eNews Archive Issue 14 - 9 May 2024

We regularly receive emails from distressed neighbours of the school, about the drop-off and pick-up practices of some parents (always a minority). I can appreciate the difficulties parents experience before and after school, but I encourage you not to lose patience and to make certain that traffic rules are followed, particularly by not parking over our neighbours’ driveways and blocking access.

While we are talking about drop-off and pick-up, I remind parents about an important safety procedure. Please ensure that no student walks behind your car (and therefore, in between cars) to retrieve or drop her school bags/instruments. Please help keep our students safe by ensuring that bags can be retrieved from the back seat of the car, on the footpath side. For the same reason, Learner Drivers should not park in the drop off/pick-up zones and then have to walk around the car for the changeover of drivers. We ask you to consider doing the changeover further down Towers Street or in one of the side streets. Whenever possible, I encourage secondary parents to avoid the 3.20pm pick-up traffic by arriving later. Immediately after school, your daughter can go to the library and complete homework before being picked up at 4.30pm when there are no delays.

It was great to see so many boarding parents hosting our day students on the Day/Boarder Weekend. It is a wonderful opportunity for our boarders to share a little of their lifestyle at home and for our day students to be exposed to a different way of life. Thank you to all our parents who participated by hosting students.

Ros Curtis

I think that activities such as the Day/Boarder weekend highlight the wonderful school community that we have here at St Margaret’s. I was reading some research from McCrindle Research recently that showed that many families believe that the ‘community’ part of schools is in fact what parents believe is the greatest strength of their child’s school. This research demonstrated that within Australia, 88% of parents agree that the school community has a positive impact on their child’s education, and 87% of parents agree that the school community provides good role models for their children.

Students are more likely to attend and achieve their personal best at school if they feel accepted, valued, respected and included in the school community. I think that it is therefore timely for parents to ask what activities their daughters are involved in, and encourage participation in clubs, sports, music or other activities. We have many activities and events throughout the year that our students are able to be involved in!

Karen Gorrie

As we progress through our teenage years, we take on more responsibility for our actions and become adult members of society. At this time, we are often moved to stand up for what we believe. Within the contemporary Anglican Christian tradition, this progression is marked by the sacrament of Confirmation. In this rite, young people (and adults) confirm for themselves the promises which their parents and godparents made for them at their baptism. It is a more "public" declaration that they belong to the Church and a sign that they are taking personal responsibility for their faith. I will run faith-discussion sessions with the students who wish to be confirmed during Weeks 7 and 8 of term.

If you wish to participate in Confirmation, please complete this form no later than Wednesday 22 May. If you have any queries, please phone me on 07 3862 0716 or email jdow@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

Our diverse community of 195 boarders hail from various parts of Australia and around the globe. This diversity enriches the experiences of both boarders and day students, fostering a deeper appreciation for different cultures and backgrounds. The Day/Boarder long weekend plays a pivotal role in broadening our students’ perspectives, providing firsthand encounters and a greater understanding of our world and its diversity.

For some urban-based day students, venturing into the countryside offers a myriad of opportunities to immerse thermselves in rural life and create lasting memories. During this recent long weekend, some of our boarders accompanied day students to the Goondiwindi Show, featuring delectable fare, entertainment, live music, and competitive events like ring racing, showjumping, and camp drafting. Others explored agricultural farms, witnessing the sorghum, cotton, and corn harvests, and engaging in activities such as cattle mustering and calf weaning, providing them with new experience and insights. Some students also chose to partake in horseback riding and trail rides, as well as surfing and stand-up paddleboarding on the waters of Noosa, further enriching their weekend escapades and broadening their horizons.

Additionally, the long weekend provided some boarders with the chance to reconnect with loved ones, a rarity outside of holiday periods. These journeys extended as far as Papua New Guinea and Thursday Island, embracing the chance to be home.

While not everyone could showcase their homes due to international distances, our boarding house provided a plethora of enriching experiences. Throughout the weekend, our dedicated house mothers curated a range of activities tailored to the girls’ interests, ensuring a fulfilling and memorable break for all. Those who remained on campus enjoyed exploring cultural markets and dining at iconic eateries in Sunnybank Market Square and Redcliffe. The Pasifika Vibes Festival also offered a unique immersion into Māori and Pacific cultures through vibrant performances, workshops, arts, crafts, and culinary delights at the food village.

