Stuartholme School is a member of the Queensland State Government’s Information Communication and Technology Gateway to Industry Schools project and as a result our community (Parents, Staff and Students) are invited to different events. The Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Gateway to Industry Schools project (GISP) is managed by the Australian Computer Society.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has a Queensland Branch based at River City Labs (RCL) in Fortitude Valley. Members of our school community interested in tech careers are invited to attend a free event on the Tuesday March 7 from  5pm – 7:30pm at RCL.

Leigh Ferguson

Leader of Learning- Technologies

Congratulations to Alexandra Larsson who has been named the top under 17 year-old female rider at the recent Mountain Bike National Championships. Alexandra took on the challenging mountain trials of Thredbo and took out the National Cross Country Cycling title, as well as Silver in the Relay and Silver in the Long Course.

An amazing achievement Alexandra!

This afternoon, Year 12 English students welcomed Australian journalist Gabrielle Chan, via Zoom, who spoke about her writing process to assist in their preparation for their next assessment item. Her extensive experience as the Rural and Regional Editor for The Guardian, and author of many public essays and non-fiction books, gave us a valuable perspective. She encouraged students to draft extensively, write from the heart and paint pictures for their readers to make their writing relatable and inclusive. We’re grateful to Gabrielle for her generosity in giving her time and advice.

Gabrielle Chan has been a journalist for more than 30 years. She began covering politics in the 1990s for The Australian at the NSW parliament and in the Canberra press gallery. She has worked for the Guardian Australia since 2013 in roles including political correspondent and Politics Live blogger. She is currently their Rural and Regional Editor. In addition to her regular articles, she has had essays published in the Griffith Review and has written two books, one of which, Rusted Off: Why Country Australia is Fed Up, was shortlisted for the 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and the 2020 Walkley book prize.

This week we have been celebrating the Library with many fun and engaging activities.

On the 14th February students celebrated Valentines day and Love Letters to the Library by face painting and having a dance off during their lunch break.

Congratulations to all the prize winners.  Georgiana Price won Monday’s quiz about how to research in the library! Bella Melville won the Library Lovers Week quiz!

We also held our regular book club today but in line with the library lovers’ week, we held “Speed dating with a book”.  The aim was for the students to find their perfect match and then to convince their elbow partner to read their book.

Dear Parents and caregivers,

This is a reminder to please check that your contact and medical details are up-to-date in the Consent2Go via the MyStuartholme- Update details tile

Details that are up-to-date also give photo permissions for student images to be uploaded to GeoSnapShot, a program that Stuartholme uses to share photos easily with families. You can access these images through Stuartholme.com.

Many thanks

On Thursday 9^th February, our inaugural Athlete Development Program student-athletes participated in a range of sport testing. In partnership with Science of Fitness, students participated in a range of tests to measure strength, power, speed, flexibility and mobility. This data will then be used to develop a training plan to enable our athletes to grow our individuals to be the best they can be.

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,

A date change has been made for the Celebration of Excellence. Please be aware that it has now been moved from Thursday 19 October to Wednesday 18 October. 

It was a special day last Friday as we celebrated Daniel Crump becoming the 19th Principal of Stuartholme School. It was also a day where we introduced our senior cohort of 2023 as leaders, where they received their Cor Unum badges to symbolise the beginning of their leadership journey.

If you would like to watch the lives-stream or download photos, please go to Mystuartholme.

The beginning of Janes journey started right here at Stuartholme School. You can watch “Stuartholme School student Jane – Aspiring Neurosurgeon”

Watch HERE: Double click to view

Janes success 7 years on

Jane McDonald knows a thing or two about getting her hands – and brightly coloured scrubs – dirty.

The 23-year-old had never been further west than Toowoomba when she volunteered for Bond University’s rural medical placement program in her final year of study.

“I had only ever completed placements following doctors around busy hospitals and watching procedures from afar,” Dr McDonald said.

“But I started hearing stories about students who had gone out bush and were thrown in the deep end, which really appealed to me.”

Before long, she was assessing mustering injuries, suturing farmers’ wounds, and transporting patients in desperate need of surgery hundreds of kilometres across the outback.

“Out bush, doctors operate on a fly-in fly-out basis, so people come from far and wide to receive medical attention,” Dr McDonald said.

“When we touched down in Thargomindah, many of the people were lining up to have their skin checked.

