eNews Archive Issue 15 - 18 May 2023

This week we celebrate National Boarding Week. As a school that has 128 years of history and experience in boarding, this is a very special week of the year for us, and there are many organised activities to mark this special event. On Monday we had a fun lunch time out on Circular Drive with the boarders from our rural areas teaching our day girls the art of whip cracking. Later in the week our boarders are taking their day girl friends on a tour of their rooms in the boarding house, and our staff are having lunch in the boarders’ dining room with their boarding students.

Next week we are holding our annual Giving Day. This is an exciting day in the school where each of our houses compete against each other to raise funds. This year the focus is on raising money towards the redevelopment of the Avoca Lawn (Forest) and the construction of a new cafeteria (Canopy Café). We urge all families to participate as all funds donated will be matched by our very generous donors and will ensure that your donated amount doubles. Please also note that all donations (over $2) to the building or scholarship funds are tax deductible. The girls will be taking part in a coin drive gold rush, a house bake off and bake sale, sausage sizzles and a house dance off on the day.

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone for their cooperation with the traffic control in place for afternoon pick up. Could I also add, it has come to my attention that cars are parking over our neighbours’ driveways during busy times in the mornings and afternoons. May I please ask that cars are parked off driveways in the area.

Karen Gorrie

I would like to share a quote from the text that resonated with me and its theme, I believe, is enormously powerful, “when a lot of people do a little, it’s a lot. When a lot of people do nothing – it’s nothing”.

The power of individuals to make a change in the world lies at the heart of many significant social movements. Individuals understanding their importance as individuals is therefore important for the group. Within our school community it is the actions of individuals each day which create our culture. It is the small things that people do as they live their lives which result in great outcomes. Greeting each other, assisting each other and ensuring that we give our full attention to those we are with are simple ways to enhance our community.

As the term moves into its second half and tensions rise in association with assessment and results it is important to remember that it is what we do each day that counts. Sometimes we have to acknowledge that we could have done better, worked harder and been kinder, but there is always the opportunity to do just that. Since I read The Diary of Anne Frank as a young girl, I have frequently remembered the words, “how lovely to think that no one need wait a moment: we can start now, start slowly changing the world”. As parents and teachers one of the most transformative lessons we can teach our girls relates to their power as individuals. We want them to understand that they are the authors of their own lives and that it is their actions which will ultimately shape their future.

Nikki Townsend

At St Margaret’s the girls in Years 7 and 8 have been learning Buroinjin as part of their weekly HPE curriculum this term. A letter has been sent home to both cohorts to sign up for the excursion on 26 May. Please see Parent Lounge for more information or email me: jdow@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

About Nahri Traditional Aboriginal Games:

NAHRI – The word “Nahri” comes from the Yugembah language of Southeast Queensland. It means ‘to play, corroboree, games”

The Traditional Aboriginal & Torres Games & Sports began in Queensland Anglican schools in 1999. The program was initiated by then Indigenous Education Officer Mr Paul Paulson. The program was a three-stage process where Anglican schools’ students were introduced to traditional games in the curriculum, followed by a staff professional day. The third and most exciting stage was the hosting of the inaugural Traditional Games Festival, hosted by West Moreton Anglican College.

The first festival featured seven Anglican schools, with West Moreton Anglican College and St Hilda’s School were the first winners. In 2001, over 500 students, both non-indigenous and indigenous, from fourteen Anglican schools in Queensland competed. In 2023, we are delighted to announce that all Southeast Queensland schools will be invited to participate in the secondary games to be held at Hillbrook.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

The week has been filled with many different activities for the girls. Sunday was the unveiling of the patchwork quilt and a BBQ which unfortunately had to be cancelled because of the weather.  Monday, we had a whip cracking demonstration on Circular Dive where the girls taught day girls and staff how to crack a whip. Tuesday was a trivia night and pyjama party and on Wednesday we ran art masterclasses during lunch. Today, we had an Open House where the boarders could invite day girls to tour the boarding house and see where the girls live. The girls were also encouraged to invite a staff member to lunch in the dining room.  We will conclude the week with a Pamper Night in boarding on Friday night. Thank you to all the staff who contributed to making this such a wonderful week for the girls. 

