eNews Archive Issue 8 - 15 March 2018

I was going to write directly to Year 11 parents as our Year 11 Dinner Dance is scheduled for the last week of term but instead chose to write to the whole school community about the views of St Margaret’s about parties which are ‘post’ events like the Senior Formal (Year 12) and the Dinner Dance (Year 11).

Some might think the school leadership is old-fashioned or out-of-touch by indicating that they do not support post-parties. However, as a Principal, I have some concerns about these posts which are traditionally very large events and we do not endorse or encourage them. Any event which has the potential to compromise the safety of our students or indeed compromise the academic program is something which is of great interest to us.

My main concern relates to the illegal activities which can occur when hundreds of young people come together to celebrate. School staff are often called upon to support students because of activities at these large parties. A number of students could regret their behaviours at such an event or be the victims of poor behaviours by others. This can be the result of excessive drinking, sexual assault and recreational drug use; in addition, behaviours can lead to the collapse of friendships and regret about sexual activity. Photographs can be taken of young people in non-desirable circumstances, then posted and added to a child’s digital footprint forever. The school may even be sent the photographs as has happened in the past, particularly if any of our Year 11 students who are intending to apply for leadership positions are involved.

Therefore, I wanted to alert parents to the organisation of this party and encourage you all to rethink attendance by your daughter and/or put very tight deadlines around attendance. I would also encourage you to check on the security details ensuring that there is an appropriate ratio of party goers to security/adult supervisors as these sorts of events can very easily get out of control.

Friday 16 March is the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. In both our primary and secondary schools we have activities designed to heighten awareness of this very significant issue. At the beginning of the year Parent Information Evening, I spoke about the difference between Rude, Mean and Bullying Behaviour.

Signe Whitson is a national educator on bullying in the US, and author of three books including Friendship & Other Weapons: Group Activities to Help Young Girls Cope with Bullying. Students and parents are often confused between the definitions of rude, mean or bullying behaviour. An entry in Whitson’s blog a number of years ago helps us discern the difference between what is rude behaviour Vs what is mean behaviour Vs what is bullying behaviour. I thought it was worth sharing with you as it provides a good summary of the distinctions.

‘… there is a real need to draw a distinction between behaviour that is rude, behaviour that is mean and behaviour that is characteristic of bullying. I first heard bestselling children’s author, Trudy Ludwig, talk about these distinguishing terms and, finding them so helpful, have gone on to use them as follows:

Rude = Inadvertently saying or doing something that hurts someone else.

A particular relative of mine (whose name it would be rude of me to mention) often looks my curly red hair up and down before inquiring in a sweet tone, “Have you ever thought about colouring your hair?” or “I think you look so much more sophisticated when you straighten your hair, Signe.” This doting family member thinks she is helping me. The rest of the people in the room cringe at her boldness and I am left to wonder if being a brunette would suit me. Her comments can sting, but remembering that they come from a place of love — in her mind — helps me to remember what to do with the advice...

From kids, rudeness might look more like burping in someone’s face, jumping ahead in line, bragging about achieving the highest grade or even throwing a crushed up pile of leaves in someone’s face. On their own, any of these behaviours could appear as elements of bullying, but when looked at in context, incidents of rudeness are usually spontaneous, unplanned inconsideration, based on thoughtlessness, poor manners or narcissism, but not meant to actually hurt someone.

Mean = Purposefully saying or doing something to hurt someone once (or maybe twice).

The main distinction between “rude” and “mean” behaviour has to do with intention; while rudeness is often unintentional, mean behaviour very much aims to hurt or depreciate someone. Kids are mean to each other when they criticize clothing, appearance, intelligence, coolness or just about anything else they can find to denigrate. Meanness also sounds like words spoken in anger — impulsive cruelty that is often regretted in short order. Very often, mean behaviour in kids is motivated by angry feelings and/or the misguided goal of propping themselves up in comparison to the person they are putting down. Commonly, meanness in kids sounds an awful lot like:

• “Are you seriously wearing that sweater again? Didn’t you just wear it, like, last week? Get a life.”
• “You are so fat/ugly/stupid/gay.”
• “I hate you!”

