eNews Archive Issue 3 - 14 February 2019

For the 2018 review, a total of 52% of our school parents responded to invitations to participate in the survey. We are most grateful to parents for their time and effort in assisting us with this important initiative.

The surveys were extensive and covered more than 300 aspects in relation to education at St Margaret's providing much more granulated data than the overviews below can give.

Overall, we are very pleased with the results. Anything over 80% is considered a very high result and as you can see from the information below we score consistently at this very high level and in most cases well above the results of the benchmarked schools.

However, there are areas identified where further attention will be given. We will continue with our focus on Academic Excellence which has seen our students achieve outstanding results in their OP and NAPLAN results in recent times and work towards more differentiated and individualised programs, particularly for students with needs. We have also heard that we need to provide more support to students in the transition from school and that we need more variety in clubs on offer. We were also affirmed by the ratings, positive comments and the constructive advice parents provided. These ‘open responses’ added greatly to the value of the review.

For example, in response to the question about what parents valued most about St Margaret's, Primary parents noted many aspects of life at the School, including:

Our Secondary parents provided us with a similar list but just in a different order of importance:

This information is most important for the School for our operational and strategic planning, as well as tracking changes in our performance and I thank the 2018 parents sincerely for their feedback and for the extent of the information and quality of views expressed. We greatly value the views of our community.

Ros Curtis 

At the Secondary Parent Information night, I shared information about St Margaret’s Way. I thought I would include this information in my newsletter article for this week for the Primary parents and also those who were unable to attend the evening.

In 2016, the St Margaret’s Way was launched. The vision of St Margaret’s Way is to ensure social and professional interactions between all within our community - students, staff and families - that foster a sense of belonging, coherence and well-being. The St Margaret’s Way is a set of values and behaviours to which all members of the St Margaret’s community adhere. It grew out of questions put to the community: How do I want to feel every day when I come school? What am I doing to ensure that others feel this way? The vision of this plan is to ensure social and educational interactions that foster a sense of belonging, coherence, well-being and accountability amongst staff, students and parents. Essentially it is a pastoral approach that is designed to give a language to the way we are and strive to be in our interactions with each other. It is a focused energy on well-being, noting that all within the St Margaret’s community have a role to play in the well-being of all in our community. There are two key focus areas – firstly we appreciate and acknowledge (each other, students, parents), and we are aligned and accountable (to ourselves, to each other, to the vision of the school).

I’m pleased that some of our students will be driving this area of well-being in our school in association with our staff. We have a number of students and staff that are involved in a St Margaret’s Way committee that meets a couple of times a term. Last year, that committee helped to organise a fun lunchtime activity of dancing and games from Year 5 through to 12, and they initiated the screensavers that display messages from the St Margaret’s Way onto all school computers. In the Primary school there is a St Margaret’s Way assembly once per term, where teachers nominate awards for students who have displayed the St Margaret’s Way through a particular action or behaviour.

I look forward to a year where our community can continue to embrace and foster the St Margaret’s Way.

Karen Gorrie 

So, all are invited to bring along a school bag or backpack, kindy Bag, lunchbox, or library bag. Adults – you are not forgotten! You are invited to bring along your work lunch bag or briefcase or some other item that represents your working life and day.

Year 8 students will again be providing a fabulous morning tea following the service, and remember to invite all your family, friends and neighbours!

Admission to Communion
In the coming weeks there are opportunities for students to be formally welcomed to receive Holy Communion. Firstly, as part of the Years 7 and 8 Family Service on Tuesday 26 February, 6:30pm, girls in these years levels are invited to participate in a simple preparation. These students will be admitted to communion at the Family Service. Please click here (PDF 300.7KB) to view the letter with further details. Please note that one must be baptised and this can easily be arranged if necessary.

Secondly, Years 4-6 are invited to be Admitted to Communion as part of the Years 4-6 Family Service on Wednesday 13 March at 6pm. Please click here (PDF 310.9KB) to view the letter with further details. Again, baptism can be arranged.

