eNews Archive Issue 31 - 17 October 2019

As part of this program, Primary and Secondary students, staff members and parents had the opportunity last week to listen to Kirra Pendergast, who provides information to students so that they can use social media safely and responsibly.

This area is constantly changing, and it is hard for parents and teachers to keep up with what students are accessing. Thank you to those parents who used the opportunity provided by the school to learn more about this tricky area of parenting. The presentation is available on the School’s POD for those who were unable to attend. For those wanting more information, Kirra’s website is www.safeonsocial.com.

It is with great excitement that St Margaret’s has introduced a badge for daughters and granddaughters of Old Girls. It is an optional badge and is a simple bar with the school colours; brown, white and blue. It is now available from purchase from the School Supplies Shop and may be worn on the collar, preferably on the same side as the House Badge.

Ros Curtis

Parent Program

The Anglican Schools Commission has engaged Brett Lee from Internet Education and Safety Services (INESS) to develop a series of online courses for parents about cyber safety. St Margaret’s strongly supports this training for parents within our school community. This course is a user-friendly and practical resource that will equip parents with information and skills to assist their children to safely navigate the online world.

There are separate, tailored courses for parents with students in:

• Lower Primary (ages 4-8)
• Upper Primary (ages 9-11)
• Lower Secondary (ages 12-14)
• Upper Secondary (ages 15-18)

These courses are free. Please email Ms Kristie Govender, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Principal, on KGovender@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or phone 3862 0771 for the website link and password.

Please note: The Anglican Schools Commission has entered into a financial agreement with INESS to provide this training to school parents for a period of five years, including annual updates. School parents are asked to honour the agreement with INESS and not to share the login password with persons not directly associated with St Margaret’s.

Statement of Commitment

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School supports the rights of children and young people and are committed to ensure the safety, welfare and wellbeing of students. St Margaret’s is therefore committed to responding to allegations of student harm resulting from the conduct or actions of any person including that of employees.

This commitment includes the provision of a safe and supportive living and learning environment for all students and requires all employees, volunteers and visitors to model and encourage behaviour that upholds the dignity and protection of students from harm.

In support of this commitment, St Margaret’s is dedicated to our Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy which includes having relevant policies, procedures and training in place to effectively address the safety and wellbeing of students in our care.

Student Protection Officers

These are persons designated as liaison people to whom students may refer if they are not feeling safe; or to whom they make complaints of harm, inappropriate behaviour or physical/sexual abuse.

The St Margaret's Student Protection Officers are:

• Deputy Principal - Karen Gorrie
• Head of Boarding - Lesa Fowler
• Head of Primary School - Angela Drysdale
• Dean of Students - Nikki Townsend
• Guidance Counsellor - Sharon Stone

All Student Protection documentation, including all policies and procedures can be viewed on our school website at: https://www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au/discover-st-margaret-s/student-protection.

Karen Gorrie

The apostles said to Jesus, “Make our faith stronger!”

Jesus replied: If you had faith no bigger than a tiny mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree to pull itself up, roots and all, and to plant itself in the ocean. And it would!

I love to garden. I think partly because I like the idea that a beautiful plant can come from the tiniest of seeds.

A few years ago, I planted Flanders poppies. At the end of each season the poppy sheds its tiny seeds into the ground, and each year they come up on their own. One year there was one that even came up and flowered in a crack in the cement driveway.

Jesus told his followers a story, he told them a story that he knew they would understand, for they knew the land on which they walked. They asked Jesus how to increase their faith. And I think he was saying to them, it is ok to have the tiniest bit of faith. Sometimes we may worry that our faith is not big enough. Jesus is saying to his disciples, if you have just the tiniest faith, like the size of a mustard seed, that is enough to move a tree. Sometimes we just need to believe in that faith, it may seem small, but that is ok, the person in the story had little faith yet they were still able to do amazing things.

Each year, the red Flanders poppy plant dies, and it scatters its seeds, in a way, there is faith in the fact that some of the seed will find fertile ground and sit in the ground until the time is right to once again grow and flower.

Faith the size of a mustard seed - God can do great things with that kind of faith.

The Reverend Susan Crothers-Robertson

Feelings of stress and anxiety are a common response to situations where your daughter feels under pressure. The Building Resilience presentation by HeadSpace at our Trends in Education Seminar on 30 October (5:30-7:00pm in the Arts Centre Foyer) will provide useful information for all parents to assist with this conversation at home. All parents are welcome to attend, and we will to continue this support for you daughters as they study at St Margaret’s.