Make no mistake; mean behaviours can wound deeply and adults can make a huge difference in the lives of young people when they hold kids accountable for being mean. Yet, meanness is different from bullying in important ways that should be understood and differentiated when it comes to intervention.

Bullying = Intentionally aggressive behaviour, repeated over time, that involves an imbalance of power.

Experts agree that bullying entails three key elements: an intent to harm, a power imbalance and repeated acts or threats of aggressive behaviour. Kids who bully say or do something intentionally hurtful to others and they keep doing it, with no sense of regret or remorse — even when targets of bullying show or express their hurt or tell the aggressors to stop. 

Bullying may be physical, verbal, relational or carried out via technology:

• Physical aggression was once the gold standard of bullying — the “sticks and stones” that made adults in charge stand up and take notice. This kind of bullying includes hitting, punching, kicking, spitting, tripping, hair pulling, slamming a child into a locker and a range of other behaviours that involve physical aggression.
• Verbal aggression is what our parents used to advise us to “just ignore.” We now know that despite the old adage, words and threats can, indeed, hurt and can even cause profound, lasting harm.
• Relational aggression is a form of bullying in which kids use their friendship — or the threat of taking their friendship away — to hurt someone. Social exclusion, shunning, hazing, and rumour spreading are all forms of this pervasive type of bullying that can be especially beguiling and crushing to kids.
• Cyberbullying is a specific form of bullying that involves technology. According to Hinduja and Patchin of the Cyberbullying Research Centre, it is the “wilful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.” Notably, the likelihood of repeated harm is especially high with cyberbullying because electronic messages can be accessed by multiple parties, resulting in repeated exposure and repeated harm.

It is important to distinguish between rude, mean and bullying behaviours so that teachers, police, youth workers, parents and kids all know what to pay attention to and when to intervene.’

Acknowledgement to Signe Watson, (http://www.suescheffblog.com/rude-mean-bullying/).

Ros Curtis 

Your daughter would have made some academic goals for 2018. In Years 9-12 this would have been done with their Academic Advisor and submitted through Learning Analytics, and with younger year levels they would have been discussed with Form teachers, Heads of Year and classroom teachers. It would be worth discussing these with them and talking through what is going well and what she needs to develop further.

Goal-setting is an important step in striving for improvement. They provide direction and purpose. Students should ensure that their goals are S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Specific goals are easier to accomplish. Whilst many students may say they wish to achieve a certain grade for their subjects, it would be better to hone in on a particular skill in order for that to occur. For example, using criteria from a subject as the skill that they would like to improve would be beneficial.

Goals need to be Measureable. Checking in to see if targets have been met with feedback on improvement being sought and supplied, will identify achievement and help encourage the student to continue to strive for more improvement.

Make sure the goal is Attainable. Almost any goal is attainable when a person plans their steps towards achieving that goal wisely. Reaching those milestones will provide positive affirmation and ensure they remain on track to achieve the ultimate goal.

Relevant goals ensure that improvement is sought for something that needs improvement.

Timebound goals provide a deadline for actions to occur to see movement towards improvement. Deadlines need to be given short timeframes to ensure step-by-step progress is made.

In summary, S.M.A.R.T. goals are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Timebound

Karen Gorrie 

The service begins at 6pm with a 'procession of light'. This is a Eucharistic service where all communicant members of any Christian denomination are invited to partake in the sacrament, and all present, of any faith or none, are welcome to come as a family to receive a blessing – as a gift of human and sacred connection we share.

Any queries, please don’t hesitate to call The Reverend Nicki Colledge on 3862 0716.

Young Families’ Service – Palm Sunday on Sunday 25 March, 9am

Each month, there is a Sunday Service designed especially for Young Families. Space is made on the floor for those who wish to sit with cushions and I celebrate a ‘traditional’ service in a ‘contemporary’ setting. This means that all ages are involved in the Anglican sacrament, learning to follow the prayer book, yet engaging in the readings and prayers plus the Eucharist itself. I invite children around the altar, bringing the sacred into their world of wonder.

