In this issue

Working in partnership to help our children flourish

I am sincerely grateful to all our parents and caregivers who have worked together in partnership with us this term as we have navigated a range of challenges to our teaching, learning and assessment program. We have worked hard together to ensure the care and wellbeing of every student. This is right at the heart of our Growing to Great school improvement plan.

The research clearly shows that to optimize success for every young person each have an equally important role to play – our students, our staff and our parents.  Term 1 is certainly testimony to our capacity to rally together in response to these challenges as a school community and ensure a solid finish to the first term of our school year.

Continuing to learn and grow ourselves to pursue next practice

I was very grateful last week to participate in the Brown Collective course, ‘Leading with Integrity for Excellence’. It was a valuable learning experience and an opportunity to strengthen connections with other Catholic educators leading the way for young people. A highlight was the presentation from our Board Chair, Helen Spain, and Acting Principal, Daniel Crump, who presented an inspiring session highlighting the integral relationship between the Board Chair and Principal in a school. Lifelong learning and the capacity to grow are important at all stages in life so that we can pursue next practice. Towards this end, Stuartholme boasts an impressive professional learning program for all its staff, inherent in its 2021-2023 Strategic Plan to build a formidable foundation for the empowerment of young women. Interestingly, in unprecedented times where we are required to showcase agility, it has also been linked to our capacity to pivot.

It has been an absolute delight stepping into the role of Deputy Principal in Term 1 and leaving the Wellbeing Domain in the very capable hands of Margaret Devlin, the Year 11 Leader of Student Wellbeing. This experience has certainly given me a great chance to learn, grow and develop, and continue to optimise the learning and wellbeing of every student so that they can flourish.

I wish you and your families a blessed Easter and look forward to seeing you in Term 2.

Deborah Lonsdale-Walker
Acting Deputy Principal

During this upcoming holiday period, the Church will celebrate Holy Week – a time that is set apart for Christians to remember the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  This special week is filled with some of the richest and most ancient symbols of the Catholic faith. 

• The waving of palms on Palm Sunday reminds us that we are called to be followers of Jesus.  
• The feet washing on Holy Thursday speaks of the selfless love that we are called to practice in imitation of Jesus.  
• The veneration of the cross on Good Friday is a reminder, that as Christians, we believe that Jesus can overcome anything, even death.  
• And the lighting of the Easter fire in a darkened church on Holy Saturday point to the new life that is available through the resurrection of Jesus. 

Today, we remembered these holy and sacred mysteries through our own Holy Week Liturgy. The most important of all the symbols of this week is the Cross, which carries paradoxical significance. Whilst a symbol of death and crucifixion, the cross is also a symbol of freedom and new life through the resurrection of Jesus, one of the greatest mysteries of our faith. 

Another reality of the cross that touches the heart of our spirituality is depicted in John’s Gospel: 

 Since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe. For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled: Not a bone of it will be broken. And again another passage says: They will look upon him whom they have pierced. (John 19:31-37). 

This reading of John is central to the spirituality of the Society of the Sacred Heart. In writing to her Sisters, Sister Barbara Dawson rscJ, Superior General, reminds us that  

We are called to enter into the mystery of the open side of Jesus, to enter into Christ’s suffering and the suffering of humanity and allow the depth of this suffering to transform us from the inside out into people of hope. 

 This call extends to us as people of the Sacred Heart global community.  

It is not the first time, Sr. Dawson has urged the Family of the Sacred Heart to see reality through the lens of the pierced heart of Christ. In her letter on the Feast of Philippine, she invited us to “strengthen our capacity to contemplate and listen to the heartbeat of God in ourselves and in our world. May we, like Sophie and Philippine, be compelled by the love of the Heart of God, Jesus Christ. May we believe in a gospel vision beyond what we can see or imagine that ‘all may be One’ and act with courage, confidence and persistence to make this vision a reality.” 1 

We live in turbulent times – the impact of COVID is still being felt in the community; the recent devastation of the floods; along with the horrific scenes of war in Ukraine. As we approach this holiday period and the season of Easter, I invite you to take some time to ponder: 

How is the pierced Heart of Jesus touching my heart, opening my being? 

What are the “sufferings and hopes of humanity” that call me to prayer, invite me to cross frontiers, move me to commitment and action? 

Peace and blessings for the weeks ahead. 

