Rockhampton Girls Grammar Newsletter

I sat proudly at Assembly the other day, alongside our Primary Students enthralled in and engaged by the upcoming Year 11  leaders delivering their Prefect speeches. What a wonderful opportunity for our younger students to see where they could be heading. What a wonderful opportunity for them to see what a leader at Rockhampton Girls Grammar School looks like and what a wonderful opportunity it was for them to set their own dreams and goals high. Many of the primary girls sitting in that audience aspires to one day be on that stage delivering that speech. At this school leadership is sought out and encouraged. That’s the difference.

Last week I spent the lunch hour spinning a skipping rope (or bouncing a basketball – you will often see me down there with the kids!). I smiled as I watched about 30 girls from Prep- Year 8 try and get everyone through without missing a turn. I smiled as I watched the older students hold the hands of the younger students to try and help them through. I smiled as I watched someone who kept missing the rope finally get through. That’s the difference.

Every week I spend time in the literacy block with Prep to Year 8 students. I watch a consistent pedagogy at a challenging level being delivered to our girls. I see functional grammar, feedback and challenging higher order thinking skills being delivered every day. That’s the difference.

The next couple of weeks we have some amazing opportunities and events for our girls. For those of you who are graduating – and for those of you who are relocating – enjoy every minute of these last few weeks. This place is special.

Michelle Gouge
Director of Primary

In her chosen sport of Polocrosse, Hannah Scobie has been selected to represent Queensland in a Mixed Intermediate Team (under 21’s) in March 2017 as well as having represented Queensland in Junior teams on several other occasions during her time at Rockhampton Girls Grammar School in both 2015 and 2016. She has also consistently played at a high level  at both Club and Zone level and plays club polocrosse for the Bauhinia Polocrosse Club.  Well done Hannah!

Photos supplied.

Introducing Sauni Ogomeni who has recently commenced at Girls Grammar as the International Liaison Officer concentrating on Papua New Guinea.

Sauni is originally from Kokoda, Oro Province and was one of the first high school teachers in PNG. Since moving to Queensland more than twenty years ago she has been involved in education and community development. Sauni has a passion towards quality education for young people in Papua New Guinea and believes education is the key to success.

Sauni is passionate about her new role and is looking forward to building partnerships with families and interested government and corporate groups in PNG who wish to know more about exciting initiatives in education at Rockhampton Girls Grammar School.

Our Term 4 Music Progress Concert will be held on Monday 31 October 2016 from 6.30pm – 8.00pm.  This is a great chance to see our Instrumental Music students showcase their skills.

Christina Bond
Instrumental Music Coordinator

Excitement is building for RGGS Parents & Friends Bulls ‘n’ Barrels Rodeo at the Great Western Arena on Saturday 29 October 2016. As well as bull riding and barrel racing, this year there are a couple of special events – Peewee Barrels for the really young riders, and a special buckle for the fastest time by a Girls Grammar student in the barrel race. Nominate now for events by phoning 0429 849 813.

The rodeo action will start at 6.00pm, with gates opening at 5.00pm. Pre-purchase your event passes from the  Girls Grammar P&F Shop now. Plus, by popular demand – there is the PINK TRAILER Raffle and this time it is full of hay  thanks to Laceys Trailers and the Salisbury family. Raffle Tickets have been sent to every family. Please return the tickets to Reception by Friday 21 October 2016 whether they are sold or not.

The RGGS P&F are raising money for CQ Breast Cancer Research and the refurbishment of the school swimming pool dressing rooms. If you can help on the night, please contact Noeleen Yates on 0407 734 091.

Are you tough enough to wear pink?

Robin Fay – P&F Secretary.

Over the school holidays, Raina Collett and Mrs Brooks were filming for a local feature movie.  We have movie stars amongst us!

The movie is titled Lost and Found.  It is a feature film that follows nine people through one week in their lives. New relationships are formed, current relationships tested and some do not get started.

Raina plays Tegan, the girlfriend of Kirk.  Kirk, the son of Jake, is doing everything he can to maintain a formidable father-son relationship within the broken marriage of his parents.  Look for Raina as Tegan interacts with Kirk and Jake, trying to make the most of her relationship with Kirk when he is allowed.

Mrs Brooks plays a character named Melanie who gets verbally abused by a Vietnam veteran in a wheel chair named Jake.  Watch to see how frightened Mrs Brooks can become, well beyond that of her trying to watch Disney movies. 