The next Young Families’ Service is planned for Palm Sunday on Sunday 25 March at 9am. This will include children’s activities and a Palm Sunday palm procession through the garden! Morning tea follows the service and it is a great way to get to know others in the school. The services are open to all, so invite your friends!

Local Youth Group at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Clayfield

St Mark’s runs a youth group for girls aged Year 7 and above on Friday evenings. A variety of activities are planned for the coming weeks and contact details can be found below:

Upcoming Services – Family Services

Primary Twilight Family Service: 21 March, 6pm, School Chapel

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

Years 11/12 Service: Tuesday 15 May, 6:30pm at St Augustine’s at Hamilton DATE CHANGE!

Upcoming Services – Other

Sunday 25 March: Palm Sunday All-Ages Sunday Service, 9am

Tuesday 27 March: Whole School Easter Service, 9:15am, PHSC

Wednesday 18 April: Boarders’ Beginning of Term Service, 6pm

Lenten Reflection

You may like to join me in pondering some of the Lenten resources provided by the Anglican Board of Mission (www.abmission.org/lent). I particularly appreciate the following, a Michael Leunig prayer, used on the ABM posters:

Dear God,

We pray for another way of being:

Another way of knowing.

Across the difficult terrain of our existence we have attempted to build a highway and in so doing have lost our footpath.

God lead us to our footpath:

Lead us there where in simplicity we may move at the speed of natural creatures and feel the earth’s love beneath our feet.

Lead us there where step-by-step we may feel the movement of creation in our hearts.

And lead us there where side-by-side we may feel the embrace of the common soul.

Nothing can be loved at speed.

God lead us to the slow path; to the joyous insights of the pilgrim; another way of knowing: another way of being.

Amen.

With every blessing on you and your week ahead,

The Reverend Nicki Colledge

The Australian Standard for Boarding Schools and Residences expects all boarding staff to attend these workshops, ensuring the quality of care delivered in Boarding continues to pursue excellence and that Boarding roles themselves are recognised as valuable professions within Education. The workshops were delivered in an engaging manner and both affirmed and consolidated our knowledge of the responsibilities involved in working with young people in a residential context.

Without a doubt, these workshops helped staff to broaden their views on how they can achieve best practice. By joining with other boarding schools, the two days provided numerous opportunities to learn from one other, to share success stories and to ask questions. The ‘take-home’ manuals, Book One and Book Two, are the ultimate guidebooks to working in Boarding. The reading and completion of the associated activities results in staff accreditation with the potential to form part of a wider qualification in Student Residential Care.

The workshops highlighted the critical issues which affect boarding schools today. Topics such as ‘Dealing with Modern Technology’, ‘Developing a Life Skills Course for Boarders’ and other significant areas relating to young people are comprehensively covered. The National Boarding Standard is discussed throughout these Duty of Care workshops and the Student Welfare sections are debated in depth. Staff analyse which areas of the Standard they are addressing well and which areas will need work. This suitably set up discussion points and informed our goal setting for the year.

What I personally gained from this course was the inspiration I felt whilst hearing about how far Boarding has come. The holistic approach to care and cater for all Boarders and to essentially “light the fire within”, as quoted by the course presenter Richard Stokes, is firmly adopted by the St Margaret’s Boarding House and many other residential organisations. This dedication is testament to the work of ABSA, School Leadership and Boarding communities across Australia.

“The two-day workshop was very insightful and informative to the many ways we as ‘House Mums’ can provide the best care possible for the girls.”
Melissa Young - Year 10 House Supervisor

Further information about the work of ABSA can be found: http://www.boarding.org.au/.

Dimity Harris 

During the exam block, the girls are required to arrive at least 10 minutes before the start of assessment and wear full school uniform. Academic advising time has provided the girls with time to set specific subject goals, so please encourage your daughters to focus on these goals and their preparation leading into exams.