Upcoming Services

Sunday 17 February: All Ages Church, 9:30am

Monday 18 February: Year 6 Leaders’ Induction, 8:30am

Tuesday 26 February: Years 7 and 8 Family Service and Admission to Communion, 6:30pm

Thursday 28 February: Primary Chapel, 9:50am

Wednesday 6 March: ASH WEDNESDAY Service, Chapel, 7:30am All are Welcome

Reflection
On Monday night, I visited the Year 7s on camp at Mapleton and after dinner enjoyed a reflective, yet sparkly service where we considered our place within the life of St Margaret’s School and the cohort. Each girl brought a torch into the darkened space to shine brightly when asked, eventually celebrating with each other that one small light can make a difference … and with others our lights can be extraordinary!

We sang along to Passenger’s song, “Scare Away the Dark” (the non-explicit version!!) and we prayed boldly. As a group we gave thanks for what we offer, who we are, and for the world in which we live.

May our Loving God continue to richly bless each student in our school community and may all feel loved and safe in our halls, classrooms and on the fields.

Prayer for those In North Queensland and Beyond
As a school community, we are enriched by the stories and presence of students who hail from far and wide. Naturally, we are all thinking and praying for those suffering such hardships across our state, particularly in North Queensland. We hold these families most affected by the extremes of our natural world – flood, to fire, to drought. I invite us all to take a moment to pray for the following:

God, we cry out to you and lift before you those who are struggling through the devastating impact of both flood and drought. The impact of these events is beyond our imaginations. We grasp at words, we struggle to find meaning.

Holy God, embrace all your children that through their pain they may see your love through the actions of those who assist, that your hope may be felt through the humble messages shared from afar. Bless these families, and we pray for their future. Strengthen their spirits that they may be able to move forward. May they be blessed with courage and determination, but most of all, blessed with peaceful hearts.

In your Son’s name,
Amen

With every blessing on your week ahead,
The Reverend Canon Nicki Colledge 

On behalf of the St Margaret’s Boarding House, we would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy and thoughts to everyone in Northern Queensland who have been impacted by the devastating flooding. We are sending you all our love and prayers and promising that we are thinking of you, your families, livestock and communities. We wish you well and stay safe in your recovery efforts. Unfortunately, our Year 7 boarders were unable to be in the photo as they were away on camp; however, we do not doubt that they also offer an endless amount of support to all those affected.

Kindest regards
Bella Gray and Gabriella Sedgwick
Boarder Captains 2019

Lesa Fowler 

Joanne Dickson from Cowan University recently wrote an article about goal setting and identified 5 very realistic tips to help students set better goals. Firstly, be approach-oriented rather than avoidance-oriented, for example “I want to prepare a weekly study schedule” is more effective than “I want to avoid getting a C in Biology”. The next two tips go hand in hand, goals need to be meaningful, specific and freely chosen by the student so that they are driven to achieve them. The fourth tip can sometimes get lost in the business of the term and that is to revisit your goals along the way and be flexible. Situations change and other goals can sometimes arise, so your daughter’s academic advisor can be a perfect person to discuss goals with during the term. And finally, academic achievement is enhanced by emotional well-being and this doesn’t happen by accident. Remember to have goals in other areas of life such as recreation, health and relationships. For example, it may be necessary to set a goal of having Friday night off study to go out or watch TV and not feel guilty.

Your daughter’s academic progress is a priority and by going through this thinking process your daughter will be able to decide what she wants to achieve or improve and how she can do it. To bring these goals to life, have a conversation at home about time frames so that you can celebrate the achievements and provide support for the long-term goals. To achieve the best outcomes for your daughter we want to work in partnership with you. So, please feel free to contact your daughter’s teachers to discuss strategies, come and meet your daughter’s Academic Advisor at the upcoming Parent Teacher Interviews or for Years 10-12 parents contact myself or Mrs Nicole Devlin for Years 7-9 parents.

Years 11 and 12 Exam Block
The schedule of exams for the Term 1 Years 11 and 12 Exam Blocks will be made available on the year level pages of the POD by this Friday. If your daughter is unable to complete an exam the ‘Request for an Extension’ form is located on the Academic Hub page on the POD. This year, both Year 11 and 12 students have been provided with a study day to enable them to prepare for their exams. Now is a perfect time to begin preparing a study schedule in the lead up to exams and making sure your assessment is a priority during this time.

Jo Butterworth 

Over the year, some natural patterns of connection emerged. These included full group meetings, individual meetings, smaller group meetings, written contact, as well as a combination of all of these. In reviewing the program with students last year, the stand out feedback was that students felt more a part of the process of learning and they had someone to connect with and ask questions. Students reported they had conversations with their Academic Advisor about many topics including friends, family, teachers, goals, results and feedback. Overall, the feedback received from students was very positive; however, they did identify areas which could be improved. Some students still felt like they needed to feel more connected with their Academic Advisor by meeting more regularly.

This feedback was shared with staff prior to students returning for Term 1. I challenged staff with questions about their Academic Advising group. These included questions about what their group needed from them, to how well they knew the students they advise in relation to their strengths, passions and aspirations. All staff took time to reflect to continue to build the connection to engage the students in meaningful conversations around assessment, results and plans. To assist with this over the next few weeks, all students in Years 9 to 12 will be setting goals for Semester 1, in conjunction with their Academic Advisor, which will be shared with parents at the upcoming Parent Teacher Interviews.

Term 1 Parent Teacher Interviews
The first session of Parent/Teacher Interviews for 2019 will be held on Monday 11 March from 3:30-6:00pm and Thursday 14 March from 3:30-6:00pm. For this interview session you will be able to book to see your daughter’s Form teacher (Years 7 and 8) or Academic Advisor (Years 9-12).

Your daughter’s Form teacher or Academic Advisor will share with you the work they (and your daughter) have been discussing to personalise her learning path in order to develop independent and resilient learning dispositions. This will be facilitated by sharing school-based and external academic data, as well as sharing the goals your daughter has set for herself in response to results and teacher feedback. This will form the foundations of her academic care and general well-being. The Form teacher and Academic Advisor will also be looking for your input into how to best encourage your daughter for her learning program.

Bookings
To access the interview booking system, please log into The POD, click on Parent Lounge and the link for Parent Teacher Interviews. Bookings open at 9:00am on Monday 18 February. Please be aware of the closing date for the booking system (Friday 1 March) as no further bookings can be made after this date. After you have completed your booking, you will be able to view and print a schedule of your interview times.

SKYPE
For boarder parents wishing to utilise SKYPE technology, please email: borts@stmargarets.qld.edu.au to ensure the system is available. You will then be placed on a booking sheet and receive the St Margaret’s ID number. Anyone wishing to use SKYPE will have to be in possession of the following:

• Functioning microphone and speaker
• Webcam
• SKYPE software
• Have a registered ID

Please note, if you need assistance with Parent Lounge Access please email School Support on: schoolsupport@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Nicole Devlin 

In light of this, we tried to incorporate this idea of connectedness and unity within our 2019 theme. We wanted something versatile that clearly described the sort of St Margaret's girl we each want to be and inspire in you in 2019.

With that, we would like to present the school theme for 2019: 'Unite the Flight!'

A flight, as you may not know, is the collective noun for a group of dragons, the mascot of St Margaret's. Beyond that; however, a dragon represents strength and power. And whether you consider yourself to be either of those or not, learning and growing requires great strength and these adversities should be tackled hand-in-hand with your fellow dragons. This notion of 'power within unity' is one that we'd really like to promote. Keep your friends close and support them so that you can all learn to stand tall on your own two feet.

Our theme also aligns with our school motto, "Per Volar Sunata" - "Born to Fly Upwards". The motto inspires girls to soar within the St Margaret's community and beyond, and keep persisting to attain better results, create new PBs, reach your goals or whatever it is you want to achieve.

This theme was intended to be suitable and adaptable to all areas of school life, and tie together various parts of the vision we, as prefects, want to enact within St Margaret's. Girls, we want you to be able to embody this theme in whatever way you can. Each of us can embody the strength of a dragon, and we can only benefit from the strength of others. Help each other out in your classes, cheer another team on at sport, join something new and embrace the communities you hadn't explored within the school. The opportunities we're presented here are limitless and with every small act, the impact grows and grows.

Our goal with this theme was, as we said, to create a vision which each of you can take and mould to your own St Margaret's experience. We hope to be able to adapt the theme in a way that resonates with each and every one of you. But for now, as we kickstart the first prefects assembly, we hope you enjoy as we show you how this theme applies in practice. We're going to teach you all how to master the art of being a St Margaret's girl, otherwise known as how to train your Maggies' dragon.

Nikki Townsend 

• Higher motivation and self-efficacy for learning
• Better school connectedness

• Improved behaviour
• Better overall wellbeing

More recent research has found parent involvement is a two-pronged approach:

1. Family-school partnership
2. Family-led learning

The components of these areas are:

Family-School Partnership

• Parent-teacher communication – regular positive channels of communication are essential to build a strong partnership
• School-based involvement – attendance at events, helps the child develop a sense of connectedness to and value of the school community. Connectedness influences academic outcomes

Family-Led Learning

• Reading together
• Creating a learning environment
• Setting a high bar – expectations
• Conversations – about learning, relationships
• Supporting wellbeing

In relation to these five family-led learning experiences, I would like to expand briefly on them.

Reading together and creating a learning environment are self-explanatory.

Setting the high bar - is the expectations parents set. These are influential in a child’s own value of learning and their sense of academic competence. Conversations is about talking to your child about learning, relationships with others, what they like to learn, what they’re good at and not so good at. These two things (setting the bar, conversations) have an immediate impact on your child’s learning dispositions; that is, their attitudes and habits of mind which contribute to their self-efficacy (one’s belief in one’s ability to succeed in tasks and situations). Self-efficacy impacts how one approaches life and learning.

Supporting wellbeing is as it states. However, for many parents supporting a child’s wellbeing can be a minefield. Throughout the year, I will share key elements of the programs and information we teach your daughters to support their wellbeing. In last week’s eNews I shared information about supporting the development of resilience. This week, I would like to share an extract from an informative series written by Michael Hawton, Child Psychologist (MAPS).

An important part of being a parent is helping children learn to deal with disappointments and difficulties. We can help our children learn to cope emotionally with uncomfortable feelings by being there and listening to them. We can acknowledge that sometimes life is challenging or unfair but that we can learn to cope with this. Helping our children recognise emotions and deal with them, without being crushed by them, teaches our children emotional resilience.

We can help our children feel more competent by helping them think of some alternative ways to deal with a problem, which empowers them by giving a sense of agency and control.

With this in mind, some issues are worth recognising before you come to the school in search of a remedy on your child’s behalf.

Firstly, the school must make ‘system’ decisions. While all schools try to follow principles of fairness and equity, it is not always possible to decide matters fairly. There will always be cases where some children will not get the teacher they wanted or be seated close to their friends.

Secondly, all school staff aspire towards providing an environment where the best interests of the child are held paramount. While teachers may not have the same attachment to a child that a parent does, the majority of school staff care personally for the children in the school.

Thirdly, each time a parent jumps in where a problem could be resolved by their child, they may be robbing them of an opportunity to develop resilience skills.

Making a decision about whether or not to go up to the school is about assessing the problem and seeing if it can be an opportunity to help your child to learn to manage their emotions, increase resilience and become an independent problem solver.

Who said parenting is easy? As a school we are here to work together with you to make parenting a little easier as we share in your child’s educative journey of wellbeing.

If you would like further advice, I would recommend attending the parent information seminar on Thursday 7 March by Madonna King - Fathers and Daughters: Helping teen girls and their dads build unbreakable bonds.

Angela Drysdale

Parent Teacher Interviews
Thank you to all parents who were able to attend last week’s Parent Information evening. I hope this provided you with the opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, other parents in your child’s class and to gain a better understanding of the classroom program and procedures. During Week 4, Parent Teacher interviews will be held for you to meet one-on-one with the classroom teacher to discuss the individual needs of your child.

Last week, a letter detailing the upcoming Primary Parent Teacher interviews was issued. The Primary school holds Parent Teacher interviews twice per year, at the beginning of Term 1 and again at the beginning of Term 3. The aim of our initial meeting is to strengthen the positive partnership between school and home communities and provide opportunity for open communication. The Term 1 interview offers both teachers and parents a time to share information, discuss your daughter’s progress and identify goals.

To access the interview booking system, please log into The POD, then click on Parent Lounge and the link for Parent Teacher Interviews. Interview bookings open on Wednesday 13 February at 9:00am. Interview bookings will close on Tuesday 19 February, 5:00 pm. No further bookings can be made after this date. After you have finished booking your times, you will be able to view and print a schedule of your interview times.