Justin Golding
Dean of Mission

1 From: https://www.sacredheartusc.education/news-detail?pk=959533 

Holding a large amount of Gratitude

The benefits of both gratitude and mindfulness to a person’s wellbeing are scientifically proven. Both are integrated into the approach to wellbeing at Stuartholme, complementing the positive psychology model used as the basis for our wellbeing program as mentioned in my previous newsletter.

Cultivating gratitude doesn’t cost any money and it certainly doesn’t take much time, but the benefits are enormous. Research reveals gratitude can have these seven key benefits:

• Gratitude opens the door to more relationships.
• Gratitude improves physical health.
• Gratitude improves psychological health
• Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
• Grateful people sleep better.
• Gratitude improves self-esteem.
• Gratitude increases mental strength.

Relationships

Relationships that are authentic and meaningful maximize how we feel and increase our authentic happiness.

The upcoming break provides an opportunity for us to change the pace, recharge our batteries and refocus on a genuine connection with the important people in our lives.

The Harvard Study of Adult Development began in 1938 and followed 724 people over a 75 year period to find out what makes a good life. The three things they discovered were:

• “Social connection is good for us …. and loneliness turns out to be toxic” (Waldinger, 2015).
• “It’s not just the number of friends you have… but it’s the quality of your close relationships that matters” (Waldinger, 2015).
• “Good relationships don’t just protect our bodies, they protect our brains” (Waldinger, 2015).

As we embark on the holiday period it is timely to seize the moment to reflect on how well we are investing in our relationships and how grateful we are for these relationships. To live a full and happy life we must remember to:

1. Show gratitude
2. Be kind to each other
3. Try to limit conflict
4. Hold close those who are important to us
5. Include everyone so that nobody has to feel lonely.

I return to my role as Leader of Student Wellbeing – Year 11 next term but have enjoyed and am most grateful for the opportunity to have worked with the community as Acting Dean of Student Wellbeing this term.

I pray that you may each rejoice in the miracle, the gift and the promise that Easter brings and look forward to connecting with you in Term 2.

Margaret Devlin
Acting Dean of Student Wellbeing

Following safety concerns at the Jolimont drop off/pick up area, the school has installed signage to highlight where it is safe to drop off. There is also signage asking drivers to move to the front of the line before students are permitted to enter/exit the car.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Tickets to the 2022 Stuartholme Mother’s Day Lunch go on sale soon!

Last year’s event sold out so it’s time to get organised and take the day off to enjoy some time to celebrate being a Stuartholme Mother.   

If you want to sit with someone from the same year level as your daughter and you don’t know anyone please don’t be concerned there will be a year level table to book on.

Alternatively, if you would like to sit with a number of friends, why not start a table of your own and nominate to be a table captain, please contact Fiona Woodard on jfwoodard@bigpond.com.  

Tables are seated for 12 people. 

Please note – Year 12 mums, there will be an early release for you first so you don’t miss out, so be ready to book!

Congratulations to Eleanor Fraser who was selected to participate in the ‘In-Residence’ program at GoMA at the end of last year. Eleanor was one of only 24 students across Queensland who were chosen for the program based on the quality of her application artwork.

 ‘Creative Generation: In Residence’ is a three-day program that provides Year 10 students from across Queensland the opportunity to learn and experiment with new processes and techniques alongside a professional artist. In 2021, the ‘In Residence’ program was led by Auckland-based artist Edith Amituanai who guided students through the process of creating a series of images to represent their idea of place.

For ‘The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT10)‘ Edith presented a series called ‘La’u Pele Moana (My darling Moana)‘. Through still and moving image, she explores Moana (the Pacific Ocean) as a place of longing and aspiration, focusing on Samoans who have travelled — or want to travel — across this ocean to Australia. The series reflects on the complex feelings of connection and disconnection that we experience with place.

In response to Edith’s work, ‘In Residence’ students were asked to reflect on their own perspectives of place. Over the course of three days, the students used simple materials that included a paper mask, a piece of canvas, paint, and whatever they could find around them, to capture a series of images that express what place means to them.

Eleanor Fraser
Stuartholme School
Consistently Inconsistent 2021
Acrylic paint on canvas, paper mask, digital photography

Throughout the program I focused on the concept that ‘we will always be able to count on the change that place will bring’. In my artwork, the colour gradient in the sky represents periods of consistently inconsistent change that occurs throughout our lives. As we journey through life, the notion of place becomes ourselves because we are one of the few constant aspects of our changing lives.

