eNews Archive Issue 23 - 3 August 2017

The media were intrigued by the ‘activism’ of the students and their willingness to engage in processes designed to assist members of our community and the girls received quite a lot of coverage about their efforts.

Sixty-four brave students cut off anywhere from 20cms to 40cms of their hair (ponytails) and raised just short of $50,000 for these two very worthy causes. It is a very proud moment for me as Principal of the school to see so many students dedicated and involved in giving to others through the Ponytail Project and the students and the community who supported them are to be congratulated.

On Assembly on Tuesday, I gave out certificates to teachers who received nominations for the National Excellence in Teaching Awards for inspiring educators. These awards are the result of the nominations of members of community. Congratulations to:

• Mr Brad King
• Mrs Katie Flanagan
• Mrs Jane Hacking
• Ms Katie Bryant
• Mrs Kelly Lewis
• Ms Phoebe Mawer
• Mrs Suzy Edwards
• Ms Kate Montgomery
• Mr Mathew Stein

The P and F are currently organising the highly-anticipated Race Day on Saturday 2 September from 11:30am. Tickets for this event will soon be available via Flexischools. For the first time, the Race Day raffle tickets will be available online. In the past, we have had hard copy ticket books and many people in our community who were unable to attend the Race Day event showed their support for the P and F fundraising efforts by buying raffle tickets. The proceeds from this raffle, with the chance to win great prizes, goes to support school projects and I encourage you all, particularly if you are unable to attend the P and F Race Day, to purchase your raffle tickets.

‘The basic task of parenting, whether you have a two-year old or a twenty-two-year-old, is to work yourself out of a job. REDUNDANCY should be the aim of the game. We never become redundant in a relationship sense - the emotional connection between our children and us is never severed. In a practical, physical way we need to make children less, rather than more, reliant on us. Developing independence is about stepping back to allow children in. Do less rather than more!’

As I read this quote from Michael Grose, who writes about parenting (www.parentingideas.com.au), I couldn’t help but draw the comparison with teaching. The aim of all teachers is to create independent learners - encouraging students as they progress through the school to be less reliant on the teacher, with students taking more responsibility and being more self-motivated to achieve. It is for this reason that teachers lessen the scaffolding they provide for tasks and encourage students to think for themselves, guiding and facilitating student learning. This is a key focus of our St Margaret’s Quality Teaching and Learning Framework, where we move students through surface learning, to deep learning and finally to the deepest learning and the independence required to achieve that.

Ros Curtis 

A lot of thought and discussion goes into creating the subject lines and the initial subject preference submissions, data from previous years as well as staffing and student numbers are all taken into account. As you will understand, not all students will be able to do their preferred subject choices. However, there is still a variety of subjects available from which to select. Students in Years 9 and 10 in 2018 are able to take subjects in a major or minor strand, and students in Year 11 (2018) should be choosing subjects according to what they enjoy and what they are good at; these are the ones that will put them in the best position to achieve well in years to come. It is unreasonable to determine subject choices based on the career they wish to pursue, as very few people at the age of 13, 14 or 15 years can know with any level of certainty what their career will be.

Sometimes, students may need to move out of their comfort zones and try something they would normally shy away from. They would certainly need parent support in order to take up this challenge. Luckily, in this day and age, the only subject prerequisites for university courses are English, a particular level of Mathematics, possibly a Science and, occasionally, a language. This should make choices easier when limited by subject lines.

On Monday afternoon, all students in these year levels will receive an email with the information required for entering their subject preferences online. It is very important that this is done by 3pm on Monday 14 August, as this is when the portal will be closed. Your daughter will be able to print the receipt which shows her subject preferences and I would encourage you to check that you are indeed happy with your daughter's choices.

Students in Year 6 will receive a preference form for their language study next year. Students should return this to their Form teachers also by 15 August.

Karen Gorrie 

Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, Hospital Visits, Home Pastoral Care…

As Chaplain, I am here for every member of the school community. Please don’t hesitate to call my office number 3862 0716 and, if necessary, leave a message which can go straight through to my email. Alternatively, my email address is: ncolledge@stmargarets.qld.edu.au. Should you simply want to make contact, discuss an issue of concern, or be considering any of the Church’s sacraments for yourself or others in your family, I am available and here for you.

Prayer Spaces and Australian Anglican Schools Conference

Next week, I am most fortunate to be able to attend a day seminar run by Phil Togwell from the UK. Phil began the ‘movement’ of holding Prayer Spaces in schools in England. Although our Australian context is a little different, I look forward to learning some new ideas and approaches to the spiritual encounter. St Margaret’s Term 3 Prayer Space will run from 23-31 August. All are welcome.

Following on from the Prayer Spaces Seminar, Phil Togwell is one of the keynote speakers at the Anglican Schools of Australia Conference for 2017, held in Brisbane. I have enjoyed being a member of the organising committee and am keen to touch base with Anglican school chaplains, principals and many others from around the country. I am so pleased that our Primary School Chorale will be singing for the Conference Eucharist at St John’s Cathedral next Friday night, 11 August. Other students will also be assisting; Johanna Loban (Acknowledgment of Country), Sophia Colledge (Acolyte), Madeleine Graham, Jondayah Martin, Hannah Lane, Christine Murr and Susanna Lehman (candle bearers in Processional).

Prayer for the Week

Our Primary Captains read the following prayer on Assembly this week:

In a world where many of our days are filled with busyness, frustrations and too many negative stories, may we remember to take things slowly, breathe deeply and pause to pray.

Creator God, help us to take time to be open to our humanity, but also open to the divine and sacred moments in the places and people around us. When we are trapped by the demands to “DO”, remind us all to simply “BE”.

Amen

With every blessing on you and your week ahead,

The Reverend Nicki Colledge 

Looking up can simply mean looking up from your mobile, iPad or computer screen and noticing what is going on around you. It also incorporates looking up to who inspires you and who you want to be. Looking forward means having the drive and motivation to improve or move to the next step. Setting goals and targets in all areas of your life and appreciating the opportunities you have will help you to move forward. Looking out means looking for inspiration, looking to help others and not being wrapped up in our own world. It is about seeking to do thoughtful things for others, moving beyond our close circle of friends and reaching out to others in need.

A gratitude board has been put up in the Garden Room and as the girls walk by they can write a small note to say what they are grateful for. More importantly, it is wonderful to see the girls stopping to read the notes and appreciating what others are grateful for. We continue to work in Boarding to have all of the girls look up, look forward and look out.

Lesa Fowler 

My two days reinforced to me that there is always much to learn and that even those ideas which we hold most tightly are worth examining and refining. I came away with some valuable insights regarding school leadership generally and a renewed awareness of the multitude of “teachable moments” we encounter throughout a day. As a classroom teacher, one is often presented with opportunities to address important ideas and engage students in dialogues, which although beyond the mandated curriculum are part of the suite of material young people should encounter during their schooling. These powerful teaching moments should not be confined to the classroom though; there are many occasions when, through our interactions with others, we can direct their attention to matters of significance. I saw one of these when Ms Cody introduced me to her Prefect body, using this as an opportunity to direct the girls’ attention to the concept of shadowing as a professional development experience, suggesting to them that this practice of observing someone in a role and then unpacking the way in which they operated was a very powerful mechanism for growth, which they should remember for the future. She went further, suggesting that initiating such an experience was indicative of drive and commitment. In the same meeting, she reminded the girls that simple tasks like announcing changes in the organisation of a day provided them with the opportunity to demonstrate leadership; asserting that the way information is presented determines the way it is received.

While I was in Perth I went to a presentation by Professor Cordelia Fine, renowned cognitive neuroscientist, academic psychologist and writer. Her topic, Unmaking the myths of our gendered minds, explored some of the science relating to the brain and gender. Her interest in this area emerged when, as a result of reading popular texts relating to gender differences, she began to explore some of the research cited in support of the claims made. This led her to the discovery that there was little evidence to validate assertions in the publications. Ultimately Professor Fine concluded that the Science is unresolved, but “what we think about difference makes a difference”.

Important Reminders:

1. The Subject Selection Evening is on 7 August beginning at 6pm. Parents and students are encouraged to attend this evening to speak with staff regarding the subjects they are interested in. Presentations will be delivered on the evening by Mrs Nicole Devlin and myself.
2. The QTAC Information Session for Year 12 parents is on Thursday 10 August from 5:30 until 6:30pm in the Independent Learning Centre. Ms Johnston will provide a detailed outline of the process involved in the completion of Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) forms.

Samantha Bolton 

Please find below results and reports from some extra learning experiences that have been offered so far this year.

Big Science Competition
The Big Science Competition was a challenge offered to some students from Years 7 to 10. The girls undertook an online 30 multiple choice competition testing critical thinking and problem solving skills, not just factual recall.

Congratulations to the following girls on their Distinction and High Distinction Awards:

Distinctions
Georgie Herring - Year 7
Lily Shann - Year 7
Jorja Maundrell - Year 8
Meleia Richardson - Year 8
Hillary McKie - Year 10
Justine Solomon - Year 10
Emily Woods - Year 10

High Distinctions
Paige Bastian - Year 8
Estella Caro - Year 8
Rebecca Lauder - Year 9
Amelia Simpson - Year 9
Tamika Tran - Year 9
Isabella Corby-Bakkelund - Year 10

ICAS Science
The International Competitions and Assessment for Schools (ICAS) are conducted yearly by UNSW Global at the University of New South Wales. These competitions take place each year in schools throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region. These competitions are written to be challenging and assess skills the students may not have encountered.

Congratulations to the following girls who received Distinctions in the Science Competition:

Distinctions
Penelope Crothers - Year 11
Justine Solomon - Year 10
Tamika Tran - Year 9
Rachel Fitzgerald - Year 7
Elinor Barry - Year 7
Ella Woods - Year 7
Lauren Searle - Year 7

Techgirls Competition
Since 1 May, Rachel Fitzgerald, Ruby Greenup, Holly Marchant, Ella Woods and Audrey Wren in Year 7 have been meeting weekly to work on developing an app as part of the Techgirls Are Superheroes Competition.

Their challenge was to identify a problem in their community and design an app to help solve this problem. They had to conduct research about the problem, survey students and compare competitor apps. As well as the app, on 28 July they needed to submit a business plan including finance and marketing aspects, a demo video and a pitch video. Please find links below to their Pitch Video and Demo Video.

Pitch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbkR1P9pgls

Demo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jsBmMTtzus

This competition gave the girls the opportunity to develop their collaboration, project management and coding skills.

If your daughter is interested in coding, there is another great opportunity available through the ‘Premier’s Creating Queensland’s Future coding competition.

Nicole Devlin

Please note that donations are not tax deductable as the funds are being split between these two causes. The Prefects set their fundraising target at $31,000. Incredibly, the girls, and the wider school community, have raised over $49,000. 

The school would like to thank Boston Hair Salon for generously donating their time each year to cut the girls' hair.

The Ponytail Project was so successful again this year that we will continue this campaign as an annual event - so the challenge for 2018 has been set!

Acceptable Use of Technology Policy
Heads of Year reminded secondary students this week of the School’s Acceptable Use of Technology Policy. The main messages were conveyed regarding appropriate use of email and that students are not permitted to take photos or videos of other students without their consent. These photos or videos should not be posted on social media. I would encourage parents to reiterate our policy (Student Handbook, page 9) with their daughters at home.

Free Dress Day

Next Monday 7 August is Free Dress Day and students are asked to bring a gold coin donation coin. All proceeds go to Anglicare. All students are expected to dress appropriately. This means:

• No exposed shoulders
• No exposed midriffs, low or loose necklines
• Hair tied back
• Enclosed foot wear, excluding Ugg boots
• Skirts, tailored shorts and dresses should be a reasonable length for modesty
• No ripped jeans
• No lycra bike pants, leggings or active wear
• Students are not permitted to wear a mix of free dress day attire with the school uniform

Nikki Townsend 

The team did an incredible job during the competition with the following girls achieving significant results and moving to the next level of competition. Each of these girls listed below have qualified as members of the Met North Team. The members of this team will compete against other regions and aim for selection in the State team. Lani and Milla are also eligible for the Tetra competition, in which the results are taken from their individual events of shot put, long jump, 800m, 200m and 100m.

9 Years

Marnie - 1st 100m

10 Years

Portia Creevey - 2nd Shot Put and 1st High Jump

Milla Roberts - 1st Shot Put, 3rd Long Jump, 2nd 800m, 3rd 100m, 1st Tetra

Olivia Malouf - 2nd High Jump

11 Years

Lani McWilliam - 3rd Discus, 3rd 200m, 1st 800m, 3rd 100m, 2nd Tetra

12 Years

Alice O’Toole - 2nd 800m

11 Years Relay came 1st - Genevieve Heather, Lani McWilliam, Sarah Sorensen and Chisako Takada

Alongside these impressive individual results, St Margaret’s won the Percentage Cup for City District. This prestigious award is calculated on the number of students in the school and the results. Congratulations to all the girls who participated and helped St Margaret’s to its first placing. We wish them all the best for the next stage of competition.

