Illumine

Despite research that indicates that Generation Z will have multiple careers in their lifetime, students still feel that their ATAR score is a defining moment. But it can take years, reflection and a range of experiences before individuals find the area of learning that they will thrive within. Recognising this, Australian universities are employing a range flexible models of higher education to s...

Did you stay in touch with your secondary school after graduation, or perhaps reignited old connections at a reunion years, or decades after graduating? Being part of a school's alumnae community can be a treasured addition to one's sense of community and belonging. In this episode of Illumine—Grammar Women  host and Principal of Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Ms Jacinda Euler, interview...

Do you remember your first day of secondary school? Your nervousness and excitement? Perhaps also some terror about the unfamiliar? Scared that you won’t have someone to talk to, or eat lunch with?  In this episode of Illumine from the Students, Principal of Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Ms Jacinda Euler, is joined by our Year 7 Advisor, and four students to discuss how they navigated through the...

Has the cyclical nature of the global economy in recent times made your head spin? The continuous cycle of boom, collapse, then boom again before we tip south.   We can all agree that it has been a tumultuous few years for the global economy—the pandemic, soaring property prices, supply chain issues, the war in Ukraine, and unprecedented levels of debt powering many countries, including Australia....

Parties! Such fun at any age and most particularly when you are young—the anticipation leading up to the event, perhaps some nerves as you arrive, and then, hopefully, the dancing and chatting with friends, old and new, that ensues as everyone arrives. In this episode of Illumine for Parents, Principal of Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Ms Jacinda Euler, is joined by Head of House, Mrs Sybil Edward...

‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ Navigating career choices with your daughter can be an exciting and terrifying experience—for both parents and children. Students today are more aware than ever that the subject selections they make in high school can impact the degrees and courses that they want to study at a tertiary level in their post-schooling lives. Adding to this complexity, the cu...

Do you remember your first day of secondary school? Your nervousness and excitement? Fast forward six-years—you are now in Year 12, your secondary school days almost behind you, about to embark on your final exams with your future stretching out ahead of you. What would you like to say to your younger self to reassure her, it is all going to be OK? In this episode of Illumine: From the Students, P...

Of the many uni students that graduate in medicine each year, few dedicate their lives to working in remote and underserviced communities—committing time and resources to studying less well-known tropical illnesses and working to ensure that ‘community health’, really does include ‘working together’ with the peoples from that community.  In this episode of Illumine—Grammar Women , Principal of Bri...

Have you ever wondered what your child’s school support group does—is it fundraising and deciding what new equipment should be purchased for the school? Running the Uniform Shop? Or is it much, much more than that?  At Girls Grammar parent support groups take many forms—the Parents and Friends (P&F) Association, Mothers Group, Fathers Group, various other co-curricular support groups. What the...

How many Australians have worked with some of the greatest classical musicians of our time? In fact, how many people can say that they were passionate and brave enough to pursue a successful, forty-plus-year career in classical music—performing and composing music all over the world in operas, chamber music, theatre and film projects? In this episode of Illumine—Grammar Women, Principal of Brisban...

It is largely undisputed that spending time outdoors and in nature is physically and mentally beneficial. School camps are often designed to take these outdoor experiences one step further by inviting students to truly step outside their comfort zone, embrace the environment and explore parts of themselves that are not as easily accessible in our everyday lives.  But getting out of our comfort zon...

How many of us have looked in the mirror and not liked what we see?  The focus girls place on their appearance as a measure of self-worth can be an issue for many adolescents, and even younger children. Research confirms girls can develop dissatisfaction with their appearance at age five. So how do we foster in our girls and young women body appreciation rather than dissatisfaction, in a world tha...

Why is it that many of the greatest visionaries and influential leaders remind us that success is not measured in monetary terms, but rather should be based on the contribution you make to society? That in putting the needs of others before your own, you will find a deeper, personal fulfilment than any pay cheque or Board position can give you?  Welcome to another episode of Illumine from the Stud...

