Newsletter

As we approach St Patrick’s Day this coming Monday, it is fitting to reflect on the courage and faith of St Patrick, a figure who stands as a beacon of perseverance and unwavering trust in God. St Patrick, kidnapped and sold into slavery as a young man, found the strength to escape and return to his homeland. Yet, it was his return to Ireland, driven by a calling to spread the Christian faith, that truly exemplified his bravery. Despite facing hostility and unimaginable hardships, St Patrick's dedication never wavered. His life was a testament to the power of faith and the impact of steadfast resolve.

In the wake of the extraordinary weather we have experienced in southeast Queensland, we pray for those members of our community who continue to draw on their own courage and resolve as they endure loss of power and damage to their property. We are very grateful that our beautiful campus sustained minimal water ingress and that we have been able to return to full operations so quickly.

As a result of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, we did unfortunately have to postpone two very important community events.  I am pleased to remind you that our annual Past Pupils’ Association International Women’s Day breakfast will take place this Friday 14 March.  

TC Alfred has also required our dedicated Teaching and Learning Team to reconsider the assessment schedules for all students in Years 5 to 12.  Over 40 assessment dates have now been adjusted in order to ensure the learning progress of our students is carefully considered and supported in the coming weeks.  All of these changes have been updated in the TASS calendar which is viewable by students in the TASS Student Café and by parents in the TASS Parent Lounge.  

The Lenten Journey Begins

Last week began the most important period in the Church's calendar, Lent. In the year where our thematic focus is on our value of Compassion, we are called to use the next 40 days on the road to Easter to respond to community needs with compassionate hearts and actions designed to bring hope to others. Having compassion enables us to understand others’ pain, address injustices boldly and contribute to the collective healing of our shared humanity. This is the calling for all Christians who believe that the resurrection we celebrate at Easter is a sign for us to bring hope, just as Jesus did.

At All Hallows', we marked the start of Lent, Ash Wednesday, with a liturgy in House Groups. At this assembly, we were reminded that the ashes with which we mark our foreheads are a sign of our humanity and a visible sign of our commitment to the message of Christ. During Lent, we are invited to have a deliberate focus on spiritual growth by stripping away distractions and excess, to redirect our attention from the material world and place it firmly on embracing Gospel values such as love, compassion, humility, forgiveness, and service to others. 

This Lent we are focusing on the interlinking stands of Mercy, Compassion and Hope. When we are moved by compassion to reach out to others, to act for justice and mercy, we can be a sign of hope to the world. This year's theme links to the Jubilee Year of Hope we celebrate in the universal Church.

The call to live simply during Lent, traditionally a time of fasting, was reflected in our annual Rice Day fundraiser. By purchasing a container of plain rice and water, our community was not only reminded of the many people who regularly have to eat the most basic of food, but we also raised over $600 for Project THREADS.

Five of our Year 6 students joined representatives from over 80 schools and colleges across the Archdiocese at St Stephen’s Cathedral on Tuesday, 4 March, to celebrate Shrove Tuesday and launch the 2025 Project Compassion campaign. 

Archbishop Mark Coleridge has been involved in this Launch for many years and sees it as an important part of our service to stand in solidarity with the poor and marginalised in our world. Archbishop Coleridge spoke about the great need to support war-torn and developing nations in dealing with their abject poverty. He said that by supporting organisations like Caritas, we are standing up for life. He said that we must unite against poverty during global fragmentation. 

As part of the liturgy, student representatives from each school made a commitment, on behalf of their school community, to Unite Against Poverty this Lent. Some of the proceeds from the upcoming All Hallows' swim-a-thon will be directed to Project Compassion, and we continue, throughout the year, to live out our value of compassion through our other fundraising efforts.

Our 2025 Easter Appeal is underway. 

While the official launch was not possible due to the closure of the school last week, we know that each year our community is invited to contribute groceries, toiletry items and cleaning products to support those in our community who do not have the means to purchase such products. This year, we will be supporting Vinnies, the Romero Centre and the Brisbane Housing Company, who respond to need each and every day.