Interview and session details:

• Session 1 – Thursday 21 February, 3:45pm - 6:00pm
• Session 2 – Friday 22 February, 1:15pm - 6:00pm

Interviews will run for a 16 minute duration.

Cathy Cox
Assistant Head of Primary

Upcoming Events

This Sunday 17 February, 9:30am in the School Chapel “Blessing of the Backpacks” All-Ages Service and ALL are welcome!
Our first All-Ages Sunday Service is this week, and I believe we are still close enough to the commencement of the school year to go with the theme of 'The Blessing of the Backpacks'!

So, all are invited to bring along a school bag or backpack, kindy bag, lunchbox or library bag. Adults - you are not forgotten! You are invited to bring along your work lunch bag or briefcase or some other item that represents your working life and day.

Year 8 students will again be providing a fabulous morning tea following the service, and remember to invite all your family, friends and neighbours!

Thursday 21 February: Primary Parent Teacher Interviews, Atrium, 3:45pm-6:00pm

Friday 22 February: Primary Parent Teacher Interviews, Atrium, 1:15pm-6:00pm

Wednesday 27 February to Friday 1March: Year 4 Camp, Alexandra Park Conference Centre, Alexandra Headland

Thursday 28 February: Years 1 and 2 Excursion, Northey Street, Herston

Friday 1 March: P&F Mothers’ Luncheon, 11:30am-3:00pm

Thursday 7 March: Presentation by Madonna King - Fathers and Daughters: Helping teen girls and their dads build unbreakable bonds, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Arts Centre Foyer

The St Margaret’s Music Department would like to extend a very big thank you to the Music Support Group and the P&F for their support in purchasing new instruments for this program. This is an exciting initiative and one that will provide outstanding learning opportunities for our young music students.

Open Day
The St Margaret’s music ensembles are looking forward to performing at our upcoming Open Day on Saturday 9 March. The schedule of performances is in the process of being finalised and will be published soon.

For many of the music ensembles at St Margaret’s, students are required to wear a performance uniform. With Open Day fast approaching, students are encouraged to purchase the uniform as soon as possible from the School Supplies Shop. Performance uniform requirements for Open Day are as follows:

Choral Ensembles

Serenata, Belle Voci: School Middy

Primary Chorale: School Middy (but required to purchase a white church dress for future performances)

Exultate: Black pants with a plum coloured shirt and black jazz shoes

Band Ensembles

Chaseley Concert Band, Jackson Wind Ensemble, Regale Percussion Ensemble: School Middy

Sister Helen Wind Symphony, Stage Band, Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute/EJ Percussion Ensembles: Black performance uniform with black shoes (ballet flats)

String Ensembles

Tutti Strings, Amati Strings, Beath String Quartet: School Middy

Stradivari Strings, Chamber Strings, Sculthorpe String Quartet: Black performance uniform with black shoes (ballet flats)

Rock Bands

Highly Strung: School Middy

Secondary Rock Bands: Smart blue jeans, sneakers and ‘M Factor’ polo shirt

Elevarsi Voices (Choir for students in Years 6-8)
Elevarsi Voices, our all-comers choir for students in Years 6-8, will commence next Monday afternoon, 3:30-4:30pm in the Sister Helen Orchestra Room (SHOR). All girls in Years 6-8 are welcome to attend with no audition required. The choir will sing a variety of repertoire with a focus on more contemporary music. This choir aims to build a love of singing, as well as develop confidence and understanding of vocal technique. It is well recognised that singing can increase well-being and a sense of connectedness and we look forward to having many girls involved!

Music Support Group
Thank you to the parents who attended our first Music Support Group meeting of the year. It was wonderful to see so many parents in attendance. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 5 March 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 

QGSSSA Swimming
The swim squad of 91 members participated in the first swim meet of the season at Centenary Pool last Friday night. All girls were primed and raring to go which started with a carb-loaded meal of pasta, supplied by the Years 8 and 9 parents. Many of the girls not only swam extremely well with many girls recording a ‘Personal Best’, but also demonstrated excellent spirit throughout the evening.

Swim Meet 2 – Friday 15 February
This week will see St Margaret’s host with Clayfield College at the Valley Pool. Year 7 families will be providing pasta and we ask all parents to donate baked goods and a gift voucher to assist the Swimming Support Group in raising funds. Please see the Swimming POD page for further details on this event.