Onsite from 8 am until 5 pm with four weeks of annual leave, a 40 per cent increase for ‘highly accomplished’ or ‘lead’ teachers, ‘paid internships’ for career-changers, and $40 000 bursaries to encourage school leavers to enroll in teaching. These are all ideas currently being considered by policy makers to address the nationwide teacher shortage. But many of these are temporary incentives, desig...

In Part 2 of their discussion, psychologist and  New York Times best-selling author and columnist, Dr Lisa Damour, and Principal of Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Ms Jacinda Euler, explore how to navigate through negative online behaviours, discuss why adolescents can have such powerful emotions, and reminisce and reflect on how parenting teens, although hard at times, can be such a joyous and con...

How many people have trekked the whole way across Australia—from Shark Bay in Western Australia to the most eastern tip of Byron Bay in New South Wales? And not only that, but to also bring along five camels as company for the five-thousand-kilometre-long journey that spanned two years?  In this episode of Illumine—Grammar Women  host and Principal of Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Ms Jacinda Eule...

Parenting adolescents can be a challenging time, and the difficult conversations that parents need to have today are markedly different  from those of even ten years ago. Mobile phones, social media and a global pandemic may well have changed these conversations with our daughters, but they remain vitally important no matter how uncomfortable they might  make us as parents. Host Ms Jacinda Euler,...

We hear the terms ‘self-care’ and ‘wellbeing’ often—even more so since the pandemic turned our lives upside down—yet what do these concepts mean, and how are they related to each other? Why has it never been more important for us to prioritise acts of ‘self-care’ in our daily lives, and in the lives of our children?  In this episode of Illumine for Parents , host Jacinda Euler, Principal of Brisba...

Test scores and measures of achievement tell you where a student is at, but they don’t tell you where that student could end up. - Dr Dr Carol Dweck, Psychologist and Stanford Professor In a society that tends to measure success on results and scores, rather than on the development of characteristics that are often far more important to our students’ lives beyond school, what makes a ‘good teacher...

We all must write at times—whether for a school assessment as a student, a presentation for work, or a speech at a wedding. Yet, many claim that they don’t know how to write—they weren’t ‘blessed with this gift’, or they ‘aren’t creative enough’.  But what if we treated the skill of writing like we do, learning to drive a car, for example? Understanding that it takes practice, getting out of our c...

How many of us have seen an opening in the market, had an idea for a new product, or identified a sector that was struggling, and thought, I know what might help to solve this issue? Now think about how many of us have followed through on this idea—taken the plunge and pursued a dream, or passion—only for it to fail, or flourish? Welcome to the second episode of Illumine—Grammar Women,  a podcast...

There is no escaping the increasing concern about the impacts of climate change on our planet and of course on our lives, and the many lives around us. Are we doing enough to address its impacts? Or do we feel paralysed by a sense of hopelessness and overwhelm at the sheer magnitude of the problem? In this episode of Illumine from the Students , host Ms Jacinda Euler, Principal of Brisbane Girls G...

It’s undisputed that sports and physical activity are essential to our health and wellbeing, and research also tells us that the personal benefits go beyond the physical—helping us to sleep better, focus, and develop important skills such as teamwork and collaboration.  In this fourth episode of Illumine—From the Students , Principal of Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Ms Jacinda Euler, is joined by...

Welcome to the second-half of our two-part series featuring Professor Deborah Terry AO, Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of Queensland (UQ). Hosted by Principal of Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Ms Jacinda Euler, this half of their conversation delves into Professor Terry's career in research and tertiary education, and looks at memorable moments that helped to set her on this...

In a world where Google gives us boundless information and answers instantaneously, a world where remote learning has become a norm and corporate sponsored think tanks just keep popping up, do we still need educational institutions?   Welcome to a special episode of Illumine featuring Professor Deborah Terry AO, Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of Queensland. Hosted by Principal of...