eNews Archive Issue 12 - 26 April 2018

These awards have a short history and are not common in schools. Although Alumni awards are quite common at universities, they are less so in schools. Yet as places of learning and of opportunity for growth and development, it is fitting that we acknowledge the efforts and contributions of our past students as we are proud of them and their relationship with their school should not cease once they walk out of the gates at the end of Year 12.

These awards were established to:

• Recognise the many achievements of St Margaret’s Past Students, both professionally and personally
• Celebrate the diverse achievements of past students and provide an opportunity to share stories of success with our current students
• Increase connections between the School and past students to honour their legacy.

Many nominations were received for the two awards for 2018. The recipient of the Young Past Student Award – this award is given to a past student in her 20th reunion year or younger – is 2011 graduate, Emma Sievwright.

In 2016 Emma graduated from the University of Queensland with First Class Honours in Biomedical Science. Her Honours project focused on craniofacial identification, contributing to research investigating whether the facial appearance of a dry skull (found in a crime scene, for example) could be predicted by using measured distances on the given skull. The project sought to assess whether the use of linear regression models could provide better facial estimates than current methods used in the field. During her Honours year, Emma presented preliminary findings at the Australasian Society of Human Biology Conference and contributed as co-author to a chapter of Commemorations and Memorials: Exploring the Human Face of Anatomy. She has recently been advised that Forensic Science International, a peer-reviewed academic journal, has accepted the study she conducted with her supervisor for publication. At the end of her Honours year, Emma received the prize for the best overall final seminar, received a Dean’s Commendation and was awarded First Class Honours with the highest score in her graduating cohort. Upon graduation Emma committed herself to preparing for dentistry entry exams. Following a successful interview and GAMSAT score, she gained entry to the Doctor of Dental Medicine postgraduate program at the University of Sydney, but chose to return to UQ to complete the Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours) program after achieving the 97th percentile in her UMAT exam.

Throughout her studies Emma has used her love of baking as a healthy form of stress relief, and developed a strong legion of followers on Instagram once she started posting photos of her beautiful bakes on the network. In 2017 (while juggling dentistry entrance exams), she successfully completed the auditions for the Great Australian Bake-Off and was selected as one of 12 amateur bakers nation-wide to appear on the show in 2018.

While on the show Emma themed her bakes on her family, beloved (one-eyed) cat Mischa and love for science. She has used the media attention she received to highlight careers in science and particularly the roles of women in STEM. She recently was invited to attend the Young Scientists of Australia Brisbane Chapter Open Day as a young STEM professional of note.

The second award is the Distinguished Past Students Award for an Alumnae who has passed her 20th reunion. The recipient in 2018 is 1953 graduate Helen Meredith. Helen has been a national figure as a commentator and reporter on the Australian, and the international, ICT scene for over 40 years. The list of media organisations she has worked with includes Pacific Computer Weekly where she was News Editor from 1980 to 1982, the Australian as Computer and High Technology Editor from 1983-1993, and the Australian Financial Review (1993-2002). She has also been a contributing journalist to the ABC, the Financial Times, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Between 1996 and 2002, Helen was Editor-in-Chief of the Global Flow international web news service.

In her earlier career years, she worked as a science editor and copywriter. During the 1970s she was editor of publications for the National Capital Development Commission and a part-time lecturer in the School of Applied Sciences at the Canberra College of Advanced Education (now the University of Canberra).

During her long career she wrote thousands of articles, was a speaker at industry conferences, interviewed many of the pioneers of the digital age and contributed to a host of Australian and overseas publications, including Cable and Satellite Europe, Money Laundering, Advanced Television Markets, Asia Communications, Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter and ABC radio.

Helen was a pioneer in technology journalism remembering that at the time of her graduation there was no such thing as a home or work computer! In 2002, Helen was the recipient of the Kester Award for lifetime achievement in technology journalism.

In addition to her role as a journalist and commentator, Helen has participated in addressing the public policy issues arising from the Information Revolution. She was active in the establishment, in 1989, of FiTT (Females in IT and Telecommunications), with the purpose of inspiring women to achieve their career aspirations and potential at all levels and disciplines within ICT, by providing support and facilitating peer networking. She was the author of “Easy Riding on the Information Highway”, and was editor of “Women in Technology” (1993). She also contributed chapters and been a researcher for many publications on Australia’s information industry.

She was vice-chairperson of AITEC (The Australian Advanced Engineering Centre), a joint venture of leading universities and TAFEs established in 1993 to develop postgraduate degrees in engineering (IT&T), mobile communications and systems management.

On Friday evening we recognised both Emma and Helen who were nominated by their peers and thanked them for their inspirational addresses on the evening.

I would like to encourage you all to consider those you may wish to nominate for the 2019 awards. Award criteria and eligibility details will be posted on the School’s Website in a few weeks’ time and we are happy to receive nominations at any time.

Ros Curtis 

iPads are now located in the following areas: Secondary Staffroom, Primary Reception, Boarding office, Mooloomburram Reception, Facilities and IT. Any person visiting the school is asked to sign in via the iPad and receive a visitor’s tag when they are on the school premises. Staff in the reception areas will be able to assist you.

Student Protection

St Margaret’s takes student protection seriously, and so it is timely that I remind all families about the policies and processes that we have here.

