“When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of human experience.” - Jaeda Dewalt
I am writing this month’s newsletter after finishing the first day of the ICPA (Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association) conference which is being held in Julia Creek, northwest of Mt Isa. This annual conference brings passionate representatives from across the state together to discuss important issues relating to the education and welfare of children who live in remote locations such as Julia Creek. A number of the representatives and people attending are our current and future boarder parents and we highly value the opportunity to connect with our families outside of the Gold Coast region.
A number of politicians and senior Department of Education representatives also attended, and it is humbling to hear about the challenges that many families in the bush face to educate their children. The resilience that the girls gain from their upbringing on the land is impressive. It is also inspiring to hear about the extraordinary people who assist with the educational services in the outback before most families make the difficult decision to send their children away to boarding schools.
We are honoured to be able to educate the girls who come into our care. We currently have 167 girls from Years 6 to 12 who live in Boarding. We are unique in that girls can begin Boarding with us in Junior School and we have seen great success with the girls in Year 6 settling quickly into their new routines of living away from home. We also recognise the enormous benefit our Day Girls gain from developing friendships with Boarder Girls as they hear stories of what life on the land a 1000 kilometres away is like. A number of our Day Girls have the opportunity to visit their Boarder friends at their home, and this deepens the understanding of both girls to the different lives they live.
Our St Hilda’s community is very special because of the Boarding Girls and the Day Girls who form our identity through our long history, and this is evident when we come together at Old Girls' functions to celebrate and remember what it means to be a St Hilda’s girl.
As Mrs Amanda Rigby, Head of Boarding, and I drive three hours back to Mt Isa to fly nearly three hours back to Brisbane, we are grateful to our Boarding families for choosing St Hilda’s as the school to care for and educate their daughters, thank you.
St Hilda’s Staff Showcase at Alliance of Girls' School Australasia Conference
Last weekend, two of our staff, Miss Jayne Schinckel and Mrs Majda Benzenati, participated as Presenters at the three-day Asia Pacific Summit on Girls’ Education, in Hobart. The summit featured inspiring keynote speeches from Professor Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Melbourne, and Dr Donna Cross OAM, Chief Behaviour Advisor with the NSW government. The summit, featured presentations on a wide range of topics, including girls' wellbeing, the role of middle leadership, equity and inclusion, cultural capacity, and girls' agency.
Miss Schinckel presented first focusing her session on the Gender Gap in STEM. Her dedication to enhancing classroom practice to meet the learning needs of girls when studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics was evident, and it was reported that delegates were inspired by the strategies and concepts shared in Miss Schinckel’s presentation.
On the afternoon of the first day of the conference, Mrs Benzenati had the opportunity to present on the topic of, Building Trust in Teacher Professional Practice. Mrs Benzenati addressed the importance of building professional trust between teachers and students and the critical link trust has in how girls think and learn. The session received significant interest and was well-attended by delegates.
Our teachers represented St Hilda’s School proudly at the national conference, demonstrating deep knowledge and understanding, and their high level of teaching skills and their colleagues from around the country have shared their appreciation for the expertise they shared. I would like to extend my thanks to Miss Schinckel and Mrs Benzenati for their commitment and hard work.
Mrs Amanda Shuttlewood
Acting Principal
