eNews Archive Issue 20 - 15 July 2021

I’m excited to be back after my sabbatical leave. Thank you to Karen Gorrie, Nicole Devlin, Nikki Townsend, Nicole Walker and Erin Buckingham, who all stepped up into the ‘next level role’ while I was on leave. We are fortunate to have such leadership depth in the school. As a result of Ms Mary Surtees leaving us at the end of Semester 1 and Mr Michael Crowe, departing for a promotional position at another school, we have put interim arrangements in place until the end of the year. Ms Annette Box has taken on the acting role of Assistant Head of Primary – Wellbeing and Operations; Mrs Nicole Walker will be Head of Faculty – Arts and Design; Ms Erin Buckingham will continue in the role of Head of Year 10 and Mrs Karen Andrews-Close will be the Primary Mathematics Specialist and Numeracy Coach. We welcome Ms Tamryn Cronje who will take Ms Andrews-Close’s Year 6 class.

Several changes have occurred on the school campus over the June/July holidays. We are redeveloping the site at the front of the school which is the current School Supplies Shop. From the start of 2022, 2 new and much-needed classrooms will be built on this site in time for the start of the academic year. In readiness for the work that will begin in that area from Week 3 of this term, the Supplies Shop has moved into the top floor of Mayo (behind the Arts Centre Foyer). This means that the Development and Community Department had to move and that is now on the ground floor of Cairnmore at the top of Petrie Street; and, the Finance Department has also now moved to the property (Turaven) which is on the corner of Towers and Petrie Street. In addition to these changes, the school has taken the time for some general maintenance and up-keep.

As we are all aware, a good night’s sleep is vital for effective functioning during the day. Research by Hershner and Chervin (2014) shows that many students sleep too little, too late and too erratically for the good of their health. The effects of sleep deprivation are far from minor. In addition to lower academic grades, increased rates of academic failure and decreased sporting performance, lack of sleep can also affect a student’s memory, alertness, creativity, problem-solving ability, mood, and mental health. A good night’s sleep is so important because this is when the brain is flushed of toxins and learning experiences are consolidated. On the other hand, inadequate sleep can impair physical health through dampening the immune response, disrupting the hormones that regulate weight, reducing the effectiveness of insulin metabolism, and increasing the risk of calcification of the arteries. It is not just sleeping fewer than eight hours per night that is an issue. High-caffeine drinks and exposure to artificial light (especially short-wavelength blue light) can also disrupt our circadian rhythm, resulting in shortened sleep cycles and insomnia. It was also found that teens’ lack of sleep can be associated with mental health issues.

References:

Hershner, S. & Chervin, R. (2014). Causes and consequences of sleepiness among college students. Nature and Science of Sleep, 6, 73-84. DOI: 10.2147/NSS.S62907.

Sleep resources. (n.d.) Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Retrieved from: https://www.brighamandwomens.org/initiatives/sleep-matters/sleep-resources

Thomas, N. (2018, October 1). Less sleep associated with risky behaviour in teens, study says. CNN Health. Retrieved from: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/01/health/sleep-risky-behavior-teens-study/index.html

Ros Curtis

Statement of Commitment:

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

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

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

Student Protection Officers:

These are persons designated as liaison people to whom students may refer if they are not feeling safe; or to whom they make complaints of harm, inappropriate behaviour or physical/sexual abuse.

The St Margaret's Student Protection Officers are:

• Deputy Principal - Karen Gorrie
• Head of Boarding - Lesa Fowler
• Head of Primary School - Angela Drysdale
• Dean of Students - Nikki Townsend
• Guidance Counsellor - Sharon Stone
• Dean of Studies – Caitlin McCluskey
• Assistant Head of Primary – Curriculum (PP-6) – Kate Frewin

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

Karen Gorrie

This week, we will celebrate St Margaret’s Day with a very special service of celebration. Many people will be involved in making St Margaret’s Day a significant event and we thank all those involved. We are mindful that as we celebrate St Margaret’s Day, that this would not have been possible without the dedication and ministry of the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent, who began our school over 126 years ago. As a community we continue to uphold Sister Gillian and Sister Sandra in our prayers as they mourn the loss of Mother Eunice. We give thanks for the work of the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent.

Our School Prayer

God of all being, look with your favour on this school dedicated to your servant, St Margaret of Antioch. Bless those who teach and those who learn, and those who work to support and maintain the school. Grant wisdom and courage in our lives, gentleness of heart and compassion for all. May each seek to know and love the truth, and in humility of heart, ever look to you, the source of all wisdom and understanding. We ask these things through your Son's name, Amen.

