eNews Archive Issue 32 - 24 October 2019

Pinnacle Awards were given to the Captains of the Year - Lucy Gaspar and Emily O’Neill - Athletics; Coach of the Year – Paul Jones in Rowing; and the Contribution and Service to Sport Award went to - Karen Booth - Netball. Congratulations to these awardees.

On the Monday student free day this week, we hosted our Year 7 students as part of our transition program from Primary school to Secondary school. They are now known as the class of 2025 when they will graduate from school. They were both excited and nervous.

A quick google search will reveal heaps of advice about helping your daughters through the transition to Secondary school.

Transitions are constantly with us; and given that our careers are going to be less linear and more varied than in the past, it is important we learn how to handle these transitions well.

It is not just the change in structure and expectation in Secondary school that is different, established social relationships amongst peers will change as students are usually in a larger group of girls, all looking for friends. This is likely to be a source of concern for many.

There are ways to assist with all transitions; increasing familiarity with the spaces; being positive and excited about new environments and the opportunity to learn new things; being prepared to meet new people and develop conversation starters – it is a great idea to practice this with your daughter. The best friends often come about not through class but through extra-curricular activity, so thinking about which sports/ensembles/clubs are of interest are also important in this process.

Ros Curtis

This year, we will again be booking tickets for Speech Night online through the QPAC booking system.

Bookings are now open for Year 12 parents only, and these families would have received an email this week with the details of how to make their booking.

Tickets for all other year levels will open to the rest of the school on the afternoon of Monday 28 October 2019.

Your daughters will receive their tickets at school (they will not be sitting with you) and therefore you do not need to book seats for them.

This year there is the added option of print@home which will make it much easier for families to access their tickets. Of course, families are still able to choose the option of QPAC box office collection; however, please be aware that the box office is a busy place just prior to the event, so you may wish to opt for print@home.

We look forward to seeing many students and families at our annual Speech Night and Prize Giving Ceremony.

Karen Gorrie

The Anglican Church in Southern Queensland is welcoming of all people. This year, the Archbishop’s theme challenged us to share God’s generous hospitality with all people. Jesus said, “the first and greatest commandment is to love God, and the second is like it we shall love ourselves and love all people”. We pray for all people; may they feel welcomed and loved.

Susan Crothers-Robertson

Congratulations to Nadia Seriat (Year 11), who won the Student Achievement – Leadership Award for demonstrating the qualities of leadership, commitment, strength of character, integrity and inspiration. We are all very proud of Nadia and her achievements.

Lesa Fowler

The following organisations and resources were discussed during the evening and offer valuable information about the New QCE system:

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)

• Subject syllabuses https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/senior-subjects
• Access Arrangement and Reasonable Adjustment (AARA) https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/assessment/aara. Please contact Louise Burgman if you would like to apply for AARA provisions for Unit 3 and 4.
• External assessment information will populate this page over the coming months: https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/assessment/external-assessment

Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC)

• ATAR information https://www.qtac.edu.au/atar-my-path/atar

Year 10 Maths

To prepare the Year 10s for their study of General Maths and Mathematical Methods next year we are beginning a focussed unit of foundational maths skills in Maths 10.1 and 10.2 this term. At the end of the unit, the girls will complete an exam so that we are able to identify any gaps in their understanding of maths concepts and prepare appropriate revision and resources to support them. To further prepare the girls for the assessment conditions in Year 11, Maths 10.2 classes will not have a second chance testing opportunity. During assembly today, Ms Strid, Head of Faculty - Mathematics and myself are talking to the girls about how to revise and prepare for their Maths exam.

Trends in Education

Next Wednesday 30 October from 5:30-7:00pm, Topic: Building Resilience. The seminar will be hosted by Headspace in the St Margaret’s Arts Centre Foyer. Please RSVP to reception@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Jo Butterworth

The first thing I know is study is a skill, it can be taught and needs to be practiced. Or, as I explained to my Year 7 Science of Learning class last week, you cannot expect to make it into the Olympic team if you start training a week out from the competition. Training in a sport or practice on an instrument and study are the same, you need to commit to the plan to develop good study habits.

Below are some tips to help develop good study habits:

1. Spaced Practice

Space out your studying over time. Far too many students wait until the night before a test to study. It is important to front load, do a bit each night over the weeks leading up to the exam. Create a studying calendar to plan how to review for the exam.

2. Retrieval Process

Practice bringing information to mind without the help of materials. Many people think of ‘studying’ as simply re-reading notes, textbooks or other materials. But having the information right in front of us doesn’t force us to retrieve it from memory, instead it allows us to trick ourselves into thinking we know something. Recalling information without supporting materials helps us learn it much more effectively.

3. Elaboration

Explain and describe ideas with many details. This method asks students to go beyond simple recall of information and start making connections within the content. Students should ask themselves open-ended questions about the material, answer in as much detail as possible, then check the materials to make sure their understanding is correct.

4. Interleaving

Switch between ideas while you study. Common knowledge tells us that to learn a skill we should practice it over and over again. While repetition is vital, research says we will actually learn that skill more effectively if we mix our practice of it with other skills. This is known as interleaving.

5. Dual Coding

Combine words and visuals. When information is presented to us, it is often accompanied by some kind of visual: an image, chart or graph or a graphic organiser. When studying, pay attention to those visuals and link them to the text by explaining what they mean in their own words. Students can then create their own visuals of the concepts they are learning. This process reinforces the concepts in the brain through two different paths, making it easier to retrieve later.

One more piece of advice on how to maximise these strategies for learning:

Combine them: These strategies don’t necessarily work in isolation. You can space out your retrieval practice, and when doing retrieval practice, try to recall concrete examples, elaborate, or sketch out a concept. When doing retrieval practice, you can interleave between different concepts.

Nicole Devlin

Having empathy for others is a vital tool for emotional intelligence. Discussing this at home, and at school, will allow students to grow in kindness. At St Margaret’s, we aim to be an inclusive community where kindness (and accountability) is the foundation in all that we do. This is part of the St Margaret’s Way. With this in mind, I would like to refer you to an article on the Parent Tool Kit website: “Supporting Kindness in Teens”. This article includes many ideas on how best to support your daughter in becoming emotionally intelligent. Please click here to visit the Parent Tool Kit website.

Nikki Townsend

Open Classroom Invitation

As an acknowledgment of the learning that has occurred throughout the year, our teachers will be holding an ‘Open Classroom’ on Thursday 31 October, from 3:20pm-4:30pm. This will be an opportunity for students to share the work they have been doing throughout the year, as well as allowing them to give parents a tour of their classroom. Should you wish to talk to the Specialist Teachers, they will be available in Year level classrooms during the following times:

• 3:20pm-3:35pm ~ Year 5
• 3:35pm-3:50pm ~ Year 4
• 3:50pm-4:05pm ~ Year 6
• 4:05pm-4:20pm ~ Year 3
• 4:20pm-4:30pm ~ Years 1 and 2

Please be aware that this time will be an informal occasion for you and your daughter to share what she has been learning at school. Teachers will be available to talk about learning experiences and purposes of particular activities.  However, please note, this is not a time for a ‘parent-teacher’ interview. If there is anything you wish to discuss, teachers are very happy to schedule a meeting at a mutually appropriate time.

Year 3 Camp

The final camp for the year took place last week. The Year 3 girls arrived with suitcases (almost as big as themselves) and headed to the North Coast.

This camp not only offered learning experiences, but also challenged each girl’s emotional intelligence. They really needed to step outside of their comfort zones by sleeping away from home, being responsible for self and own belongings, and self-regulate and collaborate with peers for 24 hours. I know the staff - Melissa Garbutt, Nicole Jonathan, Morgan Rowe, Kate Jones and myself were very proud of each girl’s emotional growth. Thank you also to Kate Jones for her camp preparation.

Congratulations to Janice Emmett and Michael Crowe who were both awarded Lead Teachers last Friday night. In addition to being acknowledged for being amazing teachers, they also had to undertake a rigorous process of documentation, in-service and interviews to achieve this outcome. We are all very proud.

