Newsletter

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

All Saints and All Souls Days 

As we approach All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day this Friday and Saturday respectively, we are reminded of the profound hope and compassion that lie at the heart of our faith as we honour the saints of the Catholic Church and all the people who have been saints to each of us. 

“Will we all meet in Heaven? Oh what joy even to think of it!” 

Catherine McAuley 

Catherine McAuley's words invite us to reflect on the joy of reunion and the love that unites us. This hope is central to All Hallows’ where we carry forward the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy by celebrating the lives of those who have inspired and nurtured our community.

We are blessed to be part of a faith-based tradition that calls us to live with mercy, service and compassion — values Catherine McAuley exemplified and that continue to guide us. All Saints' Day, or All Hallows’ Day, is also our school’s Feast Day and we give thanks to Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy for their faith and vision and for the legacy they led in the establishment of our school 163 years ago.

Across these two days, may we draw from the words contained in St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians to remember in our prayers ‘all who have gone before us, marked with the sign of faith’ (EP 11), the holy women and men of every age, celebrated and unknown, and the members of our own families and communities who have gone to their eternal rest. May all who mourn be comforted in the knowledge that those who are dear to them ‘rest in the sleep of peace’ (EP 1).

Feast of St. Charles Borromeo

Next Monday, we commemorate the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo, a prominent leader and reformer of the Catholic Church during the 16th century.  Our school’s connection to St Charles Borromeo is that the Angelus Bell that hangs in The Walk and that our founding Sisters brought with them from Ireland in 1861 is named in his honour. Since its installation in the late 1800s, the bell has rung faithfully at midday, calling our community to pray the Angelus. 

Today, this cherished tradition is proudly upheld by our Year 10 students, who ring the bell each day. The Angelus Bell stands not only as a symbol of our heritage and faith but also as a living link to the past, honouring the faith and legacy of our founding Sisters of Mercy and inspiring our community to carry forward their spirit of service and devotion.

Past Pupils’ Association Reunion Day & Annual Mass 

This Saturday, we will enjoy the joyous spirit of the AHSisterhood as we gather for our annual Past Pupils’ Association Reunion Day and Annual Mass. This event is a wonderful opportunity for our past pupils from across the decades to reconnect with one another, celebrate shared memories, and reflect on the enduring strength of our school community. We are particularly excited to hear from those celebrating a milestone year. 

Thank you to Past Pupils’ Association President Tron Fisher, the Executive team and Committee who continue to nurture the wonderful sense of community that is the AHSisterhood, and for their meticulous planning of this very enjoyable reunion. 

May God bless our All Hallows’ community in the coming weeks. 

Mrs. Catherine O’Kane (Principal)

Our Year 10 students enjoyed a day with facilitator Michael Fitzpatrick as part of their exploration of Christian leadership. As they begin their own leadership journey, the Year 10 students were introduced to the concept of servant leadership - the notion that we lead to be of service to others not feed our own egos. This is certainly a challenging concept in an age of narcissism and 'likes'.

Before we can lead our community, we need to know others and build positive relationships with them. Michael created an environment where our Year 10 students could be vulnerable, open, and hospitable to others in the grade. There was an opportunity for fun and many moments of tenderness, too. This was a great start to the students' leadership journey.

The high cost of living in Australia means that many families, individuals, and the elderly are either struggling with poverty or on the brink of experiencing a significant lack of access to basic daily needs. These needs include but are not limited to the lack of clothing, healthy food, education, shelter, medical care, and safety. 

For one of the wealthiest countries in the world, ranked 19 globally with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $1.742 trillion in 2023, Australia has over 3.32 million people (13.4% of the population) living below the poverty line, including 761,000 children.

The Human Rights Group highlighted issues of poverty through Black Shirt Day, where they presented accessible solutions to the sustainability problem of food waste. A representative from OzHarvest spoke to students at lunchtime about the importance of managing our food waste, which would help alleviate the issues of supply to many in the community. 

Pope Francis’ call for an “ecological conversion” includes reflecting upon the capitalistic culture of consumerism that widens the chasm between rich and poor. He states that “the mentality of maximum gain at minimal cost … make impossible any sincere concern for our common home and any real preoccupation about assisting the poor and the needy (who) are discarded by society.” 

In a gesture of thanks for their visit we donated 33 boxes of food which will be distributed to organisations supporting struggling families.

May Christ continue to make us instruments of his love, hope, and faith in the lives of people experiencing poverty in Australia and around the world.

God of Justice, open our eyes to see you in the face of the poor. Open our ears to hear you in the cries of the exploited. Remind us that what we do to the least ones, we do to you.

Amen.

Abby Smith (Y11 MC3).

The Ozanam Leadership Program has been a transformative experience, significantly shaping my understanding of what it truly means to lead. 

One of the key takeaways for me has been the profound connection between leadership and service. 

Through hands-on experiences like the ‘CEO Sleepout,’ I learned that leadership is not about holding power or having all the answers—it’s about empowering others, listening deeply to their stories, and advocating for those whose voices are often marginalised. The program reinforced that leadership is about creating opportunities for others to succeed, fostering collaboration, and leading with empathy.

Throughout the program, I was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone, whether it was coordinating group efforts, speaking publicly, or making decisions under pressure. I developed essential skills in balancing empathy with assertiveness, learning to lead with compassion while ensuring clarity and focus in achieving goals. Above all, the program instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility to use my leadership for meaningful social impact, whether through advocacy, community engagement, or championing social justice. 

This experience has shown me that leadership is not a destination but a lifelong journey—one grounded in humility, service, and a commitment to making a positive difference in the world around me. 

I strongly encourage anyone interested in leadership, advocacy, and our Mercy values to undertake this wonderful experience. 

Emma Byrne (Y9 WH7).

Hello. I am Emma, a Year 9 student who has enjoyed being part of the school's Eco-Justice Group since Year 7. 

The Rummage Sale is an annual initiative organised by the Eco-Justice Group's engaged collective of students from Years 7 to 12 and supervising teachers, who assist in helping students' visions come to life. As a valued part of the school's Mercy Action calendar, the Rummage Sale embraces the three environmental conservation principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle.

An appalling 92 million tons of clothing finds itself in landfill each year, contributing to 10% of humanity's carbon emissions (TheRoundup, 2024). In the lead-up to the Rummage Sale, our AHS community is invited to do a bit of spring cleaning and donate any unwanted clothing items. Each and every shirt, skirt, jumper, jacket, jeans, and shorts donated reduces the amount of clothes contributing to landfills and is reused and recycled to new owners. 

This year's initiative sold $500 worth of items to new homes, with all profits supporting the 2024 Whole School Project, 'Pathways to Possibility'.

I would like to recognise and give thanks to the efforts of every student, staff member, and Facilities team member that helped make this year's Rummage Sale possible.

We are looking forward to another wonderful Rummage Sale in 2025!

Last week we began our consultation process for the design of the AHS Reconciliation Mural. We have commissioned Kalkadoon/Kalkatunga artist, Mary McMurtrie, to create our mural which aims to capture a sense of the history, narratives and spiritual connections in this place we know as All Hallows' School today. Earlier in the week, our Reconciliation Committee met to brainstorm ideas for the mural, and then on Thursday, a number of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students brought a friend along to our first student consultation meeting with Turrbal Elder Uncle Joe Kirk.

Uncle Joe, who worked with Laurie Nielson on our Turrbal Garden,  shared his knowledge of this place before colonisation and spoke of the area around All Hallows' as a gathering ground for girls prior to their initiation ceremonies. It seems this place has always been a place of learning and growth for young women. Uncle Joe and Mary engaged in conversations with the students about what they imagined should be featured in a Reconciliation Mural. We are collating their feedback.

If parents have any thoughts about which elements of the narratives of this place might be featured or what symbols you would like to be considered for inclusion, I would love to provide your ideas to Mary. 

Please email me at DeanofMission@ahs.qld.edu.au 

If you would like to take some time to remember loved ones who have died, parents and caregivers are most welcome to join us for our All Saint/All Souls Day liturgy to be held in the Chapel this Wednesday at 8am. 