St Margaret's AGS is committed to:

• promoting and striving to provide a safe, supportive and ethical environment for the wellbeing and holistic development of students; and
• providing a safe secure nurturing environment in which all its students may grow and learn.

Student Protection Officers are persons designated as liaison people to whom students may refer if they are not feeling safe; or to whom they make complaints of harm, inappropriate behaviour or physical/sexual abuse. The St Margaret's Student Protection Officers are:

• Deputy Principal - Karen Gorrie
• Head of Boarding - Lesa Fowler
• Head of Primary School - Angela Drysdale
• Assistant Head of Primary School – Cathy Cox
• Dean of Students - Nikki Townsend
• Guidance Counsellor - Sharon Stone

All Student Protection documentation, including all policies and procedures can be viewed on our internet page at: https://www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au/discover-st-margaret-s/student-protection.

Our statement of commitment is as follows:

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School supports the rights of children and young people and are committed to ensure the safety, welfare and wellbeing of students. St Margaret’s is therefore committed to responding to allegations of student harm resulting from the conduct or actions of any person including that of employees.

This commitment includes the provision of a safe and supportive living and learning environment for all students and requires all employees, volunteers and visitors to model and encourage behaviour that upholds the dignity and protection of students from harm.

In support of this commitment, St Margaret’s is dedicated to our Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy which includes having relevant policies, procedures and training in place to effectively address the safety and wellbeing of students in our care.

Karen Gorrie 

Members of our Senior Leadership Team, The Heads of Year and Academic Advisors will also be joining us for the Family Service, presided at by The Rev. Canon Dr Murray Harvey, parish priest of St Mark’s.

First Communion and Baptisms – Wednesday 2 May, 6pm

Please keep in your prayers those who are being baptised next Wednesday evening: Charlie Ferris, Sarah Neilson, Darcy Pitman and Maggie Pitman. Also, those who have chosen to be formally admitted to receive the sacrament: Coco Fidler, Jemima Given, Taylah Nash, Anna Lincoln, Sarah Neilson, Charlie Ferris, Charlotte Peat and Brooke Lane, along with Seth Fidler, Maggie Pitman and Nicholas Burton.

Confirmation – Sunday 17 June, 6pm

Bishop Jeremy Greaves will be joining the St Margaret’s community for the 2018 Confirmation Service and Supper on 17 June. Candidates aged Year 8 and above who would like to make their mature commitment to a relationship with God and faith are encouraged to chat with me as soon as possible.

Confirmation is open to adults in our community as well. Please email me at: ncolledge@stmargarets.qld.edu.au to find out more.

Upcoming Services – Family Services

Years 9 and 10: Tuesday 1 May, 6:30pm at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Clayfield

Years 11 and 12: Tuesday 15 May, 6:30pm at St Augustine’s, Hamilton

Upcoming Services – Other

Baptisms and Admission to Holy Communion: Wednesday 2 May, 6pm, School Chapel

Years 1-6 Eucharist: Friday 11 May, 2pm. All are welcome!

A Prayer for ANZAC Week

God, where there is despair and violence, we turn to your peace.

Where there is confusion and an imbalance of power, we turn to your wisdom.

When we reflect on the many lives lost to warfare, when we find ourselves humbled at the realisation of privilege, we ask for your grace and truth.

Bring peace, Holy Lord, starting with us.

Bring peace, Gracious Defender, lived through us.

Bring peace, Son of Peace, shown and shared in our own piece of peace.

Amen.

With every blessing on you all this week and beyond,

The Reverend Canon Nicki Colledge 

The first Brisbane ANZAC Day Parade took place on 25 April 1916. It remains a significant commemorative event on one of Australia’s most important national days. It complements the Dawn and Memorial Services and was well attended by thousands of Brisbane residents. The atmosphere was a happy one and the girls were glad they attended.

Dimity Harris 

Student voice is also about students being responsible for both what they say and what they do. In the first couple of weeks of this term, student voice is important during the process of receiving assessment results and feedback. To be able to learn from their mistakes, student voice can be used to:

• Ask questions to strengthen understanding
• Listen to and learn from peers and teachers
• Reflect, take action and accept the responsibility that comes with learning
• Develop a plan to improve, particularly if the knowledge and skills will be repeated.

Student voice is something that is developed over time, therefore students must take every opportunity to practise using their voice. Every experience will help them be better equipped to use their voice next time they need to clarify their learning now or in life.

ELEVATE

On Monday 30 April, all Year 10 students will participant in an ELEVATE session focussed on time management. These sessions are intended to assist the girls in building their study skills.

Trends in Education

On Wednesday 6 June from 5:30pm-7:00pm we will be conducting our first Trends in Education seminar for 2018. Our speaker is Professor Jeff Brand from Bond University. His presentation will focus on Megatrends, education and future work. Demographers, social researchers, scientists and policy makers have identified megatrends certain to affect the future of our civilisation. These include blending natural and artificial intelligence, designing for a rapidly ageing population, and installing a robot workforce, among many others. He will consider how we as educators and parents understand and build transformational education experiences that elegantly transition beautiful young learners into resilient and adaptive professionals.

This seminar engages the audience to adopt a sociocultural action-list for education, technology and graduate outcomes with examples and recommendations. Professor Jeff Brand is an internationally recognised and nationally awarded career academic in the discipline of communication and media with expertise in quantitative research methodology, an intellectual interest in policy for the digital economy, and leadership experience in tertiary operations and governance.

