THE HEAD OF SCHOOL'S ANNUAL REPORT 2009 - St Hildas School

flag for sporting events. In essence, the students have seen the gaps and thought about
solutions. This is preparation for life after school and I am supremely confident about the
future of our Seniors.
The leadership of School Captain Olivia Piat was superb. She was dignified, witty and
supportive of her fellow students in every respect. The Senior Prefects and Prefects were
real leaders and the entire year group was notable for their inclusive style as the Seniors
of 2009. Fortunately, we look at the Year 11 students with confidence that they will also
be an outstanding senior year.
Chapel plays an important part in the life of this School. I was delighted on occasions to
have stumbled on curiosity about Christian thinking that was sparked by the girls. These
moments do not come from the formal class or the key parts of the Chapel service. But I
have seen the power of staying behind after a Chapel to engage in a casual conversation.
Sometimes the moment was sparked by curiosity about a piece of Christian symbolism, at
others by an invitation to discuss ideas.
Curiosity, opportunity and invitation are useful when found in combination. The openness
and encouragement of Lay Chaplain Mr Ian Dredge are reasons for our success in
explaining the Christian message across the School. I also would add that we were
blessed with a team of Christian educators who presented openness to conversation in
Religious Education classes that is creating a culture of thinking in a Christian context.
Throughout the year the Chapel resonated with social issues and Christian perspective.
Youth perspective was honoured and the atmosphere of youth worship cultivated.
Anglican liturgy remains a guiding influence in this move to relate the Christian message
to the girls. We celebrated regularly in the larger group meetings in the gymnasium
and this built a sense of community and common worship. Ultimately, the style of
worship needs to relate to our youthful audience in music, manner and construction of
the message. St Hilda’s education offers richness because of the values we continue to
discover afresh in Chapel.
This was an extraordinary year of construction on the campus with many buildings
opened and renovated. The Centre for Scientific Learning and Research was opened by
The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall, Archbishop of Brisbane, at the start of Term 3, a
significant event in the School’s history. The centre is one of the best science facilities in
the nation, allowing for experimentation, technology and traditional methods of research
to be implemented into daily practice.
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