Parents and caregivers who have been part of the Mercy Action program are most welcome to attend our annual Mercy Action Thanksgiving Liturgy on Wednesday, November 6, at 8am in the Chapel.

Last Friday we celebrated World Teacher’s Day, so I thought it would be the perfect time to appreciate and thank the lifeblood of our school community—the true MVPs—our incredible teachers! 

Recently, I stumbled across a compilation on social media (during a study break at the SLC) where celebrities were giving shoutouts to their old teachers. So many public figures have that one teacher who impacted and truly inspired them to pursue their dreams. Adele has Ms. McDonald; Harry Styles has Mrs. Vernon and Billie Eilish has Ms. Brigham. Behind their massive success stories is a teacher who believed in them before anyone else did. And who knows what would have happened if they didn’t have that person backing them? Maybe we would live in a world without “Someone Like You” or “As it Was.”

But it’s not just about the famous names. I still fondly remember my Year 2 teacher, who was an absolute light for me as we made the scary, and freezing, move to Canberra. I remember vividly how fun she made learning basic addition, subtraction and spelling words. She would call our tiny plastic desks “Ferraris,” saying “Go to your Ferrari!” as we hastily rushed to our tables. Now that I think back, this might have just been a tactic to get us to move quicker, but her energy and enthusiasm certainly made the ordinary feel extraordinary. 

Now, I could write pages and pages of the small but incredibly impactful ways that teachers have made me who I am today, but I’m sure that I would be going for days, and I might lose some of you along the way. This experience is so universal, and we are immensely fortunate to have such an awesome, dedicated and inspiring group of teachers at AHS.

So, to all of the teachers out there, you are seriously extraordinary (and who knows – maybe you’ve got the next Adele sitting in your classroom, finding their voice thanks to you!)

As we celebrate World Teacher’s Day, it’s important to show our appreciation and recognise that it’s not just about one day. It’s about those countless everyday moments because we wouldn’t be who we are without you. 

Happy World Teacher’s Day (again…and tomorrow…and every day after that!)

Love,

Katherine xx

(P.S. We thought it might be nice to give you all a weekly song related to our report. This week, have a listen to Better Together by Jack Johnson😊.)

Ms. Ornella Roveda (Teacher of Italian - Prof. di Italiano).

Congratulations to Cassandra Garde (Y12 GO3), who has been awarded the prestigious StuditaliA Prize, an annual award established to recognise outstanding Australian students of Italian language and culture.

Funded, managed, and organised by a collaboration between the Consulate of Italy in Brisbane, the Global Opportunities/Education Department of Queensland, and various Italian educational and cultural institutions in Brisbane, the StuditaliA Prize aims to motivate students by offering them the opportunity to engage with Italy firsthand for four weeks.

Cassandra’s achievement reflects her exceptional dedication, passion, and commitment to the Italian language. Her consistent excellence in linguistic studies and cultural appreciation made her a standout candidate for this recognition. Her drive to master the language and embrace its cultural depth sets a remarkable example for her peers.

As a winner of this prize, Cassandra will embark on an immersive study tour to Italy, where she will deepen her linguistic skills, explore the country's rich historical and cultural heritage, and form connections with Italian institutions and communities. This unique experience, facilitated by the StuditaliA Prize, is a reward for her academic commitment and an invaluable opportunity to enhance her intercultural understanding, further strengthening ties between Australia and Italy.

Cassandra’s journey is a testament to the power of dedication and passion in language learning. It embodies the StuditaliA Prize's mission to foster future ambassadors of Italian language and culture in an increasingly globalised world.

Congratulations Cassandra!

Our new House Captains had the opportunity this week to visit the Year 5 and Year 6 Whitty students, who were working together to create poems about Whitty. Inspired by their recent Guest Speaker, Sarah Todman, the students worked collaboratively across year levels and created some wonderful free-form, rhyming, and acrostic poems all about their favourite House!

Whitty, a House built on hearts.

When Our All Hallows’ journey begins with Whitty, it starts.