Andrews Cup Netball

Over 60 girls participated in the Andrews Cup Netball Competition on Thursday. I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time on the sidelines where I got to see some great skills, wonderful teamwork and the true St Margaret’s spirit demonstrated on the court. All girls gave it their best and left at the end of the day knowing that they had done St Margaret’s proud. Well done to all girls involved and thank you to Morgan Rowe for organising and supervising the teams throughout the long day. Thank you to their coaches and the many parents who attended and supported the girls at this competition. Congratulations to the Junior A team who won their semi-final division and placed 2nd overall. The Senior B team played off for 3rd position and narrowly missed out on this win. At assembly this week, the two captains, Ruby Dee and Lucia Owen, reported the following on the Andrews Cup competition:

“Netball training commenced in Term 2. Despite the winter chill, the girls were committed to our training schedule and it showed with solid performances at the two Metro meets and Andrews Cup competition. In particular, the Junior A team shined, placing second in the Andrews Cup competition on Thursday of last week. Our best result for the 2017 season!”

The Downey Park Netball Club Competition is also drawing to a close. It has been wonderful to witness the development of each girl's individual skills coming together in teamwork on the court. Thank you to staff, students and parents for coaching and managing the girls during this long season. On Saturday, two teams, 11 A Div 2 and Under 11 Div 4, made it to the semi-finals, which is a wonderful achievement. Congratulations to 11 A Div 2 which will now head to the final on Saturday 12 August. I look forward to watching this team compete and I would encourage friends to come and cheer on the sidelines.

ICAS Science

We received the results of the 2017 Science International Competitions and Assessment for Schools. Congratulations to Caitlin Williams who received a High Distinction, which places her in the top 1 percentile of Australian students who participated in the ICAS Science Competition this year. We also congratulate the following girls who received Distinction awards:

Mona Lin

Elise Selwa

Charlotte Smith

Zara Walsh

Mokhyada Nanda

Genevieve Heather

Ha-Vy Hoang

Grace Kinloch

Evelyn Ma

These wonderful sporting and academic results, raise the question, “why do some people achieve and not others?”. There is a lot of research about natural talent versus hard work and it is hard work that wins. However, it is not just any type of hard work. It is more than getting the work done, it is trying to get better at it. Hard work is about seeing every task as an opportunity to improve and build on feedback from others, for example, teachers and coaches. Dedicated work and feedback is a path to better results. Here are some tips for students to take on that journey:

• Approach each school task with the goal of getting much better at it.
• As you do the task, focus on what’s happening and why you’re doing it the way you are.
• After the task, ask your teacher for feedback on your work. Make changes in your work as necessary. Practise the changes.
• Think about your future and the jobs you will be able to do, the life you want to lead.
• Do these things all the time, not just now and then.

Principals’ Digests Volume 23 Number 25.

Angela Drysdale 

As part of the festival, students will meet other musicians from around the world and perform in world class venues such as the Musikverein, home to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. They will also have the opportunity to participate in workshops provided by the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts. The tour will also include time in Prague and Salzburg where students will visit and perform in sites of historical and musical significance. The tour is open to students currently in Years 7-11. A meeting has been organised for Tuesday 8 August in the Arts Centre Foyer at 6:00pm. Further details will be provided at the meeting and there will be the opportunity to ask questions pertaining to the tour. A letter with further information and draft itinerary is available to download below for your perusal. We look forward to having many girls involved!

Music Tour 2018 Information Letter (PDF 184.5KB)

Music Tour 2018 Draft Itinerary (PDF 1.1MB)

Classics in the Cathedral

The St Margaret’s Music Department is very excited to again present our annual Classics in the Cathedral concert. Classics in the Cathedral will be held this year on Tuesday 15 August in St John’s Anglican Cathedral at 7:00pm. This is a spectacular evening of beautiful music, performed within the stunning setting of St John’s Cathedral and is one of the St Margaret’s Music Department’s very special music events. Tickets are $25 for adults (no cost for students/children). Tickets may be purchased through Flexischools or at the door. A letter with further information has been distributed to students and is also available here (PDF 295.5KB). We look forward to seeing you there!

Community Choir

Community Choir rehearsals commenced last week with wonderful attendance. It is not too late to still join the choir. If you would like to be involved, just come along to the next rehearsal (Thursday evening 3 August) in the Drama Room (directly below the Arts Centre Foyer) at 6:00pm. This is a wonderful way of engaging with the St Margaret’s community through the medium of music. This year, the Community Choir will again participate in our annual Classics in the Cathedral concert held in St John’s Cathedral singing Leonard Cohen’s classic Hallelujah, as well as in the whole of school Choral Concert held in Eton Hall at the end of Term 3. Please find attached a letter (PDF 222.1KB) with further details.

Morning Tea Performance

Thank you to the Sculthorpe String Quartet for their performance in the Barley Sugar Garden. All in attendance very much enjoyed the performance!

Music Support Group Meeting

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 5 September at 4:30pm in the Primary Music Room (second floor of Chaseley). Please note the earlier start time to allow parents to attend the Trends in Education Seminar at 5:30pm that evening. Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend.

Brad King 

The social senior crew also managed a podium finish last week in second place. By all accounts, the girls and coaches have taken the new venue in their stride and made it a successful change. At the conclusion of last week’s regatta, the girls and families held a barbecue at the Rowing Shed to christen a new safety tinnie, “Olivia”. Many thanks go to the Campbell family for their generosity.

QGSSSA

The girls dominated Round 3 against St Hilda’s. Our volleyball teams won four of the five matches with the Senior A and Year 10 teams still undefeated. Hockey won by huge margins and the girls in the Junior B team showed commitment to attend a training session for their bye round. Across netball, the girls won 12 from 13 matches and the Senior C tennis team had their second win of the season.

The majority of teams will head to Ipswich this weekend with all matches being played on Saturday. This is the only round of the winter season that we have the opportunity to travel as a team. All girls are to arrive at Butler Street by 6am for departure to their Ipswich venues.

The QGSSSA representative teams have been holding their trials for tennis, soccer and netball. We had two students successfully selected: Victoria Franklin in soccer and Zoe Garraway in netball. The girls will compete in the Tri Tournament in Brisbane during the September school holidays.

Rhythmic Gymnastics

This Friday, the girls will compete in the Rhythmic Gymnastics competition at Moreton Bay College. We are very excited to have two teams in the Open pairs this year. Erica Fisher and Kelsey Booth will be twirling their hoops along with Paris Hall and Chelsea Walker throwing the ball to showcase their rhythmic skills. We have filled all the divisions with four teams across A and B grades and three Year 7 teams participating in their first QGSSSA Rhythmic competition. We wish all the girls the best of luck with their routines on Friday.

Athletics

The athletics season will open on Friday evening with the first meet at the UQ Sports Complex. The captains, Vanessa Haynes and Bronte Thompson, have been fuelling the girls with breakfast at training on Friday mornings and encouraging the relay teams to get to training. The girls have set the team goal of improving on the relay team results in the hope of gaining additional points to win the Percentage Cup in October.

The communication for the athletics season will be through the St Margaret’s school app. This can be downloaded from the app store. If you are unable to see the athletics information you may need to update your app.

Nicky Barrie 

Eliza McKendry and Annabel Kennedy

Visual Art Captains 

The 8.1 team have, to date, won their initial rounds of finals. The team, coached by Mrs Katie Flanagan and made up of Zara Campbell, Georgie Gaspar, Celia Quinn, Paloma Fajardo and Lily Howells, has debated superbly and their winning streak has seen them progress to the third round of finals this week after defeating Kedron State High by three points last week. The result of this debate was not known at the time of writing this article, but I will be sure to update the school community on their amazing efforts.

The 12.1 team has also automatically qualified for the third round of finals. The team, coached by Mrs Nicole Walker and made up of Hannah Lane, Hannah Witenden, Gi Young Seo, Susanna Lehman and Charlotte Traves, are set to debate a short preparation topic against Brisbane Grammar and, again, the results of this will be included in next week’s update.

Unfortunately, despite their valiant efforts and an amazingly strong season, the 9.1 and 11.2 teams bowed out of this year’s competition against Mansfield State High School and Brisbane Boys Grammar respectively in their finals debates. The 9.1 team, coached by Mrs Brittany Graham and made up of Eva Campbell, Sophie Gerlach-Zuch, Isobel Barry and Emily Pitt, along with the 11.2 team, coached by Ms Cass Argent and made up of Charlotte Caro, Hannah O’Brien, Penelope Crothers and Anja Steven, should all be incredibly proud of how they excelled throughout the debating season. The girls’ efforts certainly bode well for a strong season next year.

