Principal's Log

Past student Jess Hughes is a young person who has made the most of opportunities presented to her. Yesterday it was exciting for students and staff to have the opportunity to hear her story since she graduated in 2011. Jess has shaped an exciting career through a combination of her learning in the area of the visual arts, drama, Japanese, information technology, science and mathematics to forge a global career as a multimedia artist. She has exhibited at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, been recognised as an International Finalist Oculus VR San Francisco, exhibited as an International Artist at the Tate Modern in London and been a finalist in a range of other competitions in Spain, New York and Australia. She has taken up the opportunity to work for Facebook on a project, accepted the invitation offered by a charity to travel to Guatemala to look at ways her skills could be used to improve the lives of its people and is currently thinking about a project that would employ virtual reality to improve educational outcomes for Australian students. One of her more recent exhibitions in Bilbao, titled ‘Innovative Ideas Merging Art, Science and Technology’, showcased her time spent in the observatory gathering data and information for her presentation. Jess has also built on the Japanese she learnt at school, taking advantage of exchange opportunities and exhibiting in Japan as well. Her quote at the top of her CV reads, “Because the people who are crazy enough in the world to think they can change the world, are the ones who do” –Apple.

This weekend our Head of Year 6-12 Japanese, Mrs Michiko Hauser will be presenting at the Australian Curriculum Conference for languages in Brisbane. She is one of only a small number of language teachers from across Queensland invited to present at the conference. We congratulate Mrs Hauser and wish her all the best for her presentation.

Staff and students involved in the senior musical production of Sideshow enjoyed honing their skills at the production camp held at Luther Heights over the weekend. Past students Rachael Kearney and Nina Kerridge joined Mrs Janine Delaney, Mr Adrian King, Mrs Aleisha Tuaine and Mrs Julie Darr in leading the students through their rehearsals. Students also received expert help from industry professional, Lucy Clough, which greatly added to the experience for our young people. Thank you to the staff, cast, crew and parents for their support of this new initiative.

We look forward to coming together as a community for the International Women’s Day Breakfast on Friday morning and then enjoying a lively evening of fun at the Barn Dance on Friday night.

May God grant us the optimism to grasp opportunities as they arise and the grace and humility to listen carefully for ways to unleash the potential within ourselves and others for better ways of being and doing.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal