eNews Archive Issue 34 - 6 November 2025

What Does the Law Mean?

• Social media platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from creating or keeping accounts.
• Companies that fail to comply may face fines of up to $49.5 million AUD.
• There are no penalties for children or families if underage access occurs.
• The law is intended as a delay, not a punishment – giving children time to develop digital resilience and emotional maturity before engaging with social media. [esafety.gov.au]

Why This Matters

Research continues to show the negative impact of smartphone addiction and social media on young people’s mental health, sleep, concentration, and self-esteem. This legislation offers parents a powerful tool to support healthier boundaries around technology.

Our school’s response is Maggies Mobile Reset, designed to support families through the Social Media Minimum Age legislation and encourage a reset about mobile phone use for our children.

In alignment with the new law, our school is introducing the Maggies Mobile Reset initiative.

• In the boarding house, Year 7 boarders (from 2026) will not be permitted to bring smartphones or Apple Watches.
• This ensures compliance with the law and supports a more focused, connected school environment.
• The school has now written to all families with daughters under 16 asking them to join the Year 7 boarders. We have asked parents whose daughters do not yet have a phone, or Apple Watch – and if they intend on giving them one – to purchase a dumbphone and another type of watch.
• Parents have also been asked to replace an existing smartphone with a dumbphone or use the existing smartphone in kiosk mode.

To help parents we have provided a list of dumbphones and advice and readings about how to turn on Kiosk Mode under the Maggies Mobile Reset tile on the POD. We have also provided a reading and resources List.

This is an opportunity for the whole community to join together to support the health of our students. I hope you can all become a champion of the Maggies Mobile Reset movement.

We hope too that the POD page is helpful, keeping you informed and providing support as we navigate these changes together. By working as a community, we can reset expectations and promote mindful, safe technology use for our girls.

We will update the POD page regularly with any useful resources and reading that come to hand. Thank you for your support.

Ros Curtis

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:

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/psychological/emotional/sexual abuse.

The St Margaret's Student Protection Officers are:

- Deputy Principal – Nicole Devlin

- Head of Boarding - Lesa Fowler

- Deputy Head of Boarding – Grace Mataia

- Dean of Academics – Caitlin McCluskey

- Head of Primary School - Angela Drysdale

- Assistant Head of Primary – Curriculum (PP-6) – Kate Frewin

- Assistant Head of Primary – Wellbeing and Operations – Annette Box

- Dean of Students - Nikki Townsend

- Head of Year – Nicole Walker

- Senior Psychologist – Michelle Alexander

- Psychologist – Emma Greensill

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.

Nicole Devlin

As a school of the Society of the Sacred Advent, Advent is an important season in our story. One of the saints that we celebrate during Advent is John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus, and is also the patron Saint of the SSA and inspires its mission - to prepare a place for God, first in our hearts, and then in the world in which we live.

During advent we focus on the themes of love, peace, hope and joy. These commonly used words represent what we long for as human beings: to find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment; to flourish and to be loved, and to achieve inner peace.

During our celebration, we reflected on the reality that peace is a journey, something that needs constant work and practice, rather than something that is achieved once and for all. We revisited the birth of Jesus and focused on how chaotic it was.

First, Mary and Joseph had to travel miles for a government census. Then there was nowhere to have the baby. When Jesus was born, there were all the visitors – animals included. Then Herod wanted to get rid of Jesus and tried to get information out of the three wise men (or the three kings). The kings, however, went home another way. Then Joseph was warned by an angel and he and Mary took their baby boy and fled to safety.

The prince of peace was born into a world of chaos.

Peace is something we practice amid the chaos; it doesn’t eradicate the noise. Peace is a journey, taken one step at a time.

As we take these next steps of the journey toward Christmas, may the peace of God, which passes all understanding surround you and uphold you in the busyness and chaos of daily life.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

Our goal is simple, to create a space where boarders can connect, learn, and feel supported. From practical tips to personal experiences, these videos will highlight what makes boarding life unique and how to make the most of it.

Our first episode? A sneak peek inside the dormitories! This clip will give new boarding families a behind-the-scenes look at what to expect and share essential tips on what to bring for a smooth start.

Why a Student-Led Space Matters?

• Authentic Voices: Boarders know boarding life best. Hearing directly from students makes the advice relatable and trustworthy. Sharing their different experiences and their journey here in boarding a memorable one.
• Community Building: It encourages collaboration and connection across year levels, fostering a sense of belonging. Our current Year 7s are the perfect ambassadors to share their relatively recent experience of transitioning to boarding life at St Margaret’s.
• Leadership Opportunities: Students take ownership of content creation, developing confidence and communication skills. The POD, a secure, shared space provides a great platform to keep our boarding community connected.
• Practical Insights: Tips and experiences shared by peers often address real challenges and solutions that staff might not think of.

Stay tuned for more episodes as we build a library of helpful, entertaining, and inspiring content for our boarding community. The boarders look forward to launching this project for the new year to come.

Gracemere Mataia

This week I started meeting with Year 11 students to provide them with an ATAR Indication based on their Units 1 and 2 results and discuss their goals and strategies moving forward. I enjoy meeting with all of these students; it’s a fantastic opportunity to get to know the cohort and help students identify potential areas for gain moving forward. Parents are encouraged to be involved in these meetings either in person or their daughter may bring their phone and call them. Year 11 students are able to book these meetings via the “Year 11 Academic Progress Meetings” tile on their Year Level POD Page.

Caitlin McCluskey

Enhance your study technique through the following five approaches:

1. Incorporate retrieval practice methods into your study routine; tools such as flash cards, Education Perfect, Khan Academy, and resources like Cambridge Go provide extensive opportunities to interact with practice questions.
2. Organise your study sessions into 30-minute segments and interleave topics – avoid focusing exclusively on one subject or topic for extended periods.
3. Attempt to answer every question, even when uncertain. Engaging with questions before consulting answers is a key element of active retrieval. Research indicates that the brain learns most effectively from mistakes made in the attempt.
4. Allocate time in each study session for exam-style questions to reinforce your ability to recall information under examination conditions.
5. Distribute your retrieval practice over several weeks preceding the exam. Initiating this process at least five weeks in advance allows optimal consolidation, whereas cramming diminishes its effectiveness.

This article refers to Pen Principle #9 (Active Recall Trumps Passive Review) from the Science of Learning Research Centre at The University of Queensland. All twelve PEN Principles are available to students and parents at:

Science of Learning Research Centre Resources - Science of Learning Research Centre (slrc.org.au)

Chris Dunn

Research reveals that women are more likely to be exposed to AI-related career changes yet face significant skills gaps compared to men (UNESCO, 2025). Likewise, as transformative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence continue to reshape the global economy, millions of women and girls remain excluded from digital opportunities (UN News, 2025).

St Margaret’s possess a distinct advantage in addressing this challenge by making AI literacy an essential skill for our students so they can explore AI technologies with confidence and curiosity.

St Margaret's has championed comprehensive AI literacy programs that harness the confidence-building benefits. This includes developing cutting-edge curricula that position our students as AI innovators, investing in professional development for educators, and creating policies that ensure every student graduates with essential digital skills. Therefore, our students have the opportunity to graduate and be the next generation of female AI leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators who will shape Australia's technological future.

References

NPR. (2025, August 19). An AI divide is growing in schools. This camp wants to level the playing field. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/08/19/nx-s1-5503984/ai-summer-camp-schools-education

UNESCO. (2025, February 28). AI literacy and the new Digital Divide - A Global Call for Action. UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/ai-literacy-and-new-digital-divide-global-call-action

UN News. (2025, April 24). Health, education, opportunity at stake, amid stubborn digital gender divide. UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162541

St Margaret’s is very fortunate to be a member of the Queensland Girls Primary Independent Schools (QGIPS) Andrews Cup Association, which provides opportunities for the girls to train and participate in many sports. Listed below are the sports offered through Andrews Cup and the great results achieved by girls in Years 2 to 6. This year over 50% of the girls took the opportunity to participate in more than one of these sports and this week the final competitions (Gymnastics and Basketball) took place. Congratulations to the many girls who participated and achieved great results.

Whilst physical activity promotes wellbeing and reduces stress, creative and academic pursuits through our club program foster curiosity and self-expression. This year over 455 students were involved in user paid clubs and 200 students participated in our school-based clubs which included Da Vinci (achieved second overall) and Club Netball (11 years - Div 2 achieved second). This year, an eSports competition was introduced for primary students with 11 students being active members. 

 The extensive number of experiences create a sense of belonging and empowers girls to discover their strengths, passions, and potential, both inside and outside the classroom. 

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to our dedicated coaches and teachers whose time, energy, and encouragement make these opportunities possible. A special thank you Mrs Schiller who has overseen our activities program for 12 years. We have appreciated her dedication and support of all the girls who have participated in the program. Mrs Schiller has played a vital role in shaping confident and capable girls.

Angela Drysdale

Following the Year 5 workshop, Katrina will present to our Years 2-4 students, introducing them to her delightful new story, Frances Bloom. Students will meet Frances, a girl living alone in a cottage by the sea who must find a family quickly before being sent to the dreaded Bleak Island Home for Unwanted Children and Dogs. Her solution? A large honey-coloured bear named Grandma Maude and a garden gnome called Grandpa Harold.

Our Year 2 students will have an extra special connection, having just completed their study of Mim and the Baffling Bully, the first book in Katrina's Travelling Bookshop series. They'll be thrilled to hear more from the author about Mim Cohen's adventures travelling the world with her family and Flossy the horse, bringing the perfect books to those who need them most.

Katrina Nannestad is one of our most beloved authors, known for her engaging historical fiction and her ability to bring the past to life for her readers. Her books have won numerous awards and captured our hearts. We're thrilled to have Katrina return to St Margarets, and we know this will be another memorable day for our students.

Kate Frewin

Advent Service

On Tuesday, a special Advent Service was held in preparation for the upcoming Christmas season. Congratulations to our primary musicians who made a wonderful contribution to the service. Primary Chorale provided a beautiful performance of Wherever We May Be, a song of gratitude and hope. Following the lighting of the candles, the Preps, Year 1 and Year 2 students sang Three Kings Are Riding, an entertaining song about the three wise kings who brought gifts to the infant Jesus. Thank you to all these students and Ms Brennan for their special involvement in this service.

Private Music Lessons 2026

Planning has begun for private music tuition in 2026. St Margaret's Private Music Lessons operate on an opt-out enrolment system. If we do not hear back from you (or you have already informed your private music teacher), your daughter's enrolment in private music lessons will be carried forward to 2026. If your daughter is unable to continue with lessons in 2026 (and you have not yet informed us), please email your private music teacher and the Music Department music@stmargarets.qld.edu.au no later than Monday 24 November 2025. If your daughter will continue lessons unchanged, you do not need to respond, and you do not need to complete any new enrolment forms. Your private music teacher will communicate lesson arrangements by Week 1 2026, with lessons to commence during Week 2.

Message from St Margaret’s Music Support Group to primary and secondary parents

Does your daughter love to sing or play a musical instrument (or two)? Then we’d love to invite you to join our Music Support Group in 2026! We are a friendly group of parents who share a passion for music and enjoy supporting the incredible work of our Music Department. Throughout the year, we lend a hand with all kinds of fun and rewarding activities, from serving lunch at Music Day Camp and rehearsal days, to running the food and drinks at Classics in the Cathedral, and organising the annual Music Dinner.

Our goals are simple: to help create memorable experiences for our students and staff while building a wonderful community of music families and to raise funds for instruments, including our next big purchase - a Steinway for the new performing Arts Complex.

We’re always excited to welcome new faces, so why not come along to our AGM in Week 6 – Tuesday 11 November 2026 at 5pm, held in the Circular Drive classrooms near the ACF.

All primary and secondary parents are warmly invited to attend. Can’t make it in person? No problem! Email Miranda at miranda_robinson@hotmail.com for a Teams link and join us online.

Further, if you would like to keep updated with our activities and how you can help during the year (where we post volunteer signup.com’s etc), please join the Music Support Group POD page here: https://pod.stmargarets.qld.edu.au/homepage/8562/

Brad King

All students attending swam 50m freestyle initially in age groups and then by the fastest times over several races. The overall winner and Queen of the Pool for 2025 was Mena B – who won out of a field of 43 swimmers.

Thank you to our 2026 Swim Captains Samara H, Lucy S and Ruby G, who brought plenty of spirit and encouragement in addition to skills in the pool. Thank you also to our parent support group for the supply of pasta before the meet! Our swimmers will have another opportunity to swim this Friday afternoon at Somerville House, and we wish them the best of luck.

The sports office has now provided the opportunity for students to start signing up for our Semester 1 2026 sports. Students can access the signups on the Secondary Sport POD page. These signups provide the sports office with indicative numbers for planning purposes so we would appreciate you providing us with your preferences. The following sports are available for sign up:

• AFL Senior (Year 10,11,12)
• Artistic Gymnastics
• Basketball
• Club Netball
• Cricket
• Cross Country
• Life Saving
• Soccer
• Rhythmic Gymnastics
• Strength & Conditioning
• Swimming (QG)
• Touch Football

The sport team is happy to recognise the outstanding achievements and representation of students participating at a national level, outside of the school sport pathway. I look forward to continuing to hear from our community regarding such outstanding achievement. Please email me at awilliams@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Latest Sport News and Information

For the latest sport news and information please check out the following Secondary School Sport POD Pages:

• AFL Jnr The POD - Secondary AFL
• Water Polo The POD - Club Water Polo
• Swimming The POD - Club Swimming
• Swimming The POD - Secondary Swimming

Anne Louise Williams

Booklists 2026

The Booklists for Pre-Prep to Year 11 2026 are now available and parents are able to order online at www.campion.com.au.  

New families to St Margaret’s in 2026 will be required to create a Campion account to gain access the Booklists.  For instructions on how to set up an account please click here Campion Education How to Order (PDF 344.9KB). A four-character code is required and the code for St Margaret's is 89YV.

Orders placed by Wednesday 10 December will receive free delivery and orders will be delivered prior to the commencement of Term 1, 2026. Orders received after the cut-off date will be packed ASAP; however, Campion Education cannot guarantee delivery of these orders prior to commencement of Term 1. A delivery fee will be applied to all late orders.

Church Dress Hire - Year 6 Chapel Service

Hiring of the Church Dress for Year 6 students has now commenced. Church Dress hire forms must be completed and signed by a parent or guardian. The Hire Form is available on the POD here. A Deposit holding fee of $115 is payable for the hire of the Church Dress and upon return (as per conditions listed on the hire form) a refund of $70 will be given. Plain white fold down ankle socks (not St Margaret’s competition socks), brown school shoes and a white ribbon are to be worn with the dress.

ONLINE BOOKINGS FOR UNIFORM FITTING APPOINTMENTS

The Supplies Shop has an online booking system for uniform fitting appointments. Appointments can be made here: Accuity Uniform Booking.

**EXENDED TRADING HOURS**

2025

Mon 1 Dec to 5 Dec      Open for Appointments Only

Mon 8 Dec to 12 Dec   Open for Appointments Only

2026

Customers without an appointment in January will be required to take a number and will be served as soon as a staff member is available.

Wednesday 14 January              8 am – 2 pm

Thursday 15 January                 8 am – 2 pm

Friday 16 January                      8 am – 2 pm

Monday 19 January                   8 am – 2 pm

Tuesday 20 January                   8 am – 2 pm

Wednesday 21 January             1 pm – 6 pm

Thursday 22 January                 8 am – 2 pm

Friday 23 January                      8 am – 2 pm

Saturday 24 January                  9 am – 3 pm

Sunday 25 January                     CLOSED

Monday 26 January                   2 pm – 5 pm - BOARDERS ONLY

Tuesday 27 January                   Regular Term Time trading hours resume

Student Card Purchases

A reminder to ensure that your Flexischools daily limit is set high enough to cover the cost of the uniform items being purchased, otherwise we will not be able to complete the transaction.

https://www.flexischools.com.au/

Blazer Pocket Embroidery 

Blazers are collected every Thursday after morning tea and take around 2 to 3 weeks to be embroidered.  

St Margaret’s Merchandise

The Supplies Shop now stocks merchandise including a St Margaret’s folding chair, scented candles in two sizes, St Margaret’s dog lead, St Margaret’s keychains, Panama croc jibbitz, vacuum drink flask and a crested Fine bone China coffee cup.

Trading Hours (Term Time)

Monday               8am – 2pm
Tuesday              8am – 2pm
Wednesday        10am – 5pm
Thursday              8am – 2pm
Friday                   8am – 2pm

Public Holidays Closed

If any parent is volunteering in the school, they must fill out the Volunteer Application form, found at the following link: https://www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au/discover-st-margarets/student-protection/volunteering-at-st-margarets/volunteering-at-st-margarets. This link will give you all the information about volunteering, as well as the volunteer register link.

Please also be aware that there is a Volunteer Code of Conduct available on The POD.

Secondary Mother Daughter Summer Social – tickets on sale!

The St Margaret’s P&F Association invites all girls in Years 7 to 12 and their mothers or significant women in their lives to the Secondary Mother Daughter Summer Social.

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of fun, laughter, and bonding at a premier Brisbane rooftop destination! Enjoy delicious food, refreshing drinks, and fabulous entertainment, including a live DJ spinning your favourite tunes!

Date                      Sunday 22 February 2026
Time                     11:00am - 3:00pm
Venue                   Lina Rooftop Bar, 74/80 Tribune St, South Brisbane

Cost                      $140 Adult (includes a Lina Spritz on arrival)

                              $110 Student (includes 4-hour soft drink package)

Dress                    Summer Chic

RSVP                    5:00pm Thursday 5 February, unless sold out prior. 

We realise that it is not possible for all girls to invite their mothers and we would encourage them to invite a significant woman in their life, a relative or family friend.

Tickets are available here: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1469168 (until 5 February unless sold out prior).

Parents are warmly invited to the P&F Association General Meeting and End of Year Celebration

Would you like to know what we’ve been up to this year? Are you interested in finding out what’s being planned for 2026?

Our final meeting of 2025 is an informal evening where we welcome new people (including those new to the school in 2026) and where we can all share our thoughts over some light refreshments.

Come and hear from the school leadership, the Parents and Friends committee, Support Groups (including music, boarders and extra-curricular sports) and find out how to get involved in upcoming events. There is also an option to join this meeting remotely via Microsoft Teams for those unable to attend the meeting in person.

Date:                    Monday 10 November 2025
Time:                     6.30pm to 7.30pm (followed by light refreshments)
Location:             Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret's Anglican Girls School

Please click here to register

Ignite passion and inspire performance: join the Campaign for the performing Arts at St Margarets

Thank you to all in our community who have donated to support the new performing Arts Precinct here at St Margaret’s. It is greatly appreciated, and we are so pleased that you have decided to be a part of this milestone in our school’s history.

Our students have talent, passion and imagination, and we are setting out to create a facility to match their potential.

The new performing Arts Precinct will include a purpose-built Blackbox Theatre, Recital Hall, dedicated rehearsal spaces, music rooms, and teaching studios, all designed to deliver a world-class learning environment for our primary and secondary students and to support excellence in the performing Arts.

Every contribution will make a meaningful difference and is an investment in student potential, enhanced cognitive capacity, and in the social and emotional wellbeing of our young women.

You can learn more about the project and the Campaign to support this incredible project by visiting our website or downloading the Brochure. 

So far, thanks to the generosity of our community, including past students, parents and staff, we have raised more than $2.7 million of our $3 million target.

If you would like more information about this project or to speak with someone about your donation, please contact me by calling (07) 3862 0884 or email foundation@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Thank you for your support.

Lara Pickering