eNews Archive Issue 6 - 1 March 2018

The St Margaret’s Past Students Awards program has been established to:

• recognise the many achievements of St Margaret’s Past Students, both professionally and personally;
• celebrate the diverse achievements of Past Students and provide an opportunity to share stories of success;
• increase connections between the School and Past Students to honour their legacy.

Engaging with our valued Old Girls’ community and recognising the achievements and contributions of Past Students creates a significant impact on our current students, as they seek and gather the inspiration they need to fly upwards.

Please draw this to the attention of our Past Students or act by nominating a past student for the award. Details on how to nominate are on the Community section of the website and are outlined in the Nomination Forms which can be downloaded here. Please note that 2018 nominations close on Monday 12 March. 

The award winners will be announced at a dinner in the Arts Centre Foyer on Friday 20 April. Please claim that date, I encourage all to attend, particularly Year 12 students and their Mother/Father as the winners speak on the evening and offer inspiration and insight for our graduating students.

While we are referring to our Past Students, I will also take the opportunity to let members of our community know that if you know an Old Girl who is intending to study overseas, the Old Girls’ Association offers Overseas Study Scholarships. Applications for 2018/2019 are now open and close on Friday 22 June 2018. Information about the scholarships can be found on the Community section on the website under Old Girls’ Association tab or via the link here. Past recipients of the scholarship are also listed on the website for your interest and information.

One of the great things about St Margaret’s is the strength of the Old Girls’ Association; current students can certainly benefit by maintaining their connections through the Old Girls’ network after graduation.

Planning and organisation for the MAYO Arts Festival (25 and 26 May) is well underway. Thank you to those families and community businesses who have already taken the opportunity to sponsor the event. The MAYO Arts Festival provides a platform for businesses to engage with not only the St Margaret’s community but the wider, surrounding community who attend the festival. Various levels of sponsorship are available. If you would like to discuss these opportunities please email preed@stmagarets.qld.edu.au. We value any contribution, whether financial or in-kind, to assist in making the event a success for the school and all involved.

Ros Curtis 

The St Margaret’s Way is a set of values and behaviours to which all members of the St Margaret’s community adhere. It grew out of questions put to the community: How do I want to feel every day when I come school? What am I doing to ensure that others feel this way? Essentially it is a pastoral approach that is designed to give a language to the way we are and strive to be in our interactions with each other. It is a focused energy on wellbeing, noting that all within the St Margaret’s community have a role to play in the wellbeing of all in our community. There are two key focus areas – firstly we appreciate and acknowledge (each other, students, parents), and we are aligned and accountable (to ourselves, to each other, to the vision of the School).

I’m pleased that some of our students will be driving this area of wellbeing in our school in association with our staff. We have a number of students and staff that are involved in a St Margaret’s Way committee that meets twice a term. Last year that committee helped to organise a fun lunchtime activity of dancing and games from Years 5 through to 12, and they initiated the screensavers that display messages from St Margaret’s Way onto all school computers. In the Primary school there is a St Margaret’s Way assembly once per term, where teachers nominate awards for students who have displayed the St Margaret’s Way through a particular action or behaviour.

This year, the committee is also looking at various ways we can continue our message across the school and link it to the Sisterhood theme that our student leaders have for the year.

I look forward to a year where our community can continue to embrace and foster the St Margaret’s Way.

Karen Gorrie 

All members of the school community are invited to come along, with or without children, to take some time out and be able to connect with stillness, silence and reflection.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any queries or to find out if the Space will be busy or empty at a time that suits you; ncolledge@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or 3862 0716.

Local Youth Group at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Clayfield
St Mark’s runs a youth group for girls in Year 7 and above on Friday evenings. A variety of activities are planned for the coming weeks and contact details can be found below:

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

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

Reflection – a poem by Wendell Berry (source, in this instance: https://onbeing.org/blog/wendell-berry-the-peace-of-wild-things/)

I admit to the usual struggle I have at this time of the year. I struggle with making enough time for reflection and contemplation of spiritual matters. I struggle with the struggle. And so, this poem spoke to me during this past week. I am often roused in the night with thoughts in my head, often swirling moments of ‘oh no!’ and ‘what if!’ It is indeed, my own brain that is frequently a “wild thing”, and my challenge is to find the peace that rests within. I too, like the poem, come “into the presence of still water”. My favourite moment in recent weeks was sitting at sunset at Bongaree, watching the (mostly) still water, surrounded by some of my favourite people.

Where might you rest in the “grace of the world”? What a gift.

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting for their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

May your week and encounters with others, be filled with blessing,

The Reverend Nicki Colledge 

School sport generally covers Saturday mornings, with most girls up and out the door early for fixtures. Several girls have already taken their allocated ‘weekend leave’; however, for the remaining boarders, many have participated in exciting events such as stand-up paddle boarding on Bribie Island, beach trips to Mooloolaba and Broadbeach, movie nights, City and Southbank trips and ‘Socials’ at Churchie and Brisbane Boys Grammar School. Looking ahead, there are opportunities to mix with boarders from other schools on the ‘Ice Skating trip’ and session at ‘Bounce’, Brisbane’s indoor trampoline park. The very popular ‘St Aidan’s Dance’ is also coming up on the Activities calendar.

As a full-time boarding school, we recognise the need for the girls to take a break from their academics and we encourage them to participate in the scheduled activities which will assist in their personal development, both physically and mentally. Joining up to activities throughout the week gives the girls something to look forward to and ensures they ‘get out and about’ in a safe and supervised environment. Spending time with fellow boarders, trying out new things and developing their knowledge of Brisbane’s central hot spots provides balance to their school life and enhances their friendships with other boarders.

To cater for the number of attendees, bookings for each activity are confirmed 24 hours prior and boarders are therefore required to sign up for the activities as soon as possible. A certain level of interest and commitment is crucial to prevent risk of cancellation and disappointment to the other girls. Sandra Johnson sends out a plan of the weekend’s activities on the Monday of each week, thus allowing plenty of time for the girls to plan their weekend. The Garden Room is always willing to clarify the details of the activities to any inquiring parent or interested boarder.

Dimity Harris 

The speed with which we forget information does depend on a number of different factors such as difficulty, our stress levels and type of information. For the rate of forgetting to be minimised students need to engage with their notes within 24 hours. They can do this by reading, writing summaries, highlighting key words, making flash cards or even discussing their notes with someone else. A second engagement with their notes for a shorter period of time within a day can bring recall of the notes back up to 100%. During the term, the girls can improve their ability to retain information by planning chunks of time each week to revise their class work and use one of these revision strategies.

Year 12 Elevate session

Next Monday 5 March all Year 12 students will participate in an Elevate education session. The session will focus on 10 steps to exam excellence by looking at exam preparation strategies. I encourage the girls to use these strategies in their upcoming exams to ensure they manage their time and revise effectively.

Tertiary selection rank

At St Margaret’s we are fortunate to be able to offer the girls the opportunity to study a Diploma of Business or Diploma of Project Management. This is a vocational education and training (VET) qualification and does not contribute to the calculation of a student's OP. Students who are OP eligible and study a Diploma will receive an OP calculation from their Authority subjects and a QTAC Tertiary Selection Rank for their additional qualification. This rank can be considered in addition to their OP but it does not affect or ‘boost’ their OP. QTAC will calculate an OP ineligible rank for all other students completing a standard Year 12 in Queensland. The rank may change in subsequent years dependent upon actual Year 12 student achievement patterns.

Students with qualifications including AQF Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, music, dance and speech and drama (Grade 7 and above), can also receive a Tertiary Selection Rank. If students have more than one qualification that gives them a rank, for example, standard school subjects and a Diploma, the one that is used first to decide if they get into a tertiary course is known as the 'first order rank'. The institution you apply to determines which will be your first order rank. QTAC will use ‘schedules’ to determine a rank score and offer tertiary places. Queensland Core Skills Test results can be included in QTAC schedules.

Jo Butterworth 

At these interviews, the Form Teacher or Academic Advisor shared school-based and external academic data as well as sharing the goals each girl had set for herself in response to results and teacher feedback. This process was the outcome of a school review conducted last year by ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research), as well as work that had been done with the Years 9, 10 and 12 cohorts of 2017 in relation to student mentoring, goal setting and engaging in school-based data.

Much has been written about the importance of data in schools and how we use it to inform teaching and learning. As educators, we are aware of the impact assessment and effective feedback can have on individual students; however, we are also aware of the fact that many students do not use or do not know how to use this feedback to assist them to improve their learning and its outcomes. Farrell et al (2015) noted, “Engaging students with their own data allows them to gain a better understanding of their strengths, their weaknesses and how to improve”.

In educational settings students are provided with feedback that can be either performance oriented (grades and comparison against others) or mastery oriented (focussing on developing and improving skills). The process of Continuous Reporting and Learning Analytics provides students with a hybrid of performance and mastery orientation to enable students to focus on individual improvement, to enable personal evaluation of results, as well as giving the student responsibility and ownership of their learning.

The main aim of the Academic Advising Model at St Margaret’s is to allow for conversation and connection between students and staff to support each student’s learning path in order for her to develop independent and resilient learning dispositions, thus forming the foundation of her academic care and general well-being. A vital component of this program is the collection and collation of student data. In the next few months students in Years 7, 9 and 10 will take part in either NAPLAN or AAS data collection to further enhance the data story for your daughter.

Please find below some information about the Year 10 AAS data collection for 2018 and 2018 NAPLAN.

Year 10 AAS Data Collection

In the next few months, Year 10 girls will be making decisions about the direction of their studies and explore their subject options for Years 11 and 12. In order to assist this process, all Year 10 students will be sitting a series of education tests conducted by Academic Assessment Services (AAS).

From these tests, we will receive an overview of each student in relation to:

• Levels of aptitude and achievement compared with other students across Australia
• Likely avenues of learning and education beyond school
• Strengths in particular skills of aptitudes
• Particular skills which may require further development

The following arrangements have been made to collect this data:

Date: Monday 26 March (Make-up date Wednesday 18 April)

Where: Eton Hall

Time: 8:20am-1:00pm

Following the return of results to the school, parents and students will receive a report outlining individual achievements. More information will follow when these reports are available.

Most importantly, we see this as a valuable trial to assist the girls to make robust decisions around subject selection and planning for the future.

2018 NAPLAN Information

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests were first implemented in May 2008 when national tests were held in literacy and numeracy for all students in Australia in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. These tests replaced the previous State and Territory-based assessments and have the support of all Education Ministers.

Purpose of the tests

The NAPLAN tests are designed to assess the skills of Australian students in literacy and numeracy. The specific purposes are:

• to collect data from the population of Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students for reporting to parents/carers and schools for systematic reporting,
• to accommodate the assessment of students against national minimum standards.

What is tested?

A series of tests will assess areas of literacy and numeracy.

The following areas of literacy are assessed:

• Language conventions - spelling, grammar and punctuation,
• Writing - knowledge and control of written language,
• Reading - comprehension.

As in other years, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be required to respond to a stimulus in the NAPLAN Writing test.

In numeracy, the content areas assessed are:

• Number and algebra,
• Measurement and geometry,
• Statistics and probability.

Results from the tests will provide information about student’s progress in literacy and numeracy.

Format of the tests

The program will be conducted over the 15, 16 and 17 May.

For Years 3 and 5 there will be 4 tests: Language conventions, Writing, Reading and Numeracy.

For Years 7 and 9 there will be 4 tests: Language conventions, Writing, Reading, Numeracy (calculator and non-calculator test items).

For the Writing test, students will be given a stimulus and asked to write a response to the task in a maximum of three pages. There will be one Writing stimulus for students in Years 3 and 5; and a second different Writing stimulus for students in Years 7 and 9. However, both will be of the same genre.

The response formats for questions on all other test papers will be either multiple choice (shade a bubble to indicate the answer) or constructed response (write the answer in a box or on a line). Online test items may also include other response types such as hotspot and drag and drop items.

Eligibility to sit the tests

All eligible students in Years 3, 5, 7 or Year 9 enrolled must sit the tests unless they are exempt or withdrawn by parents/carers. If you have any questions or concerns about your daughter participating in NAPLAN in 2018, please contact me via email: ndevlin@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Nicole Devlin 

Bus stops are predetermined by the School. Please note that to achieve a fair service to all travellers we do not offer a door-to-door service. Please do not contact the bus company directly to request an additional stop. All stop requests should be emailed to schoolbus@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

In addition to this time change, we have removed any stops which have not been utilised during 2017 and 2018. The updated times are detailed below. Please note these are approximate times and you should arrive at least 5 minutes before the advertised time:

Depart

6:40am: Hilder Rd State School bus stop on Kaloma Rd outside school

6:45am: Bus stop 31 Payne Rd outside Ashgrove Golf Club

6:53am: Bus stop 26 Coopers Camp Rd

7:06am: Bus stop Ashgrove Marketplace outside Woolworths

7:08am: Bus stop 21 Ashgrove Ave near Somme St

7:17am: Bus stop 18 Wilston train station

7:18am: Bus stop 20 Kedron Brook Road at Wilston Village

7:20am: Carberry St Bus Stop 25C near Thomas St

7:22am: Bus stop 23 Paling Ave

7:27am: Bus stop 20 Lutwyche Road at Lutwyche (no longer a stop from 26/2/2018)

7:30am: Bus stop 26 Richmond St at Lennox St

7:37am: Bus stop 42 Edinburgh Castle Rd at Zeehan St

7:42am: Bus stop 39 Shaw Rd near Villeroy St

7:45am: Bus stop 37 Shaw Rd near Buckland Rd

7:48am: Bus stop 35 Shaw Rd near Emma St

7:55am: Bus stop 28/1 Junction Rd at Eagle Junction

Arrive

8:05am: St Margaret's Bus Zone Gate 3

From time to time, to ensure the bus route arrives on time, we may be required to update the route. Please continue to check the St Margaret’s website for changes to the bus routes: https://www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au/admissions/getting-to-st-margarets.

Questions relating to the St Margaret’s bus route should be emailed to: schoolbus@stmargarets.qld.edu.au. 

Year 10 Camp

Walking

Camp started bright and early, 6 o’clock to be exact. There were Bunning’s hats, fishing shirts and walking boots as far as the eye could see. The walkers piled onto one bus, the paddlers on the other, and we embarked on our 6 hour bus ride to Angourie in Northern New South Wales. With one quick stop at Macca’s and the movie, ‘Paddington Bear’ on the bus DVD, we (eventually) passed the time.

The first task for the walkers was to pack our bags. We tried our best to pack the bare minimum, but I think we can all agree that our packs were bigger than ourselves. My group embarked on a 4 kilometre hike to start and arrived at our very remote but beautiful beach campsite. Then we were all hit by a sudden realisation, there was no water, no rubbish bins and no toilets! A group of us wilderness girls headed out to do some Bear Grylls’ style water divining. We stood under a freshwater drip and waited and waited for our pots to fill. Finally, we had collected our “organic water” as we liked to call it and we headed back to camp.

The lack of water was the least of our worries. That night, was one of the most memorable of my life. It was tent versus torrential rain. The storm crashed around us and it felt like the entire world was imploding. I think I speak on behalf of all the girls in saying that I have never been so wet in my life. However, eventually the night passed and we woke up to a new day. A bit wet, quite tired and very ready to get out of there. With porridge in our bellies and our packs on our backs we began our 15 kilometre walk. I have never seen so many kangaroos in my life. Our group got very close and personal with a mother and her joey and it was one of my definite highlights of the camp.

That night we were living in luxury; showers, toilets, bins and running water! It was practically a five-star hotel! It was really nice to see all the groups together and we slept much better that night.

The next day we started with a rafting adventure, then walked along a beautiful strip of beach to our final campsite. We finished our final night with hot chocolate and marshmallows under the stars. With an early wake-up the next morning we headed to the bus and returned to Brisbane. We were all very proud of ourselves after walking a total of 33 kilometres. Although we were all exhausted after our camp experience, I know that it was definitely a very memorable one. I would like to thank Mrs Alford, all the camp teachers and the higher ground instructors for creating a really fun and challenging camp.

Isobel Barry

Paddling

Camp started bright and early on Tuesday morning at 6:00am. Excited and ready for the week ahead we boarded the bus for a 4-hour trip to Tabulam, New South Wales. After stretching our legs on arrival, we collected our gear, met our camp instructors and settled into our campsite for the night. Then it was time to hit the water. We enjoyed a quick session on how to be safe in the rapids and what to do if we capsize. After this, we were given the chance to swim down our first rapid, relax and take in the gorgeous views.

The following days were just as fun, and the scenic views never failed to impress us. The final night was the most memorable, with my group huddled around a warm campfire, drinking hot chocolate, toasting marshmallows and reflecting on the week we just conquered. Overall, it was an awesome camp that challenged us all but left us with great memories.

Sarah Mitic 

Form Captains, Year Level Leaders and Student Representative Council Members

We would like to acknowledge and congratulate the following students on their appointment as a Form Captain, Year Level Leader or Student Council Representative. These students went through a selection process which involved them nominating for the position of choice, writing a written application and being interviewed by their Head of Year. It must be noted that all leadership positions within the school are not decided purely by students voting but by this selection process.

Year 7

7A Form Captains: Indiahna Frawley and Poppy Tritton; SRC Rep: Evangeline Phillips

7B Form Captains: Jessica Clarke and Leah Webb; SRC Rep: Ella Menigoz

7C Form Captains: Ruby Beard and Jessica Duncan; SRC Rep: Lucy Edwards

7D Form Captains: Greta Campbell and Magdalen (Maggie) Maclean; SRC Rep: Sienna Small

7E Form Captains: Chisako Takada and Georgia Bradshaw; SRC Rep: Naomi Colledge

Year 8

8A Form Captains: Chelsea Uisa-Kainui and Stephanie Licina; SRC Rep: Arabella Burke

8B Form Captains: Holly Marchant and Mia Madsen; SRC Rep: Annabel Lauder

8C Form Captains: Lily Crawford and Lucinda Hudson; SRC Rep: Ella Gouldthorp

8D Form Captains: Sydney Crawford and Taylor Duncan; SRC Rep: Madison Smith

8E Form Captains: Ella Counsell and Elyne Tighe; SRCRep: Grace Ramsay

Year 9

Leaders: Gabrielle Agnew, Zara Campbell, Estella Caro, Yolanda Hunt, Akari Komoto, Taylah Murphy, Meleia Richardson and Rachel Sands

SRC Reps: Paige Bastian, Georgie Gaspar, Hanna Gustafsson, Ellen Tracey and Ashleigh Witenden

Year 10

Leaders: Isobel Barry, Leilani Chia, Sarah Mitic and Alice O’Driscoll

SRC Reps: Eva Campbell, Alexandra Fisher, Zali Fisher, Sophie Gerlach-Zuch and Emily Pitt

Year 11

Leaders: Lillyana Bowden, Nina Conomos, Lily Devereaux, Bella Gray, Ella Leavey, Georgia Marshall, Hilary McKie, Emily O’Neill, Matilda Palmer and Olivia Trempus

SRC Reps: Rose Biddulph, Sophie Cosgrove, Elizabeth Fowler, Ji A Kim, and Emily Woods

Year 12

Student Representative Council: Annabel Garland, Paris Hall, Xanthe Lowe-Brown and Genevieve Whitehead

OPEN DAY

On Saturday 10 March, St Margaret’s will host our annual Open Day from 9:30am-12:30pm. This is a day when we showcase our school and our community to potential students and their families, as well as opening our doors to the public. We would welcome current school families and friends on the day.

We would very much appreciate your support in publicising the event to friends and colleagues who may be interested in seeking a St Margaret’s education for their daughter and in doing so ‘Discover the Difference’.

Furthermore, Saturday 10 March is a day when we require all our students to be present at school, in full uniform and either participating in curricular, co-curricular or community activities.

If your daughter is unable to attend Open Day, please submit a leave request to the Dean of Students via studentleave@stmargarets.qld.edu.au by Monday 5 March 2018.

Each student in the Secondary school will be issued with a timetable for the duration of Open Day. It is expected that girls attend the sessions they have been allocated to as rolls will be marked. Secondary students are required to be at school by 9:15am.

Primary students are asked to report to their classroom at 9:25am and they will engage in activities with their classroom and specialist teachers throughout the morning.

Students are asked to bring along their morning tea, including a drink bottle. There will be opportunities for girls to eat between sessions.

Girls who are involved in Water Polo and Softball are asked to attend Open Day either before or after their games.

We look forward to seeing you for a successful Open Day.

Nikki Townsend 

In a society that is moving away from connection with others, it is imperative to acknowledge gratitude to others. Gratitude is an element of our spiritual practices. What is interesting is that emerging research highlights gratitude as a potential bridge between students’ academic and social well-being. It has found that grateful youth have higher results, experience more positive emotions and ultimately go on to live more meaningful lives. Research also suggests that practising gratitude at a young age promotes later development of self-control and self-regulation, qualities which contribute to lifelong success.

Gratitude is defined as ‘affirming that there are good things in the world – gifts and benefits that we’ve received – and recognising that these sources of goodness come from outside ourselves’ (Zakrzewski, 2013). Expressing gratitude is a skill that can be taught both at home and at school. For 6 and 7 year old children, gratitude can be fostered but it doesn’t fully materialise until ages 10-14 when students develop the ability to empathise.

Teachers and parents should encourage children from an early age to say why they are grateful. Adults need to model this again and again for children to think more deeply in terms of why they’re grateful for someone or something. When children express gratitude, it is recommended that the adult should encourage them to notice intentions (the thought behind the gift they have received), appreciate costs (someone went out of their way or made sacrifices to help them) and recognise the benefits (someone provided them with a gift or a kind act that has personal value).

Gratitude does start with the adults in a child’s life. By modelling gratitude, you encourage your child to do the same and together you will value others more and strengthen your relationships. So, can I just say thank you to Lauren Richards for her organisation of a very successful camp, Morgan Rowe and the Year 4 teachers, Janice Emmett and Michael Crowe for their commitment to the girls and the success of the camp and also to you for reading this article!

In the words of Dr Seuss:

“When you think things are bad,

when you feel sour and blue,

when you start to get mad…

you should do what I do!

Just tell yourself, Duckie,

you’re really quite lucky!...”

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

Making the most of camp in plaster!

Open Day
We look forward to seeing families, friends and the wider community on Saturday 10 March, 9:30am – 12:30pm for our Open Day. This day provides a wonderful opportunity for the girls to showcase their learning and for families and friends to gain a deeper understanding of the vast offerings at St Margaret’s. Upon arrival, please drop your daughter to her classroom, stay and enjoy the activities available throughout the school. All girls are to bring morning tea and a water bottle.

If your daughter is unable to attend, please email me directly advising the reason.

Please see below for uniform requirements:

Prep – HPE Uniform
Years 1 and 2 – HPE Uniform, brown shoes and panama (bring sand shoes)
Years 3 – 6 – School Middy and Panama

PP-3 Family Fun Night
This is a casual evening to be held on Friday 16 March, 5:30 – 7:30pm for parents to meet, mingle, eat and drink (BYO alcohol) on the Arts Centre Terraces.

Throughout the night, Pre-Prep to Year 3 students will be entertained at a pyjama party, with a DJ and activities, supervised by staff. A sausage sizzle will be provided for the children from 5:30-6:00pm and the DJ will commence at 6:00pm.

This year, the Class Parent Representatives have decided to organise food for the parents through the School’s catering department. Parents will only need to bring drinks, glassware, ice and/or eskies. Payment for both student and parent tickets can only be done via Flexischools. Details are on the emailed invitation. Bookings are essential and close on Tuesday 13 March.

The children are to report to the Arts Centre Foyer with their parents at the beginning of the night. Siblings of Pre-Prep to Year 3 age are also invited to attend. Children younger than 3 years old may attend but must stay with their parents at all times. Don’t forget - children wear their summer pyjamas. All children should bring full NAMED water bottles as they will have a very active night!

Please note, only children of parents attending the Arts Centre Function may attend the pyjama party.

During this night a raffle will be conducted. Money raised from the raffle will be used for our 2018 Primary projects. Parents are encouraged to donate raffle prizes. You are asked to please return the tickets with correct money to the Primary Office by Thursday 15 March.