“At home, if a doctor doesn’t like the look of a mole or spot, they will send you for a biopsy and then decide whether to remove it or not. The whole process can take a few weeks.

“But these people have driven for hours and might not get the chance to see another doctor for weeks or months, so the instructions were simple – if you don’t like the look of it, cut it out and stitch it back up.

“Luckily, country folk are tough, so they didn’t mind that I was nervous and hadn’t performed many of those procedures before.” Dr Jane McDonald

Brisbane born and raised, Dr McDonald moved to the Gold Coast in 2017 to kickstart her medical career.

This week, she will swap scrubs and gloves for an academic gown as she gears up to graduate as a Doctor of Medicine.

She will start her career with a wealth of practical experience and deep understanding of the challenges that come with delivering healthcare in rural and regional Australia.

“When I was out rural, I saw conditions that I hadn’t been exposed to in big hospitals. A lot of conditions are treated early in the city and don’t have the chance to progress, but out there, people just don’t have the same access to healthcare,” Dr McDonald said.

“I worked within Aboriginal communities and got to understand the important differences between western and Indigenous healthcare.”

It was during this time, working in the remote communities of Blackall, Broken Hill, Merindee and Windorah to name a few, that Dr McDonald’s passion for rural medicine took flight.

“I worked directly with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) whilst based in Charleville. It was just an unbelievable experience and a great opportunity to see how they work behind the scenes,” she said.

“At home in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast, if you get hurt or you’re in an accident you can get to a hospital within half an hour. But out there, you have to figure out how to get a patient to a hospital that is potentially hundreds of kilometres away.

“I travelled with the RFDS and was tasked with assessing incoming calls from doctors and figuring out which patients to prioritise and whether we had capacity to pick up more patients on the way.

“There’s a lot of logistics and communication involved, and I loved every minute of it.”

Image credit: Royal Flying Doctor Service Queensland

During her placement, Dr McDonald witnessed the critical shortage of doctors across rural Queensland.

“Queensland desperately needs more rural doctors. There just simply aren’t enough of them,” she said.

“I’ve recently been accepted onto the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway – a program supporting junior medical officers with targeted training to operate as rural medical professionals.

“This pathway focuses on getting doctors trained and out into these rural communities so that they can start making a real difference.”

Dr McDonald’s rural placement was both an eye-opening and fulfilling experience, and one that she urges all medical students to consider.

“I had the sense that I was actually helping people. When you give someone the time and the equal access to health care, they’re very grateful,” she said.

“It also helped me immensely with my clinical skills, because in the city you’re often just watching someone do it, but out there, you’re the one doing it.

“And really, the only way to learn is by getting your hands dirty.”

Reference: Jane’s passion for rural medicine takes flight | Bond University | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

304293 SHS Mothers Day A4 v3

Earlier in the week the Year 7, Science 03 students dressed in their safety gear as they prepared to do a skills assessment to obtain their Bunsen burner licences.

They all passed successfully!

Stuartholme’s Sacred Heart 2023 focus goal, ‘to educate to a deep respect for intellectual values‘, was on display during lunchtime this week as Year 12 students supported Year 8 students with Maths homework.  Our Academic Captain, Grace Tupicoff, with the support of Claire Bowlay, emailed all Year 8 students to offer this opportunity to the girls every fortnight this Semester.  Interested junior girls are assigned volunteer Year 12 students to give them assistance. This program helps our junior students to take responsibility for their own learning and recognise their need for tutoring, and the seniors recognise how they can make a difference. Furthermore, this time also allows the students to understand that learning can occur outside the classroom whilst creating special relationships with our senior girls.

We look forward to this program continuing throughout Semester 1 and we hope that all involved will gain from the experience.

Birgit Holley

– Academic Committee Facilitator

Newsletter Article: Term 1, Week 4 2023

Courageous faith – open minds, open hearts, play your part

Last week we celebrated our Opening Mass and commissioned our Year 12 class of 2023. As part of this, I had the pleasure to offer the reflection on the Gospel, Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out on them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down as Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

I love this Gospel story because as Jesus is on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, surrounded by a crowd, he is engaged in one of the noblest professions there is – teaching. Through this, we see Jesus’ gift in expressing his holiness and mission through education.

You can picture Simon (who became one of his disciples) there with his boat, and he has made an enormous effort all night and caught nothing, and Jesus turns the disappointment around in a heartbeat when he encourages him to cast his net one more time. The catch was plentiful, and we see the people captivated and changed by his holiness and the attributes he exhibited.