Term 4 – Upcoming Events

• Monday 21 October: 6:30-7:30pm, Year 11 Parent Information Evening in The Loft
• Tuesday 22 October: Year 11 Exam Day (Physics and Biology)
• Wednesday 30 October: 5:30-7:00pm, Trends in Education presentation by HeadSpace. Please RSVP to reception@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Jo Butterworth

On these days, Year 9 students will complete their Science, Maths Round One and History exams. The Year 10 girls will complete their Maths and History exams. Alongside these exams, the girls will be provided with the time to practice good study and review habits. During the non-exam time the girls have the chance to meet with teachers to ask questions and check for understanding as they go over concepts for their upcoming assessments. The timetable has been split into times when the girls can work with teachers and small groups, as well as quiet study time. Each girl has been encouraged to devise a study plan for the days to assist them to manage their time effectively.

We hope these days will provide them will valuable time and lessons about how to prepare for exams, as well as provide us with feedback to continue to support the girls on their journey.

End of the Year Reporting Process (Years 7-11)

End of Semester Reports will be available via Parent Lounge after 3:00pm on Friday 6 December 2019. Please note also that all Continuous Reporting Information will be available from this date as well.

Each student’s report will consist of a comment from her Head of Year, as well as a summary for each subject. The final page of the report is the Grade Point Average (GPA) graph which records the student’s overall level of achievement and tracks this from semester to semester.

For each subject there is a list of the course content, marks for the criteria assessed, a table showing the distribution of achievement levels within the subject and an assessment of your daughter’s attitude to her learning. The academic results reflected in this report are based on the assessment completed throughout Semester 2.

Please note that Year 12 students do not receive a final End of Semester 2 report from the school as final results will be recorded on your daughters Queensland Certificate of Education that is sent from QCAA.

Supervised Study Sessions

Supervised Study sessions have resumed and run on Monday and Thursday evenings, from 5:00-7:30pm in the Library until Thursday 21 November, with the exception of Tuesday 12 November due to Speech Night. All bookings can be made via FlexiSchools.

If you have questions about regarding Supervised Study session, please email ndevlin@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Nicole Devlin

As an adult it is very important that we praise girls appropriately. At St Margaret’s we are passionate about inspiring and supporting girls to develop into strong, independent and confident young woman. Our School’s Mission states that we are ‘preparing confident, compassionate, capable women able to contribute in a global community’. With this in mind, I would like to share some insights from an article on the PBS website about raising such girls.

Powerful girls grow up feeling secure in themselves. They learn to take action, making positive choices about their own lives and doing positive things for others. They think critically about the world around them. They express their feelings and acknowledge the feelings and thoughts of others in caring ways. Powerful girls feel good about themselves and grow up with a ‘can-do’ attitude. Of course, strong girls may (like all of us) have times of insecurity and self-doubt, but these feelings aren’t paralysing because the girls have learned to work through their problems. Powerful girls will grow up to lead full, valuable lives.

Here are some of our experts’ ideas to help you raise powerful daughters:

• Encourage your daughter to pursue a passion.
• Identify the values most important to your family.
• Encourage her to solve issues on her own rather than fixing things for her.
• Encourage her to take physical risks.
• Allow her to disagree with you and get angry.
• Address girl fighting when you see it.
• Acknowledge her struggles but keep a sense of perspective.
• Enjoy her!

For this full article, including many other ideas on how best to support your daughter in becoming a powerful girl and thus a strong, independent woman, please click here.

Nikki Townsend

If you were unable to attend Kirra’s presentation, please click here to view.

Information sheets can be found on the POD – go to the Parent Information button then click on the Cyber Safety button.

As we are aware from this presentation and the media, online safety is not an area limited to teenagers, but children of all ages need to be educated. The school is committed to this through being recognised as an eSmart accredited school, but parents have a huge role to play in online education.

A recent document realised by the Office of eSafety Commissioner identified that 81% of pre-schoolers are using the internet. Whilst the internet can have positive benefits for all ages, it can also expose them to a range of risks, like harmful content, contact with strangers or missing out on physical activity.

Four simple messages can help children develop online safety:

1. Be safe
2. Be kind – only write what you would say to someone’s face
3. Ask for help – build the habit of students asking for help
4. Make good choices - talk about the best things to watch to help develop critical thinking skills. Develop strategies to help children transition to offline activities in order to encourage self-regulation of time spent online.

