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Sense of belonging at school
A recent bulletin from the Association of Heads of Independent Schools alerted Principals to the recently released report by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) analysing of PISA data examining Australian students’ sense of belonging at school (as measured by student responses to PISA surveys). The analysis found that Australian students’ sense of belonging at school has declined significantly between PISA 2003 and PISA 2015 and that, on average, Australian students reported having a significantly poorer sense of belonging at school compared to students across the OECD. However, a significantly higher proportion of Australian students compared with the OECD average agreed that they made friends easily at school and that other students liked them, and Australian students were less likely to feel like an outsider or to feel lonely, left out of things, awkward or out of place at school.

Other findings from the 2015 data include: 

• Male students reported a significantly greater sense of belonging at school than female students.
• Non-Indigenous students reported a significantly greater sense of belonging than Indigenous students.
• Australian-born students reported a significantly lower sense of belonging than first-generation and foreign-born students.
• Students from the highest SES quartile reported a significantly greater sense of belonging than students in the other three quartiles.
• Students from metropolitan schools reported a significantly greater sense of belonging than students from provincial schools and remote schools.
• Within Australia, students in Victoria had the highest levels of sense of belonging.

   

PISA 2015 data show a small positive relationship between sense of belonging at school and student academic performance.

A meta-analysis of 51 studies undertaken by the University of Melbourne sought to identify factors that impact on school belonging. The strongest factor was found to be the relationship a student has with their teacher, in particular, feeling respected and valued by their teacher. Also important are parents’ perceptions of the school and how parents value and support their child’s educational experience and peers who provide social and academic support. Positive individual student characteristics such as optimism, self-efficacy, healthy self-esteem, coping skills, adaptability, pro-social goals and the ability to make and keep friends were also found to affect a sense of belonging at school.

 

Association of Heads of Independent Schools CEO’s e-Bulletin | #12 | 20 July 2018

 

Ros Curtis 

There was an impressive number of girls that received awards on this day, and I know there are many more students that may not have received an award but who have shown gains in many areas of their academic life.

 

After the ceremony this week, one of the students in my class that followed spoke about receiving her first ever Academic Progress Award. She was (rightly) proud of this achievement, and the class enjoyed sharing her excitement. I asked her what she had done differently across this semester to achieve this improvement.

 

At first, she laughingly dismissed my question, but I persisted and said that she must have done something different. She then shared that she had done two particular things. The first was that she had made a commitment to improve her spelling, which had seen her begin to regularly revise words that she had difficulty spelling. The second thing she did was to seek help from her teachers at all points during the learning process. She was proactive in class in terms of asking questions when she didn’t understand and worked with her Academic Advisor to look at areas she could focus on as well.

 

The other students in the class listened intently and I saw lots of nodding when they acknowledged that by just adopting these two behaviours this student had already seen results.

 

Many people assume people achieve success through talent alone; however, it is hard work and not talent that gains those results.

 

People who have achieved success in their chosen endeavour will mostly say that they have devoted time to effective practice. By effective practice, I mean the type that gives you feedback on what you are doing well and what you can improve. It often means doing the same things over and over again until understanding is reached, then moving onto the next step. This can be frustrating, but perseverance is the key.

 

Congratulations to all students who have seen their hard work pay off. I also offer my encouragement to all students for this semester and wish them well with their learning goals.

 

Karen Gorrie 

I include some key points about the critical place of the family, and parents in particular, in the faith development of children and young people. John’s work can be found at: .

 

What is the place and role of Parental Influence?

 

• ‘SPONSOR of the faith’ - where parents are the point of access between church (or church school) and home.
• ‘GATEKEEPER of the faith’ – where parents have control over how much and what sorts of religious content their children encounter.
• ‘INTERPRETER of the faith’ – where parents are the meaningful embodiment of the Christian faith in the lives of children.

 

Studies have shown that the faith development of children and young people is most influenced by and through Family Religious Transmission:

 

1. Parents’ personal faith and practice
2. Parent-child relationship: warm and close
3. Parents’ modelling and teaching a religious faith
4. Parents’ involvement in church life and Sunday worship
5. Grandparents’ religious influence and relationship
6. Religious tradition a child is born into
7. Parents of the same faith
8. Family conversations about faith
9. Family religious practices: prayer, reading the Bible, service to others, celebrating holy days/rituals

 

Further, faith development of children and young people is most likely through Family Practices that Make a Difference:

 

1. Reading the Bible as a family and encouraging young people to read the Bible regularly
2. Praying together as a family and encouraging young people to pray personally
3. Serving people in need as a family and supporting service activities by young people
4. Participating regularly in Sunday worship as a family
5. Being involved in a faith community and serving in a church as family and as young people
6. Eating together as a family
7. Celebrating rituals and holidays at home
8. Having family conversations
9. Talking about faith, religious issues and questions and doubts
10. Ritualising important family moments and milestone experiences
11. Celebrating holidays and church year seasons at home
12. Providing moral instruction

 

Reflection

God of young and old, short and tall, of all colours and shapes and sizes,

Gather us in your tended, loving arms in order to calm our spirits and enliven our hearts for reaching out, as you do, to others.