Angela Drysdale

Music Dinner

Music Dinner will be held on Friday 8 November, 6:00-9:30pm in Eton Hall. The annual Music Dinner is an occasion where students and parents celebrate the culmination of a wonderful year of music at St Margaret’s. This year’s theme is ‘Music Behind the Movies (Music of John Williams)’. Girls are encouraged to explore the many movies to which John Williams wrote the soundtrack to create their costume for the event. Music Dinner is open to students in Years 6-12 who have been involved in the Co-curricular Music Program. Tickets are available only via Flexischools (www.flexischools.com.au). For catering purposes, it is imperative you include any dietary requirements and that payments are made by 4pm, Sunday 3 November, as Flexischools will be unavailable after this time. Please be mindful there is a capped number, so book your tickets early! Please find attached a letter from the President of the Music Support Group (PDF 121.1KB) with further details.

Thank you to the Sculthorpe String Quartet

Thank you to the Sculthorpe String Quartet for their recent performance at the Professional Women’s Networking event held last Thursday evening. This was the quartet’s final PWN performance for the year. These girls perform at many events throughout the year and we very much appreciate their willingness to support the school community through their musical talents.

Speech Night

Speech Night will be held on Tuesday evening 12 November and is a very special event in the School’s calendar. The evening is a celebration of the girls’ achievements throughout the year, and the Music Department is very much looking forward to supporting the event with several special musical performances. Please see the attached letter (PDF 255.6KB) with further details pertaining to the rehearsal day and evening.

Elevarsi Voices News

As a result of feedback regarding Elevarsi Voices in 2019, several changes will be made to the ensemble for 2020. Next year, Elevarsi Voices will be working with the Monday Rock Band for their performances. This will be an exciting opportunity for the choir to learn a lot of fantastic contemporary repertoire and will create more performance opportunities both within the school community and beyond.

There will also be an opportunity for Elevarsi Voices girls to audition for a new extension group called Volare, which will rehearse straight after the regular rehearsal each week for half an hour (4:30-5:00pm). This ensemble will learn more challenging and diverse repertoire and the group will be given extra performance opportunities. Auditions for this group will be held in Week 7 this term (further details about audition requirements will be provided to girls in Week 4).

We are also excited and pleased to invite current Year 7 girls who are successful in joining Volare to participate in the overseas tour to Europe in 2020. Early auditions will be held for interested girls. A letter with further information is attached (PDF 166KB).

Music Fest Performances – Chaseley Concert Band and Stage Band

Both the Chaseley Concert Band and Stage Band will participate in Music Fest during Week 4. Chaseley Concert Band will perform at 5pm on Monday 28 October at Coorparoo Secondary College, Cavendish Road, Coorparoo. Stage Band will perform at 6pm on Friday 1 November at Calamvale Community College. 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. Letters with further details are below:

Chaseley Concert Band - Music Fest 2019 (PDF 129.5KB)

Stage Band - Music Fest 2019 (PDF 123.7KB)

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

Congratulations to the winners of the special awards:

• Summer Team of the Year: Year 7(i) Artistic Gymnastics
• Autumn Team of the Year: Year 8A Touch Football Team
• Winter Team of the Year: Senior C Tennis Team
• Captain of the Year: Athletics Captains – Lucy Gaspar and Emily O’Neill
• Coach of the Year: Paul Jones
• Service to St Margaret’s Sport: Mrs Karen Booth - Netball

Badminton

Good luck to our Badminton teams who will compete over the next two Saturdays. The first round of competition commences this Saturday 26 October for the following teams:

• Open, Snr A, Snr B, Snr C
• Year 10A & 10B

The schedule for all teams is below:

Saturday 26 October

Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School

Session 1: 8am-11am, Snr B

Session 2: 11am-2pm, Snr A

Session 3 2pm-5pm (approx.), Open

Centenary State High School

Session 2: 12pm-3pm, Snr C

Brisbane State High School

Session 2: 11am-2pm, 10B

Session 3: 2pm-5pm, 10A

The second round of competition will be held on Saturday 2 November for the following teams:

• Year 9A, 9B, 9C
• Year 8A and 8B
• Year 7A, 7B and 7C

Saturday 2 November

Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School

Session 2: 11am-2pm, 8B

Session 3 2pm-5pm, 8A

Centenary State High School

Session 1: 9am-10:45am, 7C

Session 2: 11am-1:45pm, 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

All girls wishing to catch transport to their competition venue must complete the transport request form found on the Badminton POD page.

Helen Lobegeiger

We will say farewell to our graduating Year 12 Art class on Monday 11 November, with a display of each student’s favourite piece of 2019 work. Parents and friends are warmly invited to attend from 5:30-7:00pm in the Secondary Art Gallery.

