Welcome to a new year and a special welcome to Grammar for our new families, staff and students. Thank you for your attendance at one of the many orientation activities over the last two weeks. Welcoming the students and staff back on campus this week has been a particular highlight. We have been eagerly awaiting the recommencement of the buzz of school life, and the energy of the school term, and these last few days have been wonderful. A school is not primarily made up of its buildings and its books - but rather its people. And it is widely acknowledged that there is no better community than Sunshine Coast Grammar School. 

Regardless of the year level, all children feel a sense of excitement and nerves on their return to school. Often those two emotions feel the same for children! They will also be very excited to see their friends and for new beginnings. I recently wrote an article Back to School in the Age of AI and in my article, I reminded families of a few messages:

Like many of you, I have spent the last few years zipping through virtual shopping aisles, randomly and enthusiastically selecting AI tools and applying them with unfettered abandon. While it has been a delightful and exploratory journey, I must confess that not every moment was productive.

On the other hand, as a parent and a Principal, I have always been mindful of the impact of technology (including social media and AI) on today’s children. As a lifelong learner and passionate teacher, I have discussed how we navigate the integration of AI and its potential to transform the way we learn and teach.

The negative effects of technology, social media and screen time on children’s physical wellbeing, mental health and eyesight are well-documented. In response, many States and schooling sectors are creating policies that limit access to smartphones during school hours. If you want to know the answer to “What’s hot in 2025?” the answer might surprise you:– the Nokia 3210! Unkindly referred to as a dumbphone, the Nokia 3210 has several great features that support communication but limit social media access. This humble retro-phone has come out of retirement and its strong resurgence has made me consider investing in the company (there’s an AI tool for that too).

As children return to school and spend more time in classrooms and on screens, their overall well-being must be a priority. Let’s preserve that summertime feeling by encouraging outdoor activities, regular physical exercise, and face-to-face social interactions. Setting clear boundaries for screen time outside school hours is equally important. Not all homework needs to be completed in front of a laptop. Together, parents and schools can build balanced routines that include time for learning, leisure, reading, family connection, and unstructured fun. 

Your children will not be greeted by a robot when returning to the classroom.

AI has boundless potential in education, offering benefits like personalised learning, adapting to students' individual needs, and providing additional support and automated administrative tasks. However, while AI enhances classroom practice, it doesn’t replace the essence of education: the human connection. Teachers set the tone, cultivate a sense of belonging and insist on civility, ethics and values. Through these efforts, they deliver the ‘secret sauce’ of education and the power of learning through conversation.

Learning is, at its core, a social endeavour. The richest and most transformative learning experiences occur through real-world interaction and meaningful human connections.

I wish you and your child/ren a wonderful and exciting learning journey at Grammar in 2025!

2026 Academic & Music Scholarships

From Independent Schools Queensland

Independent Schools Australia (ISA), in partnership with state and territory Associations of Independent Schools, will soon officially launch School Choice Counts - a national campaign.

This is the first in a series of regular campaign bulletins designed to keep you informed about our School Choice Counts Federal Election campaign and provide practical resources for you, your teachers, parents, and school communities to get involved.

Our goal is simple: to protect Independent school students’ government funding, defend family choice in education, and ensure fair treatment for every family who chooses an Independent school.

These bulletins will include updates on the campaign, important facts and figures about Independent schools, and details on how you can help spread the message. 

Read more from ISA here. 

Anna Owen
Principal