Water Polo
The Water Polo teams completed their 9th round of competition last weekend with teams trying their best. Results from Saturday 9 February:

The games schedule for Saturday 16 February is available via the Water Polo POD page.

Cricket Specialist Coaching Sessions
The Cricket teams are being treated to specialist coaching with Queensland Cricketer, Angus Lovell.  The session on Tuesday 12 February focused on bowling in readiness for our home ground matches against Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School in the Open competition and Brisbane Girls Grammar School in the Division 1 competition.

We look forward to our next skills session on Tuesday 26 February on batting.

Football Partnership
It’s Football (soccer) season and we are pleased to announce our partnership with Brisbane City Football Club at Newmarket. Brisbane City FC will take the reins of our Football program supplying FFA qualified coaches, referees and new training and home game grounds. We can't wait to see our Footballers in action later this term!

Sacre Coeur Tennis
Tennis commenced with the annual Sacre Coeur competition held on Saturday 9 February at Nudgee. This year, the competition took on a different form with one school withdrawing late last year and another not being able to field teams early in the term. However, St Margaret’s and Fairholme College, Toowoomba, continued to match up for the first Tennis competition of the year.

Despite the very hot and humid day, St Margaret’s was very strong across all divisions and there were some very hard fought matches. Congratulations to all girls involved and it was especially nice to welcome some Year 7 students to the team, and we look forward to their continued involvement over the year. Many thanks to the Tennis girls for their commitment and readiness to be involved in the competition.

Thank you to the Tennis Support Group for providing the barbecue at the end of the day and Beck Meares for her tireless coaching and support of the Tennis team. We look forward to the St Margaret’s Cup next term with involvement from all interested students.

Congratulations to…

Chloe Fenwicke (Year 10) and Isabella Harte (Year 8) who placed 1st and 2nd respectively in their age groups at the Queensland 3000m Championships.

Chelsea Johnson (Year 9) and Emma Pickering (Year 9) who were members of the U14 gold medal winning Water Polo team and the silver medal U16 Water Polo team at the recent National Championships held in Brisbane in January.

Good luck to…

Lucinda Bourke (Year 8) and Meg Mettam (Year 10) who will contest the National Championships in the Queensland Under 15 Cricket team.

Helen Lobegeiger 

Lisa Smith

We both sure are loving it over here in New Zealand. We started off with our first week in Twizel for rowing camp which allowed us to meet many girls and start forming new friendships. Although this week was very hard and challenging for us, we have both gained many new experiences from it. After that first week, we were into another week of rowing training back in Christchurch where we were introduced to the “Kaiapoi” and “Wymac” rivers where we row most afternoons and shown around the SMC rowing shed, as well as seeing different areas around Christchurch like Sumner beach. We were then sent into the boarding house and kick-started school, as well as more training.

Although it has been a little challenging settling into the SMC life and getting to know everyone and the new school, all the girls here have been very welcoming and always there to help. After two days at school we were back on the bus to Twizel for South Island Champs regatta where Lucie (Lucinda) picked up her first medal coming 3rd in her Four and I rowed the Under Sixteen Eight. After this regatta we were back at school for another week, trying to find our way around. We were lucky enough to have Wednesday last week off as it was Waitangi Day over here, so we spent most of this day rowing of course and in the afternoon enjoyed bowling with the boarding house. Last weekend, we went out with Alana (Lucie’s Partner) for the weekend and enjoyed Saturday night at the noodle markets in Halgey Park. On Sunday, we ventured around the city trying different foods and shopping.

2017 Exchange - a blast from the past
We recently heard from Mrs Bosworth regarding Claudia Bosworth and Tessa Sprott’s (2017 Exchange students) recent visit to Vancouver and Whistler earlier in January. Claudia and Tessa paid a visit to Crofton House and despite it being closed for the Christmas break, they were able to walk around the premises reminiscing about their past experience. They managed to catch up with Claudia's exchange partner, Lauren de Mello. Unfortunately, Tessa missed her partner, Maddy by one day.

Exchange Meetings
Last week, our weekly Global Exchange meetings commenced with a lot of excitement and positive energy. We were fortunate to have Ms Gorrie attend the meeting to address the 2019 cohort about expectations of Exchange and key attributes to a successful Exchange. This was followed by introductions from the visiting Exchange students.