Boxes are now in place in the Year 5 and 6 classrooms and outside Heads of House offices. It might be a good idea to save the chocolate donations for later in the term, but we welcome the food, toiletry and cleaning products as early as possible.

Thank you in advance for all that you do to support our partner ministries.
 

Last week, 30 of our Year 9 students joined with students from Villanova College to experience a Twilight Retreat on respectful relationships. Br Damien Price and 30 very committed Year 12 students from both schools facilitated the Conversations of the Heart Retreat. 

This retreat, grounded in the line from Ephesians 2:10 that says, "You are God’s work of art", reminded us that we are all responsible for ensuring and respecting the innate dignity of every human person. The small-group conversations were led by Year 12 students from both schools and 3 Year 13 students who shared their personal experiences of respect (or disrespect) and opened up important discussion amongst the Year 9 students.

This retreat program is a wonderful way for our young people to engage in safe conversation and shared fun as part of a structured retreat experience. Thank you to Brother Damien and our wonderful seniors for sharing their wisdom of their crossroad moments.

The All Hallows’ community extends its deepest sympathy and support to Trinity Knezevic (Y9 TI7) on the passing of her maternal grandfather.

May God's love comfort her and her family during this difficult time.

In further sad news, we inform our community of the passing of former Head of Culture, Mrs. Tricia Parry, after a brief illness. Tricia was a past pupil (Class of 1980) and the mother of past pupils Lucy (Class of 2014) and Molly (Class of 2017). Her husband, Andrew, was an All Hallows' netball coach for many years.

We pray they find comfort in God’s loving embrace.

Wednesday 19 March

Loretto House Mass will be celebrated in the Chapel at 8am. All are welcome.

Wednesday 26 March

Liturgy will be celebrated in the Chapel at 8am. Year 7 RE classes will lead the prayer, which will focus on the theme of Community. All are welcome.

Once again, we ask for parents' and caregivers' support in keeping the Dodge Lane car park safe for all users.

The car park is a drop-and-go area. Please do not park and wait for your daughter. If she is not there, please go around the block.

Do not double park in the set-down area and let your daughter out. This is dangerous for her and blocks access to staff entering the car park.

Thank you for your attention to this.

Parents can again contribute to our fundraising efforts while satisfying their coffee cravings! We are opening our portal for orders of 1kg coffee bean bags from Merlo Coffee. 

Each bag costs $38, and $10 from each bag goes toward our whole school project, Project THREADS. 

Please place your orders here. 

After an unexpected week or so due to the recent weather events, it’s time to refocus, reset, and move forward with renewed energy. While disruptions can be challenging, they allow us to assess where we are and establish clear goals for the weeks ahead.

The start of the year has already brought many valuable moments, from Parent Information Evenings to connecting with students and families, and strengthening our sense of community. As we transition back into routine, I want to share some key messages with our Parents, Caregivers, and Students:

Re-establish Regular Study Patterns: If routines were disrupted, now is the perfect time to get back on track. Set a study schedule for each subject and stick to it.

Prioritise Wellbeing: Take care of your whole self. Maintain a healthy diet, create a positive study environment, and adopt a growth mindset. A can-do attitude makes all the difference.

Get Enough Sleep: Good rest is essential for focus and productivity. A consistent sleep pattern will help improve learning and memory retention.

Set SMART Goals: Focus on specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. This could include reviewing the week's work, summarising notes, and committing to focused study sessions in challenging subjects.

Stay Engaged and Ask Questions: Make a habit of writing down follow-up questions to ask your peers, tutors, or teachers. Staying curious and engaged will deepen your understanding.

Master Effective Note-Taking: Clear, well-organised notes—using headings, subheadings, and colour coding—will help with comprehension and revision.

Keep Perspective: Returning to a full workload can feel overwhelming. Remember, learning is like building a brick wall—one brick at a time. Start today, lay a solid foundation, and progress will follow.

The coming weeks are an opportunity to build momentum and work towards personal and academic success. Let’s embrace the challenge and make this term a productive and rewarding one!