QCS Test - Year 12 practice

On Monday 19 March, all OP eligible girls will complete a practice QCS Test. The two components that will be the focus of the day are a short response paper and a multiple-choice paper. The girls have been involved in a class rotation of QCS lessons this term to practice the different aspects of the short response test. Therefore, this practice test will provide us and the girls with a reliable indication of what they have learnt and how they are progressing. We will use the data collected from the test to tailor our Term 2 lessons and provide individualised tutoring for the girls. Although a student's individual QCS Test result is not used on its own in the calculation of their OP — group results are used as part of the statistical subject scaling processes. So, it is important for all girls to use the tips and techniques they have learnt already, to do the very best they can on Monday.

This term, I am meeting with each of the OP eligible girls to discuss their individual Year 11 levels of achievement and Subject Achievement Indicators (SAIs) used to calculate their predicted OP. Year 12 results are reported on the Senior Statement in terms of five levels of achievement: Very High Achievement, High Achievement, Sound Achievement, Limited Achievement and Very Limited Achievement. Not all students awarded VHAs are at the same standard. Some students may be ranked to the top of the VHA range, while others may be doing just well enough to get a VHA. OP and Field Positions (FPs) are based on comparisons with other students.

The discussions have focused on their positioning within a level of achievement to consider realistic goals for this semester. We also discussed their subject achievement indicators (SAIs). SAIs are numbers from 200 to 400, assigned by teachers to OP-eligible students. They show the student's achievement compared with the achievement of other students in each subject at our school. An SAI of 400 only indicates that you are the school’s highest achieving student in a particular subject. You may not be the best student overall in the school, nor among the top students in Queensland. This means that a student achieves their best OP by doing as well as they can in each of their subjects.

QCS Test – Community representative

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) invites applications from community members for chief community representatives (CCR) to maintain the integrity, security and conduct of the 2018 QCS Test. The QCAA appoints CCRs to observe and report on the administration of the test. They do not supervise students or assist in the administration of the test. Representatives will be paid and appointed to St Margaret’s or a neighbouring school. This year’s QCS Test will be held on Tuesday 4 September and Wednesday 5 September. If you are interested in applying for a position as a CCR, please contact me for an application form and further details.

Jo Butterworth 

This year, we would like to offer students in Years 7-12 the opportunity to nominate and pay to participate in these competitions. These competitions will be run under strict timed conditions on the following dates:

Tuesday 29 May, 7am in Eton Hall: Science, Cost $10.20

Thursday 14 June, 7am in Eton Hall: Writing, Cost $20.40

Tuesday 31 July, 7am in Eton Hall: English, Cost $10.20

Tuesday 14 August, 7am in Eton Hall: Maths, Cost $10.20

If you wish to enter your child in any or all the competitions, please pay via Flexischools through the school website by Friday 27 April 2018.

We are looking forward to organising this opportunity for students wishing to participate.

Nicole Devlin 

St Margaret’s emphasises the value of developing strong social bonds, shared values and commitment to academic and personal goals, which requires ongoing commitment and cooperation from staff, students and parents. School events such as Open Day bring the community together and reinforce our shared purpose.

An extensive amount of research indicates that there are many benefits from smaller learning communities. Researchers argue that smaller schools are more productive work places for both students and adults, where students receive individualised attention. The most important benefits include: raised student achievement, increased attendance, elevated teacher satisfaction, improved school climate and school connectedness.

St Margaret’s, in many respects, allows students and staff to build authentic relationships which are essential if students are to develop a sense of belonging and a positive sense of place. The positive school environment we deliver is sustained by all stakeholders focussing their attention on building relationships within the school and maintaining our commitment to the School's mission. I would like to take this opportunity to thank staff, students and parents for their ongoing support and encouragement that you provide in making St Margaret’s an outstanding day and boarding school. It was wonderful that we could come together to be able to showcase our fabulous school on Open Day to the extended community.

National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence

This Friday marks the eighth annual ‘National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence’. This day was initiated 8 years ago, as an opportunity for Australian schools to highlight their everyday work to counter bullying and violence. The Student Representative Council is raising awareness regarding the issue through various initiatives on Friday.

