eNews Archive Issue 14 - 13 May 2021

At the beginning of the year, our Principal, Ms Ros Curtis announced the initiative ‘One School, One Book’, where we are all encouraged to read the biography by Eddie Jaku, The Happiest Man on Earth. I thought it was timely to remind our community, and to also invite you to contribute to the forum on the POD where you are welcome to leave a note about your thoughts on the book.

Most recently, one of our students was fortunate to meet Eddie Jaku and take part in an event with Eddie in Sydney to share part of a letter that she wrote in appreciation of his book.

Charlotte Russell (Year 12) shared: My favourite quote in your book is, “The most important thing I have ever learned, the greatest thing you will ever do is to love another person. I cannot emphasise this enough, especially to young people. Without friendship a human being is lost. A friend is someone who reminds you to feel alive”. It reminded me that being or having a kind and caring friend is more important than wealth or results on a report card. My new friend Eddie, if I ever lose hope or find myself in a dark place, I know where to turn and your book will always be on my bedside table and your story will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Congratulations to Charlotte for taking part in this event and sharing her thoughts on such a wonderful book, I know it was an honour for her to do so.

On Wednesday morning, we held our second Professional Women’s Network breakfast event for the year. We were fortunate to hear from Nicole Hollows, an experienced Senior Executive with a career spanning over 20 years in the resources sector. Nicole spoke to us about a number of her key learnings, including getting out of your comfort zone and facing challenges along the way, stepping up and looking at any mistakes as learnings and not failures, and being authentic as a leader. The next Professional Women's Network event will be held on Tuesday 17 August, with guest speaker Genevieve Gregor ('86).

Karen Gorrie

Can I ask, in the interest of safety, that when you drop your daughter to Windsor Park in the morning you sight a staff member before leaving. Likewise, in the afternoon, can you please arrange to pick up your daughter on time so staff can also leave on time.

On another safety matter regarding afternoon picks ups, we have recently met with Brisbane City Council and are looking for ways to ensure the efficacy and safety of our drop off and pick up zones. I would like to remind all parent and student drivers to please be patient and follow all road rules around these areas and the surrounding local streets.

Nicole Devlin

We forget how fortunate we are here in Australia compared to many countries who are suffering at this time. Sometimes it is good to encourage our children to keep in their thoughts and prayers those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Another way to help our children be mindful is a great website that offers a monthly calendar, which I add a link to in the tile on the POD - Spirituality and Faith. This month, it is Meaningful May - Action for Happiness. The website, Action for Happiness, has some useful resources you could use with your children. Another great website is Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life (berkeley.edu). And one more website, one of my favourite sites: https://gratefulness.org/resource/bloom/. This link will take you to a video you could share and also has some fantastic resources for the family to use.

May we take the time to give thanks and be grateful for all we have and remember those who need our thoughts and prayers.

The greatest gift one can give is thanksgiving.

In giving gifts, we give what we can spare,

But in giving thanks we give ourselves.

Let us now go around the table

And share something

For which we are thankful.

Inspired by Br. David Steindl-Rast

Family Services

Term 2

18 May: 6pm, Year 8 Family Service (PDF 139.4KB)

8 June: 6pm, Year 9 Family Service (PDF 117.3KB)

Term 3

5 August: 6pm, Year 10 Family Service (PDF 134.6KB)

Susan Crothers-Robertson

Our trip to Goondiwindi was very successful, as Fiona Spooner and I were able to meet with past, current and prospective families in the region. We visited some families in their homes and hosted a function. We would like to thank Ryan and Rebecca McDonald for hosting us at their place and providing us with wonderful accommodation. 

Last week, I attended Beef Week in Rockhampton with Ms Mary Surtees and Ms Ros Curtis. Again, this was a very busy week catching up with family’s past, present and future. I also had the wonderful opportunity to watch two of our Boarders, Alexandra Olive and Aisling Moffatt compete in the Cattle judging at Beef Week. Both girls represented St Margaret’s and made it to the finals. It was a great experience to watch these girls and we are very proud of their achievements. I look forward to many future trips this year and catching up with more of our families.

Thank you to all our families who support St Margaret’s Boarding and are wonderful advocates for our staff and how they support the girls.

Lesa Fowler

Year 11 2022 Subject Information Evening

On Thursday 27 May, we will be holding the Year 11 2022 Subject Information Evening, commencing at 6:00pm in The LOFT. This session will include information about the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), ATAR and Subject and Portfolio Pathways offered. Parents will also have the opportunity to ask questions regarding subjects to a panel of Heads of Faculty and members of the Senior Leadership Team.

Year 10 SET Planning – Week 7 onwards

In Week 7, we will begin the process of SET Plan meetings with all Year 10 students to discuss senior study pathways and outcomes of Career Avenue discussions. All students should have booked their meeting with their allocated staff member. We are looking forward to planning with the girls.

Year 11 Academic Progress Interviews

By the end of this Term, all Year 11 students will have had the opportunity to meeting with me regarding their progress thus far.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding your daughters’ academic study, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Nikki Townsend

I know that this information is relevant for teachers, parents and students and encourage you to attend either via the livestream or in person. Please RSVP via the following link: https://www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au/trends-in-education.

The following week, on Tuesday 25 May, we will be holding the Subject Selection Information Evening for Year 9 2022 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Again, we will be providing the option of attending in person or via a live stream with the opportunity to ask questions of our panel of Heads of Faculty. Curriculum Handbooks will be available online shortly so that you are able to familiarise yourself with the subjects on offer prior to the information evening.

For more information regarding either Trends in Education or the Subject Selection Information Evening, please contact Rosemarie Parisi at rparisi@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Caitlin McCluskey

The development of students’ social-emotional skills, resilience and confidence are being enhanced through many activities such as the Years 7 and 11 buddy activities, the Year 8 camp, and the St Margaret’s Plus activities for Years 10-12 students. Beyond the Panama sessions aim to develop students’ financial literacy and soft skills while the Leadership sessions aim to develop students’ leadership skills, refine an idea and gain the knowledge to launch an initiative that will benefit the wider school community. Mindful sessions have been launched this week and comprise a focus on strategies, mindful practice and Yoga sessions via a focus on the acronym BREATHE:

B - Balance

R - Resilience

E - Exercise and Diet

A - Authenticity

T - Try

H - Help

E - Empowerment

Students in Years 10-12 are invited to register for the Mindfulness sessions via the ‘St Margaret’s Plus’ tile on their Year Level POD pages.

Nicole Walker

“There is never a day I do not think that I would give everything I have to see her just one more time. If you have the opportunity today, please go home and tell your mother how much you love her. Do this for your mother. And do it for your new friend, Eddie, who cannot tell it to his mother.”

On Friday, the school followed Eddie’s advice as there was a lot of hugging of mothers at our Primary School Breakfast. The blue sky and sun shining over the city were perfect backdrops for this event. The joy of the morning was enhanced by the girls’ excitement at presenting their gift, created with so much love, under the guidance of Mrs Kerry Rider. The gift of song was also appreciated by everyone. Thank you to Ms Regina Brennan and Mr Johnny Ng for supporting the girls in Belle Voci, who shared their heartfelt song.

We also used this event as an opportunity to thank Ms Mary Surtees for the many years she has organised the breakfast. We will miss the commitment, care and love she has demonstrated in organising this event over the years, and as the captains stated, we will miss her mothering.

Thank you to everyone who attended; I know this was a wonderful way to start the weekend celebrations for all the women who have a significant impact on the lives of others.

Sport Results

Andrews Cup

Unfortunately, Andrews Cup Touch Football and Tennis were cancelled due to wet weather. Some Brisbane Schools and St Hilda’s wanted to offer students a modified competition. In a Tennis competition of 4 schools, St Margaret’s achieved the following results:

A and B Grades - 2nd

C Grade - 3rd

D Grade - 1st

Year 4 - 1st

Last week, a very wet social Touch Football carnival was held. The girls loved the experience and certainly enjoyed playing in the rain.

Congratulations to Emily Boon (Year 5) for making the Metropolitan North Football Team, Adelaide Bothwell (Year 6) for making the City Districts Touch Football Team and Alice Sutherland (Year 2) for placing 3rd in the 8 Years-old All Schools Cross Country.

Angela Drysdale

Music Tour 2022

An information evening was held on Wednesday regarding the proposed Music Tour to the Rhapsody Rotorua Music Festival which will occur for one week in Rotorua, New Zealand during the June/July holidays in 2022. As part of the festival, students will perform in a variety of community and professional settings, as well as participate in numerous music workshops facilitated by professional musicians. Many schools from across the Pacific are involved in the festival with students having the opportunity to interact and build friendships with other music students from the Pacific region. There will also be opportunities to build cultural awareness through special experiences organised by the Festival convenors, as well as experience some fun activities unique to the area. The tour will be open to Secondary students who are involved in the following ensembles: Sister Helen Wind Symphony, Exultate and Chamber Strings. Please click here (PDF 1017.9KB) for further Tour details.

Final costs are still to be confirmed and will be dependent on final numbers committing to the tour. As an approximation, we are aiming to keep the final tour cost under $4,000. To secure a place on the tour, an initial deposit of $210 is required. Deposit payments can be made via Flexischools: www.flexischools.com.au. (The deposit is fully refundable if insufficient numbers sign up for the tour.) To confirm your daughter’s involvement, payment needs to be made by Friday 4 June 2021.

We look forward to having many girls involved!

Student Thanks

Thank you to Nadia Charoensuk (Year 8) who provided a solo performance on the piano at the Professional Women’s Networking Breakfast held on Wednesday morning. It was a thoroughly engaging performance enjoyed by everyone in attendance. Thank you also to the Sculthorpe String Quartet who provided beautiful music as guests arrived at the event. Your contribution to these events is very much appreciated.

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 25 May 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. Get to know your body – understand what’s normal for you and try to identify any niggles or pain points early, so they can be addressed before they become a bigger issue.
2. Start a training diary to register how much or how far you’re training – it’ll allow you to monitor your training load and modify your schedule according to how your body is coping with the training pressure. Subtle changes to your load can positively impact your chance of maintaining peak physical condition. A training diary also helps your sports medicine team and your coach to see how you’re tracking and be in the strongest position to support you!
3. Stick to your exercise or rehabilitation program – consistent effort will pay off, especially if you address any issues early.

Autumn Fixtures

St Peter’s Lutheran College and Brisbane Girls Grammar School provided some entertaining and competitive matches in all three Autumn Sports. Our best round was had in Touch Football, where 8 out of 14 teams won their games, including the 7B, 8B, 10B and 10A teams who remain undefeated. Within Basketball, our 8A team were our sole winners defeating St Peter’s 27-16. Whilst our Soccer teams could not match St Peter’s in the goal scoring stakes, they remained spirited throughout the games.

Next week, many teams will play twice. On Tuesday 18 May, teams will play Moreton Bay College and then again on Friday 21 May against Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School. Please ensure you access all draws via the individual POD pages so you are up to date with all schedules.

QGSSSA Cross Country - Saturday 15 May

Best wishes to all 100 St Margaret’s runners who will represent the brown, white and blue at the 32nd QGSSSA Cross Country Championships on Saturday 15 May at Rivermount College, Yatala. This is sure to be a thrilling event and we encourage all friends and families of St Margaret’s to come and support and cheer our team with racing commencing from 8:30am.

QGSSSA Cross Country Student Spectator Reminder - Years 7, 8 and 10

All Secondary students are required to attend two major inter-school sporting events as supporters. The QGSSSA Cross Country is the second major sporting event of the year and as there were no student spectators allowed at QGSSSA Swimming in Term 1, students from Years 7, 8 and 10 are requested to attend. Please click here (PDF 166.8KB) to access further information on this requirement.

Congratulations…

Isabella Harte (Year 10) who became the Queensland Athletics All Schools Cross Country Champion in the 16 Years age group on Saturday 8 May. Chole Fenwicke (Year 12) who placed 2nd in the 18 Years and Matilda Lee (Year 9) who placed third in the 14 Years age group. All girls will now head to Nationals as part of the Queensland team. Additionally, the following 12 Years runners: Ava Thompson (Year 7), Georgina Fitzgerald (Year 7) and Adel Kusztor (Year 7) raced well, resulting in St Margaret’s winning a Bronze medal in the team’s category. Well done to all runners

Chelsea Johnson (Year 11) and Mary Comiskey (Year 11) who represented Metropolitan North at the Queensland School Sport Water Polo Championships on 2 May and were crowned Queensland Champions defeating Metropolitan West 6-1 in the Grand Final. Chelsea was also named in the Queensland School Sport Water Polo team.

Miller Enders (Year 7) and Lucy White (Year 10) have successfully been selected for the State team to represent Queensland at the Australian Gymnastics Championships next week on the Gold Coast.

Helen Lobegeiger

Mana joined other Years 7 and 8 students from Brisbane and surrounds to speak on the topic: The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled (Plutarch).

Mana prepared thoroughly, rehearsed enthusiastically and delivered her speech with confidence, conviction and a fine sense of audience engagement. All participants benefited greatly from the in-depth, individualised, constructive feedback provided by the highly esteemed adjudicators, Lesley Irvine and Annette Stoddart.

Maria Chamberlain

For 24 hours only, your gift will be doubled by our generous matching donors. Your $5 donation becomes $10; $50 becomes $100, and $500 becomes $1,000!

Your Building Fund donation will help us to ensure our facilities can continue to deliver the best education to St Margaret’s students. Your donation to our Scholarship Fund will provide some girls the opportunity of a St Margaret’s education they never thought they would have.

You can follow the live countdown at: charidy.com/everygirl.

Please join with me and the St Margaret’s community on Giving Day, Thursday 20 May. Together, let’s give every girl every opportunity! Thank you for your support.

For further information, please do not hesitate to call Lindsay Khushal, Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement (Acting) on 07 3862 0884 or email: foundation@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

The P&F Fathers’ Dinner – Friday 11 June

The P&F is delighted to announce that tickets are now open for purchase for their annual Fathers’ Dinner.

Date: Friday 11 June

Time: 6:30pm arrival for 7:00-10:00pm dinner

Venue: Queensland Cricketers’ Club

Cost: $150 includes drink on arrival, 2 course dinner, 3 hour drinks package and Heads and Tails Trivia Competition Entry (optional)

Please go to this link to book tickets: www.trybooking.com/BQSVH.

Lindsay Khushal

Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo

On Friday 21 May, all Years 10 and 11 students will be attending The Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo, a leading careers, training and education event in Queensland. The event offers the opportunity for students to connect with organisations for guidance, clarity and opportunities in relation to career options. Entry is free, please click here for more details about the event.

Mater Education Open Day

Are you passionate about a career in healthcare? Mater Education’s range of courses will get you there. Register for Mater Education's Virtual Open Day and explore Mater's facilities, courses and campuses. Click here for more information and to register.

START QUT – online/external units

Did you know that the START QUT program has recently added a lot of online/external units for you to study while in Years 11 and 12. Take a look at some of these units here. Applications close 31 May.

Year 13 Online Career Expo

The Year13 Expo will again be virtual from 17-19 May. The Expo is a free, 100% online careers exhibition. Hear about your dream career from experts in their industry and explore exhibitors across work, study and travel. Click here for more information and to register.

Bursaries for female students

The National Council of Women of Queensland has launched its 2021 Bursary Program for female students. Visit the website for more information and to download the application form. Applications close on 2 June 2021.

Get fit and pass the Australian Defence Force (ADF) fitness test

During the application process you’ll be assessed through (1) completion of a questionnaire relating to your medical history, (2) a physical examination, and (3) a Pre-entry Fitness Assessment (PFA). An Are you fit to join the Australian Defence Force brochure will assist you to start preparing for the ADF fitness assessment.

Virtual Work Experience with the CSIRO

Gain first-hand, relevant work experience in a scientific environment to shape your future by joining CSIRO's virtual work experience program. Virtual work experience allows Years 10, 11 or 12 students to undertake science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects. Click here to see if you are eligible and find out more.

2021 Tertiary Studies Expo reminder

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

Liz Johnston