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This week we celebrate the achievements of the 2025 philanthropy leaders. A number of years ago, after I returned from a sabbatical visiting a school in the United States, we redesigned our student philanthropy processes in the school so that it was a significant leadership development and learning opportunity.

Student-led philanthropy is just not about fundraising—it is an opportunity for students to develop further leadership, empathy, and a sense of responsibility. At our school, the philanthropy leaders program empowers students to research, select, and then finally advocate for a charity that resonates with their values and interests. This hands-on approach not only raises significant funds for worthy causes, such as the recent $21,672 raised for Little Wings (the charity chosen by the philanthropy leaders in 2025), but also fosters a culture of giving and community engagement.

By involving the leaders in every step—from shortlisting charities to organizing events—they gain practical experience in teamwork, decision-making, and public speaking. These experiences help shape compassionate people who understand the importance of making a positive impact in the world. Student-led philanthropy ensures that the next generation is not only aware of social issues but is also equipped to know how to research charities who help those in need and be inspired by their work.

Ros Curtis

Next week, all students will receive communication from Mr Brad King and Ms Anne-Louise Williams outlining the application process for the 2026 Flyers Program. Students who wish to be considered for a place in the 2026 Flyers Program for Sport or Music—including those currently enrolled in the 2025 program—are required to submit a new application.

The information provided will detail several enhancements to the program, aimed at better meeting the evolving needs of our students. These improvements will further strengthen the support available to our Flyers as they navigate the demands of their academic and cocurricular commitments.

Students accepted into the Flyers Program will have access to a range of tailored supports, including:

• Timetabled Independent Learning Options
• Mentoring from staff and industry professionals
• Workshops on topics such as mindfulness, stress and change management, nutrition, and balancing expectations
• Time management support and workload planning
• Audition and trial preparation
• Performance opportunities and pathway planning

Access to these supports will be determined based on each student’s level of achievement and individual needs. All applications will be reviewed by a selection panel comprising the Deputy Principal, Head of Performance, Director of Sport, Music Coordinators, and Head of Sport.

We encourage eligible students to apply and take advantage of this unique opportunity to thrive both academically and in their chosen field of excellence.

Nicole Devlin

Since we have had our school Advent service and celebrations, I have put our Christmas tree up, turned the Christmas music on, and started reading Christmas storybooks to my children.

I start planning early!

When I began planning Christmas with my children, their response was “…but it’s Halloween first!”

This caused me to reflect on the place of Christmas (and Easter) in the societal framework, and how I draw the distinction for my children, and my own faith, between these celebrations and other celebrations in the social calendar.

Halloween stems from ancient Celtic rituals marking the end of the harvest. It has also been influenced by Christianity and the feast of All Hallow’s Eve, or All Souls, a time where we intentionally remember those who have died, hold them in loving memory, and pray for those who grieve.

As is the case with Christmas and Easter, Thanksgiving, All Souls, and other celebrations, we can become distracted by the commercialism, Hot Cross Buns, lollies, social side and forget the deeper meaning of these celebrations.

How do we discern the deeper meaning amidst the busyness and glitz of the commercial, which is not necessarily bad, but distracts from the core meaning. I think one way we discern and remain faithful to the deeper meaning is to keep telling the stories of the festivals that are important to our values. In the coming weeks we will continue to do just this as we celebrate Christmas with the P-2 Nativity, the Whole School Christmas service.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

Amid the flurry of study and farewells, one event we always look forward to is the arrival of our future boarders. Next Wednesday and Thursday, we will welcome the girls who will be joining our Maggies boarding family in 2026 for their very first overnight stay.

This much anticipated sleepover is a wonderful introduction to life in boarding. The girls experience what it’s like to live in our home away from home community, meet others who will soon become familiar faces, and begin building friendships that will carry into the new school year. It’s also a lovely opportunity for our staff to start getting to know each of them. The evening will include a range of fun and relaxed activities designed to help everyone feel comfortable and connected.

Our new boarders will also meet their Boarding Captains, Prefects, and Boarding Big Sisters, who play a key role in helping each girl settle in. These older students offer guidance, friendship, and a reassuring presence as the girls transition into boarding life.

For many of the girls, this may be their first night away from home, and we know that comes with a mix of excitement and nerves. We hope that by giving them a small taste of what’s ahead, they leave feeling supported, confident, and excited about joining the St Margaret’s boarding family - their true home away from home.

We’re so looking forward to welcoming our newest boarders and sharing with them the warmth, care, and sense of belonging that make our Maggies community so special.

Kelli Boucaut

Year 11 Exam Block and End of Term Assessment

The Year 11 Exam block will begin on Monday 17 November with a Study Day and conclude on Monday 24 November. All Biology students have a compulsory incursion on Tuesday 25 November in preparation for their next Internal Assessment. Along with this, many subjects have assessment due after the Exam Block. Therefore, it is important that no Year 11 student leave early for holidays as all lessons will continue to teach and assess Unit 3 which contributes to student results for their QCE and ATAR. A reminder that if students are unwell, they should get a medical certificate and let me know so that we can organise appropriate extensions.

Year 10 Study Hall

Year 10 Study Hall began today, Thursday 13 November and runs through to Monday 17 November. Following Study Hall, Engineering students will have two workshops to attend to finalise their certificate studies.

Caitlin McCluskey

End of the Year Reporting Process (Years 7-11)

End of Semester Reports can be accessed via Parent Lounge after 3:00pm on Friday, 5 December. Continuous Reporting information will also be available from this date through the Learning Analytics Portal.

Each student’s report will consist of a comment from her Head of Year, as well as a summary for each subject. The final page of the report is the Grade Point Average (GPA) graph which records the student’s overall level of achievement and tracks this from semester to semester.

For each subject, there is a list of the course content, marks for the criteria assessed, a table showing the distribution of achievement levels within the subject, and an assessment of your daughter’s attitude to her learning. The academic results reflected in this report are based on the assessment completed throughout Semester 2.

Year 12 students do not receive an End of Semester 2 Report, as final results are recorded on the Queensland Certificate of Education from QCAA. Additionally, Unit 3 (Year 12) assessments taken by Year 11 students in Term 4 will not appear on this report.

Chris Dunn

Research consistently demonstrates that girls' schools produce confident, academically successful graduates who outperform their peers in mixed-gender environments. However, this early success doesn't always translate into sustained STEM careers. The issue isn't academic capability—it's what happens after graduation. Many talented women leave STEM fields within their first decade of work, citing workplace culture, lack of mentorship, and limited leadership opportunities.

The solution lies in fundamentally reimagining how we prepare students for STEM leadership from the earliest years. St Margaret’s possess a unique advantage: we cultivate confidence and risk-taking in environments free from gender-based academic stereotypes. Students can explore robotics, coding, engineering, and advanced mathematics without the social pressures that often discourage girls in co-educational settings.

However, academic excellence alone isn't enough. Today's graduates need resilience, negotiation skills, and the confidence to advocate for themselves in male-dominated workplaces. They need exposure to female STEM role models and mentors who can guide them through career transitions and leadership challenges.

St Margaret’s has already grown in our approach—building industry partnerships, inviting female engineers and scientists as speakers and mentors, and nurturing leadership alongside laboratory skills. By fostering not just STEM knowledge but STEM leadership capabilities, we are positioning our graduates to become the innovators and decision-makers who will drive tomorrow's technological advances.

Nikki Townsend

Katrina not only inspired with her tips for writing but also shared the importance of her journal writing. Journal writing is a powerful tool for writing and has many other benefits, the key benefits for your child are listed below:

1. Boosts emotional intelligence - the act of taking a pen to paper can help relax and manage anxiety. When someone gets thoughts down on paper, the writer can gain a deeper understanding of their thoughts, it is also a way of almost removing problems, fears and concerns from mind to paper. Journalling your thoughts can help build self-discovery. I have previously shared the value of journalling gratitude each night, recording something you are grateful for that happened in that day.

2. Encourages self-confidence – by keeping thoughts and to do list organised. Ticking off boxes on a to do list can help reinforce a person's confidence.

3. Helps with achieving goals – the physical act of writing down a goal can make it feel more real and can motivate the author to strive to achieve it. The journal then becomes a way to monitor the steps towards achieving the goal.

4. Strengthen academic skills – by writing down – 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, why) it is a way to organise information and help boost memory. A place to record learnt concepts and how they relate to real world and of course strengthens communication and writing skills. It is a place to organise thoughts and vocabulary.

5. Inspires creativity - a journal is a great place to jot down ideas, thoughts and story starters, which could be revisited later to expand, and they become prompts to help ignite creativity and stories. It can also include visual elements such as drawings, collected images and just found things which are scrapbooked into the journal.

Katrinna shared her journals each one had a different focus and each inspirational – travel, book journals containing quotes from books, art journal – own and collected (she called it the superfood for writing), word (collected words), fun writing journal (ideas that are too silly to become a story). Katrinna has written a book about how to write; it’s called The Story Writer’s Handbook.

I think the holidays would be a great time for your child (and maybe you) to start a journal. It can be a place to record thoughts, outings, travels, drawings, receipts, business cards, postcards and images.This will become a collection of memories. A journal is a great gift idea for Christmas.   

Next year we will introduce journalling to our students by sharing all the benefits listed above and provide time regularly for your child to record, paste and draw in it. Watch this space, 2026 could well be the year of journalling.

“Journal writing gives us insight into who we are, who we were, and who we will become” Sandra Marinella (Author)

Angela Drysdale

Music and movement are how young people (and adults) help regulate emotions, build trust, and provide ways to connect with themselves. None of that will change with the social media age delay. If anything, this is a chance to embrace it in the home.  

The reduced app access will have a ripple effect, but young people still need rhythm, to move their bodies, blow off steam, laugh with their friends, and feel connected. That does not need a screen, but rather space and a bit of imagination. Our friends at Safe on Social have some suggestions as to how you can embrace this in your home, especially over the extended holiday period when the changes will come into effect.

• Let music become part of the everyday again; a song in the morning to set the tone, a family dance off while dinner is on, let your child/children DJ their moods or have them teach you their latest routine.
• Give your daughter/s chalk to draw a hopscotch in the driveway. Let them drag the speaker outside. Let your teens claim the garage as a dance floor or a jam session room.
• If they used to film videos with friends, help them find ways to keep the creativity going by accessing an old video camera or similar. Offline does not mean alone.
• Parents/carers/relatives should get in there too; dance badly, sing out of tune, make it fun and make it authentic.

The ban might close one door, but it is also a good chance to open others which are less about control, and more about connection because even without the apps, young people still know how to and want to move. They still know how to feel and want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They can still film and create. They just do not need to post it to prove it. Young people will not stop being creative just because access to a platform goes and equally, connection does not disappear just because it is not being broadcast. If anything, this is a chance to remind them that they are allowed to create just for fun. Not for likes, not for views, but just because it feels good.

Annette Box

Soloists Recital

Congratulations to all students who performed in the Soloists Recital on Wednesday afternoon. It was a fantastic afternoon of music with a wide range of styles performed on a variety of different instruments. All girls should be exceptionally proud of their performances!

Private Music Lessons 2026

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

Hired Instruments – Return

If your daughter has hired an instrument this term, please ensure the instrument is returned during Week 7 (17-21 November).  When the instrument is returned, please inform Ms Joanne O’Connor, or leave it in the front desk area of SHOR, so we can be aware of the return, rather than placing it in the storeroom area. Even if you plan to re-hire the instrument over the school holidays, we ask that you please arrange to first return the instrument so it can be checked and then re-issued in Week 8.

Holiday Instrument Hire

If you would like to hire an instrument over the holidays, please fill out the holiday hire form by Friday 14 November: Application for Music Instrument Hire (During Christmas Holidays) – Fill out form. The holiday hire cost will be $50. Holiday hire instruments will be available for pick up during Week 8 after 3:20pm on Tuesday 25 November for strings and after 3:20pm on Wednesday 26 November for all other instruments. Holiday hire instruments are required to be returned by Week 1 Wednesday 28 January 2026.

Music Support Group AGM

The St Margaret’s Music Department would like to extend special thanks to our 2025 Music Support Group office holders, President Antoinette Aquilina, Vice-Presidents Felicity Evans and Ceri McDonald, Treasurer Katrina Carrick and Secretary, Miranda Robinson. We are very grateful for your support of the St Margaret’s Music Program. Thank you to all committee members and parents who attended meetings and offered support in a variety of capacities throughout 2025.

The Annual General Meeting was held on Tuesday evening and we are pleased to announce the 2026 office holders:

President                   Katrina Carrick

Vice President           Catherine Allen

Treasurer                   Amy James

Secretary                   Miranda Robinson

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 3 February 2026 at 5:00pm in the Canopy Café. We encourage parents from both primary and secondary schools to become involved.

Brad King

Last Friday afternoon, our QG swimmers attended a practice meet against Somerville House. With just the two schools racing for the afternoon, it was a great opportunity to get times for our swimmers. The meet was a success and may potentially become an annual event. Thanks to our parents for the pasta donations and to our teaching staff who have been attending the meets over the last two Friday evenings. Our next opportunity for a practice meet will be at the end of Week 1 of Term 1 in 2026.

Our swimmers are continuing to train well and it’s also been great to have our swimmers from other clubs attending the last two Friday night meets. Details of the annual swimming camp will be announced over the next few weeks but for secondary families as a date marker for your 2026 calendars, the swim camp will be held at St Margaret’s from 20 to 22 January. Our Head of Swimming Sarah Caithness will provide further information and sign up details, so keep an eye on the Swimming POD page.

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

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

Latest Sport News and Information

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

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

Anne Louise Williams

Booklists 2026

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

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

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

Church Dress Hire - Year 6 Chapel Service

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

ONLINE BOOKINGS FOR UNIFORM FITTING APPOINTMENTS

The Supplies Shop has an online booking system for uniform fitting appointments. Appointments can be made by clicking on this link Accuity Uniform Booking.

**EXENDED TRADING HOURS**

2025

Mon 1 Dec to 5 Dec      Open for Appointments Only

Mon 8 Dec to 12 Dec   Open for Appointments Only

2026

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

Wednesday 14 January              8 am – 2 pm

Thursday 15 January                 8 am – 2 pm

Friday 16 January                      8 am – 2 pm

Monday 19 January                   8 am – 2 pm

Tuesday 20 January                   8 am – 2 pm

Wednesday 21 January             1 pm – 6 pm

Thursday 22 January                 8 am – 2 pm

Friday 23 January                      8 am – 2 pm

Saturday 24 January                  9 am – 3 pm

Sunday 25 January                    CLOSED

Monday 26 January                   2 pm – 5 pm - BOARDERS ONLY

Tuesday 27 January                  Regular Term Time trading hours resume

Student Card Purchases

Flexischools daily limit – Just a reminder to ensure that the daily limit is set high enough to cover the cost of the uniform items being purchased, otherwise we will not be able to complete the transaction. https://www.flexischools.com.au/

Blazer Pocket Embroidery 

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

St Margaret’s Merchandise

The Supplies Shop has some great new Merchandise available. The Supplies Shop now stocks – St Margaret’s folding chair, scented candles in two sizes, St Margaret’s dog lead, St Margaret’s keychains, Panama croc jibbitz, vacuum drink flask and a crested vine bone china coffee cup.

Trading Hours (Term Time)

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

Public Holidays Closed

We have fun-filled and exciting activities planned for our September Vacation Care Program. Further details of the program can be found here (PDF 614KB).

Please refer to the attached Information Guide for full booking terms and conditions. We are unable to accept bookings via email or text message. The OSHC registration and Debitsuccess form must be completed, signed and sent back to us to finalise your booking. Please read the information guide carefully as some information has changed. OSHC Registration and Debitsuccess can be completed via the My Family Lounge.

PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR VACATION CARE BOOKING FORM VIA THE MY FAMILY LOUNGE APP

We are very excited to inform you that St Margaret’s OSHC has subscribed to a fantastic online Booking and Waitlist management program called QK Enrol. This program will give you access to manage your own account information, where you will have the ability to make bookings requests and allows you to complete and submit an online enrolment form for your child. You can do this and much, much more all within a parent portal called ’My Family Lounge’.

How do I log in?

Please navigate to the link below and either sign in with your existing My Family Lounge account or Register for an account if you do not already have one. Please note all families who have previously submitted an enrolment form will have an account already set up; all you will need to do is click ‘forgotten password’ and use the email address you used to receive this form.

https://www.qkenhanced.com.au/Account/Embeddable/?databaseId=9385

When making a Vacation Care booking please select Casual bookings, not Permanent.

What is the cost?*

Early Bird Fees: $63

Early Bird Bookings close: 10 November 2025

Fees: $68 per day*

Bookings close: 17 November 2025

*Incursions and excursions incur additional costs. These are compulsory for all students and therefore you are able to claim CCS.

What are the hours of operation?

The service is open from 7:00am until 6:00pm.

How can I obtain more information?

If you would like further information regarding our OSHC Program or if you would like to make a booking, feel free to contact me on 0423 547 653 or email: oshc@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Palu Ingram

Congratulations to the Years 2, 3 and 4 Speech and Drama students who entertained and delighted their audience last Thursday as they took to the stage as dolls, reindeers, nursery rhyme favourites and a range of other colourful characters in their end-of-year plays.

Our Speech and Drama students in Years 5 to 10 are busily rehearsing for their performances at the upcoming Eisteddfods. Parents of performers in Years 5 to 9 are most welcome to join us for the events.

For more information about these events, please contact mchamberlain@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or visit the Private Speech and Drama POD Page.

Maria Chamberlain

If you have a passion for supporting the Arts and would like to give back through volunteering, we are looking for expressions of interest in joining the Mayo Festival Committee with a short kick off meeting to be held prior to the end of term.

As a volunteer on this Committee, you would be involved through sharing your ideas, securing and coordinating external stall holders, assisting with securing raffle prizes and sponsorships and making connections to help grow and enrich the festival offering.

Please email developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au to express your interest in joining this Committee.

As always, the festival will feature rides, activities, food trucks and a bar as well as artisan market stalls selling a diverse selection of ceramics, jewellery, homewares and textiles while our visual arts students display their works and our music, dance and drama students will perform on stage.

The festival is named in honour of St Margaret’s Old Girl Daphne Mayo MBE (1908), who was a leading Australian female artist most prominently known for the sculptured tympanum above the entrance to Brisbane City Hall. Daphne carved the path for today’s St Margaret’s students’ education and learning of the three-dimensional artform and celebrating three-dimensional art is what sets the MAYO Arts Festival apart.

All proceeds from the Mayo Arts Festival will go towards enriching the educational experience of all St Margaret’s students through the acquisition of new artwork as a teaching and learning resource.

There are also a range of sponsorship opportunities for event. If you would like further information on these opportunities, please email Pru Reed (preed@stmargarets.qld.edu.au).

Secondary Mother Daughter Summer Social – tickets on sale!

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

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

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

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

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

Dress                    Summer Chic

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

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

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

St Margaret’s Fathers’ Dinner – tickets on sale soon

The St Margaret’s P&F Association invites all fathers or significant father figures to the St Margaret’s Fathers’ Dinner.

This highly anticipated annual event is a highlight on the school calendar. Join us for an evening of good food, great company, and a few tales from guest speaker Wally Lewis, The King, as we celebrate the important role dads play in our school community.

Date:     Friday 13 March 2026
Time:    6:30pm arrival for 7:00pm start
Venue:  Rivershed at Howard Smith Wharves  
Cost:     $229 per person - includes a meal and drinks package for the evening.
Tickets:  On sale from 9.30am Tuesday 18 November 2025. Fathers with a daughter in Year 12 and/or Boarding in 2026 will be given early access to purchase tickets from 9.30am Monday 17 November 2025. Tickets are non-refundable.
RSVP:    9:30am, Wednesday 25 February 2026, unless sold out prior. 
Tables:  Maximum table capacity is 10 people. Seating requests can be made by nominating a Table Captain or Year Group at the time of booking. Best efforts will be made to meet any requests.
Enquiries: P&F@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

We expect this event to be incredibly popular with fathers in the St Margaret's community. Once we are confident that all fathers (past, present and future) have had the chance to secure their tickets, we will extend an invitation to the wider St Margaret's community. 

PWN Sponsors 2026

The PWN Series has developed a strong and steady identity among Brisbane professionals, at varying stages of their career, as a place where they come to be inspired by our guest speakers, make new contacts, and build and develop positive business relationships.

We welcome enquiries regarding sponsorship opportunities or corporate tables for the 2026 PWN Series. If your company is interested in connecting with Brisbane’s corporate community, nurturing business relationships, and hearing from inspiring female leaders in a variety of industries, please contact us at developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

The 2026 PWN Corporate Sponsorship Prospectus can be found here. (PDF 5.1MB) 

Lara Pickering