Academic Integrity is everyone's responsibility

Academic integrity refers to the practice of scholarship in a manner that reflects honesty and responsibility. As an educational institution grounded in Mercy values, All Hallows’ School is committed to developing young women who display independence, personal and community responsibility, resilience and integrity. Students, teachers and parents share a responsibility for contributing to this development by ensuring the work students produce is an accurate reflection of their ability and effort.

Our Year 11 students were recently addressed about Academic Integrity and have now completed the QCAA Academic Integrity course within their QCAA Student Portal. We have required our Year 11 cohorts to complete this course annually since its inception in 2019, and I am grateful for our Teachers' and Parents' support of our students through their conversations in and outside of class and their sharing of effective learning strategies. 

The following suggested strategies will help students maintain academic integrity.

Forward planning: Understand the components of a task and how long each component might take to complete. 'Chunk' the task into smaller, achievable components.

Time management: Implement a plan to achieve the assessment outcome, incorporating adjustments as needed.  Allow for unexpected events such as technological issues or changes in personal circumstances.

Note-taking and summarising: Synthesise research and gather information into a new idea or summary dot points. Keep clear records of where information and ideas have come from and what you have synthesised from any text.

Referencing: You must appropriately acknowledge other people or agents' ideas, work or interpretation. Capture the full reference of any text at the time of reading.

Choosing appropriate examples: Select appropriate quotes or examples to support an argument or communicate meaning. Be able to justify why you have selected it.

Editing: Refine your work in several stages. Keep each improved, edited version within your OneDrive.

Self-assess: Check your compliance with academic integrity guidelines before submitting responses.

Did you know that all Year 10, 11, and 12 students have been provided with a Learner Unique Identifier (LUI)? 

In Year 10, schools register students within the QCAA Student Management application and a learning account is opened for each individual. 

The student is assigned a Learner Unique Identifier (LUI) and password so that they can access their web-based account. Parents may see their 10-digit student LUI via the Parent Lounge and General Details in TASS. Students may see their LUI via the Student Café and My Details. 

Year 11 and 12 students also have their LUIs printed on their Student Cards. 

All enrolments and results of eligible learning that contribute toward a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) are recorded in student learning accounts and where and when the learning occurred. This includes your All Hallows’ School subject results and the results of any external study you have completed, such as from Vocational Education and Training certificate courses or study completed with the Australian Musical Examinations Board.

Students will be able to use their learning account to view their senior Year 11 and Year 12 details, such as:

• personal and enrolment details
• enrolment details and results for study completed at school
• enrolment details and results for study completed outside of school (VET, AMEB, etc)
• eligibility for a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)
  their progress towards a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) 
• eligibility for an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR)

You can learn more about your learning account in the new QCE system via the QCAA website.

Learning accounts | Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (qcaa.qld.edu.au). 

Mr. Scott Adamson (Dean of Teaching and Learning)

I often contemplate the ever-changing nature of social media platforms, internet availability, and the varying impacts of online usage on young people. I frequently wonder what life was like before the internet. How did we find answers to pressing questions without Google, and how did we stay in touch with family and friends who lived far away? The internet and social media platforms can undoubtedly bring joy, save time using AI, provide access to the latest news, and offer instant responses.

So, how do we harness the benefits while also educating young people to filter content, switch off, allow time for boredom, mitigate negatives, and avoid online drama?

When I read news about our young people, I am struck by the alarming ease of access to various things such as purchasing vapes through Instagram, acquiring drugs including prescription medications like Ozempic to assist with extreme dieting, engaging in unsafe trends or viral online challenges, and being exposed to unrealistic beauty standards promoted by modified celebrity images.

As a school, we address these issues through our Fit4Life program and Health and Physical Education lessons. We provide accurate, up-to-date information that enables young people to make informed decisions about the challenges they may face. However, our young people can access their phones outside school hours, often without limitations or restrictions.

I understand this can be alarming and daunting for families, but there are some simple measures you can implement to reduce risks to your child:

Connection is key. To reduce exposure to harmful material, encourage less screen time and more face-to-face interaction with peers through school activities, sports, and cultural events.