Upcoming Events

• 21 and 22 February - Visiting Exchange students go on a cultural excursion to Sydney
• 9 March - Exchange Stall on Open Day
• 13 March - Visiting Exchange students attend a ‘meet and greet’ lunch with Ms Curtis and Ms Gorrie
• 14 March - visiting Exchange students present at the Year 9 level assembly
• 26 February, 12 March and 19 March - 2018 students who were away on Exchange during Term 4 2018 will be presenting on assembly

Angelin Achari 

The Club is open to girls of all skill levels and age groups (Primary and Secondary students). Details of the Club are:

• Robotics Club will commence in Week 4 of Term 1
• Meetings will be every Thursday at lunchtime in J201
• If interested, please email Mr Chris Forster: cforster@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Chris Forster 

Current crossing time: 7:45am - 8:30am and 3pm - 3:45pm

The current rate of pay is $30.34 per hour.

Commencement of work for the successful applicant is dependent on:

• The favourable outcome of a health assessment.
• A Positive Notice Blue Card (you do not need to have a blue card to apply for the position).

Those interested are encouraged to apply without delay as the position is to commence ASAP.

Completed applications should be returned via email to: employment@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or they may be dropped into the Primary Office. For enquiries, please contact Kate Curran, Director of Human Resources on 3862 0702. 

If you would like to provide some support to our flood-affected families through making a donation to Boarding Bursaries, you may do so online through St Margaret’s Foundation Scholarship Fund. All contributions are gratefully received.

Upcoming Community Events

Join us for an afternoon of Art
Friends of MAYO invite members of the St Margaret's community to attend the opening of 'Queensland Landscapes', an exhibition of recent work by Wayne Singleton. Hosted at St Margaret’s, the ‘Queensland Landscapes’ exhibition features prints from the recent Barcaldine series. The exhibition will officially be opened by Dr Natalie Wright, Senior Lecturer, QUT School of Design.

Date: Saturday 23 February 2019

Time: 3:30pm-5:30pm

Venue: Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret's Anglican Girls School, 11 Petrie Street, Ascot QLD 4007

RSVP: Prior registration is not required

Light refreshments will be provided, and a cash bar will be available.

Framed and unframed artwork will also be available for purchase on the day.

Tickets to our first Professional Women’s Networking Breakfast are now on sale!
Special guest speaker, Susan McDonald, Managing Director Super Butcher, will present at our first breakfast for 2019 and will share her insights from her career and lessons learned along the way.

Susan has over 20 years of experience in accountancy and business management and served as Chief of Staff to the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines in the Queensland Government. Susan is a director of Beef Australia, a Queensland divisional councillor of the Retail and General Industry Group of Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) and is treasurer of the Queensland RNA.

When: Thursday 21 March

Where: Arts Centre Foyer

Tickets: Corporate tables $800 for 10, $80 adult and $40 students (Years 10-12/tertiary)

Please click here (PDF 583.5KB) for more information.

Tickets are now on sale via Flexischools. Please click here to purchase your ticket.

We sincerely thank our corporate sponsors for their generous support of the Series:

Associate Sponsors: Pitcher Partners and McCullough Robertson

Supporting Partners: Downer and Programmed Property Services

Do you know a St Margaret’s Old Girl who deserves recognition?
Nominations for the 2019 Past Students Awards are now open! There are two categories of Award: Distinguished Past Student and Young Past Student of Distinction. These awards have been established to recognise the many achievements of St Margaret’s Past Students, both professionally and personally, and to celebrate the diverse achievements of our Old Girl community.

2019 nominations close on Monday 18 March 2019 at 5pm (AEST) and winners will be announced at the annual Past Student Awards Dinner.

Nomination forms can be found on the St Margaret’s website and the process of nomination is simple! Not to mention, your nomination is valid for two years.  If you know someone deserving of recognition, nominate them today.

2019 Mothers’ Luncheon
Don’t forget to buy your tickets to the 2019 Annual P&F Mothers' Luncheon!

Date: Friday 1 March 2019

Time: 11:30am arrival (for a 12noon start), finishes at 3pm

Venue: Hotel Grand Chancellor, 23 Leichardt Street, Brisbane

RSVP: Friday 22 February 2019 (unless SOLD OUT prior)

Tickets: $100 per person - Includes drink on arrival, two course lunch a drink, followed by a cash bar.