The seminar is being held in the St Margaret’s Arts Centre Foyer. Please RSVP by Friday 1 June 2018 to Tammy Church on 3862 0777 or reception@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Jo Butterworth 

The topic of his talk was “Compassion is Happiness”. During his keynote address he talked about the circuitries of happiness. He explained as humans we function best when we move through the feelings of calm and excitement, and that stress/challenge fits within this continuum. In his study of university pre-med students he found that as humans our problem lies in our ability to understand that for us to move on the continua, we often get stuck on ‘stressed’. He went on to explain this in much detail, but the short answer was, we need to have compassion for ourselves to normalise and acknowledge the ‘stressed’ feeling to allow us to thrive.

In my role, I often find myself having conversations with girls about how to manage when they are feeling ‘stressed’. We all feel ‘stressed’ at some time or another and we cannot avoid it. The good news from the research from Tony Fernando is about the importance of building resilience and thinking about stress in ways to enhance wellbeing and to thrive. We need to think about stress differently, normalise it and acknowledge and be compassionate with our thoughts in order to deal with the pressure.

Here are some strategies I often discuss with the girls. They are simple and common sense and you may be able to use them at home with your daughter.

1. Help her to see the meaning in her stress

The ideal life isn’t stress-free. According to the Gallup World Poll, the happiest people on earth report high, not low, levels of stress. The reason is that the girls feel stress because school and learning is something that they care about. When you care a lot, you experience more stress. Therefore, help your daughter see this and work on strategies such as time management, social media free time and stillness to assist with seeing the meaning, normalising and not catastrophising.

2.Help her to focus on a Growth Mindset

This can protect your daughter against some of the harmful effects of stress. Get her to focus on what is going well and how to move through the ‘rough patch’ using productive strategies such as talking about the learning that is happening in the ‘rough’ times and focussing on the feelings when this ‘patch’ has past.

3.Practice Vicarious Resilience with your daughter

Vicarious resilience is what psychologists call the flip side of contagious stress. It’s the ability to ‘catch’ resilience from those we see persevere, grow and thrive. Get your daughter to think how someone else might deal with the same problem. Talk to them about how you deal with pressure and how you have seen others deal with stress. Too often the girls think they are the only one who is feeling ‘stressed’, and this leads to the final mindset shift when feeling stressed.

4.Get her to be compassionate with herself

A mindset of “I’m the only one” can drive your daughter to self-destructive behaviors like procrastinating, catastrophising and hiding her problems from people who can help. In contrast, letting your daughter know that others share stress is a powerful source of resilience. Teaching you daughter that pressure/stress are normal she will be less likely to give up on her goals, more willing to talk with others about her problems and more likely to get the support she needs.

Pre-Service Teachers

As a school, St Margaret’s is committed to the professional development of their staff. Due to this commitment we also value the opportunity to have pre-service teachers in our school to learn from our professional staff.

This term, the following staff will be hosting pre-service teachers: Mr Tom McCormick, Ms Clair Monnickendam, Mr Noel Peinke, Ms Alison Davis, Ms Talia O’Callaghan and Mrs Kirsty Krynauw. These staff will be working with pre-service teachers to prepare them to meet the challenges of the 21st century classroom and workplace. To do this the teachers will be assisting the aspiring teachers to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes to teach effectively. Therefore, these students will participate in supervised experiences within the classroom to help them develop skills to understand the full scope of a teacher’s role. These experiences are very powerful in that they provide real opportunities for the pre-service teacher to develop skills in planning, organising, running and evaluating in the classroom under the supervision of a teacher.

I would like to welcome the pre-service teachers and thank the supervising teachers.

Nicole Devlin 

You should have received an invitation during the school holidays to this event. It is essential to RSVP as the event is being held in The Loft and seats are limited. Peggy Orenstein is an American author and although she will have an American context for her presentation, the address should still be valuable for parents of girls. For further information about how to RSVP, please see the attached flyer (PDF 145.9KB).

ANZAC Day
Yesterday, a number of St Margaret's students joined Mr Ray Geise for the annual ANZAC Day March. It was lovely to see St Margaret's girls paying their respects to the Anzacs at various events throughout Brisbane.

St Margaret’s vs Churchie Netball Game

On Thursday 19 April 2018, St Margaret’s prefects played a social game of netball against Churchie in support of the Sony Foundation. Congratulations to Churchie who won the game 21-15. This is a wonderful social event for the students. Both schools encourage annual events throughout the grades such as this to build strong relationships between the brother/sister schools.

Red Shield Appeal – Year 8 St Margaret’s and Churchie

Year 8 St Margaret’s students have, once again, been invited by Churchie to volunteer in the 2018 Red Shield Doorknock Appeal. This event will take place on the morning of Sunday 27 May (after our MAYO festivities) and will involve up to 20 Year 8 students, doorknocking in the streets surrounding the Churchie campus. More information regarding this event will be provided by Claire Bloomer, Head of Year - 8 in the coming weeks.

Nikki Townsend 

This week, the girls had the opportunity to be grateful for the country we live in. The Year 6 students are preparing and learning about the history of our democratic society in which we all live. On Tuesday, the whole school community acknowledged ANZAC Day by paying homage to those who have fought for our country in order that we can live today in a democratic society. Both these experiences are ways we can encourage our girls to be grateful for the society in which they live. Thank you to Miss Surtees and some of the Year 6 students for the ANZAC Day Assembly.

