CULTURAL NEWS
FROM THE LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
Bonjour tout le monde! Join us to celebrate Bastille Day on Friday, 18 July, week 1 next term. There will once again be a special assembly, lots of French-themed activities as well as some yummy treats to buy as we fundraise for the The Library Project Vanuatu.
Primary students from Prep to Year 6 have permission for French-themed free dress (or something red, white and blue), and of course, there will be yummy French delicacies to buy for all students in Years 4-12. There will also be plenty of activities at lunch in the Primary courtyard, being run by our Senior French students and Language Ambassadors. More details will follow in the next few weeks.
Year 8 Japanese Restaurant Excursion
Year 8 Japanese have a unit on invitation language, what better way to celebrate than to receive an invitation to a Japanese restaurant with Sensei. The students enjoyed an authentic dining experience at KatsuCo Maroochydore, putting their language skills to the test as they ordered their meal from the native-speaking staff. Traditional meals like tonkatsu, chicken katsu, Japanese curry and eggplant rice bowls were all a hit! It was a fun and rewarding way to wrap up the semester, full of flavour and authentic language opportunities.
Japanese Taste Testing
This term, our Year 7 Japanese students have been exploring the language used to discuss food, meals, and eating out in Japan. A highlight of the unit has been sampling a range of authentic Japanese dishes and snacks during class time, giving students the opportunity to practice expressing their preferences in real-life contexts. One of the most anticipated moments was our obento experience – a delicious way to bring culture and language together.
LTQ Speaking Competition 2025 – Entries now open!
The annual and highly contested LTQ speech Contest is scheduled for Sunday, 31st August 2025, at UniSC, Sippy Downs.
The competition is open for students in Years 5 – 12, with the opportunity to compete in French, Japanese, Chinese, German and Spanish. Entries are limited and will require expression of interests to either Mme Richardson (French & European languages) or Di Pietra Sensei (Japanese & Asian languages) by Monday 21/07/25 (Term 3, week 2) at the latest. To assist with planning please complete the online expression of interest links:
- Click here to register interest for French (Year 5-12)
- Click here to register interest for Japanese (Year 5-12)
Please do not hesitate to contact either Mme Richardson (grichardson@scgs.qld.edu.au) or Di Pietra Sensei (tdipietra@scgs.qld.edu.au) if you have any further questions.
More information about the contest can be found below:
Au revoir et un grand merci!
This week, we will say our farewells to our visiting French exchange student, Fanny. She has been with us for the whole of Term 2 and has most definitely fully settled into life at Grammar, from playing volleyball as part of our Year 10 SCISSA team, assisting with Romp in the Forest and joining swim squad training. She has been fortunate to have stayed with amazing host families who have created some incredible memories for her and offered some truly amazing experiences. We would like to acknowledge the Whitehouse and Pennay families for their exceptional care and for welcoming Fanny so warmly. Next term, we will welcome back previous exchange student Faustine, who will return for her second exchange with the current Year 12 cohort. Au revoir, Fanny!
French – “Dégustation” food experience
This term, our Year 7 French students have been learning about the importance of fresh produce markets in French culture and how to buy food and drink items. The term culminated in our French food “degustation” tasting session, where students were able to taste some of the items they had been learning about – from fresh baguettes, brioche, pain au chocolat, pâté and a range of cheeses and traditional French drinks.
FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT
A Wonderful Season of Music
Over the past few weeks, our school community has enjoyed a fantastic series of music events, each one highlighting the talent, enthusiasm, passion and hard work of our students and staff.
We began with the Large Ensemble Showcase Concert, where all of our ensembles delivered powerful and polished performances. This was followed by the Years 3 & 5 Immersion Open Rehearsal Days, offering families a special glimpse into the musical development of our younger students.
BBQ and Beats brought the community together in a relaxed lunch setting, combining great food with lively student performances, all raising money for a good cause. The Morning Melodies Series, featuring our Strings and Jazz Ensembles, added a beautiful musical touch to the start of the day and was warmly received by all who attended.