Susan Crothers-Robertson

Celebrating difference greatly enriches boarding life and helps the girls to become better global citizens. Globally minded students are curious about and are engaged in the world and all its exciting opportunities. Some of the activities may assist the girls to explore underlying attitudes, broaden student learning experiences and to work in teams with girls they may not know. The students are given opportunities to engage in a variety of different stations ranging from learning different cultural games, making dumplings, dancing and craft activities. On Sunday, the girls will participate in the Amazing Race where they will need to navigate their way from school to the Botanic Gardens in the city, where they will be working in a team, supporting each other to complete a set of challenges along the way.

Closed weekends are an important part of building community in our Boarding House, providing the girls with opportunities to participate in activities they may not usually participate in. It is a great opportunity to develop skills and learn more about themselves and others.

Lesa Fowler

Year 12 Reporting and Confirmation - UPDATES

This week, the Year 12 girls will receive an updated report card with their result so far for 2021. On this report card only one assessment is confirmed (this is the first assessment that was competed for Unit 3). Some updates have occurred with results for the first assessments due to the confirmation process. Confirmation process is an annual quality assurance process for all General Senior subjects run by QCAA. The process examines the accuracy and consistency of teachers’ judgements about students’ responses to summative internal assessment instruments to ensure comparability of results across Queensland. The confirmation process aims to ensure fair and reliable results for students.

If you have any questions about this, please email me or call Rosie Parisi on 3862 0826 to organise a time to discuss.

Semester 2 Assessment Calendars and Year 12 Road Map to External Assessment

Assessment Calendars for all year levels for the remainder of 2021 will be uploaded to year level pages on The POD at the end of Week 2.

All Year 12 students were sent a copy of a calendar that road maps the final 2 terms of school, including preliminary information about SWOTVAC and Mock Exams. This calendar has been uploaded to the POD with students receiving a copy of this calendar this week to share with their parents.

Nicole Devlin

For students attending these sessions after an afternoon of sport, transport is available to and from Windsor Park. For those staying on after school to attend SSS, the Senior Library is open until 5:00pm prior to the commencement of the study sessions.

Dates for the 2021 Supervised Study Sessions are below (please note that bookings open the first day of each term):

Term 3:

19 July - 9 September (except for 11 August due to RNA holiday and 2 September due to the student free day)

Term 4:

11 October - 18 November (except for 12 October due to Speech Night)

To book, parents will need to log into Flexischools and select ‘Supervised Study Sessions’. Bookings are limited to 25 participants each night and when a session is full no further bookings can be made. Bookings are essential and should be made in advance (and prior to 9:00am on the booking day SSS is required) to ensure a place is available. If dinner is required, payment must be paid at the time of booking and this option selected in Flexischools.

During these sessions, girls work with tutors to organise a plan of study for the term. This involves looking at their assessment calendar and planning how to ensure they are prepared for their next lesson and assessment. The main goal of SSS is to assist students to revise work covered so far and support and extend their understanding of learning from lessons so they are prepared for assessment. It is important that students arrive on time and check in with the tutors to get their name marked off and then sign out when they are collected by their parents. Please note that Year 12 students are not permitted to use the Study Centre for Supervised Study Sessions.

Caitlin McCluskey

Similarly, the commencement of a new semester is an important time for students to determine what physical activity or sport they will commit to for the remainder of the year. Unfortunately, adolescence is often a time when participation in sports can decline due to a number of reasons. In her book, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, Dr Mary Pipher discusses how in early adolescence girls can lose their resiliency and optimism and become less inquisitive and inclined to take risks. She goes on to say how this trend can lead to girls becoming more deferential, self-critical and depressed. Sport is seen by many as an avenue for girls to express themselves with energy and confidence - thus enabling them to close the gap between what Dr Pipher describes as their true selves.

Nikki Townsend

These performances would not have happened without the dedication and guidance of all the House teachers. This type of learning is not common, so for both the girls and the teachers, the competition offered some form of challenge. However, as role models, the teachers accepted the challenge of the competition and planned, prepared and committed to exiting the learning pit with a stellar performance. It was a difficult decision for the judges with Lawson House taking out first place, Herrick second and Chaucer third.

The girls not only enjoyed performing with House members, but also doing so for an appreciative audience of Grandparents, Godparents and parents. This event is such a valuable experience for both the child and the adult which is supported by research. For the child the adult is:

• Someone who offers unconditional love
• A mentor who can help with a problem
• Someone who offers a sense of adventure
• A role model of kindness, humour and patience
• A friend who a child can talk to and laugh with
• And a teacher of life lessons.