It is evident through courageous faith; miracles can happen.

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat also chose to express the mission through the service of education, especially to the young. Faithful to her inspiration and, like her, open to new situations, we make her desire our own. This is the transformative power of faith, to make known the love of the heart of Jesus.

The Cor Unum committee has called us to enact this through their powerful theme – open minds, open hearts, play your part.

This year we are called to play our part and step into the light drawing on the bold, impactful, transformational, and joyful approach that enflames our Sacred Heart Mission.

With Jesus the teacher as our guide and the wisdom and example of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat firmly in our sights, I am confident we can create a bold and transformational future-focused Stuartholme narrative. One where Jesus’ example inspires us to cast our nets into deeper waters, just as Simon did. And one that is firmly shrouded in Christ’s love, where each child, for who our St. Madeleine Sophie would have founded the society, is formed to the best of their abilities to challenge a modern world and make an impact.

Playing your part

Over the last few weeks, connecting with our community through our Parents of Stuartholme (PoS) and many co-curricular opportunities has been wonderful. I feel incredibly blessed to walk alongside families who are so giving and supportive of their time and energy to support the education of our young people by playing their part. The first PoS was an excellent opportunity to set the tone for the year and enjoy hospitality together. I also thoroughly enjoyed joining our Deputy Principal, Ms Lonsdale-Walker, at the equestrian event hosted by Stuartholme over the weekend. It is terrific as we start the year to see the success of the students in this space and the team’s camaraderie.

In addition, it was quite exciting to announce to students this week that Stuartholme has been selected as the girl’s school to represent Australia at the Rugby Heritage Cup Pontlevoy, France prior to the World Cup this year. Our involvement is a significant coup for our school and a wonderful opportunity for our students as we move towards the 2023 Olympics.

I wish you all the very best for the weeks ahead.

Yours in Cor Unum,

Danny Crump

Principal

Newsletter Article: Term 1, Week 4.

Today, we celebrated excellence in learning at Stuartholme through our Academic Assembly which was also live-streamed to families.

Our assembly was a celebration of the achievements of the 2022 Senior cohort who have built on our long history of academic excellence and achieved the best 90+ ATAR results in the school’s recent history.

We are very proud of our 2022 graduate’s results which are extraordinary, and it was wonderful to have the opportunity today to congratulate in person these confident, compassionate, and capable women.

Some spectacular notable mentions we acknowledged this morning include:

• We congratulated Claire Abercrombie, Georgia Betts, Seoro Brady and Alexandra O’Brien who achieved straight A grades in all 6 of their General subjects (only 2.5% of state graduates received this result)
• A total of 17 students achieved straight As across 5 or more of their general subjects
• 21 students achieved 100% in at least one of their external examinations across the subjects of Ancient History, Design, Drama, English, Literature, Modern History, Music, Study of Religion and Visual Art
• 68 Diplomas were awarded, one Certificate IV, 18 Certificate IIIs were awarded, and 20 Certificate IIs were awarded
• 20 students who achieved an A overall within Applied/Essential Subjects including 14 students who achieved an A in every Dimension
• 11 students who achieved a Subject Score of an A within Short Course studies
• 6 students achieved perfect scores across the subjects of Drama, English, Music, and Visual Art.
• 4 students who achieved perfect scores in Internal Assessment of 50 for Science and Maths subjects or 75 for all other General subjects
• 3 students who achieved a perfect score in External Examinations
• 4 students who have been publicly acknowledged and noted by QCAA featuring on the Certificate of Academic Commendation List for 2022.

Our Academic Assembly was also a chance to acknowledge those current Stuartholme students whose academic courage and results will set them on a course to be part of a group of scholars like this being recognised in the future.

The achievements at our assembly are testimony to the inherent strength of a partnership approach at Stuartholme. Each of us has a role to play in supporting all students to achieve their very best. Staff, parents, and caregivers support students as they seek to take responsibility for their own learning and wellbeing. Our Cor Unum have articulated exactly how each of us can enact the courage required to achieve educational excellence in practice with their powerful theme launch – with an open mind – open heart – play our part.

It is no secret that at Stuartholme we support the growth of our students in all facets of school life from the moment they enter the Stuartholme gates, to when they leave us, equipped to make an impact on the world. Our graduates of 2022 are no exception to this.