May we recognise our influence within the faith development of others, especially young people and especially children in our care.

Lead us ever forward, Great Spirit of Truth, into a world where we have each played our part in the justice and nourishment of all.

Through Your Son’s name,

Amen.

 

With every blessing on you and your week ahead,

The Reverend Canon Nicki Colledge 

Margot Behrend

For my exchange last term, I attended Nga Tawa school in New Zealand which is in a small town on the North Island called Marton. The main differences between the schools is Nga Tawa was much greener and they have horses that wander the grounds. There were part-time boarders who might only be in boarding for two nights a week and they have lots more animals at their school! One of my main highlights was seeing snow and building a snow man. This exchange has helped build my confidence with making friends quickly and being able to get along with new teachers. Advice I would give to younger girls is to apply for exchange even if you don’t think you’ll get it - you might surprise yourself! You’ll regret not applying when everyone else is going on exchange and you’ll only wish you were a part of it.

 

Adelaide Roper

What I loved when I first started at St Margaret’s was how everyone was so welcoming when I got here. It was quick for me to settle in because all the boarders helped me find my way around and they were all so friendly - I could go up to anyone of the girls and hold a friendly conversation with them. My highlight while being here has been the weekend that just passed. I went to Margot’s house in Goondiwindi. We did a trail bike ride at North Star which was a new thing for me. I live on a Dairy Farm in South Tarinaki so I am used to riding motor bikes, but not for 40kms! It was a lot of fun and camping was a real highlight. Benefits for me doing this exchange is that I know my confidence and self-esteem will grow. I will develop independent opinions, make informed decisions and strive to attain fresh goals. I feel like my confidence has already grown and I have only been here for one week. The biggest differences between St Margaret’s and my school is St Margaret’s is a lot bigger, there are more people and it is easier to get lost. The most important thing which I will get out of this exchange is that I will make new friends and do different school work. I will also be seeing new places and experiencing a different boarding style. Having this new adventure is already great!

 

 

Dimity Harris 

The following provides an overview of the evening:

 

6:30pm: Presentation in The Loft about the Subject Selection Process and New QCE system

 

7:15pm: New Subject Information (Optional) in The Loft

• 7:15pm – English
• 7:25pm – Maths
• 7:35pm – Science and Technology
• 7:45pm – The Arts

 

7:15 - 8:30pm: Tertiary and Subject Displays in Avoca and Year 7 classrooms

 

Academic Assembly

This week, we recognised the Semester 1 achievements of our Years 10 to 12 students at our Academic Assembly. At this assembly, I spoke about the significance of our mindset when it comes to the way we think about our achievement and learning. Carol Dweck (2017) has written numerous pieces about this topic and says that, ‘You have a choice about the way you think. Mindsets are just beliefs. They’re powerful beliefs, but they’re just something in your mind, and you can change your mind”. I challenged the girls to think about their mindset in my address, which I’ll share with you here:

 

There is no doubt that each one of you felt a sense of pride and accomplishment about something on your Semester 1 report – maybe it was a result you were working towards or a positive piece of feedback from a teacher. For that success, I would like to congratulate each and every one of you. What I am also interested in though, is what you thought when you saw something on that report that you weren’t expecting, something that surprised you or even disappointed you.

 

What was your reaction? Did you think: Well I can’t really change that very much, I’m not very good at that subject, everyone else is better than me.

 

Or did you think: I can work on that, I can study harder, or even, I’m studying hard but I need to ask my teacher or find out how to improve.

 

I would like to encourage all of you to think like the later response and then confront the challenge of how you are going to follow-through … talk to your teacher, set some new goals, talk to your academic advisor.

 

These two different ways of thinking are the answer to what makes someone smart or just smarter than someone else. This morning, we may be tempted to think that the girls receiving an academic award are just naturally smart – that they have never struggled to learn something, never failed or had to spend late nights studying. But this isn’t the truth – it would be a very rare experience to be able to arrange your study so that every result was easily achieved and perfect. Being smarter can be as simple as changing the way you think to achieve something you really want.