Working with local actors and crew, this film is set to showcase the talent and location of Rockhampton on the big screen.  We look forward to the red carpet premiere around May 2017.

Lost and Found on Facebook

Lost and Found on IMDB

What a spectacular event, the Middle School Musical was on Friday evening. Congratulations to the staff, students and families involved in pulling it all together. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and I even think my 14 year old son found some enjoyment in there too! The day prior we hosted two primary schools to a matinee final dress rehearsal. It was terrific seeing so many young people in our school hall. They too thoroughly enjoyed the show!

Our primary social is not too far on the horizon. The ‘Primary Prom’ will be held in McKeague Hall on Friday 21 October 21. I know Jasmin and her team of Primary Student Councillors have been busy planning an enjoyable evening. I do hope that your daughter is able to attend. The teachers have been sending out regular communication to our families about the many exciting events to be held over the last few weeks of school. Please keep a close eye on your emails.

Monday of Week 3 saw the Primary staff involved in a professional development day. It is a great opportunity where we can all learn together and keep informed about best practice in education. We  worked on curriculum planning and assessment and functional grammar.

This term we will see all of our primary classes participating in swimming. Please take note of your swimming day so that your daughter is prepared and ready to go for her lesson. With such a short term upon us I would hate for her to miss out.

There is a lot of planning that goes into Term 4 in preparation for the following school year. Please keep a special eye out for end of year requirements and information. As always, you are more than welcome to contact me any time should you have any queries or concerns.

Michelle Gouge
Director of Primary

Congratulations to Olivia O’Donnell who is undertaking a school based traineeship at City Beach and excelling.  Well done Olivia!

During Science Week in August, Kailee Butcher registered to participate in the Australian Science Teachers Association/Education Perfect Science Championships.  This online competition saw students from across the globe compete to answer the most correct questions in all Science fields, including Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences.

Kailee worked hard during the week answering 3609 questions correctly – a total of 10 hours competing.  For this she was awarded a Gold award, which saw her place in the top 2% of 50000 competitors world-wide, and a spot prize of a $50 iTunes voucher. Kailee’s efforts also afforded Rockhampton Girls Grammar the award for the Top School by Average out of more than 1000 schools, with an average of 3583 points per student.

Congratulations Kailee, another clever Girls Grammar student!

Year 1 and 2 girls performed ‘The Very Cranky Bear’ by Nick Bland on Primary Assembly. During Term 3 in ‘Read to Learn’ lessons, the girls read and thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Very Cranky Bear’ and decided they would like to make masks and perform it. They all did a wonderful job of memorising their parts and telling the story of four little friends that in the Jingle Jangle Jungle on a wet and windy day, meet a very cranky bear and try and cheer him up.

Corinne Shaw
Year  1-2 Teacher

The Queensland Schools Rowing Championships were held over the September school holidays. Bundaberg Rowing hosted the schools from all over Queensland and New Zealand for the Championships. Claire Sherry represented RGGS in girls U15 Single Sculls, Double Sculls and Quad Sculls. Very large fields contested each division including the U15 Girls racing – the  Single Scull had 125 entries! Claire rowed very strongly in the heats to progress to the quarter finals.  Claire also combined with Girls from Emmaus Collage and Whitsunday Anglican College to compete in the Double Sculls and Quad Sculls.

The crews did not make finals but said it was great to be out on the water with so many other boats. Another highlight was meeting and talking to Rio Olympian – Maddie Edmunds. Maddie encouraged the girls to keep rowing, as the schools regatta was where she had started her rowing career.

Rowing resumes in Term 4, and the exciting news is the new RGGS Rowing Shed is nearing completion. This will accommodate our fleet much better and allow for more girls to try rowing in 2017.

Rob Fay
Rowing Coordinator

Hi!  I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, and let you know I am here to support your girls as their School Counsellor.  My name is Annie O’Brien. I am a past school boarder, and it’s so lovely to be back!

I work across three different fields – Counselling, Life Coaching and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), meeting each child’s individual needs.  Currently, I am working in my Counselling capacity on Mondays from 9.00am-3.30pm, and my door is always open.  If you feel your daughter could use a little help with anything at all, please contact me on 0409 644 048, or email AnnieOBrien@rggs.qld.edu.au.