Happy National Boarding Week!

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. 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

A reminder that these events will all be livestreamed and that parents are asked to register their attendance (online or in-person) through the Microsoft Forms link that was emailed to you last week.

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 occurred on Tuesday afternoon, and it was wonderful to welcome over 120 parents and people from schools across Southeast Queensland to St Margaret’s. Dr Chris Blundell shared much of his wisdom and insights about ChatGPT and its implications for education. This is a highly pertinent topic for us educators to consider, and indeed, as Dr Blundell asserted, the implications of generative AI are more broadly applicable to the brave new world in which our students will be working. Dr Blundell evoked great contemplation from the audience when he asked us to consider what the world might look like in 2087, and then promptly reminded us that this will be the year in which our Prep students retire! The presentation sparked many more exciting and important professional conversations after the event, and I thank everyone who was able to attend.

Information about our next Trends in Education Seminar (to be held on Thursday 10 August) will become available later this term.

Chris Dunn

Exercise is known to have a significant and positive impact on mental health. Physical activity releases endorphins, often referred to as the "feel-good" hormones, which can improve mood, reduce stress, and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. High school can be a challenging time for teenagers, and exercise provides a healthy outlet for managing academic and emotional tension.

Regular exercise is also closely linked to cognitive benefits. Research has shown that physical activity enhances brain function, improves memory, and enhances concentration and focus. Engaging in physical activities can enhance academic performance and overall cognitive abilities.

Additionally, participating in team sports or other group activities cultivates valuable life skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership, and discipline. These skills are transferable to various aspects of their lives, including future careers and relationships.

As parents, your support and encouragement play a vital role in fostering regular exercise habits among children. Encourage them to find physical activities they enjoy, whether it's joining a sports team, participating in dance classes, or simply going for regular walks or bike rides. It can be a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time together as a family by engaging in activities like taking the dog for a walk or going for a hike. By setting aside time in their busy schedules for exercise and leading by example with your own physical activity routine, you can create a positive and healthy environment that encourages the whole family to stay active.

Kelly Alford

A huge congratulations to all team members who each contributed to the result which saw St Margaret’s come equal first (with Somerville House). To achieve this result, the 10 and 12 years placed first and the 11 years age group placed third. Another great achievement was placing first place in the Noel McBride Relay. This is a relay competition where the three top runners each run one kilometre. Congratulations to our relay runners Lucy, Estella and Ivy. The last time the school won both the Aggregate Cup and Noel McBride trophy was in 2018.  Congratulations to all the students who ran their hearts out to contribute to these amazing results. Thank you to Ms Morgan Rowe, Mrs Nicole Jonathan and coaches for supporting the girls to achieve these great results.

  

They come on the back of great individual results at the City Districts Cross Country earlier in the month. Congratulations to the following students who placed: Lucy – 1^st, Estella – 3^rd, Suki – 2^nd and Ivy 4^th, Stella and Zoe who placed in the top 2 (1^st and 2^nd respectively). All placegetters will now represent City Districts at the Met North competition.  Well done to all the students who competed.

We look forward to watching the girls compete in Andrews Cup soccer later in the term.  

Congratulations to the Downey Park Netball teams who not only played as a team but also got into the spirit of Pink Day. All the teams looked splendid in their pink-enhanced uniforms.

Staff Updates

Congratulations not only goes to the girls but also to two staff members who have been named Excellence Awardees in the 2023 Australian Education Awards: Mrs Sarah Singleton - Primary School Teacher of the Year – Non-Government category and Miss Georgi Eadie - Rising Star of the Year category. The winners will be announced in August.  