Parents can support a child’s positive online experiences by:

• Playing together and managing access – play alongside children when new games or apps are accessed.
• Protecting their privacy – consider your child’s digital footprint before you share images of them on social media and check privacy settings on your account to ensure you are only sharing with people you know and trust.
• Establishing good habits – check the technology habits you are modelling. Establish routines that manage screen time, define device-free places (bedrooms). Set up the habit of talking with a trusted adult about the things they see and do using technology.

As a matter of urgency, I would ask that parents check their child’s apps especially if they are using TikTok. Please read the article (Safe on Social, TikTok cheat sheet) to find out about the consequences of a child using this app. Hard copies are available on request from the Primary Office.

I recommend that you use the suggested advice. We will continue to educate at school and together we can help create a safe online world for your daughter.

Angela Drysdale

Elayne Jones Percussion Ensemble Performance

On Saturday 19 October, the Elayne Jones Percussion Ensemble will be competing at St Columban’s College Concert Band Spectacular (100 McKean Street, Caboolture). This is a valuable experience for the girls where they will receive feedback on their performance and have the opportunity to hear similar ensembles from other Brisbane schools. The performance time is 11:10am. All are welcome to attend.

Music Newsletter Information

Please note that the Music Newsletter will no longer be emailed each week to parents; however, will be made available via The POD - St Margaret's Music page. Please ensure you sign up as a member of this page to receive future Music Newsletters.

Music Support Group Meeting

The next Music Support Group meeting will be the Annual General Meeting to be held on Tuesday 26 November at 5:00pm in the Primary Music Room (second floor of Chaseley). We encourage parents from both the Primary and Secondary schools to become involved in this dedicated group of parents who consistently provide wonderful support to the St Margaret’s Music Program.

Brad King

Water Polo

The Water Polo season got off to a great start last weekend with many girls playing their first ever game. All teams played extremely well, with two teams securing a win and all other teams showing promise due to their narrow losses. Team results are below:

U12C Brown won 13-3 SPLC

U13A White lost 9-10 Barras Green

U13C Brown lost 9-11 Somerville

U14B Blue lost 2-11 Somerville

U16C Brown won 22-0 Somerville

U18B Blue lost 7-8 MSM

Badminton

The competition days are fast approaching for QGSSSA Badminton. The season thus far has been a success with all players showing great commitment and enjoying their first Saturday training day. The competition takes place at three venues and the times and dates for each of the teams is varied. Below identifies where and when each team competes:

Saturday 26 October

Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School

Session 1: 8am-11am, Snr B

Session 2: 11am-2pm, Snr A

Session 3 2pm-5pm, Open

Centenary State High School

Session 1: 9am-12pm, Snr D

Session 2: 12pm-3pm, Snr C

Brisbane State High School

Session 1: 8am-11am, 10C

Session 2: 11am-2pm, 10B

Session 3: 2pm-5pm, 10A

Saturday 2 November

Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School

Session 1: 8am-11am, 8C

Session 2: 11am-2pm, 8B

Session 3: 2pm-5pm, 8A

Centenary State High School

Session 1: 8am-11am, 7C

Session 2: 11am-2pm, 7B

Session 3: 2pm-5pm, 7A

Brisbane State High School

Session 1: 8am-11am, 9C

Session 2:11am-2pm, 9B

Session 3: 2pm-5pm, 9A

Congratulations to…

Charlotte Winks for representing Metropolitan North at the 10-12 Years State Cricket Championships and winning the tournament. Well done!

Helen Lobegeiger

Congratulations to Man Kei (Keila) Lei (Year 12) for her thoughtful hanging book which has been awarded ‘October Artwork of the Month’ (PDF 419.9KB).

Lisa Smith

The highlight will be the return of photographer, Jane Long who will assist the girls in creating an A3 surreal self-portrait. Each student will make her own whimsical floral crown to wear as she floats/swims/ leaps/ flies in her own context such as cloudy skies, underwater worlds or floral gardens.

A special Christmas gift will be produced in a beautiful clay task with Fiona and other media will be introduced by George, Grace and Chloe.

The program runs from 9:30am-2:30pm each day and is open to students in Years 5-8 (other year levels by negotiation.) Girls are welcome to bring their friends from other schools.

Please click here (PDF 1.5MB) for full details. Registrations are due by 27 November via Flexischools.

All enquires are welcome and can be directed to: jlishman@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Jenny Lishman

Parents, guardians and friends of STEM students are warmly invited to attend this event and join in the celebration of the girls’ achievements from the year. Tea and coffee will be provided during the afternoon - no RSVP is required for this event.