Core to our focus and drive, are the hallmarks of the attributes a Stuartholme graduate will exhibit when the time comes to venture beyond the confines of the special place we call Stuartholme.  Our graduates are young women who exhibit courage, compassion, and confidence to be an agent of transformation in their lives and the lives of others. Through the creation of the Stuartholme classroom, where the values of a Sacred Heart education are at the forefront, we are providing our graduates with the foundation to be collaborative, critical, and creative thinkers and leaders who demonstrate resilience in the face of challenge.  And, as our 2022 graduates are already characterizing in their post school pathways – one who recognizes that learning is a lifelong endeavour which can be sustained through a deep spiritual connection with the Sacred Heart charism.

The search for meaning and truth using both minds and hearts to know, was a core purpose for our founder St Madeline Sophie Barat and one we continue to foster at Stuartholme every day.

The achievements we acknowledged at our Academic assembly this morning, reflect the dedication and hard work of our staff and students, and the quality of the teaching and unique learning opportunities provided at our School that breathe life into this core purpose in a modern context.

Deborah Lonsdale-Walker

Deputy Principal 

If I had my life over again, I would live it more according to the Holy Spirit. 

Last Friday, our community came together for a celebration of the Eucharist to mark the beginning of our 2023 school year. This liturgical act unites us with our international Sacred Heart family. Throughout the globe, Sacred Heart schools begin each academic year by invoking the Holy Spirit. Additionally, this annual tradition unites us with our foundress, St Madeleine Sophie, a woman attuned to the Holy Spirit dwelling deep within who once wrote, “If I had my life over again, I would live it more according to the Holy Spirit.” Sophie’s hope for both Sacred Heart educators and students was that the process of educating would strengthen their sensitivity to the Spirit dwelling within their hearts.  

Sensitivity to the Spirit enables us to see our common humanity and our profound connection with all creation. It shapes our perspective, school practices and traditions, and inspires us to see that relationships are the means through which love is given and received. The Spirit inspires us to see education as a process of transformation and a great work of love. 

One of the great traditions of this eucharistic celebration is the induction of our senior cohort as leaders of our community. Called by name, every Year 12 student comes forward to receive their Cor Unum badge from the Principal. They then stand united as they dedicate themselves to serve as leaders of our community with the following pledge: 

As the Senior Class of 2023, we proudly accept these Cor Unum badges. In doing so, we commit ourselves to living wholeheartedly the Sacred Heart goals by nurturing our faith, dedicating ourselves to our learning journey, building our school community, being active global citizens and growing in personal wisdom. With God’s grace, we will strive to live out our school’s motto, Cor Unum, as servant leaders of our Stuartholme community. 

Liturgical moments and rituals such as this are essential aspects of our faith, and the way in which we sustain the spirit and culture of our school. For us, a community of the Sacred Heart, ritual and liturgical acts always point beyond the mere physical, to bring alive the presence of God in our world. They also teach our students the importance of reverence and having a sense of occasion. As 2023 continues to unfold, I urge you to engage your child in conversation about the various rituals and liturgical acts of our school, and encourage them to participate wholeheartedly. 

Peace and blessings for the week ahead. 

Justin Golding

Dean of Mission

Newsletter Article: Term 1, Week 4 2023

It has been an energetic couple of weeks as our school community finds its rhythm for 2023. Our students are responding well to requests to adhere to uniform expectations and we appreciate ongoing parent and carer support in this area. Our Cor Unum have challenged us to ensure we play our part this year, and adhering to our Positive Expectations is one simple but important way of doing this.

Mobile phone usage

Leaders of Student Wellbeing and Teacher Mentor’s have reiterated our school expectations regarding use of mobile phones and here is a reminder:

Year 7, 8 and 9 are required to keep their phone in their lockers unless exceptions have been granted for academic use. They may check for messages at morning tea and lunch time but only whilst at their locker. To support this rule, please ensure your daughter has a functioning flexi card to purchase from the Café (not payment by card on phone).

Years 10, 11 and 12 are encouraged to keep their phone in their lockers during class times. Phone use during break times should be kept to a minimum.

Monitoring technology

Parents can support our policies by ensuring you also monitor your child’s use of technology and implementing limits on screen time. This is a mechanism to protect the Wellbeing of our students. The increase in the incidence of cyberbullying in Australia is a stark reminder of why we as adults, have a responsibility to be aware of our children’s use of technology.  Research by eSafety tells us that 45% of Australian children said they were treated in a hurtful or nasty way online in the past year; 33% said they felt left out or lost friends; and 20% per cent said they felt helpless or powerless (eSafety Commissioner, 2021).