 

So, in Semester 2 don’t let a bad result or a difficult lesson or even the feeling of having lots of work to do stand in the way of your ability to grow and become smarter. Stretch yourself and stick to it.

 

To be eligible for the awards presented at the Academic assembly, the following criteria was met by each student

• Progress Certificates were awarded to students who have improved their GPA by at least 1 whole point.
• Academic Pockets were awarded to students who have achieved a Grade Point Average of 13 or above with no overall grade lower than a B. This means that they have achieved at least an A- average.

 

Congratulations to the following girls who were awarded an Academic Pocket and/or Progress Awards:

 

Year 10

Isobel Barry - Academic Pocket

Eva Campbell - Academic Pocket

Lucia Capelli - Progress Certificate

Leilani Chia - Academic Pocket

Sophia Colledge - Academic Pocket

Cyrah Finlayson - Academic Pocket

Zali Fisher - Academic Pocket

Shanelle Flute - Academic Pocket

Gabrielle Geldard - Progress Certificate

Sophie Leggett - Academic Pocket

Sarah Mitic - Academic Pocket

Alice O'Driscoll - Academic Pocket

Emily Pitt - Academic Pocket

Amelia Simpson - Academic Pocket

Tamika Tran - Academic Pocket

Isabel Vittone-Taylor - Academic Pocket

Harriet Warby - Academic Pocket

 

Year 11

Kelsey Booth - Academic Pocket

Sophie Cosgrove - Academic Pocket

Mia Fahrensohn - Progress Certificate

Elizabeth Fowler - Academic Pocket

Emma House - Progress Certificate

Ella Leavey - Academic Pocket

Ziyi (Yannies) Ma - Progress Certificate

Hilary McKie - Academic Pocket

Samantha Morgan - Academic Pocket

Megan Roxburgh - Academic Pocket

Orika Tsukamoto - Progress Certificate

Chisaki Warita - Academic Pocket and Progress Certificate

Yingying Wu - Progress Certificate

Yunxi (Airy) Zhang - Progress Certificate

Yuchen (Rachel) Zhu - Progress Certificate

 

Year 12

Meg Armstrong - Academic Pocket and Progress Certificate

Lillith Bartlett - Academic Pocket

Charlotte Caro - Academic Pocket and Progress Certificate

Lara Crouch - Academic Pocket and Progress Certificate

Georgia Curr - Progress Certificate

Lara Doyle - Progress Certificate

Laura Gatenby - Academic Pocket

Andrea Gilligan - Progress Certificate

Elizabeth Gooden - Progress Certificate

Kealey Griffiths - Academic Pocket

Paris Hall - Academic Pocket

Isabel Haqqani - Academic Pocket and Progress Certificate

Jiangwan (Serina) He - Academic Pocket

Yi Tung (Selina) Kwok - Academic Pocket

Yang (Tracy) Li - Academic Pocket

Natasha Licina - Academic Pocket

Xanthe Lowe-Brown - Academic Pocket

Hannah O'Brien - Academic Pocket

Rhiannon Revell-Blair - Progress Certificate

Gabriella Reynolds Campbell - Academic Pocket and Progress Certificate

Emma Roberts - Progress Certificate

Jade Robertson - Progress Certificate

Jasmine Rodrigues - Progress Certificate

Sophie Ryan - Progress Certificate

Isabella Spooner - Progress Certificate

Georgia Sprague - Academic Pocket

Yuxi (Chloe) Su - Academic Pocket

Madeline Thornton - Academic Pocket

Amy Tran - Academic Pocket

Annabelle Wagner - Progress Certificate

Genevieve Whitehead - Progress Certificate

Yan Wah (Scarlett) Wong - Academic Pocket

Xinyi (Kathleen) Yu - Academic Pocket and Progress Certificate

Ziyao (Yuna) Yu - Progress Certificate

Olivia Zappala - Academic Pocket

 

Jo Butterworth 

All students are able to access the Semester 2 assessment calendars through the Year Level page on The POD. I have encouraged all girls to ensure they have saved or printed their Assessment Calender to ensure they are aware of their assessment commitments for the rest of the year. It is important to note that due to the Continuous Reporting Process, assessment is held in the last weeks of school and all girls are required to attend school until the last day to complete all assessment. As parents you will also be able to view all assessment due dates in Parent Lounge through the Continuous Reporting area after the 13 August.

 

2019 Curriculum Handbooks and Subject Selection

A reminder, all year level curriculum handbooks for 2018 are available for download on the web. These can be accessed by clicking the ‘Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ’ tab and selecting ‘Secondary’ and the links are at the bottom of the page. Please take the time to look at the courses of study for your daughter next year as there has been some changes to the organisation of the curriculum.