Block your child's access to specific websites, apps, or functions (such as a device's camera or purchasing capabilities).

Filter different types of content, such as adult or sexual content, social media pages, and content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, violence, drugs, gambling, racism, and terrorism.

Limit who can communicate with your child and manage the apps they use to interact with others.

Monitor your child's use of connected devices with reports on the sites they visit, the apps they use, and the duration of their usage.

Set time limits, blocking access after a specified period.

Establish clear guardrails while your child transitions into young adulthood.

Build digital intelligence. Young people need guidance to navigate and learn how to use the online world responsibly.

Encourage empathy to help them see situations from others' perspectives.

Teach them to question and critically evaluate what they see online. Open dialogues during meals and discuss examples encountered during the day.

Promote safe and responsible behaviour by utilising privacy settings, managing screen time, protecting passwords, safeguarding identities, and avoiding interactions with unknown individuals online.

Build resilience by not reacting angrily to something your child shares; instead, support them in working through issues, building confidence, and fostering positivity.

For further information, refer to the eSafety Commissioner website Parental controls | How to keep your child safe

Ms. Victoria McDonald (Dean of Student Wellbeing)

In Week 5, our students challenged themselves to step outside their comfort zones, make new connections and take on the adventure of Year 7 Camp.

Students engaged in various team-building and self-development activities, including ropes, climbing, raft building, archery, and a sugar glider swing! Thank you to the staff who made the camp possible, giving up their time to ensure that camp was a memorable and worthwhile experience for our students. 

Thank you also to the Year 7 students who have shared some of their own reflections on the camp below:

Grace Mewing (Y7 GO7)

We grew stronger as a cohort, ensuring no one was misjudged or excluded. We worked together on the raft-building exercise, making sure everyone could fit on the raft. We supported our group members, offering encouragement on the high ropes or rock-climbing activities. I got to know my bunkmates in the cabins by sharing stories and laughing.

Abigail Fisher (Y7 CO4)

Camp is one of the things I look forward to every year. Year 7 camp was definitely one of the most fun camps I've ever been on. I had so much fun getting to know other people in the cohort and enjoyed all of the amazing activities that the teachers had planned for us. Some of my personal favourites were the sugar glider and the teamwork activities on the beach.

Sophia Ridolfi (Y7 WH8)

My favourite activities were high ropes, rock climbing and beach activities. I feel very blessed to be able to experience all these things especially the incredible night activities which taught us some valuable lessons. I am so grateful that my teachers gave their time to do this.

Last week, Year 11 students from All Hallows’ and Terrace participated in an insightful presentation led by Mr. Adair Donaldson. The session, titled “Respect Matters: A Guide to Consent-Based Relationships,” covered topics such as respectful relationships, safe partying, and the importance of consent. Our Year 9 students also had the chance to engage with Mr. Donaldson in a separate presentation, which focused on codes of conduct, behaviour outside of school hours, and the implications of mobile phone and social media use.

On behalf of the Pastoral Care Team and teaching staff present, we say thank you to both the Year 11 and Year 9 students for their genuine interest, engagement and honesty through the presentation. It was impressive to see 480 students from both Terrace and AHS come together to engage and interact respectfully with one another on topics that can be challenging and uncomfortable to discuss. Likewise, it was refreshing to see Year 9’s enthusiasm and inquisitiveness to the topics discussed. 

We hope all students now have a clearer understanding of these topics from a legal perspective, are better equipped to communicate openly with their peers, and are empowered to make informed decisions.

Unfortunately, the Year 11 parent session was postponed due to the recent weather event; however, it will be rescheduled soon. We encourage parents to attend, as Adair’s presentation is valuable and enlightening for all.