Be informed

The more informed we are as adults, the better equipped we are to guide our young people when issues arise. The eSafety Commissioner provides free webinars for parents and carers to enhance their knowledge, skills and tools to support  children to have safe, positive online experiences.

Below is the list of webinars for Term 1.

1. eSafety 101: how eSafety can help you. 21 March 7:30 pm to 8:00 pm

This 30-minute webinar is designed for parents and carers of young people in primary and secondary school.

It will cover:

• who we are
• what you can report to eSafety
• helpful advice and resources for parents and carers.

2. Getting the most out of gaming, 14 March 7:30 pm to 8:15 pm

This 45-minute webinar provides families with strategies for supporting children and young people to have safe, positive experiences when playing games online. It is designed for parents and carers of children aged 7 to 14.

It will cover:

• when gaming can be beneficial and strategies to promote better in-game experiences
• how to keep children safe online – using safety and privacy settings in games and platforms
• strategies to promote more balanced gaming and how to create smoother transitions from game-play to other activities
• the key online risks and where to find help for things like bullying and harassment in games.

2. Navigating online friendships, 22 February 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm | 29 March 7:30 pm to 8:00 pm

This 30-minute webinar is designed for parents and carers of young people in secondary schooI.

It will cover:

• how to support young people to have safe and respectful online relationships
• what to do when something happens at school and ends up on social media or private messaging apps
• how to report to social media platforms and eSafety.

You can register for these webinars at the following link: Webinars for parents and carers | eSafety Commissioner

A full list of webinars for the year can be downloaded here: 2023 parent and carer webinar schedule.pdf (esafety.gov.au)

Reporting online issues

It is important parents and carers are empowered to deal with online issues as they arise. Matters such as cyberbullying  and image- based abuse can be reported to the eSafety Commissioner. The following link will enable you to make a report as needed: Report online harm | eSafety Commissioner

Wellbeing Portal

For those new to our community please be aware that the Wellbeing Portal on My Stuartholme has many articles pertaining to Cyber Safety, Mental Health, Respectful Relationships Optimizing Success and Positive Coping Skills which you may find useful.

I wish you well as we look forward to Week 5.

Elizabeth Foxover

Dean of Student Wellbeing 

“Compassion is not a virtue, it is a commitment…it is something we choose to practice” Brene Brown.

Brené Brown on Empathy vs Sympathy – Bing video

As we know, an efficient and strong community rests on the active compassion of its members. Over the past two weeks, we have set the challenge to our girls and staff to be active in this area and to find and reflect on moments where they displayed compassion and also, the impact that this may have had on the other person or group.

What Is Compassion?

Compassion involves feeling another person’s pain and wanting to take steps to help relieve their suffering. The word compassion itself derives from Latin and means “to suffer together.”

It is related to other emotions such as empathy and altruism though the concepts have some key differences. Empathy refers more to the general ability to take another person’s perspective and feel the emotions of others. Compassion, on the other hand, is what happens when those feelings of empathy are accompanied by the desire to help.

Signs of Compassion

Our Boarders know that some signs that show you have compassion for others include:

• Feeling like you have a great deal in common with other people, even if you are very different in many ways.
• Being able to understand what other people are going through and feeling their pain.
• Being mindful of other people’s emotions, thoughts, and experiences.
• Taking action when you see that someone else is suffering.
• Having a high level of emotional intelligence so that you are able to understand, manage, and act on your own emotions as well as the emotions of others.
• Feeling gratitude when other people express compassion for your own hardships.

As we continue this challenge, we encourage all members of our community to join us in our compassion challenge towards our self and others.

From our house to yours, we hope you have a wonderful week ahead,

Jane Morris

Dean of Boarding 

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Last year, Education Ministers announced that NAPLAN would be moved to Term 1 in 2023 to enhance the National Assessment Program (NAP) as measures that allow teachers, schools, governments and parents to support students and ensure they are gaining important literacy and numeracy skills.  A copy of the Education Ministers’ communique is available at the ACARA website.

NAPLAN consists of four tests in total that students will complete online across Weeks 8 and 9 of Term 1.  All tests are held at school during lesson times as part of the normal school day.  Students will be in regularly timetabled classes when they are not completing NAPLAN tests.

The 2023 testing schedule is below:

Students must attend all NAPLAN tests in full school uniform.  The tests are held in the Theatre or Green Room (for students with extra time).  After the test finishes, students will return to normal timetabled classes for the remainder of the day.  Students must bring their books and materials for all timetabled classes each day.

Required equipment:

Students need to bring the following equipment for each NAPLAN test.  Equipment must be carried in a clear container – a ziplock bag is ideal.  Only the equipment listed below is permitted into the test room.

Essential equipment:

• Laptop (fully charged) and charger
• A set of earphones that are not wireless.  Bluetooth headphones, such as airpods, are not compatible.
• A pencil
• An eraser

Optional equipment:

• A pencil sharpener
• A water bottle (see-through with no writing or product labels attached)

Please also see the FAQ sheet in the News section of myStuartholme that provides additional information including details about applying for disability adjustments and withdrawals.

If you have questions about these processes, please get in touch with Lara Rich (lrich@stuartholme.com)

Annie Van-Homrigh

Director of Academic Development and Performance

Open Day 2023 is fast approaching!

Open day is always a great community celebration of our school and one of the best opportunities we have to connect with staff, families and students and showcase  all that is great about Stuartholme!

As always, this event requires all hands-on deck, and we look forward to the community coming together to support each other to make this event possible.

Parents and students are always welcome and encouraged to support and help out on the day. Please contact marketing@stuartholme.com for any enquiries.

On Tuesday 7 March the Stuartholme Alumnae are hosting their annual Women’s Day Breakfast. Seating at the event will be tables of 12, so you’re very welcome to bring your friends and family members.  If you would like to attend this inspiring event, please click the image below and it will take you to your ticket page.

A pathway to future success for our students       

Between 9^th and 20^th January 2023, Grace Clulow, Chido Munro and Josie Silins studied a first-year undergraduate STEM intensive unit at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

A bespoke opportunity for high-achieving year 11 students, Grace, Chido and Josie drafted their applications for the START QUT (Stem Intensive) Program and were selected from a range of candidates to enrol in the first-year subject known as IFB112 – Design of Computer Systems.

The START QUT (Stem Intensive) Program offered the students an insight into campus life and the differences between high-school and university level studies. The program finished with a final showcase presented by the students to industry thought-leaders, friends, and family.

The program was led by QUT academics and supported by current undergraduate students, one of whom was Elke Frecklington (class of 2020) who is in her final year of a Bachelor of Information Science.

Since completing the course, Grace, Chido and Josie will now receive advance standing (credit) toward their university degrees in the future – this will assist in completing their degrees earlier, placing students ahead of their peers, providing an insight into university studies in a safe and supportive environment, and ultimately setting students up for future success.

If you are interested in learning more about the QUT START STEM Intensive Program, you can learn more here: https://www.qut.edu.au/study/options/start-qut-stem-intensive

Applications for future participation in the program for current year 11 students will open in July 2023.

I really enjoyed the two-week QUT intensive course. It gave me a real insight into what Uni life was like. We had the opportunity to hear from QUT graduates who are working in the industry. This really helped me to discover what path I wanted to take after school. The teaching team were approachable and knowledgeable.  (Grace Clulow)

The QUT intensive course was an amazing experience which taught me much about how computer systems work – something which we often take for granted in our day to day lives. We studied topics such as how computers work, how programs run, and how the internet works. My end-of-course project was automated Twister, which was run on a minicomputer and utilised an infrared motion sensor and camera. Not only did I learn a lot about computing, but I also made many new friends and valuable connections in the technology industry, as well as got a taste of real university life. Overall, I would highly suggest this course to anyone who is interested in computing.  (Josie Silins)

Leigh Ferguson

Leader of Learning – Technologies

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Due to the delays Bus 2 encounters, resulting in students arriving late for school, we would like to trial starting the Bus 2 morning run 15 minutes earlier. If your daughter catches the Bus 2 network please be advised of the changes.

From this coming Monday 20 February, the new times for the Bus 2 route will be as follows.

Stuartholme Selected as Australian Representative Schoolgirls team for Rugby Heritage Cup, France

The exciting announcement today that Stuartholme has been confirmed as the girls’
school to represent Australia at the inaugural Rugby Heritage Cup (RHC2023) in France
this September was met with screams of overwhelming surprise and anticipation.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for twelve Stuartholme students to travel to
Pontlevoy in France to compete against 24 international teams, in the week before the
Rugby World Cup,” said Mr Crump.

