our foundress, perfectly captures the way in which our Sacred Heart Education has shaped us. Throughout our years at Stuartholme, we have indeed left acts of compassion and aptitude, to create change and pursue ambition. That is our legacy.  

And as we travel into the next stage of our lives with such drive and readiness, nobody will have time to read us, perhaps we won’t have the time to read ourselves. But we will have the memory of our years here, and the support and love we experienced will vicariously continue to support us. That is the everlasting effect of a Sacred Heart Education, a Sacred Heart experience. Everlasting support and love that will live in each of our hearts for years to come. Our one heart. Cor Unum.  

 Peace and blessings for the week ahead. 

Justin Golding

DEAN OF MISSION

It has been a real privilege to be Acting Principal for the first two weeks of term while Danny Crump has been overseas on long service leave. At the assembly to open term four, I shared with students how much I enjoy the many special events in our Stuartholme community at this time of the year.

As this article is published, we will be preparing to say farewell to the amazing Seniors of 2022 and offer our prayers and blessings as they move forward into their External Assessments and then beyond the school gate to the exciting adventures that await.

We also look forward with anticipation to our 2022 Celebration of Excellence taking place at 5.30pm on Thursday 20 October at the QPAC Concert Hall. All families are warmly invited to attend.

We are incredibly proud of the many achievements of our students.  In my recent address at assembly, I encouraged all students to achieve a solid finish to 2022 and offer my own blessing that they may feel deeply, the spirit and love for them as treasured members of our beautiful school community.  I thought parents would appreciate me sharing the key messages I delivered to our students.

A very warm welcome back to our final term of 2022.

Term Four is a very special term in the life of our school. It is a term filled with many significant moments.

Our Seniors embark on the home stretch with the joyful celebrations, external exams and farewell rituals associated with moving beyond the gates of Stuartholme.

Our Year Eleven students take up the challenge to lead the school into 2023 and maintain our fine culture and charism in their characteristic style.

Students in Years Eight to Ten prepare with excitement to transition to the next exciting phase of their schooling and the opportunities that abound.

Our youngest students in Year Seven step up with conviction to create to the space required to welcome our new members to the Stuartholme community in Week Three.

My wish for you as we embark on this final term is that you ensure a solid finish.

What does that look like you might ask?

Our Cor unum have challenged us this year to “See the rainbow and be the light”. Therein lies the secret to a solid finish in 2022, I think. Continuing to strive by being the light for others in this final eight weeks, just as God is a shining light for us. Sharing the incredible gifts that God gave you, and through this celebrating all our personal faiths as a community to carve one beautiful rainbow.

This requires two simple ingredients from you in this this final term – courage and confidence. In many of her letters and talks, St Madeleine Sophie Barat urged her sisters to have courage and confidence. It was well known that these were also qualities that she had in abundance.

So my blessing for you as we embark on our final term of 2022 is that you have the courage and confidence to let your light shine and role model the compassion of our founder, St Madeleine Sophie Barat. In this way, every single one of you here, staff and students, can genuinely experience the spirit and love of our school community, Jesus’ divine love in fact, and flourish as we move towards the Christmas period.

Deborah Lonsdale-Walker

ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

This week, we have been celebrating our year 12 boarders, who, within a short time, will bid our boarding house farewell. Many of our seniors have called Stuartholme “home” for the past six years so this is a momentous and significant time for our girls.

Please join me on a pictorial journey of our Senior Celebrations in Boarding.

Last Friday, our Recreation Officers, Miss Taylor and Miss Bree, accompanied our year 12s to Sandgate where they feasted on Fish and Chips and took a dip in the Ocean. This was a treasured and memorable moment as it signified, after six years of weekend beach trips, ice skating, visits to Nudgee and Marist, karaoke and cold rock girls nights in, their very last recreation activity as a cohort.

On Sunday evening, after their final mass as Stuartholme Boarders, staff gathered to honor the 12s at our annual Longest Last Dinner.

The next day, our current captains and mentors shared a dinner with the incoming 2023 Boarding leaders.

Last night brought our year 12 boarding community together, with the boarding house, parents and staff joining together to congratulate and celebrate our year 12s at our annual Boarder’s Farewell liturgy and dinner.

Jane Morris

DEAN OF BOARDING