Reflection by Mr Adair Donaldson

“Presenting to over 500 Year 11 students from All Hallows' and Gregory Terrace for more than 1.5 hours on the legal consequences of poor decisions for many adults may not seem like fun and to the contrary terrifying.  For me, it was brilliant, and I could not have asked for a better day.  The students represent arguably the best of catholic education, and as you would expect, they were ready to learn, had curious minds, were quick to challenge and were good-humoured.  To top it off, I had an enlightening afternoon with the Year 9 cohort from All Hallows', proving that despite their age, they can understand adult concepts and their obligations to the school under their enrolment conditions.”

It’s safe to say that I learnt a lot in the past five days at home in preparation for the rain and wind, but funnily enough, my big lessons had nothing to do with Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Here is what I learnt.

1.    There is no such thing as too much focaccia bread, and it’s surprisingly easy to make.

2.    You shouldn’t light a small tea candle with all the windows closed and the fan on, as it may trigger your fire alarm, which beeps so loudly the entire street can hear your mistake.

3.    It is not only possible but also incredibly important to find things that bring you joy that don’t involve scrolling or TV time.

Speaking as someone whose weekly screen time is perhaps higher than my parents and I would like.. I don’t usually pride myself in my abilities to “digital detox.” Having the time at home, I was faced with two options – endlessly scroll or do something different. I tried the first option, and didn’t feel great by the end of the day. So, I embarked on a mission to do some of the things that I always wanted to do but never found the time for. It was enlightening, really. Among study sessions, I found that replacing small bits of time for these alternatives, rather than going on my phone, made me feel a whole lot more accomplished. 

So, here’s another list (one of my new hobbies after the number of To-Do lists I made last weekend) containing some things I did or can recommend. 

•    Make cups of tea
•    Make focaccia bread, or do some baking
•    Start a sourdough starter (and name it Alfie)
•    Go for a walk
•    Do a Spotify deep-dive and find a new song
•    Read your favourite childhood book
•    Do some colouring in
•    Run a half-marathon 
•    Wash your sheets
•    Play a board/card game with your family 
•    Talk to a member of your extended family
•    Learn one word in a different language 
•    Try to name all of the countries of the world
•    Teach yourself a new hairstyle
•    Upcycle something
•    Try to make lemonade
•    Make a vision board
•    Try and make the fanciest drink you’d find at a café (I’m talking Biscoff Lattes and Strawberry Matcha)
•    Stretch 
•    Try and learn a new instrument (ukelele is my fave)

With assessment season quickly approaching, if you’re feeling stressed or like there just isn’t enough time, try taking a few moments to create your own list. Spending five minutes disconnecting for your brain can recharge you in a way social media doesn’t – and hey, you might just end up with some sourdough to show for it!

Love,
Katherine xx

Your song choice for this fortnight: Hurricane by Bridget Mendler 💙💙

This year the annual All Hallows’ School Swimathon/Walkathon will be raising money for emerging needs in the community as well as our whole school project “Project THREADS: Weaving the Way” which is supporting two vital initiatives: the THREAD project at the Mater Hospital and the Livelihoods Project in Kiunga, PNG, run by Mercy Works.

The Swimathon is a sponsored event that will take place during the HPE classes of Years 5 and 6 students during Weeks 8-10 in Term 1. 

The specific dates for each class have been communicated to students. 

Years 7-10HPE students will also participate in a walk-a-thon to raise funds later in the year. 

Our Years 5 and 6 students will count the number of laps they can swim during two periods of time in their regular HPE classes and can be sponsored per lap or with a total donation. They can use any stroke, take regular rests, and use swim aids if needed. This is a fun event for the students to participate in and raises money for those in need. 

Each year, the Swimathon has received wonderfully generous support, and we again appeal to your generosity in supporting this most worthy cause.

We ask Year 5 and 6 students to please return any donations to Student Services by the end of Week 2, Term 2, in an envelope with their name, class, and “Swimathon Donations” on it.

Ms. Emma Jackson (Head of Department – Health and Physical Education)

The annual Arts Festival is an internal eisteddfod utilising external adjudicators & encompasses the genres of Instrumental and Vocal Music, Speech & Drama, Dance and Photography. 

In 2025, the Arts Festival will be split over 2 weeks in Term 2 and Term 3.