Annie O’Brien
School Counsellor

The Prep students are learning all about shapes. This week we have made Shape Monsters.

The girls have been enjoying writing letters to their new friend Fancy Nancy.

We have also been working hard in our focused reading groups.

Sheldon Olive
Prep Teacher

Welcome to Term 4 which will prove to be a busy time for academics across all year levels. This is of course particularly true for our Year 12 students who are nearing the end of their school careers and entering the next phase of their life. I actively encourage each and every student to continue working to their full potential through to the end of the academic year. For Year 12, this can have a significant impact upon final results including OP and QCE. For other year levels, this will have an effect upon the awarding of Semester 2 Academic Colours. I look forward to catching up with many of you at upcoming events including Speech Night and Graduations.

Dr John Fry
Director of Learning

The 2016 Girls Grammar Music Gala was a resounding success with students from Prep to Year 12 singing and playing instruments to an appreciative audience. This year’s theme was ‘Top of the Pops’ and each group took the audience on a trip through Pop Hits from the last few decades. Our talented teacher group surprised the audience with ‘Chariots of Fire’ as the finale. We would like to thank all the choirs and instrumental groups who performed on the evening and to all the students and staff who volunteered their time to help out. This event would not happen without the support of the school, students, staff and parents and we sincerely thank you.

Christina Bond
Instrumental Music Coordinator

Our 2016 Excellence in Art Exhibition was a huge success. Artworks of a very high standard were displayed from Year 7-12. Local artist Sandy McLean honoured us with her presence and opened the exhibition. She also selected 3 works that won the artist choice excellence awards.

In first place was Jypsie Early with her gorgeous etching series on a purple door.

Second place was awarded to Georgia Sherry.

Third place was awarded to Natalie Tian.

It was an inspiring and enjoyable evening for all.  Well done to all the young artists here at RGGS.

Nora Hanasy-Cheers
Art Teacher

On Sundays the Jackson House girls have started baking with Amanda.  Amanda used to bake beautiful cakes and sweets commercially at a small cafe in Yeppoon.  On Sunday of Week 1 the girls made ‘Diva’ cupcakes.  The girls learnt the fundamentals of baking cupcakes from scratch, consumed more of the batter before baking (of course!) and had a ball decorating the cupcakes.  Next week the girls will be making a traditional South African ‘Melktert’ as the girls are doing a Japanese assignment on different cultures.  Amanda was born and raised in South Africa so I’m sure this will be a great experience for the girls.

Ms Bernadette Hyde-Mewburn
Director of Boarding

The manufacturer of our panama hats has provided the following information regarding care of our hats.  We have noticed there are a number of hats that need cleaning, so we encourage you all the take a moment to read these instructions.

Care Instructions for Panama Hats

• Sponge gently with cold water and use a mild soap (Lux or Sunlight – no abrasive chemical products) to remove spots.
• Scrub soiled area with a small soft brush.
• Rinse in cold water and shake excessive water out.
• Place upside down on crown to dry in shaded area.
• DO NOT MACHINE WASH, TUMBLE DRY OR PLACE IN DISHWASHER.
• DO NOT DRY CLEAN.
• DO NOT store your hat in the car.
• NB: If your hat has been wet due to rain please ensure that you dry in a well aired, shaded area prior to storing.

The Year 6 students had a task of creating a new board game for an education company which included practicing adding and subtracting fractions, finding equivalent fractions and renaming percentages as fractions. The games had to be challenging, fair and exciting. It also incorporated elements of chance with dice or spinners.

All groups constructed their A3 game after drawing a draft which included question cards and rules. Each group was able to play two various board games and evaluate the enjoyment level and design while playing against each other.

Jacqui Goltz
Year 6 Teacher

On Wednesday 12 October the Year 9/10 Agriculture class participated in the Cows Create Careers Gala Day at the Rockhampton Leagues Club. The Cows Create Careers program is supported by Dairy Australia and aims to showcase the industry to students. As part of the program students look after two calves for a three week period. They have local dairy farmers and industry advocates who visit the school to provide information on the dairy industry. Students work in teams of 4-5 to complete assessment tasks. These assessment tasks are then submitted to Dairy Australia and are judged in regions. These regions then get together for Gala Days. The gala day showcases work that has been completed by competing schools around the region. It was really a Rockhampton Girls Grammar School day yesterday, with our girls taking home the second place for individual teams, the winning school photograph as well as the overall winner of the competition. We even came home with a cheque for $500!