Date: Thursday 31 October

Time: 5:30-6:30pm

Location: Arts Centre Foyer

We hope you can join us for the afternoon.

George Higgins

Crofton House, Canada: Gabriella Henzell and Sophia Buys

Konan, Japan: Lily Crawford and Eleanor Jewell

Nga Tawa, New Zealand: Eva Matyear and Esther Quirk

Pensionnat du Saint-Nom-de-Marie, Canada: Stephanie Licina, Holly Marchant, Millie Nucifora, Mia Reinhardt and Ella Woods

Shawnigan Lake, Canada: Isabel Leggett

St Anne’s, South Africa:

Term 2: Albertine Antelme, Elinor Barry and Kate Bloomfield

Term 3: Ella Gouldthorp, Amelia Butler-Wood and Zara Caswell

Term 4: Elizabeth Harris, Lily Shann and Alyce Warner

St Margaret’s College (Rowing), New Zealand: Abigail George and Grace Shearer

St Mary’s, South Africa: Claire Pitt, Grace Ramsay and Elyne Tighe

Ursulinenschule, Germany: Lillian Campbell, Kaitlyn Higgins, Verity House, Annabel Lauder, Poppy McPherson, Jessica Norvill, Faith Phillips and Brooke Walker

Information Evening for 2020 Exchange Students

An information evening for the 2020 Global Exchange students was held on 8 October. The evening covered St Margaret’s expectations of the 2020 Exchange students, guidelines for hosting and compliance regarding Blue Cards and Student Protection, as well as the travel requirements for each Exchange destination. The Exchange students, and their families, were given the opportunity to have one-on-one discussions with past Exchange students and parents about their experiences, which gave a great insight into what to expect and prepare for when they commence their own Exchange journeys next year.

There was an overwhelming turnout and feedback from the evening was very positive. It was wonderful to see the active participation and interaction by everyone. Thank you to our Deputy Principal, Year 9 Head of Year and the 2018/2019 Exchange students and parents who attended the evening.

Important:

• The information evening was recorded. The link will be emailed to all 2020 Exchange families in due course.
• 2020 families are reminded that the applications for Blue Cards and other Exchange documentation handed out on the information evening must be completed and delivered to Ms Achari via Main Reception.
• 2020 Exchange students joined the weekly Exchange meetings with the current Exchange cohort from Tuesday 15 October in Tutorial Room 1 in the Library.
• A Cultural Intelligence Workshop for the 2020 Exchange cohort took place on Wednesday 16 October in the ACF.

Term 4

St Margaret’s welcomes the following visiting Exchange students:

St Anne’s, South Africa: Emma Edmondson, Jessica Greathead, Zivaishe Jaravaza and Mia Presbury

St Mary’s, South Africa: Natasha Arde, Jizelle Campher and Josie Walton

We also welcome back the following students who were away on their Exchange in Term 3:

St Anne’s, South Africa: Charlotte Russell, Priscilla Russell and Georgina Winter

St Mary’s, South Africa: Alice Boughey, Greta Kasprowicz and Elizabeth Kettle

They have all had a fantastic Exchange experience and return to the St Margaret’s community with wonderful memories.

We have 14 St Margaret’s students away on their respective exchanges and we look forward to hearing from them soon:

Emma Willard, USA: Georgia Ditchfield

Konan, Japan: Ella Bacon and Isabella Shepherd

St Anne’s, South Africa: Isobella Macfarlane, Meleia Richardson, Ellen Tracey and Ashleigh Witenden

Ursulinenschule, Germany: Ella Blanck, Samantha Cooper, Olivia Donoghue, Casandra Mantis, Ciel McKay, Arabella O’Neill and Chloe Ziegenfuss

Angelin Achari

Bookings for the St Margaret’s OSHC Student Free Day Holiday Program has opened. If you require care, please return your booking form by 18 October 2019.

How do I book?

Complete the official booking form attached to the program. For further details, please email: oshc@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

What is the cost?*

Fees: $65 per day*

*Incursions and excursions incur additional costs. These are compulsory for all students and therefore you are able to claim CCS.

What are the hours of operation?

The service is open from 7:00am until 6:00pm in the OSHC Room (Level 1 Primary Atrium, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School).

How can I obtain more information?