A big thank you is extended to all coaches for their incredible work in preparing the girls, along with the parents, teachers and students who have been coming along to support the debaters in the finals rounds. I wish the 12.1 and 8.1 teams the very best of luck for their continued efforts. Go Maggies!

Alina Layton 

Here at St Margaret’s the girls are assigned a buddy in their year level to help show them the ropes. They also attend our international meetings and conversation club at lunchtimes.

This week we discussed culture shock and some of the feelings that girls may experience when they are settling in to life in Australia. Culture Shock isn’t a medical condition but a term used to describe the experience of leaving a familiar culture and joining a new and different one. There are three stages of culture shock:

• The Honeymoon Phase - During this period the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light as wonderful and new. For example, when moving to a new country you might love new foods, pace of life, people’s habits, buildings and so on.

• The “Everything is Awful” Phase - After a few days, a few weeks, or a few months, minor differences between the old and new culture begin to add up. You may feel impatient, angry, sad or discontent. For example, language barriers are proving to be difficult; you might find the pace of life too fast or slow; or you may find people's habits annoying.

• The “Everything is OK” phase - Again, after a few days, weeks or months, you grow accustomed to the new culture’s differences and develop routines and you gain a greater understanding of the new culture. You may have a feeling of pleasure and psychological balance. At this point, an individual no longer reacts to the new culture positively or negatively, because it no longer feels like a new culture. An individual becomes concerned with basic living again, as they were in their original culture.

(Adapted from: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock )

Our International Captains, Lam Shan (Linda) Lee and Arisa (Alyssa) Ihara, were on hand to share their experiences. They made an interesting point that if they have returned home over the holidays, when they return to school they experience a milder form of culture shock again. They offered some advice to the younger girls about preparing themselves to return by watching Australian TV shows, reading English or listening to English podcasts. I think this longing for home at the beginning of terms is something many of our boarders can relate to.

We are incredibly proud of our international community and the courage they show when they decide to take the leap to study with us. We are also very appreciative of the gentleness the wider school community shows these girls as they settle in.

Emily Labinsky 

Guests can register online for this event, where they will be able to hear from the Principal, and take a student led tour of the campus and classrooms, before enjoying morning tea with senior staff. Interested families may also contact our Admissions team if they have any questions. E: admissions@stmargarets.qld.edu.au Tel: +61 7 3862 0777. 

ST MARGARET’S FOUNDATION

Professional Women’s Network Breakfast - Featuring Julie McKay

Tickets are selling fast for the PWN event, 7am arrival on Wednesday 23 August 2017. Join us for breakfast and hear one of Australia’s leading advocates for the social and economic empowerment of women who believes that the key to success will be converting awareness into meaningful change.

Tickets are available for sale via Flexischools.

ST MARGARET’S P&F ASSOCIATION

P&F Acknowledgements

Thank you to all the Fathers who attended the St Margaret’s P&F Association Fathers’ Dinner. A wonderful evening was enjoyed by all, and congratulations to all the raffle prize and auction winners.

The P&F would also like to express its gratitude to all those who donated prizes for the raffle and auctions for this event. The generosity of these individuals and businesses is greatly appreciated. We encourage you to support those who have supported us.

In particular, we would like to thank our event Sponsor, Morgans.

Donations:

Ian Greig and Churchie - Table at Churchie Cricket Lunch, $1,900

Andrew Gatenby -  3x Rib Fillets, $600

James St - James Street Shopping Voucher, $500

Spicers - Night at Spicers, $500

Kiss Photography - Family portrait session, $480

The Dunning Family - Brenda Stevens original artwork, $250

Café 63 - 4x $40 gift vouchers, $160

Hamilton Hotel - $100 gift voucher

Public Restaurant - $60 gift voucher

Jack Purcell Meat - $50 gift voucher

Stables Bar - $50 gift voucher

TRIVIA NIGHT

The P&F Netball Support Group will be hosting a Trivia Night in Eton Hall on Saturday 5 August at 6:30pm. All money raised will go towards improvements to Windsor Park.

For all enquiries, please contact Megan Stanley on 0434 212 247 or email meganstanley@live.com.au.