For the adult, we also know that spending time with a child or children adds infinite value back. Many visitors took the opportunity to do activities with their child and I know the simple joy of working together will be an everlasting memory for both the child and the adult. Thank you to the many visitors who purchased books at the Book Fair. A percentage of the sales goes towards purchasing more books for our library, so both the girls’ home library and school library benefit from the purchases.

Sporting Results

Last term, a selected group of students represented the school by playing in the newly introduced Andrews Cup Soccer competition. The introduction of Soccer has given the girls the opportunity to compete in a kicking game and play as a team member. The A Grade team placed 3rd, while the Junior A team placed 1st.

Thank you

Thank you to the school community and Class Parent Representatives, with special thanks to Georgie Robson and Jayne Smith, for organising such a unique farewell gift for Miss Surtees. I am sure that every time she wears the pearls around her neck, she will be reminded of a lifetime of memories. Thank you especially to the Morgans’ family generosity (Morgans Jeweller) for creating such a magnificent gift.

Angela Drysdale

Staff News

It is with sadness that we inform the St Margaret’s Music Community that Mrs Janelle Benson Lloyd has resigned from her position as Music Administration Assistant at St Margaret’s. Mrs Lloyd has provided wonderful support to students, staff and parents in the Music Department for many years, always displaying care and kindness in her interactions. She has consistently given above and beyond, always working hard to assist in both the organisation of events and the day-to-day running of the Music Program. We will miss her and thank her for her wonderful contribution. Starting from Week 2 of Term 3 we welcome Mrs Patricia Rogers to the role of Music Administration Assistant and know she will quickly become an important member of the St Margaret’s Music Community.

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be on Tuesday 24 August 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

A key event at the Carnival is the “St Margaret’s Gift”, where the fastest 100m runners from across all ages compete against one another in a handicapped race. There were 11 girls in 2021 who competed in this event, running off varying distances from 100m to 91m. Congratulations to all competitors with special mention of Ebony Okonkwo (Year 8), who placed first running off the back marker of 100m, Poppy Tritton (Year 10) in second place and Indiahna Frawley (Year 10) in third place.

The overall results from the Carnival are as follows:

1st Tennyson – 1261 points

2nd Chaucer – 1243 points

3rd Kendall – 1146 points

4th Lawson – 1140 points

5th Milton – 1132 points

6th Bede – 1117 points

7th Spenser – 1099 points

8th Herrick – 1044 points

Winter Fixtures

Our Winter sports of Hockey, Netball, Tennis and Volleyball commence their season this weekend with Tennis ‘hitting’ off first on Friday 16 July and all other sports on Saturday 17 July. All games will be against our sister school, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School at our home venues, with the schedule available via the individual sport POD pages.

Please note, with COVID restrictions masks will be mandatory at games and we ask spectators to undertake the following:

• Check-in via the QLD Check-in App which will be on display around the venues.
• Indoor venues are still under capacity restrictions, therefore we ask that only one spectator per player attend and enter the Philip Harris Sports Centre.
• Sensibly social distance from one another and maintain appropriate personal hygiene practices. Hand sanitiser will be located at venues.

St Margaret’s Run

On Friday 16 July, as part of the St Margaret’s Day celebrations, the legendary St Margaret’s Run will be held. This race, in its 22nd year, is held in year group divisions for both the Primary and Secondary school on a course around the school of approximately 800m. Whilst the run is held in divisions there is an opportunity for any participant to be crowned the St Margaret’s Run Champion by having the overall fastest time across the races. This prestigious award will be presented on Speech Night at the end of the year.

Adult Swim Squad

St Margaret’s Sport is excited to be offering an adult swim squad, which commenced on Tuesday 13 July. This squad will be held every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 5:30pm to 6:30pm during Term 3.

The adult swim squad will be open to former students, family members of current students and current staff. A program will be designed to suit all ability levels, alternatively lanes will be available for lap swimmers. Kick boards and fins will be available for use or you are welcome to bring your own. The squad is designed for improving fitness or training toward a certain goal. The St Margaret’s pool is heated and we are excited to offer this beautiful complex for your use.

The cost for squad registration is $100 for the term. To join, register and pay via Flexischools.