At St Margaret's we define bullying as the repeated oppression, psychological or physical, of a less powerful person by a more powerful person or group of persons. Further information about St Margaret’s definition of bullying and suggestions for appropriate action if you are being bullied, or witness bullying taking place, can be found on page 10 of the Student Diary. In short, bullying is ongoing physical and/or emotional torment of an individual by a group or another individual, including cyberbullying, and we say a resounding ‘NO!’ to that here at our school.

To further show our support, there will be wristbands distributed and students can wear an orange ribbon in their hair for Friday only. Students will have the opportunity to write messages regarding anti-bullying in chalk on Circular Drive. Year 8s will sell light blue ribbons for a gold coin to support ‘Dolly’s Dream’.

Parents are encouraged to refer to their year level page on the POD to review and discuss information regarding ‘Cybersafety help’ with their daughters.

Last Day of Term

The last day of Term 1 is Wednesday 28 March 2018, concluding at 3pm. Year 11 students will finish the school day at 1:05 pm. Please note, the school does not condone early student departures. During the last week there is still valuable learning occurring in our classrooms and students are receiving important individual feedback regarding their exams. If you do require leave for any unforeseen circumstances, please email: studentleave@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Nikki Townsend 

Bullying is insidious and unfortunately is part of society, both in the real life and the cyber world. This was evident when we started the new year seeing the photo of Dolly and read about the tragedy associated with her photo. This news story was a stark reminder of how important it is to support our children to be the best human being they can be and to give them the skills to deal with others. The National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence is a reminder of the role of society, that we as its citizens and society in general have in stamping out bullying.

Research has identified that bullying is a social problem and solutions need to occur within the social context. Therefore, schools are both the context in which bullying occurs and also a place where solutions can be found.

It is believed the overall culture of the school and prevention approach are significant factors in reducing bullying in schools. School culture is regarded as the way students behave towards each other, values and ethos, environment, customs and ceremonies. Teachers acting in accordance with formally espoused values and using positive behaviour management strategies with students all contribute to a positive school culture.

As a school, we have clearly articulated values and respectful relationships which are understood and endorsed by the whole school community. Our school values and ‘St Margaret’s Way’ are enhanced and linked to the key components of our social and emotional wellbeing program.

In terms of the prevention approach, I believe kindness and getting along are relevant to the success of preventing bullying and building a positive school culture.

‘Being kind and getting along’ is working well with teachers and classmates, solving problems without getting too angry, following the rules of the classroom and making positive contributions to school, home and the community, including protecting the rights of others and looking after the environment. It is these aspects that are the focus of the teaching and as a means to prevent bullying. Our faith community is a strong contributor to our school values and ethos.

If you are looking for support with a bullying situation, you will find ideas on the Bullying, No Way! website for parents. Here are the key points:

1. Listen calmly to get the full story.
2. Reassure your child that they are not to blame.
3. Ask your child what they want to do about it and how you can help.
4. Visit www.bullyingnoway.gov.au to find some strategies.
5. Contact the school.
6. Check-in regularly with your child.

Many visitors certainly got a sense of our positive school culture at Open Day held last Saturday. It was wonderful to see the wider community who attended and visited their daughter’s classroom and other various activities. Thank you to the teachers for their efforts and student performances. The day was a wonderful celebration of our positive school community.

Family of boys coming to explore St Margaret’s with their only sister, Gabriella Frederiksen

Michi Severa loving Art at Open Day            Olivia King showing off her art

Angela Drysdale

Primary Twilight Family Service – Wednesday 21 March, 6pm ‘Let Your Light Shine!’

All members of the Primary School community are invited to join us in the School Chapel for this new format Family Service next week. A number of students will have roles to play and will be preparing readings, prayers or other symbolic acts. The theme will invite all to consider their gifts and blessings, encourage an attitude of welcome and embrace, and celebrate the unique person that each one is!