“We are very proud of our Rugby Sevens program, which we introduced just three
years’ ago.

“We have some very passionate players in our squad that will be vying for a spot in this
team.”

Stuartholme School is an international School of the Sacred Heart. The Society of the
Sacred Heart is an international congregation of Catholic religious women that was
established by Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat in France in 1800. Sophie’s educational
approach remains relevant today, putting the students at the heart so they can be
challenged in a supportive and affirming environment to reach their potential in all
areas of development – spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, and physical.

“We are very proud of our French heritage and the opportunity to travel to our place
of birth, whilst also celebrating the 200th anniversary of Rugby,” said Mr Crump.

The tournament will be held 2-7 September 2023. To be eligible, the 12 players need
to be under 15 years’ of age and born between 8 September 2008 and 7 September
2010. They will be accompanied by three team officials.

“This is certainly an unprecedented sporting event,” said Mr Crump.

“Over the coming weeks we will be selecting our team based on their exceptional
athletic ability and ready them for this epic tournament on the world stage.”

The Stuartholme students will travel with Iona College – the Australian representative
schoolboys’ team.

-ENDSMedia contact: Danyelle Nolan (class of 1993) 0408 410 930

Congratulations to all our students and alumnae who received awards this morning at our Academic Achievement assembly.

244 awards were given to students who achieved academic success and our 2022 graduates who achieved outstanding results.

Our Deputy Principal, Deb Lonsdale-Walker said ” The achievements at our assembly this morning are a testimony to the inherent strength and partnership approach at Stuartholme. Each of us has a role to play in supporting each student achieve their very best. Staff, parents and caregivers support students as they seek to take responsibility for their own learning and wellbeing. Our Cor Unum have articulated exactly how each of us can enact the courage required to achieve educational excellence in practice with their powerful theme launch – with an open mind – open heart – play your part.”

If you would like to view the live stream of our Academic Achievement assembly, please go to mystuartholme.

If you would like to view more images from this morning, please go to mystuartholme or you can follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with Stuartholme School.

Publication of Semester One 2023 – Assessment Calendar

As is customary at Stuartholme, we have completed the process of migrating Semester One assessment dates into the school calendar, and this is now available for you to access through the ‘Assessment Calendar’ tile in the myStuartholme portal. This more personalised approach to calendar entries provides ease of reference with a hyperlink to each assessment item. Please note, when there is a change in the date for an assessment item, this will be communicated in advance and will be adjusted through the personalised calendar in the myStuartholme portal.

In addition, please note the following information pertaining to Exam Blocks for Year 9 to 12.

Exam Blocks in Terms 1 & 2 – Year 9, 10, 11 & 12 :

• Currently, all exams scheduled into the Exam Blocks appear on the first day of Exam Block in the myStuartholme calendar.  Once the Exam Block Schedules have been finalised, the schedules will be communicated in a separate document and these days will be updated in the myStuartholme calendar too. Assessment policy states that these schedules will be released two weeks prior to the Exam Block beginning. All exam block dates are in the Stuartholme Calendar, for your reference.

If you have any concerns or queries about subject assessment, please contact the subject teacher or Leader of Learning.

Academic Awards – Semester Two 2022

On behalf of the Academic Services team, we would like to congratulate all the students who received awards within the following categories:

• First Place Subject Award for Semester Two 2022 Elective Rotations in Years 7, 8 & 9
• Academic Improvement Awardees for Semester Two 2022 in Years 7 to 10
• Bronze Academic Awards for Semester Two 2022 in Years 7 to 10
• Silver Academic Awards for Semester Two 2022 in Years 7 to 10
• Gold Academic Awards for Semester Two 2022 in Years 7 to 10
• 2022 Graduate Awards for:
  • First Place in Subject Award
  • Perfect Score in the QCAA External Exam Award
  • Perfect Score in General Subjects for Internal Assessment
  • Achieved A’s in six General Syllabus Subjects
  • QCAA Awarded Subject Achievement Commendations
  • 90+ ATAR Awards

It was a privilege to celebrate the Academic Achievements of over 244 young women who have exemplified the spirit of Academic Courage in their studies at Stuartholme. Congratulations to all awardees.

We look forward to celebrating future successes of our students as the year progresses.

Kate Mellor

Director of Studies