Our dairy industry work in not quite over yet, with a visit to Clews Dairy at Rossmoya planned for next Tuesday. The girls can’t wait to see how much Chocolate and Vanilla, the two calves we looked after in Term 3, have grown.

Ku Lacey
Agricultural Science Teacher

We would like to remind everyone that Rockhampton Girls Grammar School has a substantial presence on a number of social media platforms, and we invite you to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow’ us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.  If you wish to stay up to date with our posts please turn notifications on, and remember we love to read your comments and see our posts shared with your family and friends.

Rockhampton Girls Grammar School on Facebook

Rockhampton Girls Grammar School on Instagram

Rockhampton Girls Grammar School on Twitter

Rockhampton Girls Grammar School on YouTube

You can also view our Newsletter directly from our website, without waiting for our email updates, using the following link or clicking on ‘Newsletter’ on our Homepage.  

Rockhampton Girls Grammar School Newsletter

Please find attached an article by Michael Grose that I encourage all parents and carers to read.

Develop a Resilience Mindset

James Lye
Director of Student Wellbeing

We would like to invite all Parents, Carers and Students, to please take a moment to read the information and procedures below regarding Student Absences and Driving for Licensed Students.  This information can also be found in the Student Parent Handbook which can be found on the ‘Downloads’ page of our website.

STUDENT ABSENCES

Daily Attendance

Every day a student misses school will lead to extra work which students will need to catch up on and extra work for teachers to support this process. The experience of the classroom can rarely be replicated so it is often challenging for students to make up lost time. Attendance at school is vital and assessment continues in the final week of each of Terms 1, 2 and 3.

• Every student should aim for 100% attendance. There are minimum requirements to qualify for the QCE.
• Medical and dental appointments should be arranged, when it is possible, out-of-school hours.
• Permission for special leave can only be obtained from the Director of Learning. Please email DirectorLearning@rggs.qld.edu.au prior to the expected leave.
• Any absence must be explained by a parent or guardian in writing or by phone to Student Services. Student Services can be contact on 07 49300905 or StudentServices@rggs.qld.edu.au.
• All absences for illness must be reported to Student Services as soon as possible.  If assessment is affected, a Medical Certificate must be provided for Years 11 and 12.
• Sign in / sign out – If a student is late to school or needs to leave school during the day, she must sign in/out at Student Services. A parent should sign the student out or provide a note to the student to hand in when signing out (phone calls and emails are also accepted prior to the absence).
• Days absent will be recorded on all student Academic Reports.

Absence during term time

On average, each academic term is 10 weeks in duration. Teachers need each of these days to complete work programs, to ensure student progress and allow sufficient time for assessment. It is critical that students attend for the full term of study.

• Parents who need to remove their children from school should apply well in advance in writing to the Director of Learning explaining the circumstances that have arisen.
• All provisions to vary assessment procedures (e.g. to defer an examination or grant an extension on an assignment) will be managed by the Director of Learning.
• When students miss an examination or assignment because parents have withdrawn their child early for any reason, special arrangements are not made regarding assessment items missed. The item must be submitted. If a student is absent for a number of assessment items, it may be more appropriate when the teacher is calculating the overall score for the semester for a ‘Unable to Assess’ result to be given on the report. A ‘UA’ (Unable to Assess) is an option only for students in Years 7-10. In Years 11-12, non-completion of assessment may result in no credit being gained for that subject.
• Students may be expected to sit their examinations or complete assignments on their return to school and the grades will be used for feedback purposes only.

DRIVING FOR LICENSED STUDENTS

Day students in Year 12 are permitted to drive a motor vehicle to and from school subject to the authorisation of their parents/guardian and the School Principal. Parents authorising usage of a motor vehicle, subject to the School’s conditions, accept full responsibility for such motor vehicle usage by their daughters whilst students of the School.

Students should abide by the rules of the road and be responsible licensed drivers.

A written application from a student’s parent and/or guardian to drive a motor vehicle must be submitted to the School Principal on the School’s application form (available from Student Services). Parents requiring special consideration in regard to student travel must contact the Principal.