Luanne Wishart

UAC (NSW/ACT Application)
2 August 2017 - applications opened
15 December 2017 - ATARs released
17 December 2017 - change of preference closing date for December Round 2
21 December 2017 - December Round 2 offers released
3 January 2018 - change of preference closing date for January Round 1
12 January 2018 - January Round 1 offers released
24 January 2018 - change of preference closing date for January Round 2
31 January 2018 - January Round 2 offers released
8 February 2018 - February Round 1 offers released
15 February 2018 - February Round 2 offers released

VTAC (Victoria)
Course applications
Timely course application
Open: 7 August (9am), Close: 28 September (5pm), Fees: $35.00 Currently enrolled Year 12 timely processing fee

Late course application
Open: 28 September (5:30pm), Close: 3 November (5pm), Fees: $103.00 (All) Late processing fee

Very late course application (not available for graduate-entry teaching courses)
Open: 3 November (5:30pm), Close: 8 December (5pm), Fees: $134.00 (All) Very late processing fee

Thinking of studying Medicine?
MedView (powered by Crimson Education) will be holding a free Brisbane-based, MedView Australia expo event on Saturday 19 August, 2017. The event will be presented by current top medical students and a medical professional, with a focus on essential knowledge/tips on applying to Medical Schools across Australia. The aim of the presentation is to broaden student's understanding of the medical school admission process across Australian universities, giving an insight into the challenges of applying and empowering students with free resources and links should they want to research the topics further.

The presentation is also based around answering key questions including:

• Why choosing a career in Medicine might be right for you
• Advice and information on applying to direct-entry Australian Medical Schools
• Requirements for admission into Medicine (ATAR, UMAT, Interview etc.)
• Information on interview systems across different Australian Medical Schools
• Insights into the academic life of a Medical student

The presentation will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, M4 Room. We currently have several attendees officially registered - with a maximum capacity of 400. Attendees will need to individually register for the event following the EventBrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/your-path-to-medical-school-brisbane-august-2017-tickets-36174542029?aff=es2

Date: Saturday 19 August 2017
Time: 3:00pm - 5:30pm
Venue: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, M4 Room

QUT Update
Art, design, fashion, technology, robotics and interactive design events.
Students and their parents can attend panel discussions about careers in art, design and fashion at Open Day this year. Students are invited to attend a free QUT Tech Showcase on 18 August to celebrate National Science Week. You can also experience Robotronica at QUT on 20 August, with all-ages demonstrations, workshops, games and discussions about innovations in the fields of robotics and interactive design.

Making decisions - online resource and START QUT program.
To help students with course and career decision making, QUT’s career practitioners have developed a free online course - Kickstart Your Career. Register now for the next course starting 7 August. Students can also test drive uni and experience different study areas through the START QUT program. Applications for 2018 opened 1 August and close 31 October.

Entry program, scholarships and support for elite athletes.
QUT is recognised by the Australian Institute of Sport and The Australian Sports Commission as an elite athlete friendly university. Find out about our entry program, scholarships and support for elite athletes: https://www.qut.edu.au/study/undergraduate-study/do-you-advise-school-students/news-and-events/news?news-id=118416&utm_source=silverpop&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=qut_undergraduate_guidanceofficer&utm_content=Guidance%20Officer%20Newsletter%20July%20(1)&spMailingID=54503237&spUserID=Njc4NTQxNTM4MzIS1&spJobID=1202605892&spReportId=MTIwMjYwNTg5MgS2

University of Queensland
UQ Sporting Scholarships - apply now
UQ's sporting scholarships support students to balance their studies with the demands of elite-level competition. In addition to financial support, these scholarships offer academic tutoring, facility access, workshops and much more. UQ's sporting scholarships open on Thursday 3 August. Applications can be submitted online.

Engineering and Technology Careers Evening 2017At UQ's 2017 Engineering and Technology Careers Evening, you will have the opportunity to: 

• Hear from recent Engineering and Information Technology graduates about their experiences in industry
• Talk to academic staff and current students about the study options available at UQ
• Ask practicing engineers and technology innovators about job opportunities available in industry
• Discover why UQ provides students with the best foundation for careers in Engineering and Information Technology

The event will be held on Thursday 17 August from 6-8pm in the GHD Auditorium, Advanced Engineering Building (#49), The University of Queensland, St Lucia campus: https://uqfuture.custhelp.com/rd?1=AvMo~wrADv8S~xb~Gv9S~yJNYPcr0C77Mv~A~z7~Pv8J&2=11497

Audition Information for Bachelor of Music (Honours) applications
The School of Music has released its audition information for Year 12 students wanting to enter the Bachelor of Music (Honours) program in 2018. Written applications for entry are due by Monday 14 August, with the on-campus audition process occurring Saturday 16 - Saturday 30 September. Auditions are limited to students performing using classical orchestral instruments, classical guitar, piano and classical voice: https://music.uq.edu.au/about/auditions.