The mountains are depicted in the form of a pyramids, differing in size and height, with the apex of the pyramid symbolising intensity of the challenge. The mask directly mirrors the changing sky, the notion that change changes us but allows us to grow further as ourselves. The form of the mask remains the same, while the colours change. The front on and bird’s-eye view intentionally positions the audience in such a way that they witness the colour change directly.

Source: https://learning.qagoma.qld.gov.au/creative-generation-in-residence-2021/

We have been blessed to welcome Stuartholme alumna and professional artist Ingrid Bartkowiak back to the Art Department to create a large mural in the revamped Art Court space.

Ingrid is working in conjunction with the Year 11 Visual Arts in Practice students whose Term 1 curriculum focuses on real-world creative connections and public art. Ingrid has collaborated with the students to design and create a mural that not only captures some of the beautiful flora and fauna in the Stuartholme grounds but also features silhouettes of the participating students. See images for current progress photos with expected completion (and updated images to follow) in mid-Term 2. Click here to watch the mural progression.

Samantha Martinuzzi & Pierina Curties

Congratulations to Jasmine Tupicoff who achieved the highest result in Queensland for the Australian Music Examinations Board Speech and Performance Grade 3 exams in 2021 and Trinity College London (Speech and Drama) examinations.

Jasmine has been invited to perform a the Barbara Sisley Awards on Saturday 4 June, at Parliament House.

Well done Jasmine!

The Queensland Government has updated its advice with respect to cleared cases of COVID-19 and close contact rules (see: After having COVID-19), as follows:

 In the 12 weeks after ending isolation

You are unlikely to get COVID-19 again in the 12 weeks after completing isolation. You are considered a “cleared case” for 12 weeks after your isolation ends.

During this time, if you get COVID-19 symptoms again, you do not need to get tested.

During those 12 weeks, if someone else in your house gets COVID-19, you are not considered a close contact, and you do not need to get tested or go into quarantine.

More detail about ending isolation and quarantine can be found here:

• Ending isolation
• Ending quarantine as a close contact
• After having COVID-19
• After quarantine as a close contact

Stuartholme School and the Sacre Coeur Association are proud to present the Exposition des Beaux-Arts – Art Show. Opening night is Saturday 13 August 2022.

We invite you to follow beauxart2022 on Instagram where you will see work by the artists in the lead-up to the event.

mnb

With busy preparations and excited faces, the Year 9 business venture on the 9^th of March was a successful, exciting experience for three Year 9 Economics and Business classes. Each of the business classes created a unique product – 9.1 made meringues, 9.2 made house packs and lolly packs and 9.3 created a bake sale. All classes sold out quickly, with their profits donated to Caritas.

This venture was timed to coincide with International Women’s Day and was themed accordingly, with the classes using this theme in their product, such as 9.1 making posters and tying ribbons around their meringues in the colours of the suffragettes. This venture helped us develop our business skills, as well as understanding how to apply our skills in a real-life environment. It was a popular event that made us use the skills of creating a business plan, working through production, and making the product attractive to the target audience. In class, we had learnt how businesses manage risk, how they “value-added” to a product and how they used “market research” to make the best product for their customers.

Despite some setbacks such as having to postpone the venture twice because of floods and COVID, we persevered and worked hard to make this a great experience. Overall, this was an amazing time for all of us, thank you to our teachers for helping us and everyone for supporting our venture!

Written by Zara-Jane Wicht, Year 9

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Here we are at the end of Term 1! We have packed so much into these first 10 weeks of boarding including activities that allowed the girls to get to know one another, recreation activities, movie nights, spa nights, ice skating, and lots and lots of milo!

The girls also loved to see their four-legged friends, Murphy, Lady and Winston, who love getting cuddles and a run around the Boarding House. I think Murphy and Winston are going to be especially pleased to welcome everyone back on 19 April!

I would like to pass on a very big thank you to the boarders and their families from the boarding staff. The boarders have all settled in so well to life in the Boarding House this year and made this term a truly enjoyable one for everyone involved.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter break with your loved ones and can rest and recharge ready for Term 2, which is always a term!

Some dates to keep in mind are: (full details are in the Key Dates section of the Newsletter)

• Tuesday 19 April – Boarder return and Boarder Parent Network Meeting
• Tuesday 26 April – Parents of Stuartholme Meeting
• Friday 6 May – Mother’s Day Lunch
• Wednesday  11 – Fri 13 May – Year 8 Camp
• Monday 16 – Wed 18 May – Year 10 Camp
• Sunday 22 May – Stuartholme & Alumnae Community Mass and Morning Tea
• Wednesday 25 May – St Madeleine Sophie Day – don’t forget to think about a costume while you’re on holidays!

