From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

What a warm start to spring! I think all of us are wishing right now that we could be with our Year 9 campers, who are soaking up the Noosa sun and surf together. We look forward to hearing of their adventures and connection time together. Thank you to the team of accompanying staff who have given up their families for 3 days to be with our girls, led by Ms Courtney Daniec (Head of Rieti House). View some of the camp highlights below!

This week I extend my congratulations and thanks to all our students for a wonderful beginning to Term 4. Your enthusiasm and dedication have truly set a positive tone for what remains of our academic year together. Our Celebration of Excellence on Monday night was a living testimony to not only our accomplishments, but to our sense of community and purpose. I congratulate all our award recipients, performers and Year 7 students for their engagement in this wonderful night of celebration. For those who were present, I think you will agree, the speeches delivered by our College Captains - Amaeh and Hannah were exceptional. 

Thank you to Kerry Jell our Deputy Principal - Staff Development and Organisation for her leadership and organisation of the event, alongside Gabbi Stone (EA to the Principal) and all others who assisted in the planning and on the night. Next year, we move the event offsite to celebrate as a whole college community at the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association Queensland (RNA). 

Did you see ARTI this year? Our 2025 Art Show. It just gets better every year. This year’s showcase was a testament to the creativity and abundant talent within our school community. The pieces displayed were nothing short of inspiring, reflecting the hard work and passion of our students and art teachers. As an Art Curator/Educator in a previous life before teaching, the creative arts have always played a special place in my heart. In a world saturated with mimicry and machine learning, human art making is needed now more than ever - it is a human endeavour that reveals the uniqueness of the human experience, our hopes and desires (& long may this continue!). Of course, an exhibition of this scale and quality does not simply ‘happen’. 

We thank the extraordinary efforts of our magnificent Arts & Technologies Team (talented artists in their own right – Sharon O’Leary, Eve Longley, Justine Hawkins, Pauline Daniell and Jane Martens. A very special thanks our Arts Technician, Ms Skubi Testa for her exceptional curation and to Head of Faculty - Nicole Bradford for her leadership and vision.

Our Transition Twilight for our Year 7 2026 cohort, was a remarkable success, it is a great joy to welcome new students and their families. It was heartening to see the strong community spirit and support of our Captains elect and the Year 10 “Big Sisters” as part of the Ambassador Program, welcoming our new students so beautifully. The festivities have not stopped for a week at Mt A. 

On Tuesday, we celebrated another of the ‘lasts’ - our Year 12 Final Assembly, Guard of Honour, Hat Toss and Garden Party. The words spoken at this final college farewell were meaningful and moving – reflective of a cohort who has led with grace, joy and gratitude. The afternoon was a fitting tribute and celebration to their hard work and perseverance throughout their school journey. We were so grateful to have so many families join us at the Garden Party. We now wish them well on their final examinations!

I cannot conclude without some very exciting news last weekend - congratulations to our OptiMinds Media Communication Team who competed at UQ over the weekend: our year 11’s Sarah, Heidi, Preeya, Emma, Stephanie and Monica. They received a Spirit of OptiMinds award and won their category, making them the Media Communication State Final Champions! Well done students, and thank you to Ms Hatchman and Ms Gair for your support.

My thanks to our parents for their continued partnership, we continue to have so many things to be proud of.

Loving God, 

we bring to you our prayer for girls around the world.  

You hear their voices  

and you see their innate value  

because you made them in your image.  

Bless our work with the young women in our care. 

May they come to value the gift of life and the education they have received. 

As Franciscan people, may they always seek what is 

meaningful  and embrace courage, respect, service 

and joy, to effect change in their communities and in our world.

Amen

Peace and all good,

Samantha Jensen

Principal