The service begins at 6pm with a ‘procession of light. This is a Eucharistic service where all communicant members of any Christian denomination are invited to partake in the sacrament, and all present, of any faith or none, are welcome to come as a family to receive a blessing – as a gift of human and sacred connection we share.

Any queries, please don’t hesitate to call The Reverend Nicki Colledge on 3862 0716.

The Reverend Nicki Colledge

Home Learning and Revision
As the year progresses, it is timely to discuss in more detail St Margaret's home learning expectations as outlined in our Parent Handbook. At this time of the term, students are revising in anticipation of assessment. Please see below our home learning expectations and suggestions for revision.

Home learning is the work a teacher sets every student in their class to meet course requirements and to prepare them for assessment.
The purpose of home learning is to maximise student achievement. It reinforces and supports the things your children learn at school. It is designed to ensure your children revisit concepts and masters basic facts, processes and knowledge. Home learning allows children to apply what they have learnt in different ways and encourages them to become independent learners.

You can help your children by:

• setting aside a set time each day for homework
• setting up a ‘home learning space’ specifically for your children
• setting up a schedule for tasks that take longer to complete
• asking your children to explain what they have done
• knowing where your children are up to with their homework so they do not fall behind

Revision is what an individual student needs to do in order to improve their understanding and skills.

The purpose of revision is to gain:

• Understanding - what I need to know
• Skill Consolidation - what I need to be able to do
• Recall - what I need to be able to remember

When students revise they should:

• review a little, often (leave gaps between your revision)
• identify important information and select key words and phrases
• take notes
• create questions cards from the information covered
• ·verbally explain their understanding of concepts by teaching a family member or a friend
• Practice the skill to be tested – if the test involves writing a paragraph, practise paragraph-writing. Merely memorising the material is not enough.
• Structure information, do not try to remember it - trying to remember something has been shown to have almost no effect on whether it will be remembered. Instead, reorganise the information in some way – whether by making notes of notes, thinking about how current material relates to other material or practising writing answers. This approach, called "depth of processing", is the way to ensure material gets lodged in your memory.

It is important to set specific goals for both homework and revision sessions - "By the end of this week I want to be able to know/do better…"

Continuous Reporting

The following results are now available:

Year 5:

• Maths Investigation
• French Listening Exam

Year 6:

• Reading Comprehension
• Maths Investigation
• Music: Guitar and Vocal

Cathy Cox

Assistant Head of Primary 

Encorah Performance - Queensland Law Society’s International Women’s Day event

Congratulations to Encorah who performed recently at the Queensland Law Society’s International Women’s Day event held at QLS House last Thursday. This was a wonderful opportunity for the girls to perform within the broader community. Thank you to all girls in Encorah and their conductor, Ms Regina Brennan for the performance.

Anglican Schools Music Festival

This year once again, Anglican schools from SE Qld will combine musical forces to present the Anglican Schools Music Festival at QPAC on 18 May. In its third biennial, this Festival is a wonderful celebration of music in the Anglican sector and will see the coming together of like-minded students and music educators from fifteen Anglican schools, culminating in a Gala Concert at the QPAC Concert Hall. Four ensembles will be formed for the Festival including a Symphonic Band, String Orchestra, Choir and massed 350 strong Symphony Orchestra/Choir. This year, for the first time, a work has been specially commissioned by renowned Australian composer, Sean O’Boyle to be presented as the finale at the event’s concert.

A number of St Margaret’s music students will have recently received Letters of Offer. To accept the offer, students are required to register as per instructions provided in the letter by Friday 16 March.

Tickets to attend the Gala Concert may be purchased from Monday 19 March via QPAC Ticketing (www.qpac.com.au or call 136 246). Tickets will be available at a flat rate of $20 (plus GST).

We look forward to this being a very special musical experience for our students!

Music Support Group

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 17 April at 5:00pm in the Primary Music Room (second floor of Chaseley). Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend.

Brad King 

I urge all girls to embrace the challenge they find themselves facing in their sports and commit to overcoming the challenge to be the very best they can be in their chosen sport/s for themselves, their team mates and the ‘brown, white and blue’.