Thank you again and we look forward to seeing you back in a couple of weeks.

Jane Morris
Dean of Boarding

On Thursday, 31 March, our Year 7s took part in Formation Day.  The aim of the day was to discover more about each other and being a Stuartholme girl with the ultimate goal of building a stronger sense of connection within the cohort. This would normally be achieved through their Year 7 camp experience which was unfortunately cancelled.

In small groups, the students rotated through activities including yoga, rock climbing, laser tag, an amazing race challenge and a session to learn our beautiful school songs; In the Spirit of Cor Unum and Coeur de Jésus.

To achieve a goal is a momentous occasion, something our Yr 12s experienced two weeks ago when we reached our fundraising goal of $35, 000 for the Cancer Council’s Ponytail Project. However this hasn’t stopped the cohort’s enthusiasm and passion for our upcoming rock the chop event, in fact we are now trying to reach $40, 000. The money raised so far could be used to help 7 families stay together in a different city whilst one undergoes cancer treatment, or provide 37 cancer patients and a carer 10 nights of accommodation, or support the annual training of 74 Cancer Council volunteers, or even fund over 700 phone calls to the Cancer Council’s free and confidential phone support service line with a cancer health professional. If you would like to support our Year 12s any donation will not only be celebrated, but invested in the ongoing care and support of those living with cancer – https://www.ponytailproject.com.au/fundraisers/2022stuartholmeseniors/qld-2022

We are so proud of our Yr 12 students and will continue to share their stories as to why they are participating in the 2022 Ponytail Project in the lead up to our 16^th May event.

Isabella Brown

The reason I’m doing the Ponytail Project is because I felt like it was a great way to help another person going through a difficult journey. My grandmother lost her hair during her chemo treatment and so doing this helps me feel connected to her also. I’m doing it for her and to help others suffering through cancer treatment.

Lily Beck

I am shaving my head for cancer as my grandfather, aunt and grandmother have all had cancer and my grandfather, unfortunately, passed away from it. I shave my head in solidarity with those who lose their hair during their cancer treatment and raise money for cancer treatment. I am glad that a small action for me, shaving my head, can have a positive impact on someone else’s life.

Thank you to everyone who attended the official unveiling and blessing of our Centenary Mural last night.

The mural was beautifully designed and executed by artist Claire Foxton, with the support of students from the Art Department and reflects a girls’ journey of transformation at Stuartholme with a focus on the Five Goals of Sacred Heart Education, in particular, Goal 5 – A personal and active faith in God.

The visual metaphor of a caterpillar to a butterfly was selected as the key symbol to represent this. Lily Flaherty (Year 8) is the first featured face as cars enter the tunnel, and resting on her hand is a caterpillar, representing the early stages of the Stuartholme journey. Brooke Tait (Year 10) symbolises the middle stage and her hands are cupped into a cocoon shape, representing the nurturing and transformation taking place. Alaina Walker (2021 Graduate) illustrates the third and final stage of the Stuartholme experience, with her hand raised having released a colourful butterfly to represent both a girls’ growth and her bright future beyond Stuartholme School.

Woven through the design are other symbols of the school including our Sacred Heart crest and keywords to represent our Sacred Heart Goals.

The mural was part of a project to support the newly introduced Visual Arts in Practice subject in Year 11. Students were able to draw valuable, practical and real-world inspiration for their first ‘Mural Design’ assessment item and selected students were also given the rare opportunity to assist in contributing to the mural and learning directly from Claire about mural design and execution, as well as how to forge a career as a Visual Artist.

Click on a photo to start gallery

Great work to all the students who took part in the Interhouse Cross Country today. We look forward to sharing the results with you shortly.

Click on a photo to start gallery

It was wonderful to welcome Years 7-9 Parents and Daughters to a special breakfast this morning.

The breakfast is an opportunity for the parents of daughters to get together and mingle with their daughters and friends. After a stand-up breakfast outside the Joigny Cafe, guests moved into the Theatre to hear from our guest speaker, Milly Starky, Class of 2019. Milly shared her story about what it was like for her at Stuartholme and what being ‘the best she can be’ and what the spirit of Cor Unum has looked like for her personally. We are so grateful to Milly for sharing her story.

Click on a photo to start gallery

Congratulations to our debating teams who have now completed two rounds of standard competition. This is a huge effort from our debaters, coaches and families who have responded quickly to draw changes, postponements, and illness, whilst balancing all the demands of school and assessment. Thank you for your ongoing engagement and support of debating.