Last week, we welcomed Mrs Cienna Anders to St Margaret’s who is teaching in Year 5. Thank you to the girls and families for making her feel so welcome.

Angela Drysdale

Students across Prep to Year 6 are passionate artists and visiting the primary art room is looked forward to with anticipation and excitement weekly. This term in Visual Art, in addition to creating beautiful Mother’s Day gifts, students are exploring a range of artists from Frida Khalo to Pablo Picasso.

I would like to thank Mrs Rider and Ms Stewart for their ongoing dedication to Primary Visual Art and welcome Ms Box to the Primary Visual Art teaching team as she takes over from Mr Barnsdale’s Prep and Year 1 classes. 

We would also like to share with you the newly developed Primary Visual Art POD page where you will find samples of the students’ work. Please enjoy their beautiful art.

Primary Art Leaders - Lana, Anna, Lila and Abby

Europe Music Tour 2024

The Music Department is very excited to offer a unique opportunity for students to participate in a Music Tour to Europe in 2024, held during the June/July holidays from 23 June to 7 July. Tours such as this provide students with remarkable and unique experiences that create lifetime memories. The proposed tour will be to Salzburg, Prague and Vienna, and will culminate with participation in the Bratislava International Youth Music Festival in Slovakia. Guided sightseeing tours will be provided in each of the cities and students will have the opportunity to perform at sites of historical and musical significance. The tour will be open to students currently in Years 8-11 (Years 9-12, 2024) with a provisional cost of $8600. A meeting has been organised for Thursday 1 June in the Arts Centre Foyer at 6:00pm. Further details will be provided at the meeting and there will be the opportunity to ask questions pertaining to the tour. We look forward to having many girls involved!

Music Support Group – Next Meeting

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 6 June at 5:00pm in M’s Cafe. We encourage parents from both Primary and Secondary schools to become involved.

Brad King

The competitors were met with an extremely tough course, consisting of long uphill and steep downhill sections, with very little flat portions to settle in on. Only adding to the difficulty was the unpredictable nature of the weather featuring rain and strong winds.

St Margaret’s was represented in age groups from 6 years to 17 years. All the girls put in a huge effort and should be extremely proud of themselves for their efforts just to make it to the finish line. There were a number of strong individual performances on the day, as listed below.

Top 10 results

•           Zoe Frost 10th, 9 year girls

•           Suki Fidler 7th, 10 year girls

•           Estella Uhlmann 10th, 11 year girls

•           Lucy Page 9th, 12 year girls

•           Charli Spies 6th, 15 year girls

•           Ginger Cox 3rd, 17 year girls

In the team’s category St Margaret’s really excelled. While we wait for QLD Athletics to publish the final teams point scoring, initial calculations have St Margaret’s taking placing inside the top three in 5 different age groups. These include:

•           10 years: gold - Suki Fidler, Alice Mackenzie, Adair Woodward

•           12 years: silver - Lucy Page, Molly Court, Amelia Quinn

•           14 years: silver - Ava Thompson, Charlize Heathcote, Leila Moody

•           15 years: silver - Charli Spies, Coco Fidler, Georgia Bruce, Abbey Whistler

•           17 years: gold - Ginger Cox, Amber Norton, Gemma Hooper

  

We now look excitedly ahead to the QGSSSA Cross Country Championships this Saturday.

Go Maggies!

Josh Partridge

Head of Athletics & Development

Club Netball – PINK WEEK

Round 4, Saturday 13 May was PINK week for Club Netball.

This has been a great day at Downey Park over the years to raise funds and awareness for Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). Downey Park Netball Association’s goal this year is to raise $12,500. The St Margaret’s players, coaches, managers and parents all got involved wearing pink zinc, ribbons, socks, tutu’s etc. Players donated a gold coin at their games and our parents support group committee members donated a $270 raffle voucher to the association as part of the larger fundraising efforts. Our Netball captains were at all games handing our pink lollipops and cheering on our teams. We also had Team 1 celebrating their mums with a tunnel before the game which looked amazing.

Thank you to our team managers for all your work helping our teams rock the PINK and to our secondary Netball Captains who spent the day cheering on teams, handing out prizes and pink lollipops for all.

Our teams were also very successful on the court with 12 wins, 1 draw and only 4 defeats. Teams 14 and 15 battled it out against each other in great spirit with a close 19-14 final score to team 14.

  

Gayle Coutts

Head of Netball

QGSSSA Autumn Sport – Reconciliation Round – Friday 26 May

The QGSSSA will celebrate National Reconciliation Week in conjunction with Round 9 of our Autumn Fixtures. As a school we are proud to support this initiative.

QGSSSA will be hosting a number of events and ceremonies across the different QGSSSA host venues and has commissioned the following piece of art, themed ‘Connected to each other’ and inspired by the young women who represent the schools in the QGSSSA.

Indigenous Art Code 5984

Authentic Aboriginal Art by Leah Cummins - read more about this artwork  (PDF 74KB)

Cross Country - 34th QGSSSA Championships

The 34th QGSSSA Championships will take place on Saturday 20 May St John Paul College. St Margaret’s will have a team of over 100 competitors who have been busily preparing with consistent trainings and racing opportunities since the commencement of Term 1. In addition to our St Margaret’s competitors the team will be joined by the Years 8 & 10 support cheer squad, led by our school spirit leaders the Dragonettes.

We are looking forward to a great day at the event and invite the wider community to come along to support our Maggies. Further information for competitors and the Years 8 & 10 support cheer squad can be found on the respective POD pages:

•           The POD - Secondary Cross Country (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           The POD - Year 8 (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           The POD - Year 10 (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

QGSSSA Winter Sport - Team Trials

The QGSSSA Winter Sport season is nearly upon us for 2023 and our sports are eagerly anticipating a great season ahead. QGSSSA Winter Sport involves competitions in the sports of Hockey, Netball, Tennis and Volleyball. Girls can select to participate in one of the sports listed and trial for representative teams that contest the QGSSSA competition season that takes place on each Saturday morning of Term 3. It is expected that those girls selected within a representative team will be committed for the entire season. Girls who are unsuccessful in team selection are encouraged to continue to participate in the program in a development capacity.  

QGSSA WINTER FIXTURE
ROUND	DATE	OPPONENT
Round 1	Saturday 15 July	St Peters Lutheran College
Round 2	Saturday 22 July	Clayfield College
Round 3	Saturday 29 July	Somerville House
Round 4	Saturday 5 August	Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Round 5	Saturday 12 August	St Aidan’s AGS
Round 6	Saturday 19 August	Brisbane State High School
Round 7	Saturday 26 August	Ipswich Girls Grammar School
Round 8	Saturday 2 September	St Hilda’s School
Round 9	Saturday 9 September	Moreton Bay College

For further information regarding each sport, please check out their respective POD Pages:

•           The POD - Secondary Hockey (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           The POD - Secondary Netball (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           The POD - Secondary Tennis (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           The POD - Secondary Volleyball (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:

•           Basketball (Autumn Sport) - The POD - Secondary Basketball (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           Soccer (Autumn Sport) - The POD - Secondary Football (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           Touch Football (Autumn Sport) - The POD - Secondary Touch Football (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           Cross Country - The POD - Secondary Cross Country (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           Rowing - The POD - Secondary Rowing (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           Rhythmic Gymnastics - The POD - Secondary Rhythmic Gymnastics (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           Club Netball - The POD - Club Netball (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

•           Club Swimming - The POD - Club Swimming (stmargarets.qld.edu.au)

GO MAGGIES!

Lloyd Knight

Blazer Pocket Embroidery

Blazers that require pocket embroidery must be submitted by morning tea on a Wednesday and will take approximately two weeks to be returned to the Supplies Shop from collection.