Registrations for the Arts Festival Week 1 (Instrumental Music) are now open via the online registration forms on the Performing Arts page of Moodle (Arts Festival Tab).

Instrumental Music Registrations will close at 12 p.m. on Monday, 24 March 2025, and no late entries will be accepted.

Click Here for the Performing Arts Page of Moodle (Arts Festival Tab)

All information, including the Rules and Schedules, are available on the Performing Arts page of Moodle (Arts Festival tab).

The cost is $15.00 per registration (plus any associated accompaniment fees if applicable) for solo or group/ensemble performances. Only one member of each group is to complete the group registration. Payment must be completed at the time of registration.

Ms. Cathie Neil (Head of Culture)

Ruby O’Brien & Harriet O’Leary (Hockey Captains)

The AHS Indoor Hockey season wrapped up on Tuesday, February 25th, with AHS 2 battling it out in the Semi-final. Despite facing the top-ranked team, AHS 2 delivered their best performance of the season. They fought valiantly but ultimately fell short, losing 4-2. 

Other fantastic results in the BIHL competition included:

•    AHS 3 finished 3rd in Div 6 
•    AHS 4 finished 2nd in Div 7 and had a 13-1 win during the season  
•    AHS 7 finished 2nd in Div 10  
•    AHS 8 finished 2nd in Div 11 & AHS 9 finished 3rd in Div 11 
•    AHS 11 finished top of Div 12 

Unfortunately, the BIHL Junior fixtures were cancelled in early January due to construction work at Kedron SH, which shortened the season for many of our junior teams. We hope our BIHL Junior players made the most of their season and look forward to a longer BIHL season in the summer of 2025/2026. 

Our new Year 5 and Year 7 AHS students kicked off the AHS Indoor Hockey season with their introduction to the Vipers Competition, a new event for AHS teams in 2024. The Vipers Competition provided a fantastic welcome to indoor hockey for our beginner players. It allowed them to build friendships with new classmates, be warmly welcomed into the AHS Hockey community by our student coaches and develop their hockey skills. 

Many of our Vipers players have continued in the AHS Hockey program and will be joining our U12 Grass team for the upcoming BWHA Grass Hockey season. 

A big thank you to all our student coaches across the Vipers & BIHL junior teams, our experienced coaches for leading our senior players on a Monday & Tuesday night in the Women’s divisions, and our PSG for continued funding of weekly skill sessions run at AHS during Term 4 to further develop our indoor players.  

Tickets are on sale this week!

Year 12 Ticket Pre-Release (Wednesday 12 March at 12pm). All Year 12 mothers are invited to purchase tickets during the pre-sale. 

An event link will be emailed to all Year 12 families with a password to access the pre-sale period, which concludes at 9am on Friday, 14 March.

General Tickets on sale – Friday 14 March at 12pm

A link will be emailed to all school families and can be accessed on the Parent Payment Portal and School App.

Ticket sales will close at 12pm on Thursday, 17 April 2025, or when sold out. You can purchase individual or multiple tickets. 

Please note that tables are capped strictly at 10 people.

This year, tickets are again $90 per person, plus a processing fee.

Gather your group of 10 and nominate your table captain! Don’t have a full table? No worries—we’ll seat you with Mums from your year level for a great morning of fun and connection. 

Please purchase your tickets before they sell out!

Sponsorship & Raffle Contributions – Closing soon.

Our event is more than just a morning tea; it’s a moment for our AHS community to connect. To make it even more special, we're reaching out to businesses and individuals who can help us make the day unforgettable by contributing prizes (items/services) or cash. Your generosity will enable us to create an array of prizes to raffle during the event. 

Please reach out if you or your business would like to support us. The deadline for donations and sponsorships is Monday, 17 March 2025. 

Please email the sponsorship and raffles team at ahsmaymorningteasponsors@gmail.com for details.

Volunteer Sign-up Sheet - Watch this space!

We need your help to make this year’s event a huge success! Watch for the volunteer sign-up link. Youur support makes all the difference.