Closer in time and place, we have many families in our school who are generous with others and for whom we should be grateful. Evidence of this generosity is in relation to the upcoming MAYO Arts Festival on 25 and 26 May. We have had parents on the Gallery Committee and the Class Parent Representatives organising stalls or activities for the day, but in order for this event to be successful we invite the whole school community to get behind it. Some families and community members have offered support to this event through sponsorship.

It is not too late to be a stall sponsor. The Class Parent Representatives of each Primary year level and year levels in the Secondary school have been busy planning their stall or activity. We invite all families to contribute to the different stalls by donating the following goods during the identified weeks or by donating all at once or at a time that suits you. Listed below is the suggested timeline for donations:

Week 2 (23 April): Prizes for lucky dips and side show alley.

Week 3 (30 April): Bottles of wine, anything and all things wine.

Week 4 (7 May): Cans of soft drinks and bottled water.

Week 5 (14 May): Bags of lollies, chocolate bars.

Week 6 (21 May): Cakes and baked goods.

A competition will be held for the Primary school students for the class that donates the most goods - prizes for lucky dip, side show alley, cans of soft drinks, bags of lollies and chocolate bars. During Weeks 5 and 6, Primary students are to deliver their donated goods to their classroom. At the end of Week 6, the class which has donated the most goods will be announced and rewarded with a prize.

Secondary students are requested to donate their goods to School Support in the Secondary School.

Thank you in anticipation of your support for donations for the MAYO Arts Festival. 

Parent Information Night - 16 May – Peggy Orenstein

I would like to encourage Primary parents to attend our upcoming Parenting Information Night on 16 May. Guest speaker, Peggy Orenstein, New York Times bestselling author and international speaker addresses issues affecting girls and women. Peggy will be speaking at St Margaret’s to parents on the topic of her book -  Girls and Sex: Navigating from shame and regret to integrity and joy in a complicated new landscape.

You should have received an invitation during the school holidays to this event. It is essential to RSVP as the event is being held in The Loft and seats are limited. Peggy Orenstein is an American author and although she will have an American context for her presentation, the address should still be valuable for parents of girls. For further information about how to RSVP please see the attached flyer.

Angela Drysdale 

Thank you to the Sculthorpe String Quartet and Akari Komoto

Thank you to the Sculthorpe String Quartet and to Akari Komoto for the musical performances provided at last week’s Past Student Awards Dinner. These performances always assist in creating a special atmosphere at these events and we continue to be very grateful to our St Margaret’s musicians for their contributions.

Change to reporting for students undertaking Private Music Tuition

This year, the Music Department is introducing a new reporting process for students in Years 2-12 undertaking private music lessons. Students, in conjunction with their teacher, will select in advance a program appropriate to the student’s current standard to be presented during their lesson time in Week 7 of Term 2 (and later in the year in Week 4 of Term 4). The program will typically consist of some technical work and two pieces. Two teachers will listen to the presentation (one of which will be the student’s own teacher) and following the presentation, written feedback will be made available to students and parents through our end of semester reporting process.

The aim of the initiative is to provide students with a goal to work towards, along with specific, relevant feedback that will allow them to direct their practise in a more focussed manner. Students are encouraged to view the process as one that will assist in improving their musical capacity and provide motivation to maintain a consistent weekly practise routine. We look forward to strengthening our private music tuition program through this new initiative.

Anglican Schools Music Festival – Rehearsal Day

There will be a pre-festival rehearsal this Sunday 29 April for students participating in the upcoming Anglican Schools Music Festival from 10am – 3pm. Students from Brisbane, Gold Coast and Toowoomba regions will meet on this day to rehearse repertoire in preparation for the Gala Concert. All girls involved in the String Orchestra will rehearse at St Margaret’s, and students who are involved in the Choir and Symphonic Band will rehearse at Cannon Hill Anglican College. A letter with further details is attached (PDF 261.5KB).

The Anglican Schools Music Festival promises to be a wonderful opportunity and this pre-rehearsal day will be an important time to prepare for the Gala Concert to be held in the QPAC Concert Hall on Friday 18 May. For those who have not yet purchased tickets, they are available via QPAC Ticketing (www.qpac.com.au or call 136 246). Tickets will be available at a flat rate of $20 (plus GST).

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be a planning meeting for the upcoming MAYO Festival on Wednesday 9 May at 3:30pm in the Primary Music Room (second floor of Chaseley). Parents from both the Primary and Secondary schools are welcome to attend.

Brad King 

A research report by the Canadian Olympic Committee investigated the factors which contributed to the success or lack of success of Canadian athletes at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. It was found that the most significant contributor to a medal winning performance or personal best was a strong coach-athlete relationship and a strong athlete-athlete relationship.

Sport is not just about what happens on the field but also what happens off the field. Often what happens off the field can have such a positive impact on it! Therefore, I ask that you support your daughters by maintaining their attendance at training so they can build great relationships.

Autumn Fixtures

There were some nail biting matches against St Peter’s Lutheran College on Friday 20 April in Touch Football and Basketball. Within Touch Football, our Junior teams came out on top with the 7A, 8A, 9B2, 9B and 9A all winning their games. Our Soccer girls were unfortunately cancelled due to the wet weather. The 8B basketball team was the only team triumphant, winning 20-14.

