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ASG’s National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA) Foundation was established in 1994 to honour exemplary teaching throughout Australia and New Zealand.

School communities can nominate educators and leaders through the Parents and Friends Association, Student Representative Council (SRC) or School Council. Parents, grandparents, guardians and community organisations can also nominate independently.

We know that parents value the efforts of our teachers and there are very few opportunities for a public expression of this appreciation and support. One way of doing this is by nominating a teacher for this award. Nominated teachers receive a congratulatory NEiTA Certificate of Nomination and become eligible for NEiTA State and National Awards. Nominations are quite straightforward and are now open. Thank you for considering nominating a member of the St Margaret’s teaching staff. To nominate a teacher: please log on to and click on the link to NOMINATE A TEACHER.

According to the most recent OECD report about Students’ Well-being, Australian students are more than twice as likely as students in Finland (a country which performs exceptionally highly in PISA) to aspire to completing university and more motivated to do well in class. This was one of the conclusions drawn from the results of global well-being survey of 15-year-olds undertaken as part of the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The results from the 530-page OECD report, , also showed Australian students were more anxious about their school work and exams than many of their international counterparts. The Courier-Mail (20/4) reported that about “90 percent of students want to get top marks in most subjects and 61 percent are tutored for an average of 4.5 hours a week”. The powerful influence supportive and engaged parents can have on their child’s achievement was also analysed as part of the report. reported that the survey data showed “students who spent time talking with their parents were two-thirds of a school year ahead in science learning, and even after accounting for socio-economic status, the advantage remains at one-third of a school year”.

Source: The Independent Schools Weekly Information Update Week 12.

The school has received lovely news in the last week about our staff members on maternity leave. We offer our congratulations to Naomi Holley who gave birth to twin girls, Francesca Anne and Eliza Holley last week and Jenny Matheson who gave birth to a little boy, William Brayden this week. Both Mums and their babies are doing well. 

Ros Curtis 

What a hilariously funny yet inspirational woman! I had not heard her speak before, apart from interviews on television, and I came away feeling energised and have still been thinking of some of the key messages she had. I thought I would share two of these messages in my article this week.

One of the things she said that disappointed her as a woman was when others told her to ‘harden up’ - her respond to this was “no, you soften up!”

I totally agree with her. In such a competitive world, it would seem that sometimes there is not enough emphasis placed on leadership through kindness. The very Christian value of ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ is something worth reminding ourselves of. I see acts of kindness in our school community every day, but it is always worth remembering this value when communicating and dealing with others. Magda said we can’t outsource leadership, we need to be true to ourselves and true to others that follow us, look up to us and rely on us to also make our contribution to our community.

Magda’s other key message was that no one defines you by your failures. Her response to failure is to just keep going. She noted that she is known for many successes in film and TV. Many people can list the things they have seen her in, but it is harder to list those productions she has been part of that were failures. She said the only person at risk of defining you by your failures is yourself. So it is important to pick yourself up, brush yourself off, learn from those mistakes or failures, and either give it another go or make improvements that affect positive change and ultimately success.

I think we need to remember this message for both ourselves and others. We are going to make mistakes, our friends, colleagues and families are going to make mistakes. We need to learn from these, face the consequences if needed, and then move on to a better place. It is important to be supportive of this journey both for ourselves and others in our community.

Karen Gorrie 

If you are in Year 8 or above, a staff member or parent, and you would like to consider being Confirmed, please let me know! Preparation will begin immediately. Already there are a few on the list so I encourage you to prayerfully consider this important step in the journey of faith.

This is also a chance for the Bishop to formally welcome any adult into the Anglican Communion if that is their desire. Please do not hesitate to contact me on 3862 0716 or ncolledge@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Admission to Communion and Confirmation 2017

All members of the school community are invited to consider their own faith journey and relationship with God through the sacrament of Holy Communion and through Confirmation in 2017.

Students in Year 3, through their RVE classes, are essentially preparing for Admission to Communion. However, any other student (or sibling) in the Primary school from Years 3-6 would be welcome to be formally received at the Primary Family Service on Sunday 4 June at 9am in Eton Hall. The Form can be accessed here (PDF 189.9KB).

Any Secondary student from Years 7-12 who would like to be admitted to communion will have the opportunity on Wednesday 17 May at 6pm. Please email Rev Nicki Colledge as soon as possible if this the case: ncolledge@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Upcoming Services

Wednesday 10 May: 6:30pm, Years 11 and 12 Family Service, St Mark’s Clayfield

Wednesday 17 May: Boarders’ Eucharist and Admission to Communion (Secondary)

Sunday 4 June: Primary Family Service and Admission to Communion, 9am, Eton Hall

Wednesday 12 July: Confirmation, 6pm, Chapel

Reflection

Often we are over-burdened, wrung out, finding ourselves at decision-making-overload. Too much news of conflict, disaster, pain, suffering, madness and darkness can overload our senses. If ‘mindfulness’ is the new practice of our time, then ‘prayerfulness’ may go hand in hand. Prayer can take place whilst breathing deeply … prayer can BE the deep breaths. Prayer can take place whilst we are watching or listening to the news … prayer can BE our response to the world’s needs ….

Great and Holy Presence,

Fill my heart

My mind

My soul

My actions

With your love and tender compassion.

Take my weariness

My exhaustion

My disbelief

My despair

And turn these things around with your light and peace.

Bring purpose to my actions

Kindness to my words

And may my heart offer welcome to those most in need.

Amen.

With every blessing on you and your week ahead,

The Reverend Nicki Colledge 

I decided it was best to hand this particular eNews piece over to Charlotte Russell, a day girl in Year 8, who was more than willing to share her experience of the Day/Boarder weekend.

”I was invited by Isobella (Ella) Macfarlane to spend the weekend at her property. Ella lives 45 minutes out of St George, Queensland. It takes about seven hours to get there. Ella and I caught the bus to Goondiwindi and then drove another three and a half hours to her property. Each day was full of adventure; we built cubby houses, played on the flying fox, mustered cattle, branded, swam in the dam, chased pigs, rode horses, drove the buggy and played with the foal, calves and dogs. I loved going to Ella's house because unlike where I live there is so much space and things to do, you're never bored! For girls interested in going to a boarder’s property next year, definitely go! You'll make so many new memories and experiences.”

Dimity Harris 

Shannyn Steel and Ryan Bishop from the QCAA (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) came to present a session on teaching cognitive skills with a focus on analysis. This was a very informative and useful session and our guests were most impressed with the engagement and knowledge of our staff.

Later in the day we had a session on learning intentions. These are statements which tell students where they are going. Starting with a clear idea of where you want to end up is important for both students and teachers. Of course, always starting every single lesson with the statement of a learning intention is not desirable for several reasons. Firstly, there are times when a lesson requires greater flexibility than the statement of an intention allows. Secondly, sometimes telling students where you are going spoils the journey and finally, starting every lesson with a learning intention statement is a recipe for uninspired and uninspiring teaching.

Whether they are stated up front or not, learning intentions are necessary to direct high quality learning. Writing a good learning intention takes focus and skill. Much of the time it is important to keep the context of the learning out of the statement of intent because it is not actually the content that is the purpose of the learning rather it is the process or skill which is being developed through the content. The table below gives some examples of this.

Of course, sometimes the learning intention does relate to specific conceptual understanding or knowledge. This is particularly the case in Years 11 and 12 where there are mandated materials to be covered and where conceptual understanding is needed to move to the next stage of learning. The following statements are intentions which could apply to classes in Years 11 and 12.

It is important that students are aware of what they are meant to be learning. Asking your daughter about learning intentions is a valuable way to assist her to focus on the purpose of her learning. It is very powerful if the same language is being used at school and at home to talk about learning.

Samantha Bolton 

The teachers in each of these year levels have been preparing the girls throughout the year with quality literacy and numeracy teaching. The girls have been engaged in activities that are presented in a similar approach to the way they are presented in the tests. The tests are a mix of written responses and multiple choice questions. The girls have also been focusing on writing persuasive and narrative texts in preparation for the writing component of the test.

The research of John Hattie has identified teachers as having the most significant impact on student learning. We are fortunate in our school to have teachers who do make a difference to your daughter’s learning and who provide a curriculum program that ultimately contributes to your daughter’s results in the NAPLAN tests.

NAPLAN is considered a high stakes test, but it is important to acknowledge that such testing is not the panacea for a country’s education system. As a school, we use NAPLAN data as just one of the tools available to review our teaching practices and enhance our student tracking for each cohort.

Each of the literacy and numeracy tests is conducted over 3 morning sessions over 3 days. Below is the timetable for the Years 7 and 9 students.

Tuesday 9 May

8:20-9:15am Language Conventions Assessment

10:50-11:40am Writing Assessments

Wednesday 10 May

8:20-9:35am Reading Assessment

Thursday 11 May

8:20-9:30am Numeracy Assessment

All students will require the following equipment for the tests:

• 2 x 2B or HB pencils (not Pacers)
• eraser
• sharpener (preferably with a container for shavings)
• Years 7 and 9 only - a blue or black pen for the Writing test only (Tuesday)
• Years 7 and 9 only - a school calculator for the Numeracy test only (Thursday)

All equipment should be in a plastic ziplock bag or plastic sleeve to bring into the tests.

The best support the girls can receive during this time is a good night’s sleep, a healthy and substantial breakfast, the necessary equipment (sharp pencils, erasers etc.) and drink bottle. We wish the girls well and know they will do their very best in the upcoming tests.

Nicole Devlin 

We have found the feedback regarding these sessions from the students has been extremely positive. I would particularly like to thank our Student Counsellor, Ms Sharon Stone for her organisation of these worthwhile activities. Please see below an outline of the program for this term from Ms Stone.

Nikki Townsend

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Throughout Term 2, the Secondary school students are participating in a variety of workshops as part of the School’s Pastoral Care Day programmes. The presentations are being delivered by external providers, namely Peer Power, Character Builders, Brainstorm Productions and Optus.

The Year 7 cohort participated in “Stop, Look and Listen - road safety for the brain”, a workshop by Peer Power for students to consider their “inner dialogue”. Adolescents experience a tremendous amount of thought traffic in their minds. Negative self-talk can be destructive and inhibit our abilities to achieve goals and connect with others. Research shows that healthy and positive self-talk correlates to better academic outcomes, and to happier, better adjusted individuals - with healthier immune systems. Students participated in a variety of fun, play-based activities to negotiate thought traffic and apply healthy inner dialogue in the ebb and flow of a typical day.

Students in Year 9 attended “Bully-Victim-Bystander” with Peer Power, an organisation committed to providing engaging, informative and transformative seminars to adolescents. The aim of the workshop was to assist students to recognise the different roles and dynamics associated with bullying behaviour. The workshop examined the effects of bullying on the bully, the victim and the bystander, while exploring practical steps for each to effectively address problematic situations.

Students in Year 12 participated in a workshop with Peer Power entitled “Define your Destiny.” The workshop empowered students to think beyond the external and self-imposed limitations that may

prevent them from achieving their potential. With a balanced understanding of their own abilities and challenges, students developed a strong sense and perspective on successes and failures, such that it is never final.

The Year 11 students attended two separate workshops presented by Peer Power entitled “Alcoholocaust” and “Self Esteem and Sexual Relationships”. The workshop on alcohol explored the motivating factors behind adolescent binge drinking culture and the consequences of drinking. Commonly held mythology surrounding alcohol and drinking behaviours were challenged by highlighting the short and long term biological effects and legal consequences of such behaviour. Students also investigated the psychological nature of the addictive cycle. The workshop on sexual health explored three key concepts: 1) the purpose of sex with a view from various theories and perspectives; 2) current opinions and sexual health behaviours drawn from data and research; and 3) prevention issues relating to primary, secondary and tertiary approaches for prevention of sexually transmitted infections and diseases.

The Year 10 students will participate in a workshop with Character Builders, an organisation committed to enhancing all facets of wellbeing and the development of character (confidence, respect, resilience and self-esteem). Through participation in “Helping young women find themselves and what they stand for”, students will explore the best versions of themselves. Student values will be explored, along with conflicting individual and societal assumptions. Upon reflection, students will be able to identify what matters to them, invest in themselves with more confidence and connect with the person they want to become.

Optus will deliver Digital Thumbprint workshops to the Year 8 students. The students will gain a broader understanding of their digital footprint and how this footprint paints a picture of who they are. The workshop will examine the digital impact students have on themselves and others when they interact online.

The Years 7 and 8 students will also watch an educational theatre performance on the topic of bullying delivered by Brainstorm Productions, one of the largest and most respected educational theatre companies in Australia. Two young performers will explore the different forms of bullying at school, in the street and in the home, and strategies for conflict resolution. 

Sharon Stone

Student Counsellor 

On the first day, the students will complete the language conventions and writing component, day 2 focus will be reading and day 3 will focus on numeracy.

Parents are advised not to pump their child up as you do before a sporting event but to just encourage your child to do her best. The most significant support your daughter can receive during this time is a good night’s sleep, a healthy and substantial breakfast, the necessary equipment (sharp pencils, erasers etc.) and drink bottle.

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg PhD MAPS, one of Australia’s highest profile psychologists, suggests the following tips for helping students to prepare for tests and study:

Sleep: research reveals that sleep is the most important study tool going around. All students need at least 9.25 hours as long-term memory is consolidated during stage 4 sleep and the master molecule of mood (serotonin) is replenished, which is why you wake up grumpy when you haven’t had enough sleep.

Breakfast: research from the University of Ulster in Ireland has found that students who had nothing to eat for breakfast performed very poorly on test of memory and concentration when arriving at school. Just eating toast boosted their scores. The biggest boost to cognitive powers was from eating toast and baked beans!

Brain food: during the school year, students who eat fish at least 3 times a week, along with eggs, yoghurt and blueberries, have been shown to have improved brain function and perform better.

Sipping water: the brain is 80 per cent water and students who sip water at least every 20 minutes while studying hydrate their brain, improving their ability to focus, concentrate and stay motivated when it comes to homework.

Exercise: research has found that students who do 3 lots of aerobic exercise a week perform much better than those who do nothing.

These tips are not just for the next week, but always and for everyone. We wish the girls well and know they will do their very best in the upcoming tests.

Continuous Reporting

Continuous reporting has been updated and the following assessment results are now available:

Year 5 - Reading Assessment, Year 6 - Speaking Assessment and Year 6 - Statistics Assessment.

All parents in the Primary School will access their daughter’s continuous reporting and End of Semester Reports through Parent Lounge. Each family has been provided with log-in details to access Parent Lounge. The Primary Office does not have access to parent log-in details and are unable to assist with Parent Lounge inquires. Any inquiries for assistance with Parent Lounge should be directed to School Support at schoolsupport@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Primary Sports News

We congratulate the following girls on being selected for representative sports teams:

Kaya Agnew (Year 6) - Metropolitan North Hockey Team

Lani McWilliam (Year 6) - Metropolitan North Netball Team

Sarah Sorensen, who placed second in the 11 Years age group and Alice O’Toole who placed third in the 12 Years age group at City Districts Cross Country earlier this week, have made the City Districts Cross Country Team.

We congratulate all girls on their effort and commitment to training.

Upcoming Events

Angela Drysdale 

The choir sings a wide selection of repertoire ranging from contemporary pop songs to folk music to more traditional pieces. Girls in Elevarsi Voices will have the opportunity to perform at Classics in the Cathedral held in St John’s Cathedral, our annual Choral Concert and they will also participate in our special Speech Night performances. No sign-up or audition is required. Girls just need to come along to the rehearsal in the Sister Helen Orchestra Room on Monday 8 May at 3:30pm. We look forward to having many girls involved!

Thank you to the Sculthorpe String Quartet

Thank you to the Sculthorpe String Quartet (Hannah Witenden, Rena Mori, Zoe Giles and Ella Leavey) who performed at the Toc H ANZAC Concert last Sunday at St John’s Anglican Church Bulimba. It was a special afternoon of performances with a significant amount of money raised for Toc H. We thank the girls for their wonderful contribution to this event!

Private Music Students’ Recital

Our Term 2 Private Music Students’ Recital will be held on Wednesday 31 May in the Arts Centre Foyer at 3:30pm. These recitals are excellent opportunities for girls to perform in a solo capacity to a supportive audience. If your daughter is interested in performing at this recital, she is encouraged to speak with her private music teacher who can then organise to have her included in the program.

Music Support Group

The next MSG meeting will be held on Tuesday 9 May 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 

After many training sessions, time trials and determination to do well, there is no doubt the girls will compete to the best of their ability.

On Sunday 7 May, 48 enthusiastic lifesavers will swim, throw and pull their way to success. After early morning rises and pool temperatures dropping each session, the girls are predicted to compete well and hopefully uphold their long tradition of the Sheena Dyason Girls Trophy award after a continuous 18-year victory.

Congratulations to the Lifesaving Captains, Georgina Liddy and Alana Cameron-Lyon for their efforts in the program. Girls not in the water this week have been in their tracksuits as the temperatures have dropped rapidly. Thank you to our coaches, Sue Baxter Winch and past student of St Margaret’s, Eloise Crouch (’14), along with Mr Chris Farrelly, the Lifesaving Coordinator.

Good luck girls, you have the St Margaret’s community behind you.

QGSSSA Cross Country

With just over a week to go until the QGSSSA Cross Country Carnival. The competition at St Aidan’s last week was tough with over 80 girls running in each race. Our team has been training hard on Bartley’s Hill with many girls finding form and running personal bests. The girls will have their final warm up meet today (4 May) at Rivermount College.

QGSSSA Cross Country Information

On Friday 12 May we will hold our annual pre-competition breakfast. This session begins at the regular time of 6:30am with a light run, followed by an important meeting for all runners. All team members will be presented with a small gift from the Parent Support Group acknowledging your participation.

Breakfast will follow in Philip Harris Sports Centre and will be over in time for students to attend school at 8:20am, ready for Lesson 1A. All girls are asked to contribute for this breakfast with the exception of boarders. Details are outlined below:

Year 7 - plates, cups, spoons and serviettes

Year 8 - fruit platters

Year 9 - cereal, no larger than 500g

Year 10 - fruit platters

Year 11 - muffins, pikelets, pancakes, scones, treats

Year 12 - fruit juice

On Saturday 13 May the team bus departs School from Butler Street at 6:30am.

Team Uniform

When travelling to and from the venue, all girls are required to wear the St Margaret’s tracksuit, white representative shirt, sports cap and running shoes. The competition uniform consists of the cross country singlet (with 10 on the front and back), school bike pants/shorts, white sport socks and running shoes (you are not able to wear spikes on the course).

Years 8 and 10 are the Supporters for this event. The supporter bus departs at 7:30am. Supporters are to wear their full Middy with Panama. Girls are encouraged to bring something to sit on and morning tea.

We wish Mr Brown and his coaching team all the very best for the QGSSSA Carnival. The Cross Country Captains, Annabel Kennedy and Paris Urban have worked diligently in the program encouraging girls at training and meets. We hope they are rewarded with many pennants and the Percentage Cup.

QGSSSA Autumn Fixtures

The girls played Clayfield College last week at home. The soccer teams were rewarded for their efforts with wins in both the Open and Junior divisions. Touch Football dominated Clayfield College with all teams winning their games. After five rounds of play, our Year 9A basketball team is still leading the ladder.

Nicky Barrie

They state that some of the most effective professional development activities are when teachers are engaged in:

• refining new practice through self-reflection and feedback
• sharing new practice through demonstrations, workshops and presentations
• refining each other’s practice through observation and feedback

The teachers of the Mathematics Faculty remain committed to ongoing improvement in both teaching quality and learning outcomes. We are also committed to setting the example for students that, at any point in our lives we can improve through targeted and meaningful reflection.

At various stages throughout the term the Mathematics staff will be filming their lessons with the following intent:

• Professional growth through personal reflection and
• Professional growth through feedback from colleagues
• To develop a series of video segments which represent a good idea or teaching strategy which can be shared

As you may realise being filmed can be quite daunting. I am very proud of the teachers in the faculty for embracing this approach to professional learning and for their continued commitment to improving teaching and learning outcomes for the girls at St Margaret’s.