These girls become our family,

These girls become our friends.

We will stick with Whitty, Our Home, until the end.

In Whitty we have fun, 

out with our captains in the sun,

Sticking with each other, our friendships are strong.

Of course we are sure they will last long.

by Amelia and Emily

Welcoming.

House becomes a Home.

Incredible.

Try our Hardest.

Totally the best.

You can do it!

By Heather and Georgie

Ms. Sue Pearn (Head of House – Whitty).

Joey Tsan (Y11 TI2) & Amber Montesin (Y11 CO1), Choir Captains.

Our Senior Music Ensembles kickstarted on the weekend, with 12 ensembles attending Music Camp! 

For three days, 185 students worked to prep for the new Performing Arts season, giving everyone a chance to relax from their studies. Every rehearsal room was filled with the joys of making music together. Seeing the improvements over the course of the camp set a positive tone for the rest of the year. 

As exhausted as we were, the weekend provided us with an opportunity to prep for upcoming performances and bond with one another. Our Ensemble Directors have put in an incredible amount of effort to pull this together, and it is truly evident in how the camp panned out.

Thank you to everyone who came, especially the teachers who gave up their weekends for us!

Ms. Lydia Patterson (Shakespeare Club Coordinator).

On Saturday, October 5, All Hallows' Shakespeare Club members competed at Shakefest. 

This is Shake and Stir's annual competition, with students from all over Queensland entering.  

This year, four students entered the Monologue category: Zahra Grant-Thompson (Y10 CO5), Amelia Cotter (Y10 GO1), Eliza Evans (Y10 MC2), and Sabine Thannhauser (Y10 WH5). One student, Olivia Welsh (Y10 WH1), entered the music category. All students performed wonderfully on the day and demonstrated hard work and commitment to bringing Shakespeare's characters to life.  

We are thrilled to announce that Sabine Thannhausser took home First in the Monologue category with her monologue from "A Midsummer Night's Dream".  

Eliza Evans also collected the judge's award for her powerful performance from "Julius Caesar".   

Excellent work all round, and we look forward to next year's competition!

Ms. Cathie Neil (Head of Culture).

After a successful four weeks of Knowles Cup, competing against six Queensland schools, AHS battled through the Semi’s to have all four teams progress to the Grand Final.  

A huge congratulations to our 2024 Knowles Cup Squad for achieving back-to-back Champion School! 

A special mention to our Junior and Open B teams for winning their respective divisions, and a further congratulations to Emilia Gagliostro (Y7 AD3) for receiving the Knowles Cup Junior Individual Award for the 2024 season. 

We extend our thanks to our dedicated 2024 Tennis Captains, Olivia Pierce (Y12 AD8) and Ava Argent (Y12 AD2), who have shown a remarkable commitment to the program. We also thank Malpy and the entire coaching team at Malpass Tennis for guiding us through the season. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and the dedication shown by all squad members. 

We look forward to seeing our players back on the court in Term 1 for the 2025 CaSSSA Season! 

A reminder that registrations will close on Thursday, 7 November. Please find all instructions and registration details on the School App or the Moodle Page.

Last weekend, AHS sent a Year 7 and Year 8 team to attend the Junior Volleyball Schools Cup Competition. Our teams put up a fantastic fight, showcasing their skills, determination, and teamwork. 

Our Year 7 team won the Bronze Medal, and the Year 8 team clinched the Silver Medal. Congratulations to both teams! 

Thanks to Year 7 coach Griff Pattison and Year 8 coach Ms. Murdoch for all their support and guidance. 

Congratulations to all the players for their hard work and dedication. Your efforts on and off the court are truly commendable. Well done!

Last Thursday was our Coach Appreciation Round, and it was a fantastic opportunity to thank the wonderful coaches, many of whom are students and past pupils, who coach across our program!

Thank you once again to everyone who supported our School through the All Hallows’ Foundation in 2024. 

Last Thursday evening, we had the pleasure of hosting a special event to express our gratitude to our donors. While we originally planned to gather on the new St. Gerties playground, the forecasted lightening, thunder and rain, led us to move the event indoors to the Potter Room.