If you would like further information regarding our OSHC Program or if you would like to make a booking, feel free to contact me on 0423 547 653 or email: oshc@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Palu Ingram

This event would not be a success without the support of our event sponsor, Bond University and our generous prize donors including McKinneys Jewellers, Julie Whitehead, Verve Photography, Rogue Hair, Samantha Ogilvie, Wolff Coffee Roasters, Tim Nicholls MP, Libertine Parfumerie, Chemist Warehouse, Real Skin, Barambah Organics, Ascutz, Mane Property, One Fifty Ascot Bar & Eatery, Savida, Lorna Jane, Pine Rivers Physio and Sportscare and the St Margaret’s P&F Association for all donating prizes to our raffle.

Special thanks must also go out to Anthea Damman and Angela Pratt who did an outstanding job coordinating this event.

St Margaret’s Community Upcoming Events

P&F General Meeting

The P&F invites the school community to share their views and ideas at the General Meetings. Our next meeting will be held in the Arts Centre Foyer on Monday 28 October from 6:.30pm to 8:00pm.

Old Girls’ Association ‘Sparkling Brunch’

The OGA Brunch is a wonderful time to reflect and enjoy the company of friends and other past students with presentations from guest speakers who have stories and insights to share from their journeys since graduation.

Join us and guest speakers, Annabel Garland (18‘) 2018 St Margaret’s OGA Prize Winner and Helen Lewis, General Manager - Outback Highway Development Council Inc., as they share their stories and insights from their journeys since graduation.

Date: Sunday 27 October 2019

Time: 9:30am – 12:30pm

Venue: Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

Tickets: $55 adult and $45 students (Years 10-12/tertiary)

St Margaret’s is travelling to New York!

St Margaret’s will be visiting New York this December and will be hosting a social reception at the Juniper Bar & Grill.

This complimentary event provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with all members of the St Margaret's community who are living, working or travelling in the New York area, over drinks and canapés.

Should you be travelling for work or for pleasure, and this event coincides with a visit to the city, we would love for you to join us.

Date: Monday 9 December 2019

Time: 6:30pm–8:30pm

Venue: Juniper Bar & Grill, 237 W 35th St, New York

Dress: Smart casual / business attire

RSVP: Friday 29 November 2019 via the online event registration

Lara Pickering

The Queensland Mathematics Summer School (QMSS) at UQ is a five-day program from Monday 20 - Friday 24 January 2020 for mathematically talented Year 10 students planning to study Year 11 Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics in 2020. Discover more

QUT – Start QUT Program for Year 11 students

Read more about the program and a day in the life of a START QUT student. Students are first required to complete an application form from St Margaret’s if they are considering this study option. Please contact either Ms Johnston or Ms Holley for further details.

The University of Queensland – Enhanced Studies Program (ESP) for Year 11 students.

ESP provides you with an opportunity to complete one university subject during Year 12 www.esp.uq.edu.au. Students are first required to complete an application form from St Margaret’s if they are considering this study option. Please contact either Ms Johnston or Ms Holley for further details.

It's not too late to join our Summer High School Projects!

Students in Years 10 and 11 looking for something worthwhile to do over the summer holidays should consider a short-term overseas volunteer placement with Projects Abroad. Find out more here.

Durack College

Applications for Durack College are now open for 2020. Durack College offers a boutique residential experience, with a personalised focus on educational success. Discover more

Griffith Scholarships in 2020

Find out more and apply online at griffith.edu.au/scholarships

The University of Queensland Scholarships Discover more

UQ will offer thirty scholarships of approximately $30,000 per year for the new programs of study in Western Civilisation:
Bachelor of Advanced Humanities (Honours) (extended major in Western Civilisation) - QTAC code 757201
Bachelor of Humanities/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) - QTAC code 707402
Register your interest here.

QUT Scholarship opportunities

Check out the full range.

QUT Meeting assumed knowledge and prerequisites

QUT offers a bridging program in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics.

UQ College is offering University Prerequisite Courses in Mathematics B, Chemistry or Biology. Discover more

QTAC Key Dates

October: Submit EAS and supporting documents

15 November: First offer round Year 12

14 December: OP’s released

23 December: QTAC Offer Round

7 January: Last day to change preference

15 January: Offer Round

Upcoming Events at UQ

Business, Commerce and Tourism Experience Day - Saturday 19 October 2019, 2:00pm–5:00pm, Sir Llew Edwards Building

OP Results Advice - Monday 16 December 2019, 3:00pm–6:00pm, UQ Centre, St Lucia campus

Griffith University: Explore your Options (for Year 12)

Monday 16 December – Thursday 19 December. Find out more here

QUT Real Decisions (for Year 12)

Date: 17 December, Gardens Point campus

Elizabeth Johnston