Principal’s Log

Students and parents may be aware through the media that the Queensland Government has announced changes to the new senior certification process for senior students. The introduction of the new system has been delayed by 12-months to now commence with the Year 11 cohort of 2019. This means that the first group to experience the new system will be the students who are in Year 8 this year. The 12-month extension will provide greater time to rewrite senior subjects and offer professional development for teachers across the state. 

We are pleased to announce that Mrs Margaret Gunn who is currently Dean of Co-Curriculum at Brisbane Girls Grammar has been appointed as the Director of Staff from the start of next year. Mrs Gunn has had extensive experience in all aspects of the Director of Staff role and has been a passionate educator in her various roles. Her most recent experiences have included the Dean of Co-Curriculum and Head of Mathematics at Brisbane Girls Grammar, Coordinator of Mathematics and Coordinator of Sport at Siena Catholic College and Head of Subschool and Coordinator of Sport at Mountain Creek State High School. Across these roles she has also been a teacher of Mathematics, Health and Physical Education and Accounting. Mrs Gunn, who has a high level of passion for academic and social emotional learning and the development of the whole child through engagement in pastoral care and the co-curricula activities, is also a Level 2 volleyball coach. We look forward to welcoming Mrs Gunn at the start of the year and growing through and with her.

Later in the newsletter, in the Careers Department report, Mrs Natasha Purcell has included an important reminder for senior students about keeping work and school commitments in balance. Research has shown that up to five hours of work per week can mean higher academic results but more than 10 hours will mean that results will decline (Analezark and Lin 2011). This is a very important consideration for Year 10-12 students and their families, particularly as we engage in important learning and assessment over the coming weeks. Students will sometimes find themselves under pressure to take up more hours as other school age employees request reduced hours towards the end of the schooling year. However, working more than 10 hours a week is unwise. Short term financial gain at the expense of OP results can limit opportunities in the future or extend the time needed to be spent in tertiary study increasing the cost of achieving a particular pathway.

We look forward to celebrating Grandparents Day and being inspired by the student’s artistic talents this Friday. We wish our basketball teams competing in grand final games on Friday night and our kayaking teams participating in the Queensland School Sprint Championships on Sunday all the best. 

At chapel this week, our Mumba leaders reminded us, “it only takes faith as small as a mustard seed to move mountains”. May we all be encouraged to pray with confidence, no matter how small we might consider our faith to be.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal