eNews Archive Issue 4 - 20 February 2020

"My mother maintained the sort of parental mind-set that I now recognise as brilliant and nearly impossible to emulate – a kind of unflappable Zen neutrality. I had friends whose mothers rode their highs and lows as if they were their own, and I knew plenty of other kids whose parents were too overwhelmed by their own challenges to be much of a presence at all. My mom was simply even-keeled. She wasn’t quick to judge and she wasn’t quick to meddle. Instead, she monitored our moods and bore benevolent witness to whatever travails or triumphs a day might bring. When things were bad, she gave us only a small amount of pity. When we’d done something great, we received just enough praise to know she was happy with us, but never so much that it became the reason we did what we did.

Advice, when she offered it, tended to be of the hard-boiled and pragmatic variety. “You don’t have to like your teacher,” she told me one day after I came home spewing complaints. “But that woman’s got the kind of math in her head that you need in yours. Focus on that and ignore the rest.”

Please note for your calendar that Saturday 7 March is Open Day and it is a compulsory day for all students. We understand that some students will have unavoidable clashes on that day and will be unable to attend. If this is the case for your daughter, we require a letter indicating her inability to attend. Open Day is a great day for the students – where they engage in activities and/or performances to showcase the school to our visitors. We also welcome our current parents to come to the school to see the school in action from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Please feel free to bring guests to the school so they too can see St Margaret’s and the students and staff in operation.

Ros Curtis

When students are constantly late to school or to class, does the same lack of punctuality work in the workplace? When students frequently miss a deadline or are unable to prioritise their tasks, will this be acceptable to an employer? If they are distracted during a class or rude to people, does this affect others’ assessment of them?

There are so many underlying skills that are taught by both parents and schools that will come to be vital in ensuring that our children become successful functioning adults in the world beyond school and in the workplace. They are the everyday things, skills such as learning to manage their own schedules, addressing others in a respectful manner, being present in a conversation and other routines that establish independence.

These are the skills that will allow for more successful learning in the classroom and a greater sense of belonging at school and in the greater world. If you find that your daughter is struggling with any of the issues above, please know that children will develop these skills at different rates. Form teachers and Academic Advisors across both the Primary and Secondary schools are only too happy to work alongside families in order to assist our students and provide guidance in these areas.

Karen Gorrie

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. This is a sacred time leading up to Easter when many Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. The rituals and details of the day can be difficult for people to grasp. One way of looking at lent is to concentrate on looking ahead, to Easter, when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection reveals to us that there is always an opportunity to begin again. New life, new opportunities are always open to all people.

During the Ash Wednesday Service, people will come forward to be signed with an Ash Cross on their forehead. The ashes and words that will be said remind us that we do not always do the right thing. So, the ashes are put on the forehead in the sign of the cross to remind us that though they may have done something wrong, God always loves and forgives us.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which is 40 days and nights leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection and allows us to think about how we can improve our lives. It has been a tradition to give things up like lollies, coffee, buying things, computer or watching too much TV. However, Lent is a good opportunity to serve others as Jesus did. We can also learn how to care for ourselves, taking time to read, reflect and pray.

Susan Crothers-Robertson

Types of Leave

Weekend Leave – Full Weekend

Boarders may take Weekend Leave on their choice of four weekends per term, from 3:00pm on Friday to either 7:00pm on Sunday or 7:30am on Monday. If Monday is a Public Holiday, Boarders may return on Monday by 7:00pm or Tuesday by 7:30am.

Weekend Leave – Single Day

Boarders may go out on Day Leave on Saturday between 6:30am and 10:00pm and Sunday between 6:30am and 7:00pm. Leave may be spent under the care of a parent/guardian or a host approved by parent/guardian. It is the responsibility of a parent/guardian to confirm all leave arrangements with the host.

Weekend Leave Condition

Girls are only permitted five weekends per term. The fifth one is with parents only. Weekend leave includes Friday and/or Saturday and/or Sunday nights. Anything outside of this must be in consultation with the Head of Boarding.

Week Day Leave

Boarders may take one week-day afternoon leave per week on:

• Monday to Thursday between 3:30pm and 9:00pm
• Friday between 3:00pm and 10:00pm

Leave may be spent under the care of a parent/guardian or a host approved by parent/guardian. It is the responsibility of a parent/guardian to confirm all leave arrangements with the host.

We thank all Boarder families for their understanding of our leave procedures in the Boarding House.

Sandra Johnson

When such challenges arise, and decisions are made that we cannot control, we as humans need to assess our approach to difficult and challenging situations. I have found myself speaking to Year 12 girls about working on what they can control and with other students about the value of sitting in the uncertainty of subjects and working through the ‘hard stuff’. We all need to learn our strengths and weaknesses and become comfortable to be in the ‘Hard Stuff’. By understanding and reflecting on these we can learn ways to address our own needs and we are more likely to become self-starters and resilient.

As parents you can meet with Academic Advisors and Form teachers at the upcoming Parent Teacher Interviews to discuss your daughter’s goals and plans for learning. Form teachers and Academic Advisors have been working with the students to address their learning and look for ways to become more self-regulated learners. It is important to remember that young people who are self-starters, resilient and robust in terms of academic and social adjustment, are also likely to be on track for success in their learning journey.

Nicole Devlin

For this interview session you will be able to book in to see your daughter’s Form teacher (Years 7 and 8), Academic Advisor (Years 9-12) and Year 12 Subject teacher.

These interviews provide parents with an opportunity to speak with their daughter’s Form teacher, Academic Advisor and Year 12 Subject teachers who 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.

To access these interviews in Parent Lounge, please log into The POD to access Parent Lounge and click on the link for Parent Teacher Interviews. The booking system opened at 9:00am, Tuesday 18 February and will close at 3:20pm on Wednesday 4 March. 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.

We look forward to meeting with parents and carers as we commence the 2020 learning journey with your daughter/s.

Years 9 and 10 Study Hall

Study Hall days for Years 9 and 10 are set down as follows:

• Year 9 – 16-17 March 2020
• Year 10 – 20 and 23 March 2020

The Study Hall schedules will be released in the coming weeks.

Tom McCormick

However, for many it may also be a very anxious and stressful time for both parents and children. Parents need to be aware of their child’s feelings during any school transition and minimise anxiety, so the process is an enjoyable experience for all. It is important for parents to contact their daughter’s Head of Year if you have any concerns. Familiarisation is often the key to reducing stress levels. It is also important for parents to talk to their children about their expectations and being more responsible for their own needs.

For more information regarding this topic, please go to the POD and click on the Parent Resources Tile, then go to SchoolTV.

Nikki Townsend

This week, the Year 6 girls were inducted as House Leaders in the Primary School. It is a big responsibility for the eldest students of the Primary School as:

• the younger girls will look up to them for guidance and encouragement;
• the teachers will look to them for support.

The leaders will uphold and demonstrate the School values by:

• exemplifying passion and spirit in House and in everyday activities;
• having the integrity to be honest in all endeavours;
• having the courage to step outside their comfort zone and have the strength of character to encourage and motivate others to do so also.

Most importantly, leadership is about service. Our school was built on the foundation of service. During this year, as we celebrate the School’s 125-year anniversary, we are reminded of the selfless act of service the founding Sisters of the Society of Sacred Advent accepted in order to establish our school. As a leader, students are responsible for continuing this tradition of service, not only set by the Sisters but by last year’s House leaders who exemplified this responsibility. Through leading various service activities, last year, the Primary school raised money for our chosen charities: One Horizon, Kenya $5,000, Zephyr Education $5000 and The Smith Family $700. One Horizon and Zephyr Education are organisations that touch our hearts as they support the education of children. Like the charity and compassion of the Sisters, caring adults involved in these organisations work tirelessly and at their own expense. More information about Zephyr Education is available on the POD.

The staff and I look forward to working with the leaders of the Primary School.

Angela Drysdale

Open Day Music Performance Schedule

The St Margaret’s music ensembles are looking forward to performing at the upcoming Open Day on Saturday 7 March. The music ensemble performance schedule will be published later this week on the POD. A reminder also that several of the ensembles require performance uniforms. Please check the POD pages for the respective ensemble uniform requirements.

Music Support Group

Thank you to all those who attended the recent Music Support Group meeting. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 21 April 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

The overall results of the day are as follows:

1st: Tennyson

2nd: Kendall

3rd: Chaucer

4th: Lawson

5th: Bede

6th: Milton

7th: Spenser

8th: Herrick

St Margaret’s and Clayfield College Invitational Swim Meet

On Friday 14 February, St Margaret’s with Clayfield College hosted an invitational Swim Meet which eight schools attended. Our squad, once again, swam well indicating that we are on the right track for a great result at the QGSSSA Carnival on Wednesday 4 March. The Meet ran smoothly and effortlessly due to the wonderful support of staff, parents and girls. This Friday is the final swim meet of the season at Moreton Bay College. For the program of events, please see the Swimming POD page.

Autumn Fixtures

The 2020 Autumn Fixtures Season has had a number of false starts due to the weather. All sports are currently still trialling and are aiming to have all teams finalised by the end of next week, if not sooner. The fixture season for the Autumn sports will commence on Friday 6 March against Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School at their home venues. Detailed draws for each sport will be released via the individual POD pages over the next two weeks.

Cross Country Events

The Cross Country squad will participate in two new events this season which is sure to keep all squad members interested. The first event will be held on Friday 21 February at Kalinga Park. We invite all family members to come and run with the squad along Kedron Brook. To register your participation in this, please visit the Cross Country POD page.

The second event is participation in the Nudgee College Time Trial on Friday 28 February. This event allows squad members to nominate for either a 2km or 3km race. All girls must register via the POD page. Please click here (PDF 2.2MB) to view the flyer. 

Congratulations to…

Kayla Newberry (Year 10) who placed second in the 16 Years National Heptathlon titles in Brisbane over the weekend. Kayla scored 4622 which is a great overall achievement in the sport of Heptathlon.

Chelsea Johnson (Year 10) who was selected in the Australian U16 Girls Water Polo Squad. This squad will attend a training camp during the April school holidays with final selection into the U16 World Championship team announced in May.

Helen Lobegeiger

Ms Martens will offer Digital Art Club on Wednesday afternoon. Ms Smith will supervise Art Workshop on Monday afternoons. The information forms are available by clicking on the links below:

Digital Art Club (PDF 536KB)

Art Workshop (PDF 627.8KB)

Lisa Smith

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Starting from as little as $350 you can sponsor a year level run stall featuring your company branding.

Alternatively, you might like to consider donating a prize to our raffle which is always a highly anticipated aspect of the event and drawn on the Saturday afternoon during the Festival. Please contact Pru Reed: preed@stmargarets.qld.edu.au if you are interested in sponsoring.

Thank you in anticipation of your support of this year’s MAYO Arts Festival and thank you to those businesses who are already supporting the event.

Angela Drysdale

Chair of MAYO

The P&F Association meet once a term to share our views and ideas, and we encourage parents to join us at these meetings throughout the year.

Our first meeting of 2020 is an informal evening where we will hopefully welcome some fresh faces and share our thoughts over a glass of wine and a cheese and fruit platter, following the Annual General Meeting.

Date: Monday 24 February 2020

Time: 6:30pm to 8:00pm

Location: Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret's Anglican Girls School

Professional Women’s Network Breakfast – Thursday 19 March 2020

Join us for our first Professional Women's Network Breakfast in 2020 with leadership expert and trailblazer, Dr Robyn Wilson, Founder and Managing Director of Praxis Management Consulting, Singapore.

Date: Thursday 19 March 2020

Time: 7:00am arrival for a 7:15am start - 8:45am finish

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

RSVP: Friday 13 March 2020 (unless SOLD OUT prior)

Individual tickets: $80 Adult, $40 Student (Tertiary, Years 10-12)

Corporate tables: $800 (10 seats)

Dr Robyn Wilson, Founder and Managing Director of Praxis Management Consulting

Dr Robyn Wilson (’77) is the Founder and Managing Director of Praxis Management Consulting, a Singapore-based firm that provides facilitated strategy and leadership-related services to the greater Asia Region (covering Japan, Australia and the Middle East and everything in-between).

Regarded as a leadership expert, Robyn has been based in Singapore for 25 years and has worked across industries and a range of organisations from global multinationals including BHP, Hilton, Barclays and Singtel, to start-ups, government entities to development banks.

Believing in championing young women, Robyn is currently an Ambassador for WomenLEAD Nepal. She also actively mentors younger women who are at various stages in their careers. Robyn’s career started in IT and engineering. Amongst other qualifications, Robyn has a PhD from the National University of Singapore, a Masters of Engineering from UWA and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from The University of Queensland.

To buy tickets to this event, please click here.

Lara Pickering

Visit the Careers page on the POD for the latest information on:

• Apprenticeships and Traineeships
• Australian Defence Force
• Career Exploration
• Competitions
• Disabilities
• Employment
• Financial Assistance and Scholarships
• Gap Year Program News
• Holiday programs and short courses
• Indigenous
• Interstate and International
• Job Info
• Labour Market Info
• Miscellaneous
• Open Days, Expos and Career Markets
• Private Provider Updates
• QTAC and Tertiary Entry
• Study Skills
• TAFE Queensland Updates
• Universities

Elizabeth Johnston