Once approval has been received for a student to drive a motor vehicle to and from school, the following conditions apply:

• Another student of the School (other than a sibling of the driver who also has approval from the School) may not drive a motor vehicle belonging to another Rockhampton Girls Grammar student.
• P-plate drivers in the first three months of their license may not travel with more than one passenger of a similar age (who is not an immediate relative).
• A student of the School (other than a sibling of the driver) may not travel as a passenger in a motor vehicle belonging to another Rockhampton Girls Grammar student, unless specific permission is sought and obtained from Principal.
• Student cars are permitted only in designated areas within the school campus (i.e. on Denham Street and Agnes Street (not the bus stop side)– not in staff or visitor parking spaces).
• On arrival at school, day students are to submit their vehicle keys to Student Services for signing in and out of the Vehicle Key Register. Students may then collect their vehicle car keys at the end of the school day. Boarding students leave their keys with the dorm mistress.

Students are not permitted to return to or use their motor vehicles during regular school hours (8.20am to 3.00pm).

Should you have any queries at all, please contact Di Mallyon in Student Services on 07 49300905 or StudentServices@rggs.qld.edu.au

As another term draws to a close I always like to reflect on some of the outstanding events that affect our girls here at Girls Grammar. Starting with visiting educators from local kindergartens attending an Oral Language PD, our term was off with a bang. Girls Grammar was on display that evening and with the support of the Primary staff we were able to showcase some oral language strategies suitable for students who are nearly about to embark on their schooling journey.

Our Year 3 and 4 students were treated to the ‘Pillow Case’ project – getting them prepared in the case of emergency. Our Cross Country was well attended and the girls showed courage, determination and sportsmanship! I then had the privilege of taking a combination of ten Year 5 and 6 students to participate in the QAMT Maths Team challenge. The girls represented our school exceptionally and performed admirably.

Book Week was a full week of library activities, dress ups and book games. Although not everyone could guess, I enjoyed dressing up as one of the characters from ‘Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’. Even some of the girls, who did a much better job of it than I did, came along as the same character!

The Year 1 and 2 students had a great time participating in the LOTE cultural experience days at the local kindergartens. Mrs Graham and Mrs Carroll did a fantastic job developing cultural opportunities for some of our youngest community members. Again, in true Girls Grammar style the girls were outstanding.

I was fortunate enough to attend Year 6 camp. In fact, I think I challenged myself more than ever on this trip as climbing through very small caves was confronting and nerve wrecking.  However, there was no way I was going to let the girls, who at times were quite anxious, go it alone! I felt proud of both myself and the girls for the accomplishments I saw going into the adventure caving. The camp coordinators made a conscious effort to comment on the maturity and friendliness of the girls, often describing them as the best group they have ever had. I love being a part of a group that exudes this reputation.

The Music and Art Gala was a night to remember for the term. The standard of cultural talent at this school – and the belief of the importance that our girls experience it- makes for some VERY talented young ladies. I personally enjoyed seeing the artistic masterpieces on display and stood as proud as punch watching our girls perform in their respective choirs.

I trust that throughout the last weeks you have had the opportunity to meet with your daughter’s teacher to discuss her academic progress. As you can see, Rockhampton Girls Grammar girls are Clever, Confident and Connected. The opportunities and experiences gained this term show just how important a balanced education is. Please enjoy the term break. I look forward to seeing you all in Term 4.

Michelle Gouge
Director of Primary

Please be advised that the Interschool Gymkhama being hosted by the Alton Downs Pony Club Inc has been rescheduled.  The new date is Sunday 23 October 2016.

CQUniversity VET-in-Schools student and Rockhampton Girls Grammar School senior student, Kassie Barnes, has been recognised for dedication to her studies by being named the 2015 recipient of the Shelley Gregory Memorial Encouragement Award.

The Award is named after long-time CQ TAFE Rockhampton Business Teacher Shelley Gregory, who passed away following a tragic accident in 2012 and is remembered fondly by staff for her dedication and positivity.

Kassie was presented with the Award by the 2014 winner, Alicia Ferry, during a presentation at the Rockhampton City Campus on 12 September.

“I’m very honoured. It’s not something I thought I’d receive,” Kassie said.

Kassie studied a Certificate III in Business Administration through CQUniversity whilst still at school.

“I found the course really interesting and understood what I was being taught. I love the paperwork side of business.”

Deputy Dean of Vocational Education and Training, Tamara Murray, said the Encouragement Award recognised students, who like Shelley, were dedicated to business studies and had a positive effect on the workplace.