Fortunately, the rain held off, allowing us to invite our guests outside to experience the playground firsthand and some even took a swing! With the light dimming, we returned (reluctantly) to the Potter Room for refreshments.

Comments like, “How lucky are our students to have such a beautiful play area”, “We never had anything like this when I was at school, “ and, “The girls are going to absolutely love this space”, filled the air, capturing everyone’s excitement.

Hosting our donors each year is a true pleasure, and we cannot thank you all enough for the vital role you play in advancing our school’s mission. 

Your generosity will leave a lasting impact for generations to come.

Year 12 Mother/Caregiver Farewell Lunch

Friday 1 November

12pm - 3pm

The Warehouse, 8 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley

Rebecca Lawrence: 0404 600 303 or bec030303@me.com

Kellie Drew: 0422 226 272 or  kelliedrew@hotmail.com

Year 7 Mother/Caregiver & Daughter High Tea

Sunday 3 November

3pm – 5:30pm

Rose Room – Cloudland

$60pp

Year 7 Mother/Caregiver & Daughter High Tea (e-newsletter.com.au)

Anita Nepean-Hutchison:  0418 981 908 or Anep4342@bigpond.net.au

Year 11 Parent & Caregiver Sunday Afternoon Drinks

Sunday 3 November

4pm - 6pm

The Normanby Hotel (Level 2)

Jane Vidler: 0439 540 206 or Jvidler10@gmail.com

Year 12 Parent and Caregiver Farewell Drinks

Friday 8 November

6:30pm - 10pm

The Potter Room, Level 4 Potter Building, All Hallows’ School

$40pp includes welcome drinks and canapes.  Cash Bar available.

RSVP – Thursday 31 October

Year 12 2024 Parent & Caregiver Farewell Drinks (e-newsletter.com.au)

Clare Nugent: 0421 641 738 or  clarenugent@optusnet.com.au  

Year 5 Mother, Caregiver and Daughter Twilight Event

Friday 15th November

4pm - 6pm

Garden Room, Roma Street Parklands, 1 Parkland Bvd, Brisbane

$45 pp includes grazing station and welcome drink.  Cash Bar available.

Year 5 Mother/Caregiver & Daughter Twilight Event (e-newsletter.com.au)

Katie Liebke:  0418 728 543 or Kathleen_t20@hotmail.com

Ms Regina Hefferan (Communications Secretary).

All Hallows’ School has a long-standing tradition of graduating Year 12 students donating a fine china teacup trio to our amazing All Hallows' Teacup Collection. 

These gifted sets go on to be used and enjoyed well into the future by members of the extended All Hallows’ community at the much-loved annual May Morning Tea event.   

If you would like to provide a trio in honour of your daughter’s time here at All Hallows, the set may be dropped into Student Services during the remainder of the school year. 

The donated trio should consist of a matching teacup, saucer and side plate. 

Please ensure that the sets are safely packaged and that your daughter’s details (name and graduation year) are written on or securely attached to the outside of the package, along with a second set of details included within the package itself.

If you have any questions, please contact the Mothers’ Network Teacup Coordinators, Megan Ahlberg megsyahlberg@hotmail.com or Deanna Keating Deanna.keating84@gmail.com.

Mrs. Megan Ahlberg & Ms Deanna Keating (Teacup Coordinators).

On Friday, 18 October, the All Hallows’ P&F held the annual Sports Lunch at the Queensland Cricketers' Club.

Now in its third year, the Sports Lunch celebrates sport at All Hallows’ and the many benefits our students gain from being involved, as well as raising money for the program. 

A huge thank you to our amazing sponsors: Vital Chemical, Miller Connect Recruitment, COHA Group, Shannon Harvey Place Bulimba and Geon Property. 

Thank you to our inspiring speakers, Charlotte Caslick, Alice Williams and Marguerite King. 

These amazing women shared their journey to the podium and gave wonderful advice to all the parents in the room on how to help their daughters. 

Finally, a special thank you to our MC, Haesley Cush!