Please encourage your daughter to create a piece of work to enter in the ‘Something St Margaret’s’ art competition. There are fabulous prizes for Primary, Secondary and Open sections.

‘Something St Margaret’s’ Art Competition Information (PDF 830.6KB)

‘Something St Margaret’s’ Art Competition Entry Form (PDF 164.4KB)

Lisa Smith

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.

The details of the STEM Showcase are:

Date: Thursday 31 October

Time: 5:30-6:30pm

Location: Arts Centre Foyer

We hope you can join us for the afternoon.

George Higgins

Hire of Church Dresses for Speech Night – Tuesday 12 November 2019

Hiring of Church Dresses will commence from Wednesday 30 October 2019. To hire a dress, a “Hire Conditions of Church Dress” form must be completed and signed by a parent or guardian. This form is available on the Supplies Shop page of the website or from the Supplies Shop.

Completed and signed forms are to be returned to the School Supplies Shop, together with a deposit of $100. Plain white, fold down ankle socks (not St Margaret’s competition socks), clean brown school shoes and a white ribbon (for long hair) are to be worn with the Church Dress on Speech Night. Socks are available from the School Supplies Shop for $8.00, as is a white ribbon for $1.

Return date for all students, except Year 6, is no later than Friday 22 November 2019. Year 6 students’ church dresses must be returned no later than Friday 29 November 2019.

All church dresses must be laundered, ironed and returned as per the ‘Hire Conditions’ for an amount of $70 to be refunded.

Uniform Fitting Appointments – New online booking system

Bookings for October, November and December 2019 and January 2020 are available online now!

Book your appointment online via the school website.

We encourage families to book a fitting appointment as soon as possible to avoid missing your preferred day and time. Appointment times are either 30 minutes or 60 minutes, depending on your fitting type.

Fitting types include: New Student, Existing Student, Boarder Only, Pre-Prep/Prep and School Blazer Fitting.

Terisa Arnold

Trish is one of 10,000 babies born with several birth defects because her mother was given a sample packet of the drug Thalidomide, a supposedly ‘safe’ drug, during her pregnancy. Trish was born with underdeveloped hands and her hands are attached to her shoulders as she was born without arms. She also had six holes in her heart and underdeveloped lungs. Despite the best medical opinions that she would not survive, she survived.

After graduating, Trish’s second job was ironically in the health department in the pharmaceutical section – ironic for two reasons: she was the result of the greatest pharmaceutical disaster in the world and the government who had told her she ‘could not work’ ended up being her employer for over a decade. Today she is a guest speaker and agent for change – she is still campaigning for compensation after 57 years for the harm caused by the drug Thalidomide.

Surviving against all odds, Trish Jackson uses her disability to educate the next generation; the key to ending bullying and discrimination. She regularly delivers presentations in schools to students and her story is one of incredible resilience.

Trish’s keynote address from the event (along with those of previous PWN speakers) can be listened to in Podcast form on the PWN webpage.

We would also like to once again thank our 2019 Sponsors:

• Associate Sponsors: Pitcher Partners and McCullough Robertson
• Supporting Partners: Downer Group, Programmed Property Services, NAB, Clear Insurance, Red Oak and Queensland Brain Institute

Thank you also to McCullough Roberston for providing the venue, to Pitcher Partners and McCullough Robertson for donating our business card draw prizes and to all our speakers from the 2019 program.

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 Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme

This scheme provides scholarships for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people studying an entry level health course. Applications will close Monday 4 November 2019. More information is available here.

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

QUT

A new four-year double degree in Biomedical Science and Mathematics is now available for Semester 1 2020. Read more about this new double degree.

Upcoming events

Participate in family-friendly activities offered in QUT’s Summer Holiday Program in January. ATAR Notes is presenting free lectures for Year 11 students on 20-21 January to prepare them for the transition to the ATAR system and to perform well in specific subjects.

Scholarships and Bridging Programs: Information is available here.

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!

This short-term overseas volunteer placement with Projects Abroad is available for students in Years 10 and 11. 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

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

UQ OP Results Advice 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

When: 9am–12pm

Where: P Block, QUT Gardens Point campus

Elizabeth Johnston