If you have any queries or concerns with this filming in your daughter's Mathematics classes, please do not hesitate to contact me on 3862 0777.

Vicki Strid 

This exciting development in our ongoing digital transformation will provide parents with one access point to all the information that is relevant to them. To ensure that the portal provides parents with as much access to relevant information as possible we are calling for expressions of interest to participate in a POD focus group. The group's feedback will be used to determine what the portal will include. Our intention is to meet once in Terms 2 and 3. If you are interested, please contact me via email: Pcottle@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Peter Cottle 

Catherine has built her career on developing, implementing and championing innovative education strategies with a heartfelt dedication to improve Indigenous education outcomes.

Be inspired by this amazing woman who believes that when you capture the hearts and minds of people, anything is possible.

When: Thursday 18 May 2017

Where: Arts Centre Foyer

Tickets: Corporate tables $650 for 10, $60 adult and $40 students (Years 10-12/tertiary)

Tickets are now on sale via Flexischools under Quick Links on the St Margaret’s Website.

St Margaret’s P&F Association

P&F General Meetings

The P&F invites the school community to share their views and ideas at the General Meetings, held in the Arts Centre Foyer from 6:30pm on the following dates:

Monday 8 May 2017

Monday 31 July 2017

Monday 30 October 2017

P&F Event Dates 2017

Term 2

Saturday 27 May - Community Ball

Friday 9 June - Fathers’ Dinner

Term 3

Saturday 2 September - Race Day

The Fathers Dinner

*We regret to advise that the date advertised in the School Calendar is incorrect.

This year’s event will be held Friday 28 July in Eton Hall

This is a great night for Fathers, and other male role models of the girls, to meet. It’s a fun nigh filled with great conversation and good food.

Get a table of 10 together or indicate your daughter’s year level and we will seat you with that cohort.

Tickets will be on sale soon via FlexiSchools

The Community Ball

The P&F invite you to attend the Community Ball held this year in the spectacular Rainbow Room at Cloudland.

Join us for a wonderful evening of excellent food, great wine and good company. The band will delight, and wonderful raffle prizes will be available exclusively on the night.

Purchase a single ticket; book a table of 10 with your alumni group, or get your daughter's class/year level together to support this wonderful event.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW - BUY YOURS TODAY!

To book your ticket or table of 10 register online at

Old Girls’ Association

10 Year Reunion – Class of 2007 - Friday 21 July 2017

20 Year Reunion – Class of 1997 - Saturday 22 July 2017

30 Year Reunion – Class of 1987 - Friday 21 July 2017

40 Year Reunion – Class of 1977 - Saturday 22 July 2017

50 Year Reunion – Class of 1967 - Saturday 22 July 2017

60 Year Reunion – Class of 1957 - Saturday 22 July 2017

Chapel Service and Morning Tea - Sunday 23 July 2017

1938-1956 (60+) Year Reunion - Monday 24 July 2017

OGA Annual Brunch - Sunday 11 June 2017

AGM - Tuesday 28 November 2017

Luanne Wishart 

The students will gain a range of skills and experience including increased independence, team work and gaining practical knowledge essential for a career in the animal care fields, conservation, veterinary science or wildlife research. The experience gained on a project can stretch a young student and be demanding while giving them an experience of a lifetime, passion and drive which they take home with them. Many of our volunteers have continued in the field of wildlife care and management, and now work in their dream careers!

ADF Careers Information Session
Australia’s Navy, Army and Air Force can give you experiences money can’t buy - a career that not only improves you personally, but means doing something worthwhile for your country.

There really is something for almost everyone - from fully paid university degrees and graduate entry schemes, rewarding trade and technical careers, exciting combat roles, through to support and administration positions. With more than 250 jobs on offer, with a multitude of entry avenues, there has never been a better time to find out more.

To learn more, attend an Australian Defence Force Careers Information Session.

When: Wednesday 10 May 2017
Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Where: Defence Force Recruiting Brisbane, Level 13, 295 Ann Street, Brisbane.
To RSVP, visit: or email: cptqld@dfr.com.au

QUT Information evening for parents and students
Parents and guardians of senior high school students, as well as their child, are encouraged to attend a on 16, 17 or 18 May to find out about making course and career decisions, gaining entry to university, study costs and financial support and more. .