In essence, the Labour Day long weekend at St Margaret’s is more than just a break from routine; it’s a testament to the ethos of inclusivity and cultural exploration that defines our school. As our boarders and day students come together to share in each other's lives, they not only create cherished memories but also cultivate a deeper understanding of the world around them. This annual tradition encapsulates the essence of our community – one that embraces diversity, fosters lifelong connections and nurtures a spirit of curiosity and open-mindedness among all who call St Margaret’s home.

Kelli Boucaut

Year 12 Exam Mornings

Please note that there are no block exams for Year 12 this term. There will be an Exam Morning on Monday 27 May for English. English students are required to be at school for their examination at 8:20am. All other students should arrive for Lesson 2A at 10:50am.

There is a second exam morning on Tuesday 11 June for Economics. All Economics students are required to be at school for their examination at 8:20am. All other students should arrive for Lesson 2A at 10:50am.

Year 11 Exam Mornings

Please note that there are no block exams for Year 11 this term. There will be an Exam Morning on Friday June 7 for French. French students are required to be at school for their examination at 8:20am. All other students should arrive for Lesson 2A at 10:30am.

There is another exam morning on Monday June 10 for Accounting. Accounting students are required to be at school for their examination at 8:20am. All other students should arrive for Lesson 2A at 10:50am.

Year 11 Academic Progress Meetings

Over the last two weeks, I have been meeting with Year 11 students to discuss their academic progress in Term 1 and goals moving forward. I will be meeting with all Year 11 students for this discussion and still have meeting times available next week for those who have not yet booked in.

Caitlin McCluskey

When girls are not sitting assessment during Study Hall, they are afforded time to undertake independent study, where they can continue with other schoolwork and assessments.

Term 2 Study Hall dates are as follows:

Study Hall schedules will be made available through the Years 9 & 10 POD Pages next week.

Continuous Reporting

A reminder to parents in Years 7 to 12, that Continuous Reporting comments are progressively released throughout the semester on the Learning Analytics Parent Portal. These comments offer personalised feedback to students about their performance in the assessment task, and most importantly, provide insight into where their next steps should be to improve for next time.

We encourage students and their parents to discuss this teacher feedback as it is released, to help ensure a plan is formulated for academic development and growth. Further, girls can use their Term 1 grades and feedback to help evaluate their progression towards the academic goals they set earlier in the year with their Form Teacher or Academic Advisor.

To access these results, please log into the Learning Analytics Parent Portal (via the POD) and click on the Continuous Reporting Quick Link button.

Chris Dunn

We understand that fostering a growth mindset is essential. We need to encourage students to view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than validation of their abilities. The school emphasises the importance of learning from mistakes and setbacks, highlighting that perfection is neither attainable nor necessary for success.

Secondly, our aim is to promote self-compassion. It is important to encourage students to treat themselves with kindness and understanding, especially in moments of perceived failure or criticism, by reminding them that their worth is not contingent on their achievements, and that it's okay to make mistakes.

Additionally, we teach effective time management and prioritisation skills by helping students set realistic goals and break tasks into manageable steps, reducing the pressure to achieve perfection in one go.

Lastly, we endeavour to create a supportive environment where students feel comfortable seeking help and expressing their concerns. Offering guidance, constructive feedback, and reassurance, emphasising progress over perfection is the key.

By nurturing a culture of growth, self-compassion, and support, the school can empower female students to thrive academically while embracing their imperfections as integral parts of their journey towards success.

Nikki Townsend

One component is cross-curriculum priorities which are:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures 
• Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia 
• Sustainability.  

Cross-curriculum priorities are incorporated through learning area content; they are not separate learning areas or subjects. They provide opportunities to enrich the content of the learning areas, where most appropriate and authentic, allowing students to engage with and better understand their world. 

This week the teachers, during our pupil-free day, participated in professional development which focused on embedding the cross-curriculum Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. The focus of this program was the document ‘8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning.’ This document highlights that Aboriginal perspectives are not found in Aboriginal content, but Aboriginal processes. This is reflected in the pedagogy (approach to teaching, theory, and practice of learning) framework. This framework is expressed as eight interconnected pedagogies as below:

Story Sharing: Approaching learning through narrative.

Learning Maps: Explicitly mapping/visualising processes.

Non-verbal: Applying intra-personal and kinaesthetic skills to thinking and learning.