Young Families’ Service
Each month, The Reverend Nicki Colledge offers a Sunday Service designed especially for young families. Last Sunday, the Chapel felt full of young children of all ages. Space is made on the floor for those who wish to sit with cushions and Rev Nicki celebrates a ‘traditional’ service in a ‘contemporary’ setting. This means that all ages are involved in the Anglican sacrament, learning to follow the prayer book, yet engaging in the readings and prayers plus the Eucharist itself. Rev Nicki invites children around the altar, bringing the sacred into their world of wonder. The next Young Families’ Service is planned for Palm Sunday on Sunday 25 March at 9am. This will include children’s activities and a Palm Sunday palm procession through the garden. Morning tea follows the service and it is a great way to get to know others in the school. The services are open to all, so invite your friends!

Upcoming Events:
6 March 2018 - Andrews Cup Swimming
13 March 2018 - Andrews Cup Tennis, Andrews Cup Touch and Met North Basketball
16 March 2018, 5:30 – 7:30pm - PP – 3 Family Fun Night

Angela Drysdale 

Open Day

The St Margaret’s Music Department is looking forward to presenting many musical performances at our upcoming Open Day (Saturday 10 March). Parents, family and friends are warmly invited to attend. Attached is the program of the music performances (PDF 342.5KB) for the day.

Performance Uniforms

For many of the music ensembles at St Margaret’s, students are required to wear a performance uniform. With Open Day fast approaching, students are encouraged to purchase the uniform as soon as possible from the School Supplies Shop. Please refer to the St Margaret’s Music POD page for uniform requirements.

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

Encorah has been asked to perform at the Queensland Law Society’s International Women’s Day event to be held at QLS House on Thursday 8 March. This is a wonderful opportunity for the girls to perform to a wider audience. A letter is attached (PDF 201.4KB) with further information. We look forward to participating in this special event!

Music Support Group

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 13 March 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 

1. Commitment: When signing up for a sport, it indicates that students are making a commitment to stick with the sport for the entire season. This develops self-discipline and integrity, which are important character traits in all facets of life.
2. Good winners and losers: Team sports teach children how to succeed and how to fail, since inevitably throughout each season of their sport their team will do both. With every win and loss, students will learn coping skills.
3. Teamwork: Learning to work within a team dynamic and cooperate with others for the greater good is another important life skill that team sports instil.
4. Friendships: Students learn to build friendships with a variety of different people developing communication skills, tolerance and listening skills.
5. Fair play: Team sports teach students not only how to compete, but how to compete fairly within structured boundaries developing self-discipline and respect.

These attributes are important life skills and, with parental support your daughter can experience and develop all of these within the St Margaret’s Sports Program.

Swimming

It is less than one week until the QGSSSA Competition and all girls have done an amazing job in maintaining their commitment to training and to the lead up meets so they can achieve their best at the QGSSSA competition, for not only themselves but the brown, white and blue. Details for the final week of preparations for the swim team are as follows:

• Saturday 3 March - Internal Time Trials from 7:00am - 8:15am followed by a barbeque breakfast. Swimmers who train outside are NOT expected to attend.
• Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 March – Swimmers MUST attend either a morning or afternoon training session.
• Monday 5 March – The QGSSSA Swimming Team, including reserves, will be announced and posted outside the Activities Office.
• Wednesday 7 March – QGSSSA Luncheon commencing with send-off on Circular Drive at 10:30am.
• Wednesday 7 March – QGSSSA Competition – Swimmers depart at 1:30pm. Competition commencing at 3:30pm – 7:45pm. Presentations to follow.
• Thursday 8 March – QGSSSA Swimming Presentation Dinner, 6pm in the ACF

Further information can be accessed via the POD Swimming page.

Autumn Fixtures

The Autumn fixture season which includes touch football, basketball and football (soccer) is set to commence on Friday 9 March. St Margaret’s will be travelling to Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School in the first round of competition. Overall season draws will be forwarded to all families and posted on the individual POD pages by the end of the week, with weekly fixtures scheduled released each week on the Sports POD page.

Water Polo

The Water Polo season is nearing the end with 3 out of the 5 St Margaret’s teams having already secured a semi-finals birth, while the U15 Brown team must win this weekend to make the semi-finals on 10 March. The U13 Blue, U15 Blue, U18 Blue and U18 Brown teams were all victorious on the weekend with the results below:

U13 St Margaret’s Blue 8 2 St Rita’s White

U15 All Hallows 8 6 St Margaret’s Brown

U15 St Margaret’s Blue 13 4 Loreto

U18 St Margaret’s Blue 7 1 Mt St Michael’s

U18 St Margaret’s Brown 7 6 Somerville House Navy

Success at the State Athletics Titles

Several students participated in the State Athletics Titles on 24 and 25 February and experienced great success.

Isabella Harte – 1st in the Under 14 Years 1500m and 3rd in Under 15 Years 800m

Tyla Proctor – 2nd in the Under 16 Years Hurdles and 3rd in the Under 16 Years Long Jump

Weekly Fixture Schedule

Upcoming Events:

• QGSSSA Swimming: Wednesday 7 March
• QGSSSA Swimming Dinner: Thursday 8 March
• QGSSSA Autumn Fixtures: Friday 9 March

Helen Lobegeiger

Another exciting development is the news that St Margaret’s is soon to receive a significant donation to our art collection. With an unwavering belief in the value of girls’ education and a vote of confidence in what we do here at St Margaret’s, the artist explains that to ‘nurture strong women with the highest morals will raise the level of enlightenment of how we should treat others on our path to a peaceful planet.’ Watch this space.

Jenny Lishman 

They also provide an opportunity to share stories of success and increase connections between the School and Past Students to honour their legacy.

The two award categories are:

1. Distinguished Past Student
2. Young Past Student of Distinction

Nominations close on Monday 12 March 2018 at 5pm (AEST) and winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner on Friday 20 April 2018.

The nomination form can be downloaded from the St Margaret’s website.

Tickets to our next Professional Women’s Networking Breakfast – Almost Sold Out!

Guest speaker: Bobbie Brazil AO

Working not only as a practicing solicitor, Bobbie’s career has been heavily involved in governance as chairman of Land and Water Australia, Chancellor of University of Southern Queensland and serving as an adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister in her role on the Regional Women’s Advisory Council.

In 2017, Bobbie was received an Officer in the general division of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to tertiary education governance, and for service to women in rural and regional areas.

Be inspired by this amazing woman, an extremely generous philanthropist, who will share some of the highlights, challenges and the lessons learned from her long and distinguished career.

When: Wednesday 14 March

Where: Arts Centre Foyer

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

Tickets are now on sale via Flexischools. Please click here to purchase your ticket. 

Please click here (PDF 418.7KB) for more information

St Margaret’s is coming to Hong Kong!

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

Date: Saturday 24 March 2018

Time: 11:30am-2:00pm

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

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

We are delighted to announce the P&F Executive Committee for 2018:

President: David Lisle

Vice President: Michael Smith

Secretary: Antoinette Aquilina

Treasurer: Barry Roberts

Member: Lynn Couchman-Frame

Member: Anthea Damman

Member: Carolyn Hood

Member: Bob Licina

Member: Angela Pratt

Member: Tom Reddacliff

We hope the parent community continues to support our wonderful Parents and Friends Association.

Old Girls' Events 2018

OGA Annual Brunch – Sunday 3 June

10 Year Reunion – Class of 2008 – Friday 27 July

20 Year Reunion – Class of 1998 – Friday 27 July

30 Year Reunion – Class of 1988 – Friday 27 July

40 Year Reunion – Class of 1978 – Saturday 28 July

50 Year Reunion – Class of 1968 – Saturday 28 July

60 Year Reunion – Class of 1958 – Saturday 28 July

Chapel Service and Morning Tea – Sunday 29 July

60+ Year Reunion – Monday 30 July

AGM – Tuesday 27 November 

Lara Pickering  

Competing in front of thousands of fans, training at top facilities and earning a degree is amazing enough, but paying significantly less for the incredible US college experience is surely the icing on the cake! The only problem is that getting a sport scholarship is SUPER competitive and there's much more to it than being able to sink a 3-pointer with your eyes closed or scorching the back of the net on the soccer field.

Be at the Sebel Hotel in Brisbane on the evening of 6 March to learn everything you need to know about US athletics scholarships, so you can unleash your potential. This is a free event. For further details and to register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/athletic-pathways-to-the-us-brisbane-march-2018-tickets-42852504996?discount=AthleticScholarship.

UQ’s 2019 Undergraduate Guide is now available from the Careers Display in the Library.

UQ New in 2018: Bachelor of Computer Science
UQ's new three-year Bachelor of Computer Science offers exciting opportunities for students to specialise in emerging technologies such as cyber security, data science and artificial intelligence.

Students will develop an innovative skillset to take their place at the forefront of the digital technology revolution by combining the study of algorithms and data structures, with practical challenges of implementing them in hardware and software systems.

Coursework explores programming, databases, operating systems, networks and algorithms. Students will exit this program with strong analytical, logical and development skills necessary to advance computing, its applications and beyond.

Computer Science is available as a dual program with Arts, Science, Engineering (Honours) and Mathematics. Majors in this program include:

• Cyber Security
• Data Science
• Machine Learning
• Programming Languages
• Scientific Computing

More information is available at: https://future-students.uq.edu.au/study/program/Bachelor-of-Computer-Science-2425.

UQ Experience Science - register now
Experience Science is a free event, providing students in Years 10-12 the opportunity to discover what studying science is like at UQ. With programs occurring across Thursday 12 July - Tuesday 17 July, this event is facilitated by experts from UQ and industry, and provides hands-on, interactive science workshops. More information is available from: http://www.science.uq.edu.au/expsci.

UMAT
UMAT is developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the UMAT Consortium universities. The Test is used specifically to assist with the selection of students into the medicine, dentistry and health science degree programs at undergraduate level at the universities listed on this website: https://umat.acer.edu.au/.

Registrations for UMAT 2018 are now open. Copies of the Information Booklet can be downloaded from the UMAT website. Please note that before registering for the Test students are required to carefully read the UMAT 2018 Information Booklet, which will only be available online from the UMAT website.

