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All reports on young people’s engagement with the democratic process indicate that they want to know what’s happening; they know they can be deeply affected by government decisions, such as climate policy, and they want to be consulted. Despite a past reputation for disengagement and apathy, youth really care, and it appears that the current Australian federal election has galvanised them into action. Australia recorded its single biggest day of enrolments in history just after the election date was announced. This is something Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers referred to as a 'democratic miracle'. Despite barely a mention of youth issues on the campaign trail this election, more than half of the 700,000 new enrolments were aged between 18 and 24; a statistic that may be indicative of young people’s concerns for their future and the state of the world.

In the recently released Mission Australia 2021 Youth Survey report — which surveys 15–19-year-old Australians on their values and aspirations, but also their concerns, 41.9% of respondents were concerned or extremely concerned about mental health, while 38% were concerned about the environment and climate change.

Five central themes emerged from the findings:

1. educational engagement and successful transitions;

2. mental health and wellbeing;

3. Covid-19;

4. environment and climate change; and

5. equity, discrimination, and unfair treatment.

Gender differences were noted in three: educational engagement, mental health, and discrimination.

Along with climate change and mental health, the survey also revealed gender discrimination remains an unfortunate focus in the lives of young women — even more so for gender diverse people. From the 34.2% who reported discrimination, the top reason given for unfair treatment was gender (37.3%).

Ros Curtis

Students in Year 9 in 2023 are able to take subjects in a major or minor strand, and students in Year 11 2023 should be choosing subjects according to their interests, what they are good at, and those based on discussions that have come out of their SET plan interviews; these are the ones that will put them in the best position to achieve well in years to come. For those students moving into Year 11 2023, we also have set criteria in terms of groups of subjects students should choose from – this is to give our students the best possible chance of achieving their potential and open up as many pathways as possible after Year 12 and beyond.

On the day following their subject selection evening, 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 Friday 10 June for Years 9 and 10 2023, and Year 11 2023 on 16 June. After these times the portal will be closed. For your records, please print a receipt of your subject selections.  This is for your reference only - there is no need to submit this receipt to the school as we have an electronic copy of your preferences.

Karen Gorrie

Our Archbishop’s theme for the year “Embracing Joy” (amid our diversity) is pertinent this election week. How do we live together valuing diversity and seeing it as a gift? I think that politics could learn much from schools, particularly the St Margaret’s Way – where we are committed to treating one another with respect, valuing our diversity, and learning to be a community with differing opinions.

I give thanks for this diverse community, and I hope you enjoy your democracy sausage on Saturday.

On a calendar note, a reminder that we have the Years 9 and 10 Family Service coming up on 1 June, 6pm. As well as the annual Confirmation service on 10 June, 6pm. If your daughter would like to be Confirmed (and/or baptised) please fill in this form: https://forms.office.com/r/ivpVEu8zty. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions: jdow@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

The theme for National Boarding Week is, “I’ll be there for you”. The girls have been busy enjoying the many activities taking place in the boarding house this week. We started the week with “Discover our Dorm”, a competition between year levels to decorate the doors of their dorm. On Monday we celebrated with a picnic lunch on Circular Drive with the day girls to further build on the relationship between day and boarding students. Our Boarder Captains, Lily Shann and Gabby Henzell presented a speech about boarding at the whole school assembly and a video showcasing what boarding is about.

Wednesday the whole school was invited onto Circular Drive for a whip cracking demonstration and some of the day girls were shown how to crack a whip. Thursday was the boarding house open day. The boarders were all given the opportunity to invite two day girls into the boarding house during morning tea and lunch. Sharing where the girls live was an exciting opportunity for the girls and this was also accompanied by all the teachers invited to the dining hall for lunch. Thursday night dinner featured a trivia night. All the events throughout the week have been focused on showcasing boarding and providing the rest of the school community with an insight into the boarding house at St Margaret’s.

Lesa Fowler

Year 11

Next week I will have my last few Year 11 Academic Progress Meetings. I have enjoyed meeting with each Year 11 student and some parents, discussing their progress so far and their goals for the future. Thank you to the Year 11 students who were proactive about booking their appointments and successfully navigating the hybrid delivery of in person and Teams interviews! While I will hold another round of Academic Progress Meetings for the Year 11 students in Term 4, my door is always open if parents or students have any enquiries in the meantime. Student meetings can be made via the booking tile on their Year Level POD page.

Year 12

As we near the pointy end of Term 2 (already!), some Year 12 students are preparing for and/or completing some of their final internal assessments for their subjects. I know many Year 12 students are also turning their minds to early entry applications for several universities. It’s a busy and exciting time and I encourage all Year 12 students to maintain focus in class and an organised approach to their assessment and studies.

Caitlin McCluskey

Parents and girls are encouraged to read through the Curriculum Handbooks that have been posted on the POD before these nights.

Any questions about Subject Selection Evening can be directed to Megan Farnsworth (mfarnsworth@stmargarets.qld.edu.au).

Trends in Education

Our first Trends in Education Seminar of 2023 occurred on Tuesday afternoon, and it was wonderful to welcome over 140 people from schools across South-East Queensland to our school. Dr Lorraine Hammond AM shared much of her wisdom and insights, and the presentation sparked many professional conversations after the event.

Information about our next Trends in Education Seminar (to be held on Thursday August 25) will become available later this term.

NAPLAN

Congratulations to all the Year 7 and 9 students who sat the NAPLAN Tests over the last two weeks. Individual reports from these tests will become available to students and their parents in August.

Chris Dunn

It is how they grow up and the image that they portray of themselves to the world that is so important. I am sometimes unfortunate enough to witness how some beautiful young girls portray themselves online. It is scary and it can be dangerous. According to Maggie Hamilton in her book What’s Happening to Our Girls?, what a girl now aged 12 experienced when she was seven is not what a seven year old faces today. No wonder it is so difficult for us as parents to get a fix on the lives of our girls today. Hamilton says that no previous generation of girls has been where today’s girls are heading. Advertisers and the media are partly to blame; they know that at six months a baby is able to retain brand logos, this translates into sales from age two upwards. ‘This early process of turning girls into consumers reduces them to little more than a target market and has a dramatic and detrimental impact on their aspirations, body image and sense of self.’ (Maggie Hamilton, 2008)

And then there is the internet: a place where our daughters roam and we often have no idea of where they are exploring or what image they are putting out there for billions in the world over to see. The Media Awareness Network research found the internet to be the biggest point of contention between parents and their children (Carr-Gregg, 2007).

Adolescents need boundaries; this is because of the stage of brain development that they are at, which means they are not good at impulse control, prioritising or assessing risk. Often, they are unaware of which pictures or comments they post are inappropriate or even downright offensive. The boundaries and consequences need to be laid out clearly, because as Carr-Gregg states, ‘We are our adolescent’s prefrontal cortex’.

It is clear that it has never been more important to be communicating with our daughters and students.

There is unfortunately no manual on how best to parent our children, but there are a number of books and websites that can help us to navigate these often-confusing adolescent years. Of note are authors such as Maggie Hamilton, Michael Carr-Gregg and Steven Biddulph.  A website that I find particularly useful is www.parentingideas.com.au and further resources can be found on the POD, Parent Resources, School TV.

Nikki Townsend

Absences

When a student is absent, the School must be notified on the morning of the absence before 9:00am, but preferably before 8:20am - Primary Absentee Line - 3862 0729. It is important that all parents advise of a student absence through the absentee tile on the POD or by emailing primaryabsentees@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Records of absentees are maintained by the staff in the Primary Office, and as such, office staff need to be aware of any absentees. You are welcome to include your child’s class teacher on an email advising of their absence from school, but it is imperative that you address the email to primaryabsentees@stmargarets.qld.edu.au to ensure our records are accurate. The School will contact parents/guardians if we have not been informed of your daughter’s absence.

Departures during the Day

As a school we have legal responsibilities involved in attendance at the School. A student may not leave the school grounds for any purpose during the school day without the school being notified. A parent/caregiver must sign out at the Primary Reception. Leave of this type would normally only be for important medical reasons and appointments and should be made carefully to ensure minimal time is lost.

The process:

• Class teachers and primary reception are informed of the appointment details email from parent
• Student sent to Primary Reception to wait for collection by parent
• Parent must sign the student out in Primary Reception

Communication to office for unscheduled early departures

At times, parents need to pick up their child for an unscheduled appointment. In this situation, please inform the office, of this early pick up, before arriving at school. The office is then able to arrange for the student to be ready waiting for her parent. Trying to find a child can often be difficult (as not all classrooms have phones) so other classes must be called, students from that class have be sent to find the ‘said’ student. At times students are also at specialist lessons, lunch or a private lesson so again need to be tracked down. Please support the primary office in supporting you.

Late Pick Ups

At the end of a school day, students will be supervised at the gate at the top of Butler Street from Monday to Thursday until 3.40pm and Friday until 3.30pm. Students who are not picked up by this time will be escorted to the office to check for messages. If no contact has been made by the nominated ‘pickup’ adult, the student will be checked into Outside School Hours Care (OSHC). Parents will be charged at the full afternoon school care rate.

Smart Watches

Mobile phones are deposited in the class phone box and sent to the office every morning. Students do not have access to their phone until the end of the school day. Smart watches, which have the same capabilities as mobile phones, can be worn in the Primary school, providing that the ability to send and receive messages is switched off. If this cannot be done, the smart watch must be placed in the phone box until the end of the school day or simply not worn to school.

Angela Drysdale

Continuous Reporting – Year 5 and 6

Students in Years 5 and 6 have a range of feedback available to them. Students can receive this feedback through Learning Analytics. Parents, you can access results and feedback though Parent Lounge -Student Details -Curricular Activities.

Kate Frewin

Further information is available here. (PDF 326.1KB)

FATHERS’ DINNER – SCULTHORPE STRING QUARTET

Thank you to the Sculthorpe String Quartet for their musical contribution to the Fathers’ Dinner which was held last Friday evening at the Qld Cricketers’ Club, Woolloongabba. The Sculthorpe String Quartet provided music as guests arrived which was appreciated by all in attendance.

PRACTICE-A-THON

Thank you to all students who participated in the recent Practice-a-thon organised by the Music Support Group. Thank you also to all family and friends who sponsored students as their endeavoured to build a strong practice routine. The Music Support Group raised almost $3000 which is a wonderful result. Winners of the Practice-a-thon prizes will be announced soon on an upcoming assembly.

MUSIC SUPPORT GROUP

Thank you to all those who attended the last Music Support Group meeting. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 14 June at 5.00pm in M’s Cafe. Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend.

Brad King

Sporting Achievement

It’s with great pleasure that we can recognise the outstanding sport performances and representation of St Margaret’s students at a national and international level. I would like to highlight and congratulate the following student on her recent success:

Brooke Lane (Year 12) for her representation and achievements at the recent Australian Gymnastics Championships. Brooke and her Queensland teammates won gold in the Intermediate Team AeroDance and bronze in the AeroDance individual.  

We would like to continue to recognise the outstanding achievements and representation of students’ participating a national level, outside of the school sport pathway. I look forward to continuing to hear from our community regarding such outstanding achievements. Please directly contact Mr Knight via lknight@stmargarets.qld.edu.au  

GO MAGGIES!

Lloyd Knight

Submissions can be 2D static artworks on paper or canvas using paint, pastel, pencil or mixed media.

First prize (acquisitive prize) will receive $500 and the opportunity to have their artwork permanently on display within the Bernborough Ascot Village near Doomben Racecourse.

Entries close on Friday 8 July 2022. For any questions or assistance, please see Mrs Hulme in the Art Department – lhulme@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Your donation, if received prior to or during our Giving Day on Wednesday 25 May, will be DOUBLED by our generous matching donors and will help a generation of young women make their ambitions come true.

Follow our live countdown at: www.charidy.com/everygirl

You can support the cause that resonates with you.

A donation to the Scholarship Fund will, through needs-based bursaries, help us provide a St Margaret’s education to some girls who thought such an opportunity would never exist for them.

A donation to the Building Fund will help us to develop new student amenities, including a new cafeteria and seating area, and learning spaces so that we can continue to deliver the best educational experience to St Margaret’s students.

We are also looking for volunteers to help us spread the word on the day by making some phone calls to members of our community from the Operations Room in M’s Café.

If you can spare an hour of your time to volunteer, we would be very grateful. The sign-up form can be accessed via this link: https://www.charidy.com/everygirl

Thank you for your support.

Fathers’ Dinner wrap up

On behalf of the P and F Association and St Margaret’s we thank you our community for supporting and being part of the 2022 St Margaret’s Fathers’ Dinner last Friday.

150 fathers gathered at the Queensland Cricketers' Club for this signature event and the night embodied the St Margaret’s spirit with Old Girl, Grace Tobin (’05), two-time Walkley Award winning investigative reporter delivering an inspiring keynote address on the evening.

We thank our Major Sponsor, Adcock Prestige, and Supporting Sponsor, Morgans for their support.

Thank you to our Prize Donors: Queensland Cricketers' Club, My Mistress, One Fifty Ascot Bar & Eatery, GoBoat, Granddad Jack's Craft Distillery, Fonzie Abbot, and St Margaret's P&F Association, who provided the prizes for the auction and raffle.

Funds raised from the event will allow us to make a significant contribution to St Margaret’s Building Fund to help support the development of new student amenities, including a new cafeteria and outdoor seating area, and new learning spaces.

Lara Pickering