This week’s games will be held once again at our home venues. Please click here for the fixture schedule (v2). (PDF 276.2KB) Please ensure you are reading version 2 of the schedule.

Please note, due to the Boarder/Day Girl long weekend no games will be held on Friday 4 May.

Cross Country – 2 weeks and counting!!

The St Margaret’s cross country squad has been digging deep and putting the pedal to the metal in training in an effort to produce personal bests at the QGSSSA Cross Country Championships on Saturday 12 May. The hard work was evident on Tuesday 24 April where the squad raced at our very own Invitational Meet at Shaw Park. Standout performances were demonstrated in all age groups with many girls achieving a personal best. Special mention to Isabella Harte (13 Years) who placed 1st in the combined 12/13 Years race.

The final warm-up meet for the cross country team will be held on Tuesday 1 May at Rivermount College, Rivermount Drive, Yatala. This is a compulsory event and all team members are required to attend. The online registration link is available here. Early departure from class at 2:20pm has been granted to all members of the cross country team.

Cross Country Camp

Twenty-six girls from Years 7 to Year 12 headed to the Sunshine Coast over the weekend to build on their aerobic and anaerobic fitness in a quest to be at their optimum for the QGSSSA Cross Country Championships. All girls were challenged but rose to every occasion and are now ready to take on the course at QGSSSA on Saturday 12 May.

Lifesaving

St Margaret’s has selected 30 students to compete at the 2018 Royal Lifesaving Society State Championships on Sunday 29 April at the Somerville House Aquatic Centre with the competition commencing at 9:30am. St Margaret's has an excellent track record in this competition and, as defending champions, are motivated to retain the title. Best wishes to all team members for a successful morning of Lifesaving!

Congratulations…

Teneille Allen, Kydeesha Crawford, Tiffany Mackay, Tiana Sikacek, Hayley Forster and Abigail Shearer-Smith for competing at the 2018 Australian Age Swimming Championships from 21-28 April.

Summer Short (Year 12) who competed at the 2018 Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships in Perth last week. Summer won gold in the U17 Surf Teams race for her club, Maroochydore, as well as a bronze in the Open Women’s Rescue Tube.

Upcoming Events:

• Friday 27 April - Autumn Fixtures v St Hilda’s at Home Venues
• Sunday 29 April – Lifesaving Championships at Somerville House
• Tuesday 1 May – QGSSSA Cross Country Invitational Meet at Rivermount College

Helen Lobegeiger 

In Melbourne, we were treated to an array of performances including Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Fly by comedians Lano and Woodley and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Sydney’s production viewing itinerary included The Children by Sydney Theatre Company, Trapper by Arena Theatre Company, Mamma Mia! and finally the Australian Theatre for Young People’s (ATYP) Patrice Balbina’s Chance Encounter with the End of the World. We thoroughly enjoyed all the shows and the great variety in the varying styles of theatre we saw.

We also participated in a range of workshops where we learned skills that are sure to translate into our performance and classroom work. In Melbourne, we participated in a workshop with ‘Impro Melbourne’ at Abbotsford Convent which focused on how to be effective improvisers. In Sydney, we participated in a workshop at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) which exposed us to acting for screen. With ATYP we were introduced to two new schools of thought and philosophies for creating authentic and believable characters. Being able to partake in these workshops was most beneficial and opened our eyes to the immense possibilities in the performing arts world.

Finally, we engaged on several tours which gave us insight into the history of theatre as well as providing new insights into Australia’s artistic history and culture. In Melbourne, we toured ‘La Mama Theatre’ in Carlton which is nationally acknowledged as having been at the forefront of contemporary theatre since 1967. We were also treated to an exclusive backstage and ‘behind-the-scenes’ tour of Her Majesty’s Theatre where Beautiful was performed. We also squeezed in a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria’s Triennial exhibit before it closed. In Sydney, we toured the famous Sydney Opera House and were informed how it has been integral to the evolution of the performing arts industry in Australia.

We are very grateful to have been given the opportunity to be part of this incredible tour and are very appreciative of all the hard work that was put into making it so memorable for the staff and students alike.

Millicent McKendry

Year 12 Drama Student 

A kaleidoscopic adventure

There will be so much to see and do at this year’s MAYO Arts Festival from browsing the art gallery exhibition to shopping the market stalls, sampling the delicious gourmet delights and trying your hand at one of the many creative workshops. Here’s a guide to what you can expect.

Market Stalls

Browse the artisan market stalls located in Eton Hall and around the Circular Drive precinct offering a range of handcrafted gifts, artworks, fashion and unique homewares. Some of the market stalls featured include:

• San Nizet – contemporary women’s fashion and accessories
• Secret Garden Artisanal Soaps – vegan friendly soap bars made with 100% pure virgin coconut oil, enriched with essential oils and fragrances
• Antler and Moss – ceramics designed and handcrafted in Australia, inspired by edgy antler strength x soft delicate moss
• A Ceramics – beautifully crafted, high-fire stoneware pieces for everyday use, inspired by the earth, the environment and the seasons
• Earth Fibre – eco dyed products
• Create Estate – coastal inspired homewares and custom made bedheads made locally by a team of creatives
• Lumen + Luxe – concrete vessels, 100% natural candles + melts, ambience room sprays, pillow mist and room diffusers
• Alcie May – exclusive swimwear and activewear designs
• Ari Adams Art – artworks, specialising in human and animal portraiture
• Grey & Bird – original designs and artworks, small functional furniture and display pieces handmade from reclaimed materials
• Brenda Stevens Paintings – paintings
• Silksnbeads - suncatchers
• Anise Designs – zipped handmade pouches made with designer fabrics
• Noeline Kelly – delightfully knitted tea cosies
• Peg and Rainy Precious Heirlooms – artwork transformed into vintage prints and books
• This and That Styling – cushions, bags and lamp shades