Symbols and Images: Using images and metaphors to understand concepts and content.

Land Links: Place-based learning, linking content to local land and place.

Non-linear: Producing innovations and understanding by thinking laterally or combining systems.

Deconstruct/Reconstruct: Modelling and scaffolding, working from wholes to parts (watch then do).

Community Links: Centring local viewpoints, applying learning for community benefit.

These 8 pedagogies are seen as a starting point for dialogue and planning learning experiences. These will be implemented within all aspects, both cross-curricular and for teaching the eight learning areas.

Angela Drysdale

This term, in Week 7, the school acknowledges National Reconciliation Week, which commences with National Sorry Day on Sunday 26 May. On Tuesday 28 May, students will attend a special Sorry and Mabo Day assembly at which they will hear from members of our school community about their experiences as First Nations and Torres Strait Islander peoples as well as learn about the historical events that put this day on the calendar. In addition to this, our Term 2 ‘free dress’ day will occur this week which will once again be ‘Jersey Thursday’ on Thursday 30 May. This is a day to celebrate inclusivity and identity by wearing your team colours. This could be a team jersey, jumper, shirt, or scarf, and all gold coin donations on the day will go towards the ‘Pay It Forward’ program to support future Yalari Scholarships along with our 2024 charity, Eat Up.

Girls are encouraged to show their ‘team colours’ and join in the celebrations on Circular Drive at morning tea including art, entertainment and more. If girls do not think they have a team to support they can show their house colours and wear their house shirts, socks, and ribbons with their sports tracksuits. We look forward to seeing the primary school students participating in the many events on offer in this significant week in our school calendar.

Annette Box

Classics in the Cathedral

The St Margaret’s Music Department is excited to announce that Classics in the Cathedral will be held in St John’s Anglican Cathedral on Tuesday 14 May. This is an evening of beautiful music, performed by St Margaret’s music ensembles within a spectacular setting and is one of the school’s very special performance events. Tickets are now on sale and must be purchased online via TryBooking. The cost for an adult ticket is $30 with no charge for children/students (all attending the concert however must be registered on TryBooking, including children/students). Please print your ticket or download on an electronic device (e.g. mobile phone) to present upon entrance at the concert. All tickets must be pre-purchased as tickets will not be available at the door. A letter with more details is attached. (PDF 148.4KB) We look forward to having many in attendance at this special event.

Brad King

Winter items

The School Supplies Shop has supply of the following winter uniform items in preparation for the cooler months.  We would encourage all families to call into the Supplies Shop as soon as possible to avoid missing out on your preferred size.

• Formal jumper – both poly/cotton and wool/nylon
• Pre-Prep/Prep fleecy tracksuit
• School tracksuit jacket and pants
• School Scarf
• Winter Tights – St Margaret’s Brown

Books and Stationery

The School Supplies Shop wishes to advise that Campion Education will be our book and stationery supplier moving forward. Any families needing to place a book order during the transition phase can contact the School Supplies Shop for assistance. Further details will follow in the coming weeks.

Blazer Pocket Embroidery

Blazers that require pocket embroidery must be submitted by morning tea on a Wednesday and it takes approximately two to three weeks to be returned to the Supplies Shop from collection. 

Student Card Purchases

Student Card fund top-ups

Please allow up to 24 hours for funds to clear when depositing funds onto student cards.

Flexischools daily limit

Please ensure the daily limit is set high enough to cover the cost of the uniform items being purchased. We will not be able to complete the purchase if there are insufficient funds available on the Student Card.

Like all milestones, St Margaret’s wants to make its mark - by moving the overall fundraising needle to the million-dollar mark! It’s a bold target, so we are calling in the cavalry. We have raised more than $700,000, in nine years, so our goal is to raise close to $300,000 this year to reach our target.

To achieve this, we are calling for the involvement not only of students to cut their hair and donate, but also any other family members and alumni who’d like to #rockthechop – whether they live locally or outside of Brisbane.

If you are an Old Girl or past or current parent and would like to help us reach our target, we are asking you to register your interest so we can keep you up to date with the 2024 event. And some of you might need to start growing your mane now!

Can’t get to Brisbane? You can still be involved wherever you are by joining the fundraising page and getting your local hairdresser or a trusted friend to lop off your ponytail or consider holding your own event in a regional area or international city!