A highlight of the term was the inaugural Grammar Rox! Rock Band performance, held last Thursday evening in the Rainforest Cafeteria outdoor area. This exciting new addition to our performance calendar was a great success and promises to become a favourite tradition.
We extend our sincere thanks to the Music Support Group for their ongoing support, particularly with catering and fundraising. Their efforts have helped us purchase new sound and lighting equipment, which has already enhanced the quality of our performances.
We invite all interested families to attend the next Music Support Group meeting on Thursday, 31 July at 6pm, where planning will begin for our upcoming Forest Fest. If you’d like to get involved, please contact Diana Fu at msggrammar@gmail.com.
Victoria Bradbury
Director of Music Performance
Music Through the Ages – Year 10 Assessment Performance
On Friday, 6th June, the Year 10 Music class presented their performance assessment “Music Through the Ages” for the term 2 unit “Backstage Pass.” Over the term, all students worked together to plan all aspects of the concert, including lighting, sound, scheduling of the event, promotional material, and choice of performance pieces.
Each student performed solos or in small ensembles as well as a number of whole-class pieces. The class was joined by their teacher, Mrs Kirsten Bowman, who performed with the class on the saxophone and vocals. The production was enjoyed by a large crowd of parents, teachers and friends of the students.
Miranda Myers
Co-ordinator Curriculum Music
Private Music Lesson Enrolments – Term 3
Enrolments for Term 3 Private Music Lessons are now open!
If your child is already enrolled in the program, there is no need to re-enrol—their lessons will continue as usual. This enrolment period is for new students only who wish to begin private music tuition in Term 3.
Please note that enrolment processing will take place in Week 2 of Term 3, and lesson schedules will be confirmed shortly after.
If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to Victoria Bradbury: vbradbury@scgs.qld.edu.au
Please click this link to enrol: Private Music Lesson Enrolment Form Term 3
Instrumental Music
Congratulations to all Sunshine Coast Grammar instrumental music students on your outstanding achievements and perseverance throughout Semester 1. Your dedication to practice, growth, and musical excellence has shone through in every performance and rehearsal. Whether you’re just beginning your musical journey or continuing to refine your craft, your commitment and passion are inspiring. The progress you’ve made is a testament to your hard work and resilience, and the entire school community is incredibly proud of you. Keep striving, keep playing, and keep sharing your music with our beautiful community!
Our Strings Department continues to grow. Next term sees the introduction of yet another string ensemble – the Cypress Strings Ensemble. This group is for predominantly Year 4 students who have been learning for 18 months. Next year, they will be ready to join the Glen Strings Ensemble, our top primary school strings group.
A reminder of our Strings Pathway:
- Immersion Year 3
- Sapling Strings (1 semester of learning)
- Cypress strings (18 months of learning)
- Glen Strings (By invitation)
- Forest Strings (Secondary School Ensemble)
- Everglade String Ensemble (Extension Group)
- Eucalyptus String Quartet (Lower Secondary Extension Group)
- Acacia String Quartet (Upper Secondary Extension Group)
See the poster below for some helpful information about practice at home.
Victoria Bradbury
Director of Music Performance
FROM THE DRAMA DEPARTMENT
On Saturday, 14 June, Quinn H (Year 5) was honoured with the prestigious Barbara Sisley Award at Parliament House in Brisbane for achieving Queensland’s highest score in the 2024 Trinity College London Speech and Drama exams (98/100). Quinn also received the Sr Mary Leonard Memorial Award and delivered a captivating performance at the ceremony. Congratulations to Quinn on this incredible achievement!
Our Speech and Drama Program nurtures confident communication, creativity and public speaking skills in over 100 students. For more details, contact Ms Harvey: kharvey@scgs.qld.edu.au.
Katrina Harvey
Speech and Drama Tutor