Eat and Drink

Some of Brisbane’s most popular food trucks will roll up to serve delicious food throughout the day offering mouth-watering eats and treats. Some of the food trucks serving up delicious fare will include:

• Bruce the Food Truck – delicious injectable donuts, cronuts and organic coffee
• Roam’in Pizza – woodfired pizzas
• The Dapper and Chic – Cajun inspired street food
• Queen of Pops Pop Cart – specialty coffee and ice cream pops
• Sate House – Malaysian restaurant
• Dippin Dots – ice cream
• Iced Tea Co. – Iced Teas

Many more will be confirmed soon.

Children’s Rides

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to purchase an earlybird ride pass so that the children can enjoy unlimited rides throughout the Festival.

Ride passes allow children to enjoy unlimited rides throughout the festival on Saturday 26 May. Purchase an earlybird ride pass for $30 and save $5. Alternatively, ride passes will be available for $35 on the day and individual ride tickets can be purchased for $6.

Purchase your earlybird ride pass here.

Souvenir T-Shirts

Souvenir t-shirts will be available for purchase via Flexischools soon for $25 and can be collected from the School Supplies Shop.

Congratulations to the winner of this year’s t-shirt design competition, Year 11 student Lillyana Bowden, whose kaleidoscope design features on this year’s t-shirt. 

We need your help to make the MAYO Arts Festival stalls a huge success. Download the donations flyer (PDF 1.8MB) to see how you can help.

St Margaret’s appreciates the support of our MAYO Arts Festival Sponsors: 

Platinum

Luxury Private Charters and Exclusive Tour Agent

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Stalls

Supporting Partners

How do I book?
Complete the official booking form attached to the program (PDF 490.9KB). For further details please email: oshc@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

What is the cost?*
$60 per day.

What are the hours of operation?
The service is open from 7:00am until 6pm.

How can I obtain more information?
If you would like further information regarding our OSHC Program or if you would like to make a booking, feel free to contact me on 0423 547 653 or email: oshc@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Palu Ingram 

The Konan students will have one night away during this period so there would be a total of 6 nights homestay accommodation required for each student. You may decide to take in one or two students. We would welcome homestay families with students from any year level.

The girls are keen to learn about the lifestyles of Australian students and would do whatever it is you and your family normally do. There would be no need to go to any great effort or expense to do out of the ordinary things.

If you and your family are keen to host a student, please contact me as soon as you can: tkirkpatrick@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Prior to the arrival of the girls from Konan, I will hold a meeting at school with girls who are hosting a student to answer any questions and provide ideas about making the homestay experience a success for you and the Konan students.

Trish Kirkpatrick

Head of Admissions and Community Relations 

Date: Friday 15 June 2018

Time: 6:30pm pre-dinner drinks in Eton Courtyard, 7pm Dinner

Venue: Eton Hall

Cost: $100.00 per person includes two course dinner and drinks

Our guest speaker is Young Past Student of Distinction, Gwyneth Olsen ('00). Gwyneth is the Head Winemaker at Peppertree Wines, Briar Ridge Vineyard and Davis Premium Vineyards in the Hunter Valley. Among many other accolades, in 2014 Gwyneth was awarded Gourmet Traveller Wine's Young Winemaker of the Year. Join us to hear from Gwyneth on her inspiring journey from St Margaret's to becoming a Len Evans Tutorial Scholar at 'the most exclusive wine school in the world'.

This annual event is proudly sponsored by Morgans.

Mother Daughter High Tea – Save the Date!

Join us for the St Margaret’s P&F Association Inaugural Mother Daughter High Tea. To view the date the date flyer, please click here (PDF 703.2KB).

Date: Sunday 12 August

Time: 3pm-5pm

St Margaret’s Race Day 2018

We have had a wonderful response from the school community to our request for volunteers for a Race Day committee. If anyone else would like to be involved, please email the Development and Community Office at: developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or attend the P&F general meeting on Monday 14 May.

P&F General Meeting - 14 May

The P&F invites the school community to attend our first General Meeting of 2018. This is an opportunity to share your views and ideas, so please join us.

Date: Monday 14 May 2018

Venue: ILC (independent Learning Centre)

Time: 6:30pm start

Past Student Awards

Last Friday night, the school hosted the Past Students Awards Dinner. Fifty past students, staff, parents and current students gathered in the Arts Centre Foyer to celebrate the success of award winners, Helen Meredith (’53) and Emma Sievwright (’11).

Old Girls' Events 2018

OGA Annual Brunch – Sunday 3 June

Reunions

Your reunion invitations will be sent out by the end of this week. Those past students who have informed the school of their email address, will receive their invite by email. Past students for whom we do not have email addresses, will receive an invite by post at the last known address.

Please continue to contact the Development Office with any address updates you may have.