This week we want to highlight our Yr 10 debating teams for their outstanding effort in their short prep debates this week! 10.1 as affirmative (Rosie Sheehan, Jenna Hanley, Imogen Foley and Susannah Streeton) and 10.2 as negative (Annabelle King, Ava Cheal and Lindsey Curl) both had convincing wins in their short prep topic – That we should incentivise women to pursue STEM rather than humanities. Well done to both teams!

It doesn’t matter if you have debated many times or not at all, if you are in Year 7 and are interested in debating for Stuartholme we would love for you to join our community! Nominations are now open for the Queensland Debating Union’s Junior Secondary Debating Competition, which our Yr 7s participate in.

Training for debates will begin in Term 2, with the first debate held in the second last week of Term 2. The remaining debates will be held in Term 3. 

The dates for Year 7 debates are:
– Round 1 Wednesday, 15th June, prepared debate (Term 2)
– Round 2 Thursday, 28th July, prepared debate (Term 3)
– Round 3 Thursday, 18th August, prepared debate (Term 3)
– Round 4 Wednesday, 7th September, short prep debate (Term 3)

A Stuartholme debater is expected to attend weekly coaching sessions (1 hour/week), and all debates. In the Year 7 competition, there are four rounds and no finals. You will be allocated an experienced coach who will teach you rebuttal skills, speech formatting and case development.

Debate venues will not be finalised until the draw is completed (normally the end of May), and venues are no more than a 20-minute drive from the school. Past venues include St Peters Lutheran College, Brisbane Girls Grammar School and Ambrose Treacy College. 

Please note, as debating is a co-curricular a fee of $235 for the season is required. The registration link will be sent out to parents once the nomination process closes. Teams will be formed based on students’ experience (each team will have experienced and non-experienced members) and training availability, which will be gathered through our online nomination form. To make team formation run smoothly we ask that training availability is listed correctly, with parents and students completing this section together. To nominate for debating Yr 7 students can fill out the online form available here. This form, and nominations, will close 3pm, Monday 9th May. Please note to access this form your child will need to be logged on to My Stuartholme. This form is only accessible through your child’s Stuartholme email and account.

In the final week of term, students of French from Years 8-12 enjoyed a ‘sortie au cinéma’ as part of the Alliance Françiase French Film Festival.

The films allowed the students to gain a deeper appreciation of French culture expressed through film and mingle with other students studying French. Topped off with a French pastry and drink, the excursion was an enriching way to cap off our French studies in Term 1.

Stuartholme’s very own op shop, Stucase Rummage will return in Term 2! JPIC will be accepting clothing donations from Week 4 of Term 2, so perhaps spend some time over the holidays refining your wardrobe to support our social enterprise and environmental sustainability.

JPIC will be accepting donations that are in good condition (no tears, stains, or stretched items) and will give 1 house point per item donated. Acceptable donations include women’s clothing, shoes, jewellery, hats, and bags. We ask that togs and underwear are not placed in your donation. JPIC will notify our community when our donation drop-off point is open and when Stucase Rummage begins. Thank you for your support!

After a very successful cross country this morning, students and staff farewelled Term 1 at our final assembly where we acknowledged recipients of the Sports Hallmark Awards.

The Sport Hallmark Awards recognise one player in each CaSSSA sports team who demonstrates many of the attributes listed below. The awards are nominated by team coaches. The recipients are not necessarily the best player, but rather the student who had the most positive influence on their team and played throughout the season with an impressive attitude.

• Excellent attendance at training,
• Excellent attitude at training and games,
• Respectful demonstration of good sportsmanship,
• Good team player who supports and encourages their teammates,
• 100% effort to be the best she can be,
• Consistently wears the correct uniform,
• Demonstrated improved skills in their chosen sport.

Congratulations to all the recipients.

Our swimming captain also presented the winning banners from CaSSSA Swimming Carnival to our Acting Principal, Mr Crump which included:

• 2nd 12&U team
• 3rd 13&U team
• 2nd 14&U team
• 1st 15&U team
• 1st 16&U team
•  2nd 17&O team
•  1st Open team
•  Champion All Age Relay
•  Champion Percentage Cup
•  Overall Aggregate Champions

After assembly, we held a beautiful Easter Liturgy, which was brought to life through drama performances and music. Thank you to all the staff and students who participated in the liturgy.