If you have any questions, please contact the MMT Coordinator, Kerrie Taylor, on ahsmaymorningtea@gmail.com or call 0409 611 990.

Let’s make the 2025 event another unforgettable celebration. Thank you for your support!

There is still time to support the 2025 IWD Breakfast Raffle!

Due to last week’s weather events, the PPA’s IWD Breakfast scheduled for Friday March 7 has moved to tomorrow, Friday March 14.

If you cannot join us, please consider supporting the fabulous IWD Raffle. 

There are great prizes to be won, and all proceeds go towards the Dr Lee-Anne Perry AM Leadership and Service Award. The Past Pupils’ Association fully funds this award, which is awarded each year to a young past pupil to support their leadership journey in a Mercy-related community or social justice project.

To purchase tickets, please click the link below. 

The raffle closes just before 8:30am tomorrow (Friday) morning. 

Thank you in advance, and a special thank you to our generous prize donors!

All Hallows' School Limited Fundraising Raffle | RaffleLink

Our Centenary year begins with a very special Inaugural Mass

Inaugural Mass is one of the most joyful and uplifting events on the All Hallows’ School annual calendar. 

Traditionally, it is where we welcome our new Year 5 and 7 students and affirm our pride and support for our school leaders, the Class of 2025. 

This year's Inaugural Mass took on even greater significance as it celebrated the generational legacy of the Past Pupils’ Association in its 100th year. Mass featured a procession honouring a President of the Association across each decade (there have been 33 Presidents in total) from 1925 to 2025  and highlighting their ongoing connections within the current All Hallows’ community.

Numerous past pupils (including Past Presidents) of different ages and life stages also participated in the Mass as readers, lead singers, musicians and in the offertory procession  (Please see the full list of participants below)

With almost 3,000 people in the Great Hall at Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre, the sense of connection and community was palpable, and it was such a fitting way to usher in the Centenary.

1920’s

Mrs CB Steele/Mary Frances ‘Minnie’ Tymons: President 1928-1930

Represented by Rosemary Toohey (Ward), Class of 1982, great-granddaughter (former staff member) and Frances Eichmann (Steele), Class of 1959, granddaughter.

1930’s

Mrs PW Shannon/Cissie Heckelmann: President 1931-1938

Represented by Kathleen Brosnan (Akers), Class of 1968 and Carmel Whyte (Akers), Class of 1969, great nieces and Zara Torpie Year 12 2025, great great great niece.

1940’s

Mrs JP Gralton/Bessie Doyle: President 1939-1941

Represented by The Honourable Donna O’Reilly KC, Class of 1969, granddaughter and Ellie Doyle Year 5 2025, great great niece

1950’s

Mrs JJ Ryan/Beth Iliff: President 1956, 1957 (+1942-1945)

Represented by Moyra Ryan (Cummings), Class of 1955, daughter-in-law and Roisin Ryan, Class of 1992, granddaughter.

1960’s

Mrs H Parker/Dorothy Simpson: President 1968

Represented by Carolyn Purcell (Parker), Class of 1965, daughter and Phoebe Cannon Year 12 2025, great-granddaughter.

1970’s

Mrs L McQuillan/Lorna Batterham: President 1969-1971

Represented by Loma Henry, Class of 1967, niece.

1980’s

Beryl Breene (Maranta), Class of 1958: President 1984,1985             

And Nicola Mullins (Breene), Class of 1982, daughter.

1990’s

Maree Joseph (George), Class of 1968/70: President 1994-1997

And granddaughter Evie Palmer Year 7 2025.

2000’s

Catherine Murdoch (Arnold), Class of 1979: President 2000-2003

And Anneli (Annie) Murdoch, Class of 2022, daughter and current AHS staff member.

2010’s

Carmel Muscillo (Mangano), Class of 1997: President 2016, 2017

And Vittoria, Year 9 2025 & Nicola, Year 12 2025, daughters.

2020’s

Tron Fisher, Class of 1988: President 2020-2025

And Lily Platt, Year 12 2025, cousin.