“In the classroom, Shelley would always pass on her words of encouragement. She was a wonderful teacher who was fondly remembered by all,” Tammy said.

“The Award is given to the most deserving student who has displayed a dedicated attitude and has a positive effect on those around them.”

In a letter from Shelley Gregory’s sister, Jenny McDougall, said it was clear that staff and teachers at CQUniversity saw the same qualities in Kassie.

“Hopefully this Award allows you to understand just how much you are appreciated by those around you,” she said.

“We trust that you will continue to nurture these positive qualities wherever you go, and in whatever field of work you find yourself. No doubt you will be an asset to any team, because you not only get the job done but you make a positive difference on those around you.”

Rockhampton Girls Grammar School Director of Student Wellbeing, James Lye, said the school was very proud of the fact Kassie has received this Award for her efforts.

“And to be awarded after a very well-loved and dedicated teacher is very heartening,” Mr Lye said.

Kassie said she plans on studying a Bachelor of Business at CQUniversity when she completes high school.

Article courtesy of CQUniversity

Congratulations to all the brave ladies who participated in the annual RGGS Oratory Competition.

Year 11 – 1^st Josie Bradford; 2^nd Courtney Smith; 3^rd Caitlin Bartlett; Highly Commended Monique Hill, Lucy Davison, Emily Lang; Honourable Mention Meredith Fay, Alexandra Stritzel-Woolcock, Melanie Conrad, Jestelle Cowley; Participation Madison Rothery, Kelsey Kleier, Lauren Pacey, Layla Wilson, Jessica Gunning, Britaney Adams, Grace McCosker, Claire De Villiers, Alyssa Pickels, Felicity Weier, Lacey Smith, Georgina Driscoll, Isabel Woo.

Year 10 – 1^st Brianna Austin; 2^nd Raina Collett; 3^rd Amiee Leane; Highly Commended Olivia Harwood; Participation Kailee Butcher, Tanya Kulu, Lucinda Simmons, Jasmine Mick.

Year 9 – 1^st Claire Sherry; 2^nd Darcie Lang; Highly Commended Lucy Brown, Leah McBride.

Year 8 – 1^st Jemma Green; 2^nd Abigail Hills; Highly Commended Heidi Davison; Participation Hannah Knight, Emily Wallace, Mia Johnstone, Lana Kleier.

Year 7 – 1^st Lujaine Hussain; 2^nd Jessica Leane; 3^rd Emma Jones; Highly Commended Sydney Peff; Participation Frances Watson, Abbie Mallyon, Grier McRae, Olivia Sherry, Zara Priddle, Tyla Cringle, Lilliana Harrison.

Congratulations also go to all the students who participated in the inaugural RGGS Short Story Competition. Your stories will become part of an Anthology that all competitors will receive next term – one for lower primary and another for middle school and senior. This competition will become an annual event for Girls Grammar.

The following ladies contributed to the Anthologies: Zoe Brakels, Skyla Abbott, Rahnee Cumner, Grace Petersen, Charli Donaldson, Nazmin Hussain, Laine Kelly, Katie Stackpoole, Charlotte White, Farai Muzhingi, Roxie Leyden, Arsha Kennedy, Poppi Jones, Suneisha Lawson, Harleen Bhullar, Chanel Evans, Evelyn Hallett, Rayah Robin, Alice Chippendale, Phoebe Fenton, Ayesha Bokhari, Scarlett Gorman-Marsh, Umna Umer, Maya Graham-Hohn, Paige Ung, Willow Parnell, Hollie Wogand, Lydia Johnstone, Michaela Hamer, Courtney Smith, Hannah Petersen, Brooke Wallace, Kailee Butcher, Maddison Horton, Jasmine Mick, Tayla Wallace, Charlotte Graham, Abbie Mallyon, Frances Watson, Emma Jones, Sophie Thompson, Charlotte Carroll.

We thoroughly enjoyed reading your stories. Well done everyone.