School of Economics Scholarships
Applications are now open for two invaluable scholarship opportunities at the UQ School of Economics: The Year 12 Domestic Australian Scholarship and The Year 12 Equity and Diversity Scholarship.

The Year 12 Domestic Australian Scholarship is for outstanding Australian domestic students who are completing Year 12 studies. The successful candidate will receive a $5,000 bursary each year for three years. Applications close 3 November 2017.

The Year 12 Equity and Diversity is for students who can demonstrate a very keen interest in economics but who have faced educational disadvantage during high school. The successful candidate will receive a $5,000 bursary each year plus a mentoring scheme. Applications close 28 November 2017: https://economics.uq.edu.au/

Support for international students under 18 years of age
If you have international students who will be aged 17 at the time they will commence their studies at UQ, The University of Queensland Student Services offers a supervision program which approves the accommodation, support and general welfare of unaccompanied international students under 18 years of age.

Applicants under the age of 18 will be identified in the admission process and an offer of admission will be conditional on the applicant submitting a completed International Student Supervision registration form signed by the applicant and their parent/legal custodian.

If the University accepts responsibility for accommodation and welfare arrangements, a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) alongside a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) letter will be issued, so applicants can then apply for a student visa: http://www.uq.edu.au/student-services/u18-supervision

Bond University
You can apply direct to Bond right now. Applying online to study at Bond University is free and easy. We encourage you to lodge your application as soon as you have decided what you would like to study. There’s no application fee - no obligation to accept a place if it is offered - it simply gives you another option when it comes to making a decision about your future: https://bond.edu.au/future-students/study-bond/how-apply

QUT For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
QUT’s Oodgeroo Unit offers the Centralised Assessment Selection Program entry pathway from mid-October for QTAC applicants who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and place QUT within their top three preferences. Applicants need to have their Confirmation of Australian Indigenous Heritage from a registered Indigenous corporation and as this process can take time, we recommend students and/or their parents start this process early.

QUT Additional entry requirements and scholarships in creative industries
For creative industries courses with additional entry requirements such as auditions, portfolios or interviews, students must apply online to QUT by 5pm on Friday 15 September as well as applying through QTAC. Students interested in creative industries can also access generous scholarships, ranging from $10,000 to $30,000, many of which are awarded based on creative ability.

UNSW Open Day - Save the date - Saturday 2 September 2017
Open Day is an opportunity for your students to get their first taste of university life.
Attend lectures, chat with current staff and students, explore campus and find out if UNSW is the right place for them. Registration will open later this month. Visit openday.unsw.edu.au for more information.

QTAC:Selection guidelines for initial teacher education courses (pre-service teachers)
As part of the Australian Institute for Teaching and Leadership (AITSL) revised Standards and Procedures (2015), all applicants to initial teacher education courses (pre-service teachers) must satisfy both academic and non-academic entry criteria for selection to the course. This requirement applies for the 2018 tertiary admissions period onwards. Details may be found at: http://www.qtac.edu.au/courses---institutions/initial-teacher-education

KEY DATES:
Thursday 3 August
QTAC Applications open

Sunday 6 August
9am - 3pm, The University of Queensland (UQ) St Lucia
https://future-students.uq.edu.au/open-day

Sunday 13 August
11am - 3pm, James Cook University (JCU) Townsville
https://www.jcu.edu.au/open-day

Sunday 13 August
10am - 2pm, University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Toowoomba
https://www.usq.edu.au/openday/

Sunday 20 August
11am - 3pm, James Cook University Cairns
https://www.jcu.edu.au/open-day

Sunday 20 August
QUT Caboolture
https://www.qut.edu.au/study/events/qut-open-day

Sunday 20 August
9:30am - 3pm, UQ Gatton
https://www.qut.edu.au/study/events/qut-open-day

Sunday 20 August
10am - 1pm, USQ Springfield
https://www.usq.edu.au/openday/

Sunday 2 September
10am - 2pm, USQ Ipswich
https://www.usq.edu.au/openday/

Elizabeth Johnston