For all enquiries, please contact Head Swim Coach, Mr Kevin Sargent at: ksargent@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Congratulations…

Chelsea Johnson (Year 11) who was selected in the 17 and Under Australian Water Polo team. The team was set to tour New Zealand; however, due to the recent COVID crisis this tour was cancelled. Congratulations to Chelsea on this outstanding achievement.

Ashley Blackman (Year 7) who was selected as a member of the U12 Metropolitan North Touch Football team and will now contest the Queensland Secondary Schoolgirls State Championships in Townsville in August.

Helen Lobegeiger

Term 3 will be busy for all in Secondary Art Department with the MAYO Long Lunch on Sunday 8 August. This will be a relaxing event for parents and adult friends to enjoy the lovely gallery environment, a fabulous lunch and great company.

There are a number of after school opportunities for Secondary students to work in our art studios.

Tuesday, 3:30-5:00pm: Art Workshop with Ms Smith (work on class projects or just have fun creating personal art pieces).

Wednesday, 3:30-5:00pm: smART Club with Ms Apel (oil painting course commencing 28 July. This class has a small cost and requires enrolment via Flexischools. Please click here (PDF 163.4KB) to view the flyer for further details.

Thursday, 3:30-5:00pm: Digital Art Club with Ms Martens (a free activity; however, you are required to email Ms Martens to register your interest, as numbers are limited by the available number of computers).

We look forward to a busy and creative term with our Art community at St Margaret’s.

Lisa Smith

I would like to thank and give special mention to our matching donors, whose generosity allowed for donations made on the day to be doubled. I would also like to thank those within our community who donated on the day. The saying ‘It takes a village’ rings very true on Giving Day and the passion and pride in the school was certainly on show within our student body, who did an incredible job of supporting the fundraising effort.

Next weekend, we will be hosting Reunion Weekend at the school with approximately 250 old girls registered to attend. At this stage we will be continuing with these events following COVID-safe protocol.

Tickets are still available for the P&F Association Netball Support Group Annual Raffle, to be drawn on Saturday 31 July 2021. There are some amazing prizes to be won and tickets can be purchased via Raffletix.

The P&F will be hosting a Polo Day on Saturday 4 September, so do save the date for this exciting new event in our calendar!

Lastly, the Development and Community Office has relocated to Cairnmore (ground floor), the School’s historic house on Petrie Street, opposite the main entrance to the school. We have welcomed Stephanie Bau to the team this term and Benita Bell continues to support our work with the Foundation, Professional Women’s Network, P&F and Old Girls’ Association.

I look forward to catching up with you all at upcoming events and meeting those of you who have joined the St Margaret’s community over the past 12 months.

Lara Pickering

2021 Tertiary Studies Expo reminder

The annual Brisbane Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO), Australia's largest tertiary studies expo, offers a unique opportunity for anyone interested in starting, changing or upgrading their career. It will be held at the Royal International Convention Centre, Brisbane Showgrounds on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July 2021 from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Open Days 2021 Planner

A comprehensive list of tertiary Open Days is available from this link: Open Day Program 2021

Year 12 Early Entry for 2022 has opened for several universities

QUT https://www.qut.edu.au/study/applying/year-12-early-offer-scheme

Southern Cross University STAR Early Offer

University of New England Early Entry - University of New England (UNE)

Griffith University https://www.griffith.edu.au/apply/guaranteed-admission-scheme/early-offer

Australian Catholic University ACU Guarantee

Bond University Click here for more information.

Griffith University

Year 12 Academic Bootcamps in Chemistry, Maths Methods, Physics and Biology

Dates: 20-23 September (Gold Coast); 27–30 September (Logan)

Cost: $149 per course

The 2021 Academic Bootcamps are high-quality courses designed to assist students to achieve their full academic potential. Register here

Dental Health Science: Applications for Rural Priority Access

Closing date - Thursday 30 September. To help develop the next generation of dentists familiar with the issues facing rural communities, students from a rural background may receive priority access to our Bachelor of Dental Health Science. More information is available here

Queensland Conservatorium auditions opening soon

Auditions for students wishing to study the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Acting or Bachelor of Musical Theatre will be completed through a two-phase process this year.

Phase 1: video submission and QTAC application due by 31 August.

Phase 2: successful applicants invited to live auditions to be held from 27 September–2 October.

See the application and audition information

Date change for release of Queensland ATAR and QCE results

QTAC and the QCAA have brought forward the 2021 release date of the Queensland ATAR and QCE results to 9:00am, Friday 17 December 2021. This move allows additional time for students to reassess their QTAC application, and if required, change their course preferences prior to the 23 December offer round.

Liz Johnston