We’d love to connect our boarding families keen to be involved from afar – perhaps to even host a morning tea on the day.  

If you are interested in becoming involved, we have set up an Expression of Interest form where you can indicate what type of involvement you are interested in, and if you are in another town, we could connect you with other’s keen to be involved.

Click here to record your interest.

Ready to join the cause? You can register to participate in this year's Ponytail Project here.

If you have any enquiries, please email Wendy Johnston, Director of Marketing and Communications, on wjohnston@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or call (07) 3862 0837.

Opportunity to place one (1) corporate pull up banner behind stall at the event

• Opportunity to provide corporate collateral (e.g. brochures, discount vouchers, business cards)
• Company name listed on Mayo webpage with hyperlink through to company website
• Company name published in festival program (e.g. Fairy Floss and Popcorn Stall sponsored by company name)

Thank you to those families and businesses that have already supported by sponsoring a stall at the festival. There are still some stalls available which are listed below:

It is a fantastic opportunity to promote your business to the entire school community, which includes current parents, students, staff, prospective parents and students as well as Old Girls, while also supporting the arts at St Margaret’s. If you are interested in sponsorship at this year’s festival, please contact Pru Reed on 07 3862 0828 or email preed@stmargarets.qld.edu.au. 

This year, a donation to the Building Fund will support the restoration of Community House – a beautiful heritage listed building on our Ascot Campus – the very first building the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent (SSA) purchased for what would become one of Queensland’s leading schools. It is from these foundations that St Margaret’s flourished; sadly, however, this grand building has been underutilised since 2016.

Appropriately, once restored, Community House will become a student wellbeing centre for our students; a faithful application of the Sisters’ philosophy to educate and care for the whole child. The building will house the school psychologists and chaplain and become the centre of many student wellbeing activities. In addition, a dedicated space will honour the legacy of the SSA.

Giving Day will also raise funds for the Foundation’s bursary program. A donation to our Scholarship Fund will provide needs-based bursaries to support young women to access or complete a St Margaret’s education – an opportunity that some girls believed would never be possible.

Your donation, if received prior to or during our Giving Day on Wednesday 22 May, will be DOUBLED by our generous matching donors. Your $50 donation becomes $100, $150 becomes $300, and $500 becomes $1,000!

St Margaret’s students and staff have planned some exciting student fundraising initiatives to take place on Wednesday 22 May to support this Giving Day, and in celebrating house spirit, we will be recognising the house with the best participation and most funds raised. When you donate, don't forget to nominate your daughter’s house!

We are also looking for volunteers to help us spread the word on the day by making some phone calls to members of our community from the Operations Room in the Arts Centre Foyer. If you can spare an hour of your time to volunteer, we would be very grateful. The sign-up form can be accessed via this link: https://www.charidy.com/everygirl.

We sincerely thank our Matching Donors and those within our community who have already generously given in support of this campaign.

P&F General Meeting

The next P&F Association General Meeting will be held on Monday 13 May from 6.30pm in the Arts Centre Foyer.

All members of the St Margaret’s community are encouraged to attend. The meeting provides a great opportunity to connect with other families, keep informed regarding P&F and Support Group initiatives, and raise funds for the benefit of all students.  

There is also an option to join this meeting remotely via Microsoft Teams for those unable to attend the meeting in person. To register, please click here. Meeting papers are available to download via The POD.

P&F Secondary Mother Daughter Luncheon Raffle

Thanks to the generosity of our families, we have an amazing prize pool for our St Margaret’s Secondary Mother Daughter Luncheon Raffle. With over $6,000 in prizes available, enter for your chance to win: a KAILO pampering package, Dinner at Hervé's Restaurant and Bar or Hellenika, Jewellery from Jimena Alejandra, 3-month wellness membership at Kieser and Tutoring packages from Number Works n' Words.

Not attending the event? You do not need to attend the event to enter. Click on this link to purchase raffle tickets and to see all the amazing prizes on offer: https://www.raffletix.com.au/?ref=c89dz

Special thanks to our Maggies Supporters: Number Works n’ Words Clayfield, Shingle Inn and Jimena Alejandra. We would also like to thank our prize donors: KAILO Medispa, Jimena Alejandra, Kieser, Ascot Living, Herves Restaurant & Bar, Number Works 'n Words, P & F Association, Deep Grey Photography.

Georgia Mitchell