UMAT 2018 Key Dates:
Registrations opened first week in December 2017
Registrations close Friday 1 June 2018, 5pm AEST
Late registrations close Friday 15 June 2018, 5pm AEST
Applications for Special Testing Conditions close Friday 15 June 2018
UMAT Test date Wednesday 25 July 2018
Results released mid-September 2018

UMAT is only available once every year. If you do not register by the due date, you will have to wait until 2019 to sit the Test.

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

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

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

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

MedEntry: If you are interested in studying Medicine or a career in health that requires sitting the UMAT Test, visit the MedEntry website for assistance in your preparation: www.MedEntry.edu.au. MedEntry is the only government accredited training organisation for UMAT preparation.

MedStart: is an organisation that assists students to prepare for UMAT. Courses are available in Brisbane. Check the MedStart website: http://www.medstart.com.au/#home for more details.

The University of Queensland
Changes to the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours)
In 2018, The University of Queensland will be introducing an additional entry requirement for prospective students applying for the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours). This change will impact current Year 12 students applying for study in 2019.

This new entry requirement, a Situational Judgement Test (SJT), is an on-line, video-scenario based test with 12 sections and open-ended questions.

The University recognises that attributes such as resilience, critical thinking and communication skills that are essential for veterinarians are not reflected in academic performance alone. The SJT will be used to assist in the selection of a student cohort best equipped for the rigours of the profession.

The test will be held between July and September 2018 with multiple tests dates. Students need to have access to a computer with reliable internet connection, a web-cam and hold photo identification and can be completed at home or at a library/community centre or another suitable location. The cost to complete the test is approximately $80 and students should allow 90 minutes to complete the test.

Further details about how and when to complete the SJT will be available soon at: https://future-students.uq.edu.au/study/program/Bachelor-of-Veterinary-Science-Honours-2378.

Where can I go for more information?
Visit the CASPer website and view the FAQs: https://takecasper.com/faq/.

2018 FEAST Program
Expressions of Interest for the 2018 FEAST Program are now open. Future Experiences in Agriculture, Science and Technology (FEAST) is a five day residential program designed to inspire and inform high school students of the range of exciting and rewarding science careers in the agriculture, animal, plant and food sectors.

Why attend FEAST?

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

Cost: $450.00. Price includes 4-nights accommodation, all meals, program activities and bus tours.
Where: The University of Queensland
When: 1 July - 5 July 2018
Enquiries: science.events@uq.edu.au
FEAST is open to students in Years 10, 11 and 12; however, preference will be given to Years 11 and 12 students if numbers are limited.

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

QUT event date claimers
We offer many opportunities for students to talk to QUT and make sure they have all the information they need to make decisions about their future. Events for your students' calendars include Subject Selection for STEM Careers (9 May),  Parent Information Seminar (15 May).

Students can gain assumed knowledge or prerequisites
Students who didn't select subjects to meet assumed knowledge or prerequisites for their preferred university courses can pick up this knowledge, while at school or during summer before they start university, by studying a QUT bridging course in Maths B, Chemistry or Physics.

Tertiary Open Days
There are many benefits to attending an Open Day:

• See the facilities
• Collect information on courses
• Talk to current students
• Find out about the local area (if you are moving away from home)
• Investigate available funding
• Make new friends

Questions to ask yourself:

• Do you like the feel of the university?
• Are the courses right for you?
• Do you feel comfortable with the facilities and the lecturers?
• Can you see yourself studying here for the next few years?

University Open Days
Australian Catholic University (ACU)
28 July 2018 (Saturday) - Open Day Brisbane, 9am-2pm

Bond University (BOND)
28 July 2018 (Saturday) - Twilight Open Day Gold Coast

CQ University (CQU)
9 August 2018 (Thursday) - Brisbane Open Day, 3pm-6pm
11 August 2018 (Saturday) - Bundaberg and Mackay

Griffith University (GRIFFITH)
12 August 2018 - Open Day Gold Coast, Nathan and South Bank Campuses

James Cook University (JCU)
19 August 2018 (Sunday) - Townsville Campus
26 August 2018 (Sunday) - Cairns Campus

Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
29 July 2018 (Sunday) - Open Day Gardens Point (City) campus

Southern Cross University (SCU)
29 July 2018 - Gold Coast Open Day, 10am-12pm

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

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

KEY DATES:
Friday 11 and Saturday 12 May 2018
The National Careers and Employment EXPO (Brisbane Convention Centre)

Friday 1 June
UMAT Registrations close 5pm

Wednesday 25 July
UMAT Test

Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July 2018
The 37th annual Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO), Australia's largest tertiary studies expo, offers a unique opportunity for anyone interested in starting, changing or upgrading their career! Featuring many local, interstate and overseas education providers, student services and support agencies. Don't miss this great opportunity to map out your future, all in the one location! 8am – 4pm, RICC Brisbane Showgrounds. A great opportunity for students to collect information from a huge number of exhibitors.

Elizabeth Johnston