Winter Items

The School Supplies Shop now has supply of the following winter uniform items:-

• Formal jumper – both poly/cotton and wool/nylon
• Pre-Prep/Prep fleecy tracksuit
• School tracksuit jacket and pants
• Blazers – compulsory for Years 10 to 12
• School Scarf

Trading Hours (Term Time)

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

Public Holidays Closed

By donating on Wednesday 24 May, you will be making a lasting impact for future generations. You can assist us to literally grow trees as part of a special project if you donate to the Building Fund OR by donating to bursaries through the Scholarship Fund, you will be planting the seed by giving a girl every opportunity to grow through the gift of a St Margaret’s education.

A donation to the Building Fund will support the development of The Canopy Cafe, a new cafeteria that articulates to a beautiful and functional greenspace with outdoor seating that will benefit all primary and secondary students.

A donation to the Scholarship Fund will, through needs-based bursaries, help us to support young women in accessing or completing a St Margaret’s education; an opportunity that some girls thought wasn’t possible.

We sincerely thank our Matching Donors and those within our community who have already generously given in support of this campaign.

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

St Margaret’s Mothers’ Luncheon wrap up

Last Friday, the annual St Margaret’s Mothers’ Luncheon was held at Brisbane City Hall with more than 620 mothers and special guests in attendance. We celebrated St Margaret’s mothers and the women that play a significant role in the lives of our girls. The event was a wonderful success and with the support of our Maggie’s community, event sponsors and prize donors we raised over $50,000.

We sincerely thank our 2023 Mothers' Luncheon Supporting Sponsors: KLM Solicitors and UMS.

We also thank the businesses and people within our community who kindly donated prizes to the raffle: Hotel X, Iris Rooftop Bar & Restaurant, Bisou Bisou, The Beach Ranch, KAILO Wellness Medispa, Verve Photography, Western Truck Group, Samantha Ogilvie, LOUENHIDE, Studio Pilates, VANO Studio, Tres Belle Jewellery, Murray’s Gardening and Maintenance, Sign Artist, New England Flower Co, Maggie May, Deep Grey, St Margaret's P&F Association, and Dandelion and Driftwood.

Funds raised will allow the P&F to make a significant contribution to help support the development of The Canopy Cafe, a new cafeteria that articulates to a beautiful and functional greenspace with outdoor seating that will benefit all primary and secondary students.

Please enjoy the photos from the event by clicking on this link.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Professional Women’s Network Breakfast with guest speaker, Tracy Cooper-Lavery ('87) Director, Gallery and Visual Arts, HOTA

The Professional Women's Network Breakfast with guest speaker, Tracy Cooper-Lavery ('87) Director, Gallery and Visual Arts, HOTA Home of the Arts, has been rescheduled to Tuesday 30 May 2023.

Tracy is an arts museum leader with a career spanning 25 years. Tracy will share her personal and professional experiences in the industry, her vision for the future for HOTA and discuss the business opportunities and challenges for visual arts in Queensland.

These events are excellent opportunities for you to attend with your daughter or to take a corporate table and host your colleagues or clients.

If you would like to join us for this event, a limited number of tickets are now available for this new date: https://www.trybooking.com/CFLDG

Date:  TUESDAY 30 MAY 2023

Time: 6.45am arrival for 7.00am - 8.45am

Location: Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School, 11 Petrie Street, Ascot

Format: Sit down breakfast 

We also invite you to enjoy Barista Coffee from the Wolff Coffee Roasters cart, before and after the event!

Tickets: $85 Adult, $40 Student (Years 10-12/Tertiary).

Corporate tables: $850 (10 seats), includes company logo displayed on table and acknowledgement during event

We thank our series sponsors, Major Sponsor: Pitcher Partners, Associate Sponsors: Programmed Property Services and Wolff Coffee Roasters, and Supporting Sponsors: Downer, Clear Insurance, Westpac, O’Reilly Shaw Lawyers, Uniform Link and Move Recruitment Solutions.

Lara Pickering