School Leaders 2008

Let’s go Grammar, Lets Go. Some of you know this chant well; you have heard it resonate from a wave of supporting Grammar girls at the start of sporting competitions. It says, ‘here we are, we are Grammar girls and we’re proud of it’, so we wanted to start the year as we intend to finish it- with spirit and enthusiasm. Good morning Ms Jameson, Ms Bell, distinguished guests, family and friends, staff and girls.

2008 is an Olympic year, where athletes, with years of training behind them, now put their dreams to the test.  All of them have given so much and gone so far to reach the level where each of them stands today and that in itself is an achievement that is truly admirable. 2008 is going to be an Olympic year at Brisbane Girls Grammar School too. So girls, step up and commit to your dreams, and emulate the Olympic athletes in whatever goal you have.

This year is not about a few people winning medals, it’s about the whole team, the whole Grammar team, reaching some fantastic goals. Last week the Executive Council met for the first time.  The question, “what do you envisage for 2008”, triggered these words for us: opportunity, spirit, enthusiasm, teamwork, innovation and...awesome. What do you see? The meeting was a huge success, ending rather animatedly, with a bunch of over-excited girls who realised the possibilities for this year seemed almost limitless.  So, on behalf of the Executive Council, we would like to talk about the three goals agreed to be pursued, and ask for your commitment to realise them, because we can’t do it without you. And at the end of the year, we all want to be able to look back and say ‘yes, we really achieved something great’.

Our theme for this year is simple and straight forward, encapsulated in three words — Make Your Mark. Others have used more Olympian terms to define our inspiration, Greg Hickman for example said “It is time to reach out and indelibly etch your place in history” (21 January, 2008).  We want us all to do the same. Make your mark in the school, make your mark in the community, make your mark in your life.  Do something this year that you will remember in years to come, something to create an impact.  Be it climbing Mt. Everest or just challenging yourself to try a new sport, make a new friend or even just complete your homework on time — make your mark.

This theme extends to our three goals for 2008, our first, concerns charity. We aim to raise the bar and jump that bit higher than previous years, to try and reach $60,000. The Executive Council has chosen Royal Children’s Hospital as our School charity. This is the largest hospital for children in Queensland and cares for sick children, striving to provide the best health services possible. Not only do we want to donate money, but we hope to create a relationship with the charity by donating our time. With your help, we wish to put on drama and music performances for the entertainment of the children in the hospital. 

Our second goal is about maximum involvement in the school.  This year we need to see support in the form of bigger crowds at more events. There’s a well-known saying “from little things, big things grow”. In other words the smallest of actions can create the biggest of changes. The words “good luck” before an event can create greater determination, but imagine the impact of you actually being present to show your support. We know the typical Grammar girl has a very busy schedule 24/7, but wouldn’t it be great to have 1165 girls barracking for their friends — then you’re making your mark — now that would be an achievement.   We are not just talking about sporting events but drama, music or charity events — show your support by giving your time to others. The more events you go to, the closer we get to reaching our goal of maximum involvement. So, even if you have an English assignment to hand in the day after athletics day, remember, that by supporting your Grammar troop you are making your mark. 

And thirdly, a goal for the environment, which is a topical issue in our lives. We aim to spread awareness and a sense of responsibility for our own future. Despite the fact we are teenagers, we can still make a difference. Small things like setting the air conditioning to 24 degrees celsius, to setting a larger task like lobbying against the destruction of rainforests, make all the difference. And, at the end of the year, we can calculate how much energy we saved.

As Head Girls for 2008 we will make a promise to you to work together to realise these three goals — charity, involvement and the environment and at the same time develop a challenge for ourselves, to present to you at the end of the year, as a symbol of commitment to and trust in you. We say to you now we dare ourselves to a challenge that will mark the time and dedication that you have shown this year and we hope this will make our mark, inspired by your support and effort this year.

2008 is ready for you but are you ready for it? Brace yourself, because this will be an extraordinary year — and remember, make your mark.

Cassandra Jeavons (11G) and Avi Kaye (11E)
Head Girls 2008