Tables: maximum table capacity is strictly 10.

To purchase your tickets, please click here.

Please be aware that your seat is only confirmed once you have purchased a ticket! All enquiries to Angela Pratt - Mobile: 0413 701 407 and Anthea Damman Mobile: 0403 846 258 or Email: antheadamman@hotmail.com.

Care to Move are proud sponsors of the 2019 Mothers’ Luncheon. 

Interested in joining the Parents & Friends Association?
NOTICE is given that the Annual General Meeting of the St Margaret’s P&F Association Inc. is to be held on Monday 25 February 2019 in the Arts Centre Foyer at 6:30pm.

NOMINATION FOR POSITION
Any one member of the P&F shall be at liberty to nominate any other member to serve as an officer or other member of the Management Committee.

If you are interested in joining the P&F Association, all positions of the Management Committee will be declared vacant at the AGM and a new committee for 2019 will be elected.

Nominations can be made by downloading and completing this Nomination for Position form (PDF 152.9KB). All nomination forms must be returned to: P&F@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or via School Reception by Friday 16 February 2019.

Lara Pickering 

Below is additional information regarding our Brisbane information session. Please note that this is a free-event for students and their parents. If any students are interested in attending this Information Evening, register on Eventbrite via the link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/letz-live-gap-year-information-evening-brisbane-tickets-56000154971

Venue: Somerville House, 17 Graham Street, South Brisbane, Qld, 4101
Date: Tuesday 26 February 2019
Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm

Applications for placements in 2020 are scheduled to close on 8 March 2019.

Defence Force - International Women’s Day Experience
When: Thursday 28 February to Friday 1 March 2019
Where: Defence Force Recruiting Brisbane, Level 13, 295 Ann Street, Brisbane and Gallipoli Barracks, Lloyd Street, Enoggera

What’s involved?
This is a fantastic opportunity for female students to experience life in the ADF whilst being introduced to the beginning of the application process. The experience will be held over two days (28 Feb - 1 March 19) encompassing the first step of the application process, the aptitude test or YOU Session (Your Opportunities Unlimited), followed by an overnight experience at Gallipoli Army Barracks.

Following the experience, students will have the option to continue with their application and pursue a career in the ADF after completion of schooling or they may wish to withdraw and continue on a different path.

Any student who would like to participate in this opportunity, or would like further information, should see Ms Johnston to register their interest.

UCAT
Who should sit UCAT?
Any Year 12 student who is seeking entry into medicine, dentistry and health science degree programs in 2020. Please note that some pathways to medicine/dentistry/clinical sciences will not require the UCAT.

For more information about the new test, including price, testing dates, format and FAQs, please visit: https://www.ucat.edu.au

Preparing for UCAT
You can find the official preparation materials at: https://www.ucat.edu.au/ucat-anz/practice-tests

MedEntry UCAT Preparation: https://www.medentry.edu.au/our-services

University of Queensland: School Holidays 7-8 April 2019

The Glennie School, Toowoomba: Weekend Course 4-5 May 2019

Gold Coast Queensland Academies - Health Sciences Campus: Weekend Course 11-12 May 2019

University of Queensland: Weekend Course 29-30 June 2019

NIE UCAT preparation: https://www.nie.edu.au/ucat-courses/simulated-ucat-day-workshop

Crimson Education UCAT preparation: https://www.crimsoneducation.org/sg/standardised-testing/ucat

QUT Parent Information Seminar
Come along and hear about the options available at QUT at the Gardens Point Campus on Wednesday 8 May 2019, Campus tour 5:15pm–5:45pm, Seminar 6pm–7:30pm

TSXPO
The 38th annual Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO) will be held on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July 2019.

KEY DATES: 2019

1 March 2019: UCAT Registration opens

17 May, 11.59pm: UCAT Registration closes

24/25 May: The National Careers and Employment EXPO (Brisbane Convention Centre).

1 July: UCAT testing begins

20/21 July: Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO) – Brisbane Showgrounds.

31 July: UCAT testing finishes

Elizabeth Johnston