eNews Archive Issue 26 - 25 August 2022

Congratulations also to the following teachers in the secondary school who have been nominated:

Cassandra Argent; Collette Anderson; Kerry Daud; Kirsty Krynauw; Courtney Burton; Margot Johnston; Karl Mandla; Amanda Jansen; Naomi Holley; Kate Wiedemann; Brad King; Ysabella Dawson; Louise Brown and George Higgins.

These awards are designed to encourage and support educators through recognising those who are examples of excellence in their profession. It is a wonderful way to recognise the fantastic and important work of our teachers and is a great reflection on the quality of the whole school teaching and learning community.

There is always something interesting happening at St Margaret’s. You may be feeling a little exhausted as this term there have been so many and varied opportunities for coming together as a community and for experiencing joy (our theme for the year). For example, we have had our Reunion weekend; the Mayo Festival; the Boarders Support Group Cocktail Party; and the Anglican Schools Music Festival. Science Week was a wonderful celebration of all things relating to STEM (and you will see a lot of joy in the Science Faculty dance video on social media) and this week there are so many opportunities again for both primary and secondary students through Book Week.

The Primary Arts Spectacular on Friday will be another wonderful celebration of the Arts and student endeavour. Thank you in advance to Kerry Rider and all her helpers. I hope you enjoy the show!

Best of luck to our rowers for the Head of the River on Saturday. Let’s hope for glorious weather!

Ros Curtis

Adrians is a Brisbane based firm, who fundamentally believe in helping family-owned businesses build financial resilience across generations through planning and advice services. Through seeking out, developing, and evaluating smart technology they provide clarity, automation efficiencies and enable business owners to make better informed decisions.

This prestigious annual scholarship is valued at $4,000 and also includes opportunities for work experience at Adrians over the December/January period.

An information session about this scholarship opportunity for students in Year 12 will be held on Friday and the deadline for applications is Monday 5 September. Interviews will occur after this time. The awardee will be announced at the prize reading assembly on 4 October and be presented their scholarship at Speech Night on 11 October.

Karen Gorrie

There have been numerous reports in the media over the past week about the Anglican Church in Australia, namely reporting that a divide/split has occurred. In a letter sent by the Archbishop's, Bishop Jeremy Greaves (acting as the Archbishop's representative) it was stated:

"The Diocese of the Southern Cross is not part of the Anglican Church of Australia nor the Anglican Communion. It is an entity created by GAFCON to support people who have chosen to leave the Anglican Church of Australia and the Anglican Communion... Any division in the church should be a cause for sadness.

“Our approach in Brisbane Diocese is to create a comprehensive expression of Anglicanism where we work hard to hold together our different understandings on many things. This does not mean that every position or any position is accepted. It does mean that we seek to be in communion with as many people as we can and we value the different gifts and perspectives that come with diversity. 

“In Brisbane Diocese we have evangelical, catholic and liberal parishes, and clergy, all of whom are represented on the councils and commissions of the church. We value diversity and the input from across all these traditions. This does not mean we always agree or that particular people always get their way, but it does mean that we can learn from one another and even delight in our differences. Together we strive to express truth more fully than we might alone."

At St Margaret's, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent have passed on a strong Anglican legacy that celebrates wholistic education, compassion, and the importance of building communities of welcome and belonging. This is a tradition to be proud of, and a tradition that will unite and strengthen us into the future.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

If I listed all the times I’ve witnessed kindness and a ‘big sister’ mentality in the boarding house, I’d be here forever. However, here are just a few examples of the sisterly compassion I’ve witnessed in the last week:

• Two senior boarders helping a Year 7 student search high and low for a missing item
• Multiple Years 11 and 12 students assisting serving ice cream and lollies to approximately 130 students at an inter-school boarding social event on Saturday night
• Countless study sessions run by our Years 11 and 12 students helping with Science, English and Language assessments.
• A Year 12 boarder stopping in the breezeway to give a Year 7 boarder a hug and ask how their weekend was.

None of these things are over the top, public displays of kindness, but rather subtle acts that would go unnoticed to the casual observer – and that’s what I think makes them so special. Our big sisters are leaving a legacy of generosity and setting an example for the way a boarding big sister should act. While our little sisters are currently reaping the benefits of a compassionate culture, I’m positive that one day they will make pretty great big sisters too.  

Hannah Calcino

Next week, Year 12 students will start Mock Exam Block. The timetable for this is available on the POD. In order to maximise teaching time while still giving all subjects the opportunity to sit mock exams, there will be three sessions run on most days. Due to varying lengths of exams, the start times of these sessions will also vary. It is important that students check their start time and location of their exams carefully. No student should have more than two exams on any given day. If this is the case or if there is a clash in times, they should contact me so we can arrange an alternative time and venue for one of the exams.

Year 11

At the end of next week, Year 11 students will have their study day before their exam block starts at the beginning of Week 9. This exam block contains the final assessment tasks of Units 1 and 2. The end of the term brings the final opportunity for students to move from one subject into another or to change from ATAR to Portfolio Pathway. Any students who are considering this should book an appointment with me via the POD as soon as possible.

Year 10

Year 10 students also have their Study Hall coming up on Wednesday 31 August and Thursday 1 September. Please note that any students who are not currently up to date on their Cert II studies will be required to have additional Cert II sessions on these days.

Caitlin McCluskey

Both of these forms and the procedures can be found via the Extension Form button on each Year Level POD page. A reminder that in Years 7-9, a parent note or email will suffice for evidence; however, in Years 10-12 a Medical Certificate is required.

If a student knows that they will require an extension due to a foreseen event, they should speak with their teacher or the appropriate Head of Faculty as soon as they can.

Resit of Exams due to Absence on the day

Any student in Years 7 to 10 who is absent on the day of an exam, will be required to sit this exam on the first day they return to school. Students should report directly to the Senior Library at 8:20am with their correct equipment, and will complete the exam under supervision in Lessons 1A/B.

Chris Dunn

In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success - without effort. In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work - brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.

In much of Dweck’s work she refers to two main themes: ‘Mindset Rules’ and the associated ‘Dangers of Praise’. Professor Dweck was able to package years of her research into some useful rules on mindset.

Mindset Rule 1:

Fixed Mindset - Look smart at all costs

Growth Mindset - Learn at all costs

Mindset Rule 2:

Fixed Mindset - It should come naturally

Growth Mindset - Work hard; effort is the key

Mindset Rule 3:

In the face of setbacks…

Fixed Mindset - Hide mistakes and deficiencies

Growth Mindset - Confront mistakes and deficiencies

After setbacks…

Fixed Mindset - “I’d spend less time on that subject from now on”

Growth Mindset - “I would work harder in this class from now on”

As educators and parents we must be mindful as it is our comments that teaches children how to think about themselves. It can be a fixed mindset message that says: “You have permanent traits and I’m judging them”. Or it can be a growth mindset message that says: “You are a developing as a person and I am interested in your development”.

Nikki Townsend

Book Week was launched on Tuesday with a book character parade. At the parade, we saw all sorts of books come alive thanks to the girls’ colourful, imaginative character costumes.

Recently I was asked why I like Book Week. To me, Book Week is a like a birthday party for books as it is a celebration of literature.  I believe books should be celebrated as they add value to our lives and introduce readers to many authors and illustrators who together give us such memorable stories.

Each year, a theme is identified for Book Week which guides interesting and exciting ways to explore books. This year, the theme is Dreaming with eyes open….. This theme has two different meanings. Firstly, reading is dreaming with eyes open. Reading takes the reader to different places - fantasy lands, other countries, the future, the past, the present - just before nodding off to sleep where they may be taken into a character’s dreams.

Secondly, Dreaming with eyes open….. can mean being alert to challenges but refusing to let them stop you from reaching your dreams. You dream your dreams with open eyes and make them come true.

As a school, we encourage girls to dream big, but they know they must work hard. At the parade, I acknowledged three students who have worked diligently to achieve their dreams: Charlotte Lin, Year 6 student, who has read 6 million words, Ivy Tribe, Year 3 student, who has read five million words and Eva Liu, Year 2 student, who shared her talents, mesmerising the audience with her sophisticated harp playing.

The parade was a great success. Thank you to parents for creating fabulous costumes, the staff for supporting their students, Annette Box for coordinating the event and Regina Brennan for conducting the new choir (P-1, named Piccolo) for its debut performance. 

Traditionally, the staff share their love of reading during Book Week and this year a video was launched via the POD. I thank the staff wholeheartedly for their humour and spirit in the making of the video. Thank you to Mr Howard for his story content, directing, filming, and editing skills. His talents certainly enhanced the outcome. 

Angela Drysdale

They also act as mentors as they model what it means to be a secondary school girl at St Margaret’s. This partnership proves to be equally and mutually fulfilling for the Preps and Year 9’s and a meaningful relationship is forged as they discover the world through one another’s eyes. The Year 9’s rediscover the joy of a play before channelling their research into an original ‘play’, to be performed for the Prep students in Term 4. This project is just one example of one of the many benefits of an education in a PP-Year 12 setting. Seeing the genuine joy that the girls bring one another in their combined sessions and the joyful spring in the step of the Year 9 girls as they make their way back to their secondary classrooms is proof that we as a school are indeed ‘embracing joy’ in 2022.

Annette Box

Open Mic Session

Congratulations to all students who performed at the Open Mic session held on Wednesday in the Barley Sugar Gardens. Six performances were given with a wide variety of genres on display. There were many in the audience providing support to all those performing. Well done to all performers and thank you to the Music Captains for organising this event.

Music Dinner

The Music Department is very excited to announce that the annual Music Dinner will be held on Friday 14 October 6:00-9:30pm in Eton Hall. The theme for 2022 is ‘Iconic Songs’. Students (and parents!) are encouraged to choose an iconic song and dress in a costume that represents their chosen song. Music Dinner is an occasion for students and parents to celebrate a wonderful year of music-making at St Margaret’s and is open to students in Years 6-12 who have been involved in the co-curricular ensembles throughout the year. It is always a special night with awards given, and presentations made to acknowledge the girls’ many achievements. Further details regarding ticket purchase will be made available next week. We look forward to having many in attendance!

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 6 September at 5.00pm in M’s Cafe. Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend.

Brad King

The Open Volleyball team had a shaky start dropping the first set, before rallying and playing out an extremely close second and third set. Team energy and unity proving to be the secret ingredient to this team’s fortunes. Despite the loss, after six rounds they sit mid-table in 6^th position on the ladder.

The Open Tennis team played a nail-biting series of matches, losing by just five games, 24-29. This team continues to step up and challenge those schools above them, a testament to their determination and work ethic. The team currently sit equal 5^th on the ladder, just one win short of top three.

The Open Hockey team played an awesome match holding their opponent to a 2 all draw deep into the match. Despite not taking out the win this week, our girls sit 4^th on the ladder, one point off a top three position and with every chance of finishing the season on a high.

The Open Netball team played the match of the round. After a narrow defeat the previous week, this team felt they had more to give. Showing great self-belief and strong team unity, the team turned around a 13-goal differential in the second half to secure the win. This was the first Open Grade win against Moreton Bay in many years, causing a great deal of excitement and celebration at games end. Our girls sit 2^nd on the ladder.

For a full list of QGSSSA results please check out the following POD News post and for future information regarding fixtures please see our Sport POD Page.

Further QGSSSA sport information can be found on the following POD pages:

• QGSSSA Hockey POD Page
• QGSSSA Tennis POD Page
• QGSSSA Netball POD PAGE
• QGSSSA Volleyball POD Page

Tennis Report

Maggie’s Tennis has been playing some fantastic matches during the QGSSSA season, with only 3 games left! The girls have been showing wonderful spirit during both matches and training, especially at our most recent round against Moreton Bay College on Friday 19 August. It was a lovely afternoon, and we were fortunate to have some toasties to warm us up at night provided by our amazing tennis support group!

All players should be incredibly proud of themselves for how they played last weekend! St Margaret’s came away with tight wins in Senior A, Junior A and Junior B, and we are proud of the girls for coming through with the wins despite some close matches! The Open team played some wonderful matches however couldn’t get the win this time. A massive thank you to Leila who stepped up into the Open team to replace an injured player, you played so well! Our Junior Cs had a bye this weekend, so we are excited to see them back out there for our next round.

We look forward to our next round against St Peter’s Lutheran College on Saturday and thank Coach Beck Meares and Mrs Eastland for their support.

Lara Charles & Gabriella Henzell

Tennis Captains

QGSSSA Athletics Practice Meets

In the lead up to the QGSSSA Track & Field Championships set to take place on Thursday 15 September, our Maggies team will be participating in several practices meets this term.

All students participating within the QGSSSA Athletics Program are encouraged to participate within these practice meets. They are lots of fun, with an exciting atmosphere under lights at the track.

For further information please see the Athletics POD PAGE.

Sporting Achievements – Sport Awards Evening

Within our St Margaret’s Sport Awards Evening we recognise and acknowledge the achievements of students who represent team Queensland and Australia within their respective School Sport and Club Sport Pathways.

Given club sport is external to St Margaret’s we do appreciate students and/or parents/guardians notifying the Activities Office of student representation at this level. Recognition is acknowledged of those students who are selected and compete within a representative Queensland or Australian team.

If your daughter has represented at this level, could you please notify the Activities Office by Friday 9 September, with the suitable details to assist.

Please email myself lknight@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

GO MAGGIES!

Lloyd Knight

Current Year 11 students will be required to have textbooks and stationery for the commencement of Term 4 2022.

Delivery is free within Queensland. Boarders only can have their book pack delivered to St Margaret’s for pickup on their return to school in Term 4 by confirming in the delivery address: Boarder – Deliver to St Margaret’s AGS.

All other year levels will have access to the 2023 booklists around mid-October 2022.

Date: Sunday 30 October 2022

Venue: The Greek Club

Tickets will go on sale from 9.30am on Tuesday 6 September via Try Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/CBVLB .

(Year 12 families will be given early access to purchase tickets from 9:30am Monday 5 September).

This event is proudly supported by Major Sponsor, Adcock Prestige and Supporting Sponsor, Rogue Hair Hamilton.

Calling all Old Girls! Join us for the inaugural Cocktail Event, an 'Evening on the Green' hosted by St Margaret’s Old Girls’ Association.

Enjoy a cocktail on arrival, three-hour drinks package, gourmet food truck delights, live music, and a chance to catch up underneath the stars. This event provides a great opportunity for past students to reconnect beyond their reunion years.

Date: Saturday 24 September 2022

Time: 6.00pm – 9.00pm

Venue: Circular Drive, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

Tickets: $110 per person or $165 per person with a bottle of Mumm champagne.

Book now via Try Booking: www.trybooking.com/BZOVT

Lara Pickering