10 Year Reunion – Class of 2008 – Friday 27 July

20 Year Reunion – Class of 1998 – Friday 27 July

30 Year Reunion – Class of 1988 – Friday 27 July

40 Year Reunion – Class of 1978 – Saturday 28 July

50 Year Reunion – Class of 1968 – Saturday 28 July

60 Year Reunion – Class of 1958 – Saturday 28 July

Chapel Service and Morning Tea – Sunday 29 July

60+ Year Reunion – Monday 30 July

Lara Pickering 

The Scholarships, founded in 2013 by philanthropists Graham and Louise Tuckwell, allow and encourage students to take full advantage of their time at university, including the many academic, social, cultural sporting and leadership opportunities that come with life on campus at ANU.

Every year, 25 Tuckwell Scholarships are awarded to highly talented and motivated school leavers planning to study at ANU, to help them fulfil their potential and reinvest their knowledge, skills and experience in ways that positively benefit others. The program has a focus on giving back to Australia and is the only one of its kind that nurtures Scholars to fulfil their broader community ambitions over and above the pursuit of an undergraduate degree.

Applications are now open for 2019. More information is available from: https://tuckwell.anu.edu.au/scholarship.

Domestic Undergraduate Student Guide
Take a look at our new 2019 Domestic Undergraduate Student Guide. In this guide, you will find information on ANU and what we offer, our programs, entry requirements, global opportunities and internships. Hard copies will be available soon.

A pathway to medicine at ANU
The Bachelor of Health Science offers a pathway to the postgraduate Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD) at ANU without having to sit the GAMSAT. At the end of their second year in the Bachelor of Health Science up to 30 students will receive an offer of entry to the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD), contingent upon their grade point average (GPA), an interview process and successful completion of the Bachelor of Health Science. Ten of the 30 places in the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD) program are reserved for rural and Indigenous students from the Bachelor of Health Science.

Program details: QLD OP 6 and other prerequisites apply. For further details on admission, fees and program requirements, visit the ANU Programs & courses website.

ANU Brisbane Midyear Advisory Session
Date: Wednesday 25 July 2018
Time: 4–7pm
Venue: Queensland Terrace, State Library of Queensland, Stanley Place, South Brisbane QLD 4101
Website: http://www.anu.edu.au/study/events/anu-brisbane-midyear-advisory-session?utm_campaign=CA2018Issue2&utm_source=CareerAdvisors&utm_medium=EDM&mc_cid=fba802b899&mc_eid=2f7d317aed

Griffith University
Discover the new and exciting Parent and Student Advice Nights at our Nathan and Gold Coast campuses. These information evenings give parents and students the opportunity to speak with our expert staff about study options at Griffith University and subject selection. The Parent and Student Advice Nights are a substitution for the previously advertised Griffith Business School specific 'Griffith Business Discover Innovate Succeed information evenings'.

Event details
Years 9, 10 and 11 students, and their parents, are invited to attend the parent and student advice nights, giving them an opportunity to tour the campus and meet current Griffith University students, providing valuable insight about their experiences transitioning from school to university.

Nathan campus
Date: Tuesday 22 May
Time: 5-7pm
Venue: To be confirmed

Gold Coast campus
Date: Thursday 24 May
Time: 5-7pm
Venue: To be confirmed

Register at: https://www2.griffith.edu.au/parent-student-advice-nights

2019 Undergraduate Guides
UQ, Griffith University and Australian Catholic University are now available from the Careers section in the library.

A pdf of the University of NSW guide is available here. 

UQ New in 2018: Bachelor of Computer Science
UQ's new three-year Bachelor of Computer Science offers exciting opportunities for students to specialise in emerging technologies such as cyber security, data science and artificial intelligence.

Students will develop an innovative skillset to take their place at the forefront of the digital technology revolution by combining the study of algorithms and data structures, with practical challenges of implementing them in hardware and software systems.

Coursework explores programming, databases, operating systems, networks and algorithms. Students will exit this program with strong analytical, logical and development skills necessary to advance computing, its applications and beyond.

Computer Science is available as a dual program with: Arts, Science, Engineering (Honours) and Mathematics. Majors in this program include:

• Cyber Security
• Data Science
• Machine Learning
• Programming Languages
• Scientific Computing

More information is available at: https://future-students.uq.edu.au/study/program/Bachelor-of-Computer-Science-2425

UQ Experience Science - register now
Experience Science is a free event providing students in Years 10-12 the opportunity to discover what studying Science is like at UQ. With programs occurring across Thursday 12 July - Tuesday 17 July, this event is facilitated by experts from UQ and industry, and provides hands-on, interactive Science workshops. More information is available from: http://www.science.uq.edu.au/expsci.

UQ Pharmacy Experience Day - save the date
Pharmacy Experience Day is an annual UQ showcase which invites students to discover where a Bachelor of Pharmacy can take them. Throughout the day guests will take part in a range of hands-on laboratory activities, meet and quiz current students and participate on a guided tour through the world class facilities. All members of the public are invited to attend the Pharmacy Experience Day, held on Sunday 19 August 2018.

UQ New Bachelor of Arts Program Planner
The Bachelor of Arts offers students unrivalled flexibility, but this often causes confusion among new students. UQ have launched a new Bachelor of Arts Program Planner as a resource for guidance officers, teachers and students.

Students interested in the Bachelor of Arts can use the program planner to plan and guide their studies, while ensuring their choice of majors and courses are compliant with the complex rules and requirements of the program.

This initiative will improve students' ability to plan the structure of their program, allowing them to save their selections for future reference and share their program planner with staff. Further Program Planners for additional UQ programs will be released throughout 2018.