Autumn Fixtures

The first round of fixtures against Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School was unfortunately partly washed out with touch football and football (soccer) unable to be played due to field closures in Ipswich. Our basketball teams did not disappoint, having 4 teams out of 8 winning their first-round games. The highlight of the afternoon was the 10A game who won convincingly, 76 – 14.

Basketball Results:

Opens lost 61 – 17

Senior A drew 28 – 28

10 won 76 – 14

9A won 55 – 8

9B won 44 – 8

8A lost 43 – 21

8B won 24 – 16

7A lost 32 – 18

This week’s fixtures see teams travelling to Brisbane State High School’s fields and courts. The weekly fixture schedule is available by clicking here (PDF 224.9KB) and via the St Margaret’s Sport POD Page.

Water Polo

Commiserations to the Under 15 Blue team and Under 18 Blue team who played in the semi-finals last Saturday in the Brisbane Water Polo Inc. Competition. Both teams played well but unfortunately were not strong enough losing 7 – 3 and 4 – 3 respectively.

Softball Success

The Open softball team played their last game on Saturday 10 March. The team played Brisbane State High School which was a tussle until the end, only to have Brisbane State High School win 3 – 2. The girls had an incredible season improving each week to place 2nd overall. Congratulations to all girls on a season well done!

Cross Country

The cross country squad competed in their first competition on Monday 12 March at the University of Queensland. This was a very valuable experience for all girls as it gave all squad members an opportunity to compare their fitness levels against others from all QGSSSA schools. Highlights here were some outstanding individual results and the overall team results indicate that we are a force to be reckoned with!! Highlights from the Meet include:

12 and 13 Years

Tayden Tomich – 2nd Place

Maicey Lynch – 3rd Place

Overall Team Ranking – 2nd Place

14 and 15 Years

Chloe Fenwicke – 1st Place

Caitlyn Morse – 5th Place

Chloe Ziegenfuss – 10th Place

Overall Team Ranking – 2nd

16 and 17 Years

Bella Donaldson – 1st Place

Overall Team Place – 3rd

The second Meet will be held on Tuesday 20 March at Yeronga Memorial Park, Villa Street, Yeronga. All girls are to sign-on using the below link by 5pm, Monday 19 March.

Cross Country - Meet 2 Sign-on Form

Congratulations to…

Victoria Franklin (Year 12) for being selected in the 16 – 19 Years Metropolitan North Soccer team. They will contest the State Championships on 24 – 27 May.

Tiffany-Rose Kimeklis (Year 7) for being selected in the 10 - 12 Years City Districts Soccer team.

Upcoming Events:

• Autumn Fixtures vs Brisbane State High School – Friday 16 March at away venues
• Brisbane State High School Invitation Cross Country Meet – Tuesday 20 March at Yeronga Memorial Park
• Autumn Fixtures vs Moreton Bay College – Friday 23 March at away venues

Helen Lobegeiger 

Bookings for the St Margaret’s OSHC April School Holiday Program opened on Monday 26 February. If you require care for the upcoming school holiday period, please return your booking form before 16 March 2018.

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

What is the cost?*
$60 per day. Incursions and excursions incur additional costs. These are compulsory for all students and therefore you are able to claim CCB/CCR for these.

What are the hours of operation?
The service is open from 7am until 6pm in the OSHC Room (under the Primary School Office).

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 MAYO Gallery Committee continues to source outstanding artwork by sculptors, jewellers and ceramicists for our gallery. The cocktail party opening event with be held on Friday 25 May, with tickets available for purchase via Flexischools soon.

This week, we feature the work of Larissa Warren. Larissa has just completed an Artist in Residence program at St Margaret’s, working with Secondary art students on a range of MAYO art projects. Some of Larissa’s delicate porcelain work is featured here and will be available for sale at the MAYO gallery.