Insert Photo of dad and son

Get all your questions about uni answered. We invite current senior high school students and their parents to find out about studying at QUT.

QUT New entry requirement for education courses
Applicants for must submit a written statement addressing suitability criteria for the course when they apply as part of their QTAC application. Information on the selection guidelines, including the process for assessment of non-academic capabilities, is available from the .

QUT For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
QUT’s Oodgeroo Unit offers the entry pathway from mid-October for QTAC applicants who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and place QUT within their top three preferences. Applicants need to have their from a and as this process can take time, we recommend students and/or their parents start this process early.

QUT Additional entry requirements and scholarships in creative industries
For such as auditions, portfolios or interviews, students must apply online to QUT by 5pm on Friday 15 September as well as applying through QTAC. Students interested in creative industries can also access , ranging from $10,000 to $30,000, many of which are awarded based on creative ability.

QUT Open Day program now available - register your interest
Mark the date in your diary! Visit us on Sunday 30 July to find out everything you need to know about studying at QUT. to receive event updates and go into the draw for a MacBook.

The University of Sydney
Join us to find out why we are ranked 1st in Australia and 4th in the world for graduate employability. Find out about our wide range of courses, scholarships, how to apply, and life on our unique and exciting campus.

When: Saturday 20 May
Time: 3pm-5pm
Venue: Pullman Hotel, Corner Anna and Roma Streets, Brisbane
Register at

The University of Queensland
Economics scholarships for Year 12 students
The school of economics is offering two new scholarships for Year 12 students: the Australian Domestics Students Scholarship (ADSS) and the Year 12 Equity and Diversity Scholarship. Both scholarships are valued at $5,000 p.a. for up to three years. The EDS scholarship also offers professional mentoring and is designed for students who have a strong interest in economics and have experienced disadvantage during their schooling, impacting upon their OP results. Students who have experienced social or emotional setbacks throughout senior school, or are from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or low socio-economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The ADSS closes on 3 November 2017. The EDS deadline to apply is 28 November 2017. For more information visit: .

Early Entry Schemes to University:
Several Tertiary Institutions offer early entry schemes that require you to apply directly to the University:

UNE:

• Apply directly to UNE through the Early Entry Scheme
• No application fees
• Know in early November
• ATAR or OP not required
• No UAC/QTAC applications
• Currently open and available to all Year 12s (OP and non OP)

USC:

The Early Offer Guarantee enables Year 12 students to be offered an early and guaranteed place at the University of the Sunshine Coast in November. These offers are made prior to the release of Year 12 results, rather than students having to wait until the main QTAC offer round in January. Early and guaranteed offers will be made to students based on the recommendations of their school Principal. Applications open 3 August.

ACU Early Achievers' Program (EAP):

We believe students should be recognised for their contribution and leadership potential and this is why we grant them status as Early Achievers. One of the biggest benefits of the program is that successful applicants receive an offer well ahead of the usual tertiary admissions announcements. You can apply if you are currently in Year 12. Both domestic and international students can apply if you hope to enrol in a course at ACU.

EAP applications to study in 2018
Open - Wednesday 26 April 2017
Close - Monday 17 July 2017
Offers released by end of August 2017

Griffith University - Queensland Conservatorium of Music
Stand out from the pack at the Tertiary music auditions with Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University's Tertiary Preparation Workshop (TPW) program.

TPW prepares students (in Years 10, 11 and 12) to approach the theoretical and practical aspects of their university audition process with confidence. Now in its fourteenth year, the workshop runs Monday 26 to Friday 30 June and provides prospective instrumental and vocal students with an opportunity to work closely with Queensland Conservatorium staff and music industry professionals in state-of-the-art facilities at South Bank in Brisbane, Queensland. For more information visit:

When: 26 June - 30 June 2017 - Enrol Now for 2017
Where: Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, South Bank
Cost: $495

The University of Queensland
Special entry into the Bachelor of Dental Science for rural or remote students
Rural areas of Australia often have limited access to educational opportunities and dental services. To assist in addressing this ongoing challenge, 8 per cent of Bachelor of Dental Sciences (Honours) places in UQ's annual intake are now designated to applicants who come from a rural background.