Lee Bartlem
English Teacher

This term the Year 9 students packed their bags and traveled down to Noosa North Shore Retreat, where we spent the week doing many personally challenging activities that pushed our strength to the max. Day 1 had us up early ready to conquer the 8 hour bus trip with Ms Lamb and Ms Dawes, who made each individual’s ears bleed as they played their opera and musical theatre jams. We all arrived worn out but excited for the week. Day 2 gave our arms a ripper workout as we set off early and canoed our way over to Boreen Point carrying ourselves and our heavy, fully water proofed bags. What we expected to be a two hour canoe turned into a seven hour endurance test, reaffirming our love of dry land. We finished the day setting up our own tents. Whilst some took mere minutes, others took hours before tumbling into our uncomfortable but welcome sleeping bag beds. Day 3 saw us rising early before packing up camp and setting off for a 30 kilometre mountain bike ride. Claire took a big lead, encouraging us from the top of the hill. We finished the day with abseiling where many girls left their comfort zones and slowly made their way down the 50 metre rock face. Our final day of activities started with stand up paddle boarding over stingray infested waters. The camp ended with a beach carnival that brought everyone closer and finished the week on a great note. Thank you to our teachers and the wonderful camp staff who supported us, and especially to our families, for making this all possible.

By Claire Sherry, Cleo McCosker and Briony Tranter

Holidays are great time to catch up with family and friends. With a large proportion of our children’s social interactions occurring online it is also a great time to have an open dialogue about staying safe online. Staying safe online is more than just cyberbullying; online-grooming and internet addictions are becoming real issues in today’s society. I strongly encourage you to discuss current internet/social media use with your daughter/s. It may be time to reevaluate how much online time is available, the majority of social media interaction occurs not on computers or tablets but on mobile phones. Most telecommunication companies have parental controls that will allow you to monitor, filter and limit the amount of data and text messages that are being sent.

Examples of these are these Telstra and Vodafone apps:

Telstra Mobile Protect

Vodafone Guardian App

Please find below links for parents and carers to access. I highly recommend you have a look through these sites as they are a valuable resource that may help you open an eSafety dialogue with your daughters.

eSafety

iParent – by the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner

Ryan Cheers
Director of Innovation and Learning Technologies

On Friday 2 September, the Year 3 and 4 students had a sleepover at School. In the lead up, we were feeling daunted and overwhelmed, however, it didn’t take us long to realise that this was going to be one of the best experiences of our schooling lives to date.

Stumbling through the school gates wearing free dress and lugging our belongings, our epic adventure was about to commence. After lunch, we skipped to the CAB to be greeted by Mr Fuller and Mr Avery who had some exhilarating activities prepared for us.

Following our scrumptious afternoon tea, we set up camp in MMPH. For many of us, we debuted tackling a fitted sheet! (Little did we know, rolling up sleeping bags was going to be a much larger challenge…)

Energetic and enthusiastic, we creatively placed our colourful hands on a blank canvas to create a memorable masterpiece to display under our classrooms. After collecting our toiletries and pyjamas, it was time to experience the boarder’s life. With dinner and showers over and done with, we were on our way back to our comfortable beds to relax, wind down and watch a movie together.

Before we knew it, it was 6am Saturday morning and we were packing up our belongings, attempting to roll our sleeping bags and heading up to the Dining Hall for breakfast. With full tummies and happy memories of our sleepover, our time had come to an end.

‘The sleepover was definitely the highlight of the year, I loved it because dinner was yummy and I had a big sleep in.’ – Paige, Year 3

‘The sleepover was my favourite part of the year because we were all having fun.’ – Ella, Year 4

‘My favourite part of the sleepover was eating scrumptious food and having fun with my friends. I learnt that nothing would go wrong with my friends supporting me.’ – Matilda, Year 3

‘The sleepover was a great highlight of Year 4 and I built my confidence as well as having a great time. I can’t wait until the Year 5 camp.’ – Charlotte, Year 4

‘The sleepover was a great experience even though some of us were out of our comfort zone, we still had lots of fun.’ – Aria, Year 3

Please remember that Parent Lounge is a vital source of communication between Rockhampton Girls Grammar School and you, the parents and carers.  The link to Parent Lounge can be found  under ‘Our Links’ on the homepage of our website.

Through Parent Lounge you are able to access a variety of information pertaining to your daughter and her education.  You are also able to update your contact details, view your daughter’s medical records, view the calendar and access your daughter’s report cards.  If at any time you need to make changes and you are unable to on Parent Lounge, please contact Reception@rggs.qld.edu.au.  It is imperative that we have the most current details for your daughter at all times, so we ask that you please check yours and your daughter’s details at your earliest convenience.

Should you require your Username, or to have your Password reset, please contact Theresa in Reception on 07 49300900 or Di in Student Services on 07 49300905.