Lisa Smith 

A huge thank you to our wonderful corporate sponsors:

Major sponsor: Laureate Universities

Associate Sponsors: Pitcher Partners and McCullough Robertson

Special Table Sponsor: Programmed Property Services

Supporting Partner: Gardior

We would also like to thank our generous raffle prize donors: Pitcher Partners, McKinney’s, Real Skin Clinic, Keri Craig-Lee, View Hotels, Rodan + Fields and James Becker & Co.

All funds raised from the Professional Women’s Network events support the school through our Endowment Fund, which assists with bursaries and the future development of facilities at St Margaret’s.

Tickets to our next Professional Women’s Networking Breakfast are now on sale and selling fast!

Guest Speaker: Wendy King President, Australia East – ConocoPhillips.

Since beginning her career as a petroleum engineer with Conoco Inc., Wendy has held several leadership positions in the resources sector across the United States, the United Kingdom and Africa. In 2017, Wendy was appointed as President – Australia East at ConocoPhillips, and currently serves as a Director of the Board of American Chamber of Commerce in Australia and the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association.

Join us for breakfast and be inspired as Wendy shares some of the highlights, challenges and the lessons learned from her long and distinguished career in the resources sector.

When: Thursday 17 May 2018

Where: Arts Centre Foyer

Tickets: Corporate tables $800 for 10, $60 adult and $40 students (Years 10-12/tertiary)

Tickets can be purchased via Flexischools.

St Margaret’s is coming to Hong Kong!

A lunch reception will be hosted in Hong Kong by the Principal, Ms Ros Curtis, on Saturday 24 March 2018. All past and future students, and parents living in Hong Kong are warmly invited to attend.

Date: Saturday 24 March 2018

Time: 11:30am - 2:00pm

Venue: Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

An email invitation has been sent with details on how to register. Please contact us by emailing: developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au if you have not received your invitation.

P&F General Meetings

The P&F invites the school community to share your views and ideas at the General Meetings, held in the Arts Centre Foyer from 6:30pm on the following dates:

Monday 14 May 2018

Monday 30 July 2018

Monday 29 October 2018

Old Girls' Events 2018

OGA Annual Brunch – Sunday 3 June

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

AGM – Tuesday 27 November

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.

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.

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
Your Path to Medical School: Brisbane – 24 March 2018 by MedView
Are you considering studying Medicine in Australia? We're inviting you to come along to our free information session. We'll provide you with the insights, tips and hints into everything there is to know about applying for and attending Medical School in Australia.

This is an event for the whole family, so we'd highly recommend both students and parents coming along together to make sure everyone has the same information.

Date: Saturday 24 March 2018
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Location: TBC, Brisbane, Australia
Cost: FREE
Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/your-path-to-medical-school-brisbane-march-2018-tickets-43113277975

If tickets have sold out and you would like to be put on the registration list for our next expo please contact Djenna at d.rowling@crimsoneducation.org.

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 and can be completed at home or at a library/community centre or another suitable location. The cost to undertake 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?

• test drive university and meet other students with similar interests
• explore science disciplines through hands on activities and workshops
• attend industry run sessions reinforcing the many exciting career outcomes on offer to graduates
• experience living in the Halls of Residence and take part in fun social and sporting activities
• chat with current university students and staff and have all your questions answered
• expand your knowledge of UQ study options and programs, careers and campus life

Cost: $450.00. Price includes 4 nights accommodation, all meals, program activities and bus tours.
Where: The University of Queensland
When: 1 July - 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 Year 11 and 12 students if numbers are limited.

Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
New opportunities in creative industries
Design degrees
From 2019, we will introduce a three-year Bachelor of Design, replacing the four-year Bachelor of Design (Honours), and offer many new double degrees. Further information about these new offerings for 2019 will be available on our study website from late March 2018.

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), 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 2018 (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-12pm

The University of Queensland (UQ)
5 August 2018 (Sunday) - St Lucia campus, 9am - 3pm
19 August 2018 (Sunday) - Gatton campus, 9am - 3pm

University of Southern Queensland (USQ)
19 August 2018 (Sunday) - USQ Toowoomba
1 September 2018 (Saturday) - USQ Ipswich
7 September 2018 (Friday) - 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