Newsletter

Dear Parents and Caregivers

As anyone who has experienced the AHSisterhood will attest, our community is united by our Mercy charism, with faith and friendship connecting us beyond the school gates and long after our students have graduated.

Today is the United Nations International Day of Friendship and this year’s theme of Embracing Diversity, Fostering Unity seems almost tailor-made for our wonderful community where we celebrate our individual differences and recognise that our diverse personalities, strengths, and interests are key to building our thriving community. 

Catherine McAuley is known to have been a great friend to the many sisters within her community.  Sr Mary Reynolds rsm, has reflected on Catherine McAuley’s great approachability and naturalness, her liveliness and cheerfulness, and her kindness for each sister within her community.  Mary Reynolds writes of Catherine McAuley, “She wished simply to be one of the sisters, … She wanted love, not regulations, to bind the sisters together.” 

I have witnessed the great kindness displayed by so many within our community on a daily basis – our students, staff and parents and caregivers.  We give thanks today, and every day, for the rich blessing that is All Hallows’ friendship. 

Father Daughter Dinner

Another inspiration from Catherine McAuley today is that she delighted in fun and liveliness and across the top of one of her letters she wrote in big letters “Dance every evening”!!  Our fathers and daughters would have brought a huge smile to Catherine McAuley’s face had she been in attendance at the Father Daughter Dinner at Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre on Saturday evening. There was a wonderful variety of dancing styles and capabilities on display across the evening with many students embracing the opportunity to be in the spotlight while they danced on the stage. 

Past pupil, Ella Proberts (Class of 2019) and her father, Liam, were inspirational speaking guests on the evening.  MC for the evening, Mr Matt Dunn, expertly guided the conversation with Liam and Ella as they spoke across a range of topics including the motivation behind the decision to enrol Ella at All Hallows’, the influence of our Mercy Values in their lives, and the role that the value of Integrity has played for Ella as she has navigated her post-school study pathways.

The Year 12 fathers made an unforgettable gesture to their daughters with their surprise flash mob performance. I know that all of the Year 12 students who were there on the night appreciated this special addition to the evening. Many thanks to our Dance teacher, Ms Susie O’Shea, who supported the fathers with choreography, rehearsals, and some special performance support on the evening. 

Congratulations to our Parents and Friends Association, and Ms Kate Gilmore, our Community Relations Manager, for their tireless work in organising such a wonderful community event.  

Applications are now open for students currently in Years 9, 10 and 11 to attend the 2025 Cape York Immersion in June/July next year. 

Students are required to complete an Expression of Interest application via Moodle. As part of the application process, students are required to provide a written response to the following question: 

In 200 words, outline why you are interested in the Cape York Immersion. Discuss what character strengths you believe make you a suitable candidate for this immersion and list your involvement in the School's Mercy Action program as well as the service and leadership activities that you have engaged in throughout your time at All Hallows' School.

To submit your expression of interest for the 2025 Cape York Immersion please click here.  Expressions of Interest close at 8.00am on Monday 12 August 2024. Notification to successful applicants will be made towards the end of Term 3.

For more information on the Cape York Immersion, please click here.

On Tuesday 24 July, a group of our Human Rights students represented AHS at the Annual Loreto College Advocacy Forum. This youth-led discussion focused on amplifying marginalised voices, the challenges of advocacy, cultural differences, and the importance of building connections despite differing opinions.  

We had the opportunity to listen to some incredible guest speakers including Sr. Anne Kelly who held a role with the UN. She discussed her role in advocating for female education in Uganda while supporting Sudanese refugees.  

Local Greenslopes MP Joe Kelly, spoke of his passion for change within the areas of domestic violence and mental health moving from a career in nursing to a life in politics.

The highlight of the forum was keynote speaker Dr. Ingrid Bucens. Dr. Bucens shared with us her 20-year experience living in Timor-Leste working towards improving health systems, with a special interest in decreasing incidents of child malnutrition.

The forum left students feeling inspired and ready to embrace new approaches to social justice and community action.

Ava Yem (Y11, GO7).

Year 11s enjoyed a day away from their screens to experience a new form of learning - learning through nature. We know that the planet is at risk and we know that we can't save what we don't value. Equally, we can't value something we haven't experienced and built a relationship with. The Year 11 Retreat, entitled "My Place in God's Creation," provided a unique opportunity to experience the gift of nature and to realise, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The glory of the omnipresent God bursts through everywhere…"

From the summit of Mt Coot-tha, staff and students walked the Spotted Gum Track down to the Botanic Gardens where more delights of nature were to be found. From bamboo groves to delicate bonsai garden and even a vegetable garden - students were able to explore and reflect on how we coexist with nature in a most profound way.

It was wonderful to see the students working together to navigate the spaces in the gardens and it was clear that a bit of 'forest bathing' was just what they needed at this busy time of their educational journey. The Church's mission to encourage all people to listen to the 'Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor' was central to this eco-spirituality experience and I am sure that the students left the day understanding that, "creation can only be understood as a gift… illuminated by the love which calls us together into universal communion." (LS #76)

Braving the cold night air and experiencing limited food intake were just a couple of elements of the Year 10 Sleepout experience last Friday night. After exploring the financial challenges facing so many people in our own community in the grocery game and having to make some ethical decisions about distribution of resources in the lolly game, students heard from a couple of guest speakers.

Author Trent Dalton spoke about his own family story as inspiration for much of his work, including his novel, Lola in the Mirror. He reminded us that homelessness can affect anyone with just one change in circumstance and he also explained how women are so vulnerable in this space. Following Trent, Jack Lip from Vinnies helped us understand the statistics about poverty and homelessness and helped challenge our misunderstandings about what constitutes definitions of poverty and homelessness.

Amazing presenters can only do so much to help form our understanding of deprivation - experiencing temporary hunger, deprivation and cold nights, helped do the rest! A night without a shower, without sufficient food and a very uncomfortable sleep hopefully helped further understanding of what many in our community experience on a daily basis.

Thank you to the 140 Year 10s who gave up their home comforts and thank you to the brave staff who did the same to help form a better understanding of need in our community.

Part of the Sleepout experience involved donating food and toiletry items to our partner ministries. In addition to these items, we handed Jack a number of blankets and beanies made by our Year 5 students and our Crochet4Care Mercy Action group - 22 blankets and 22 beanies! This follows other donations made throughout the week, including six Kitty's Room starter packs. In addition, Kathleen Noonan collected a number of items to donate to help women in crisis, including a collection of shoes donated by Brookes.

The All Hallows’ community extends its sympathy and support to Emily Seva (Y11 MC4) on the death of her paternal grandfather, to Jessica Clark (Y12MC4) and Amelie Clark (Y9 MC3) on the death of their paternal grandmother, and to Matilda Summers (Y5.3) on the death of her brother. 

May God’s love comfort them and their families at this sad time.

Liturgy will be celebrated in the Sophia Centre tomorrow morning at 8:00am. The prayer will be led by Mr Cahill’s Year 11 class. All are welcome.

P&F Long Supper and Riverfire 2024
The Terrace
Saturday 31 August from 5:00pm
Tickets $50pp (18+ only event). Tickets available here.
See P&F section of the Newsletter for more information.

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is a book nearly all of us have read or studied to some degree, and it paints a beautiful picture of one of the most complex and important relationships. That is one between sisters. For Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, each sister’s world greatly affects the other. If one is struggling, the other is there to pick her up. Yet if one has wronged the other, forgiveness comes well after fury.  

Sisters experience the rollercoasters with you, particularly the highest and lowest parts. They will help build your dreams and fuel a sense of happiness that is unmatched. They are your number 1 supporter but at the same time, your harshest critic. Growing up beside them means they help colour in your world in ways you might never understand. It means you’ll always have a part of her and she’ll always have a part of you. 

For me, my sisters are the people I fight with the most, and I don’t mean a controlled debate, I’m talking proper physical fights. Yet with these fights that have gotten way out of hand, we somehow go back to our usual selves within minutes. I understand what it’s like to be both a younger and older sister.  

Being an older sister for me is about trying to guide your younger sister as best you can without stopping her from figuring some things out on her own. It took me a while (and I’m still trying) to realise that explaining to my younger sister I can literally predict her future mistakes (because I did the same thing) doesn’t always help. That is because we all learn and grow in different ways. It’s why I sometimes didn’t listen to my older sister when she told me the same thing.  

However, being a younger sister means that as much as your older sister can be annoying or bossy, she has experience and feels a need to share it with you constantly purely out of love. I pretty soon realised how much I needed my older sister when she left for college. Now the times she tells me about her experiences are some of the times I value most in my life. 

I often think about 10, 20, 30 years in the future and what my life will look with my sisters. Will we have kids? Will we live on opposite sides of the world? Will they be around when I need them? The answer is that only time will tell. 

I’ve come to realise one thing: there are endless amounts of people that come and go in our lives, but the one constant is our siblings. So, my message to you is to remind your sister or whoever acts as a sister in your life, that you will always be in this together. 

Cristina x

On Wednesday 24 July all our Year 8 Students were involved in our annual Creative Arts Day. Students did not attend regular classes on that day but instead attended 3 Creative Arts workshops on campus with our guest artists in residence.

These workshops supported the students’ immersion in and understanding of creativity in its many forms offered by the Creative Arts Department at AHS. Our artists and presenters conducted workshops in Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Art.

Thank you to the Dance presenters Heilani Productions featuring Heimana who was visiting from Hawaii, and Lelani Tahiata for their beautiful Polynesian Dance workshops, to Tina Lui and Owen for their percussion immersion, to the artist teachers Ms Gauci, Mrs Hickey and Ms Shanahan for their collage, print and photography immersion and finally to Shake and Stir Theatre for their Improv Theatre workshops.

Also thank you to the amazing Onna Park and the Admin Staff for all their organising and ensuring that the day ran smoothly and to the Creative Arts Staff who supervised and supported the Year 8 students on the day. Thank you to the Leadership Team and our Heads of House and Heads of Year for your support of the Creative Arts Department. It was wonderful to see creativity in action. Please enjoy some photos from the workshop outcomes.

This week was the second week of Arts Festival where we had the privilege of showcasing the amazing talent in the dance, vocal, speech and drama and photography sections.

The bar was set high as the week began with brilliant performances from dance, and Year 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12 Speech and Drama. Tuesday showcased unreal performances from Year 7 Speech and Drama, and Year 9 to 12 vocals. Friday ended the week with a bang with fantastic performances from Year 5 to 8 vocals and Year 8 and 9 Speech and Drama.

These performances were enjoyed thoroughly by audience members leaving them captivated, star struck and speechless. Each performance was unique and indicated a high level of preparation and thought in each performance. Arts Festival is a highly valued and anticipated event in the Cultural calendar and a chance for every student to showcase their talents. We are so incredibly proud of all those who participated this week and all those that came along to support and encourage their friends! 

Alice Hefferan (Y12 ME4) and Sophie Cummins (Y12 AD3), Mercedes and Adderton Culture Captains 

Please note that with Year 5 camp this week we anticipate extra traffic around campus.

Wednesday 31 July at drop off before school

Friday 2 August at pick up after school

Please consider your timing and drop-off arrangements:

• making use of public transport
• pick up students at other designated passenger zones in the area
• drop off earlier or pick up later
• at pick up ask your student to be ready to meet you promptly so cars can move quickly through the pick up areas
• be mindful of other drivers in the area and ensure your car is positioned to allow traffic to pass, and roads or driveways are not blocked

Your 2024 Home Group photographs, Individual Portraits and optional Sibling/Family Group photographs can now be ordered online on a pre-paid basis. Please be aware that:

• Parents wishing to order photos should visit www.advancedlife.com.au and use the school code of 34W LQL P7K.
• Sibling/Family Group photographs may be ordered using the same portal. Please use the Sibling Tab once you have entered your daughter’s details. Please ensure your daughter is aware so that she presents for the sibling/family photo to be taken at lunchtime on Thursday 15 August (sibling groups with Year 12 students must present at Morning Tea).
• Online orders for Individual Portraits, Sibling Group and Home Group photographs close at midnight prior to photo day, otherwise a late fee will be charged by the photographer.
• Online orders for Cocurricular Team/Ensemble photographs will be available at a later date, to be advised in the Newsletter.
• The Online code above may also be used to order previous years’ photos at any time. You can also order past packages and portrait images from your child’s unique, individual and secure image archive site using the unique 9 digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past.
• All Online Orders, including previous years photos, will be returned to the School for collection.

A follow-up photo day will be held on Thursday 15 August (Week 6) for the following photos:

• any students who were absent during the Term 1 Photo Day – these students will be emailed details. Please encourage your daughter to check her emails leading up to photo day.
• sibling group photos – these must be pre-ordered using the method provided above. Students must present at either Morning Tea (any sibling group with a Year 12 student) or Lunch (all other groups) for their photo.
• the Year 12 cohort – this traditional group photo will be taken on the Terrace at lunch time, students will be advised of the details.

The All Hallows’ School Celebration of Excellence is a showcase of student performance and achievement and will take place at the Concert Hall (QPAC) on Thursday 3 October 2024. Our whole school community will be invited to attend this special event and further details will be published later this term.

The Celebration of Excellence Awards Criteria have been updated and are now available on Moodle. 

Students do not need to apply for awards recognising achievement within the School’s programs.

Students who have had outstanding achievements in significant academic, cultural or sporting activities external to the School’s programs are invited to apply for recognition. Student applications for the following are now open:

• Recognition of Special Achievement – Academic
• Recognition of Special Achievement – Culture
• Recognition of Special Achievement – Sport

Students are encouraged to check their award eligibility and apply now via their student log in on Moodle.

Student applications for Recognition of Special Achievement close at 9:00am on Friday 2 August for all students. Year 12 students may apply up until 9:00 on 23 August for an achievement that will occur up until the end of Term 3. Students in Year 12 should email communityrelations@ahs.qld.edu.au for further information on a late submission.

Please use the link below to view the images in the gallery. Families are welcome to download images at no cost.

All Hallows' School - Father Daughter Dinner 2024 Photos (shootproof.com)

Thank you to Just Photography.

DATE & TIME: Saturday 31 Aug 2024 5:00pm-10:00pm

LOCATION: The Terrace, All Hallows' School

COST: $50pp (18+ only); optional premium carpark space $20

RSVP: Friday 9 August 2024 via the link below.

WHAT TO BRING: Bring your favourite food to share with your table of 8-10 people and your esky to keep your drinks chilled.

DRINKS (no alcohol permitted to be brought into this event): There will be a bar available to purchase your drinks.

PRE-ORDERED DRINKS: For convenience, a link to pre-order your drinks will be available closer to the event. We'll ensure they are chilled and delivered right to your table. Just bring your esky, and we'll handle the rest, so you can sit back and enjoy the evening.

SEATING: Each table seats 8-10 people.

Please try to organise a full table of 8-10 noting the Table Captain. This is the best way to ensure you are seated with who you want to sit with and avoid smaller groups being split up to complete tables.

If you cannot organise a full table of 8-10, enter your Table Captain’s name and we will try to sit you with them, but if we can’t, we will try to sit you with your daughter’s year group.

If nominating a Table Captain please use their full names.

PARKING: There are limited prepaid parking spaces in the AHS Dodge Lane carpark available for purchase for $20. If you miss out, please try the surrounding streets and parking stations.

P&F Long Supper and Riverfire 2024 Tickets, Sat 31/08/2024 at 5:00 pm | Eventbrite

The All Hallows’ School P&F is thrilled to once again be raffling a brand-new Motorama 2024 MG3 Core 1.5L Auto Hatchback valued at $18,990!

Tickets are now on sale for $100 each via the link below. With only 500 tickets available the chances of winning are incredibly high! Drawn on the last day of Term 3. All proceeds support our School.

All Hallows' School Fundraising Raffle

Save the Date - Sunday 3 November 2024
Year 11 Parent & Caregiver Sunday Afternoon Drinks

4:00pm-6:00pm
The Normanby Hotel

Sunday afternoon drinks to farewell 2024 and celebrate what’s ahead for the Class of 2025!
Booking details to follow
Contact: Jane Vidler 0439 540 206 or Jvidler10@gmail.com

Save the Date - Saturday 7 September
Year 5 Family Barefoot Bowls

2:00pm-5:00pm
Windsor Bowls Club – 69 Blackmore Street Windsor

$15pp (over 7yrs of age), 7 and under free
Booking details to follow

Ms Regina Hefferan (Communications Secretary)