The rural background sub quota for the Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours) will be available for students within the RA2 - RA5 category. This will include most Queensland regional cities, as well as rural areas near Ipswich and some parts of the Gold and Sunshine Coast hinterlands. Students can check the classification of their homes on the Department of Health website.

Approved rural background applicants must still meet all the entry requirements of the Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours) program, including sitting the UMAT Exam. However, to assist with meeting the ranking requirements, rural background applicants will be competing against a smaller cohort of applicants (for a smaller number of places) where the standard UMAT cut offs may not apply.

Further information on the scheme and eligibility requirements can be found on the .

UQ 'Getting Ready for University' - Info Sessions for Year 10 parents, guardians and carers
As a parent or guardian, you play a vital role in helping your children make the best choices about their future and Year 10 is the best time to start.

When teenagers select their senior subjects, it is important that they select the right prerequisites for the university programs they are interested in.

Your child’s dream is our mission and these interactive group sessions are designed to give you the necessary information to assist your child in making an informed choice about their future. All our interactive sessions are hosted by recent UQ professional staff graduates and run for approximately one hour with plenty of time set aside for any questions you may have.

Topics include:

• Understanding the university language;
• Key differences between high school and university;
• Pathways into your child’s dream program;
• Scholarships; and
• QTAC, fees, accommodation and more!

Session Dates: week of 15-18 May 2017, St Lucia campus
Please email us or call 07 3346 9872.

UMAT

Registrations for UMAT 2017 are open. Copies of the Information Booklet can be downloaded from the UMAT website at: . Please note that before registering for the test students are required to carefully read the UMAT 2017 Information Booklet, which will only be available online from the UMAT website.

UMAT 2017 Key Dates:

Registrations open First week in December 2016

Registrations close Friday 2 June 2017, 5pm AEST

Late registrations close Friday 16 June 2017- 5pm AEST

Applications for Special Testing Conditions close Friday 16 June 2017

UMAT Test date Wednesday 26 July 2017

Results released late September 2017

The only Identification documents accepted for UMAT 2017 are:

• Current passport
• Current photo-bearing driver's licence (full, probationary or learner's permit)
• Current photo-bearing Australian Keypass
• Current photo-bearing Australian Proof of Age Card

For further details, please refer to the UMAT website. Candidates without correct identification will not be permitted to sit UMAT2017 and will be turned away from the test centre. UMAT is only available once every year. If you do not register by 2 June 2017, you will have to wait until 2018 to sit the Test.

UMAT Preparation
MedEntry: If you are interested in studying Medicine or a career in health that requires sitting the UMAT Test, visit the MedEntry website for assistance in your preparation: . MedEntry is the only government accredited training organisation for UMAT preparation.

MedStart: is an organisation that assists students to prepare for UMAT. Courses are available in Brisbane. Check the MedStart website: for more details.

NIE UMAT Workshops Australia

Along with the 8 or 10 UMAT books our Premium, Platinum and Concession courses include the intensive one-day UMAT preparation and training workshop. Our workshops are designed to cover every UMAT construct (previously known as UMAT sections), the various types of questions to be encountered and how to tackle them, and then to check where you are at with respect to UMAT-specific study, throwing a full-blown UMAT NIE practice test at you. How will you fare? How have you been going? Which UMAT style questions still need work?

Brisbane Workshops to be held at UQ, St Lucia on 28 June and 23 July.

KEY DATES:
Friday 2 and Saturday 3 June 2017
The National Careers and Employment EXPO (Brisbane Convention Centre). All Year 10 students will attend this exciting event on the morning of Friday 2 June.

Friday 2 June
UMAT Registrations close 5pm

Wednesday 26 July
UMAT Exam

Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 July 2017
The 36th annual Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO), Australia's largest tertiary studies expo, offers a unique opportunity for anyone interested in starting, changing or upgrading their career! Featuring many local, interstate and overseas education providers, student services and support agencies. Don't miss this great opportunity to map out your future, all in the one location! 8am – 4pm, RICC Brisbane Showgrounds. A great opportunity for students to collect information from a huge number of exhibitors.

Elizabeth Johnston