UMAT
UMAT is developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the UMAT Consortium universities. The test is used specifically to assist with the selection of students into the medicine, dentistry and health science degree programs at undergraduate level at the universities listed on this website:  https://umat.acer.edu.au/.

Registrations for UMAT 2018 are now open. Copies of the Information Booklet can be downloaded from the UMAT website. Please note that before registering for the test students are required to carefully read the UMAT 2018 Information Booklet, which will only be available online from the UMAT website.

UMAT 2018 Key Dates:
Registrations opened first week in December 2017
Registrations close Friday 1 June 2018, 5pm AEST
Late registrations close Friday 15 June 2018, 5pm AEST
Applications for Special Testing Conditions close Friday 15 June 2018
UMAT test date Wednesday 25 July 2018
Results released Mid-September 2018

UMAT is only available once every year. If you do not register by the due date, you will have to wait until 2019 to sit the test.

UMAT Preparation
MedEntry: If you are interested in studying Medicine or a career in health that requires sitting the UMAT test, visit the MedEntry website for assistance in your preparation: www.MedEntry.edu.au. MedEntry is the only government accredited training organisation for UMAT preparation.

MedStart: is an organisation that assists students to prepare for UMAT. Courses are available in Brisbane. Check the MedStart website: http://www.medstart.com.au/#home for more details.

The University of Queensland
Changes to the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours)
In 2018, The University of Queensland will be introducing an additional entry requirement for prospective students applying for the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours). This change will impact current Year 12 students applying for study in 2019.

This new entry requirement, a Situational Judgement Test (SJT), is an on-line, video-scenario based test with 12 sections and open-ended questions.

The University recognises that attributes such as resilience, critical thinking and communication skills that are essential for veterinarians are not reflected in academic performance alone. The SJT will be used to assist in the selection of a student cohort best equipped for the rigours of the profession.

The test will be held between July and September 2018 with multiple tests dates. Students need to have access to a computer with reliable internet connection, a web-cam and hold photo identification. The test can be completed at home or at a library/community centre or another suitable location. The cost to complete the test is approximately $80 and students should allow 90 minutes to complete.

Further details about how and when to complete the SJT will be available soon at: https://future-students.uq.edu.au/study/program/Bachelor-of-Veterinary-Science-Honours-2378.

Where can I go for more information?
Visit the CASPer website and view the FAQs: https://takecasper.com/faq/.

2018 FEAST Program
Expressions of Interest for the 2018 FEAST Program are now open. Future Experiences in Agriculture, Science and Technology (FEAST) is a five day residential program designed to inspire and inform high school students of the range of exciting and rewarding science careers in the agriculture, animal, plant and food sectors.

Why attend FEAST?

Cost: $450.00. Price includes 4-nights accommodation, all meals, program activities and bus tours.
Where: The University of Queensland
When: 1 - 5 July 2018
Enquiries: science.events@uq.edu.au

FEAST is open to students in Years 10, 11 and 12; however, preference will be given to Years 11 and 12 students if numbers are limited.

Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
QUT event date claimers
We offer many opportunities for students to talk to QUT and make sure they have all the information they need to make decisions about their future. Events for your students' calendars include Subject Selection for STEM Careers (9 May) and Parent Information Seminar (15 May).

Students can gain assumed knowledge or prerequisites
Students who didn't select subjects to meet assumed knowledge or prerequisites for their preferred university courses can pick up this knowledge, while at school or during summer before they start university, by studying a QUT bridging course in Maths B, Chemistry or Physics.

University Open Days
Australian Catholic University (ACU)
28 July 2018 (Saturday) - Open Day Brisbane 9am-2pm

Bond University (BOND)
28 July 2018(Saturday) - Twilight Open Day Gold Coast

CQ University (CQU)
9 August 2018 (Thursday) - Brisbane Open Day, 3pm-6pm
11 August (Saturday) - Bundaberg and Mackay

Griffith University (GRIFFITH)
12 August 2018 - Open Day Gold Coast, Nathan and South Bank Campuses

James Cook University (JCU)
19 August 2018 (Sunday) - Townsville Campus
26 August 2018 (Sunday) - Cairns Campus

Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
29 July 2018 (Sunday) - Open Day Gardens Point (City) campus

Southern Cross University (SCU)
29 July 2018 - Gold Coast Open Day, 10am-2pm

The University of Queensland (UQ)
Sunday 5 August - St Lucia campus, 9am-3pm
Sunday 19 August - Gatton campus, 9am-3pm

University of Southern Queensland (USQ)
Sunday 19 August - USQ Toowoomba
Saturday 1 September - USQ Ipswich
Friday 7 September - USQ Springfield

KEY DATES:
Friday 11 and Saturday 12 May 2018
The National Careers and Employment EXPO (Brisbane Convention Centre)

Friday 1 June
UMAT Registrations close 5pm

Wednesday 25 July
UMAT Exam

Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July 2018
The 37th annual Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO), Australia's largest tertiary studies expo, offers a unique opportunity for anyone interested in starting, changing or upgrading their career! Featuring many local, interstate and overseas education providers, student services and support agencies. Don't miss this great opportunity to map out your future, all in the one location! 8am – 4pm, RICC Brisbane Showgrounds. A great opportunity for students to collect information from a huge number of exhibitors.

Elizabeth Johnston