 

Students in Year 7 will be asked, in the coming weeks, to decide which 2 Arts subjects they would like to continue to study in 2019. They will choose 2 from either Music, Drama or Visual Art. The Years 8 and 10 girls will be making some bigger decisions about their course of study, and they have been spoken to by the Heads of Faculty about the subjects on offer and the opportunity to attend the Subject Selection Evening next Monday (more information about this is below). Current Year 9 students will continue with their subjects from this year; however, they will be making a decision regarding Maths and selecting either to do 10.1 or 10.2. The Maths Department has been speaking to them and more information will be sent home to parents of Year 9 about this choice.

 

The Subject Selection Evening for current Years 8 and 10 parents and students is being held on Monday 6 August. This event will incorporate a Subject Expo where parents and students can speak with staff about subject offerings, as well as a Tertiary Pathways Display. An invitation has been emailed home this week with details of times for this evening. Jo Butterworth and I look forward to speaking to you all on this night and to assist along with teaching staff with your daughter’s subject decisions.

 

Nicole Devlin 

The Ponytail Project

St Margaret’s Ponytail Project was so successful, that in fact, the Cancer Council approached our school to extend our idea even further. The Cancer Council have now set a challenge to all schools across Queensland to take part in this challenge. We will continue this campaign as an annual event and hope that other schools will get on board with this important fundraising event.

This term, St Margaret’s students will continue to fundraise for both the Cancer Council and the Minotti Family. Amanda Minotti was a beloved Old Girl and teacher of the School who battled cancer. This year's Ponytail Project will raise funds for both Amanda's family and the Cancer Council's ongoing research. The hair is being donated to Real Fringe Hair Bands. The Ponytail Project will be held on Tuesday 28 August. Will you help St Margaret’s girls make a difference? Please to donate.

Nikki Townsend 

Last Thursday, the Primary school continued the sporting history of the school by competing in the Andrews Cup netball competition. Netball was introduced to St Margaret’s in 1908 and our involvement in the Andrews Cup competition began 80 years ago when the competition for primary girls was established. Each of the teams trained hard in preparation for the competition with C grade achieving the highest result, finishing 2nd. Junior A and B grades achieved 4th and 5th place.

Thank you to Katie Bryant, Deanna Lawliss and Karen Andrews-Close for coaching, Morgan Rowe for her organisation and Gayle Coutts for helping with preparation and training for Andrews Cup netball. Many of these girls are members of the Downey Park teams who compete each week, playing for St Margaret’s.

 

At various times throughout our School’s existence, tradition has been enhanced to bring clarification and significance to current times. These include the identification of our school values and more recently the introduction of The St Margaret’s Way. Each of these components articulates for members of the school community what to value and how to act with self and others. The way the students wear their school uniform is reflective of our values and The St Margaret’s Way. By wearing the school uniform correctly, a student is living the school value of respect, as she shows respect for her school and its history. The St Margaret’s Way identifies ‘alignment and accountability’ for all members of the school community, but for students it is overtly demonstrated by the correct wearing of the uniform.

 

As staff, we have recently noticed some students not wearing their uniform correctly. Listed below are some of the rules in relation to breaches we have noticed. More rules are listed on page 42 of the Primary Parent Handbook for students and parents seeking further clarification.

 

• If girls ae wearing their uniform out in public (e.g. at a shopping centre, public library), they are to be in their full uniform – middy, panama and school shoes.
• School shoes should be cleaned regularly to prolong the life of the shoes and that they not display scuff marks or missing colour.
• Students may only travel in their sports uniform if being transported by car directly from home to a sports practice before 7:30am or leaving a sports practice after 4:30pm to travel directly home by car.
• Sandshoes and beige socks are to be worn only when participating in a physical activity.
• Tying the Lace - the lace should be tied at the neck and the collar secured with the School Badge. The House Badge should be worn on the left side of the white collar.
• Brown leather lace up school shoes and beige ankle socks must be worn with the school uniform. Shoes must always be clean.
• If students’ hair falls below the collar it is tied back with white, plain navy or plain brown ribbons. Only small, plain brown or navy clips should be used. Students’ hair must remain its natural colour. Unless short, hair is to be worn in a ponytail or plait. Hair is not to be worn as a bun. The panama must be able to be worn.
• It is not acceptable to wear jewellery, nail polish or make-up with the school uniform. Students may wear a watch; a small religious medal on a chain, (as long as it is not visible) under the school uniform; one pair of small, plain gold or silver studs, or the school pearl earrings, one per ear lobe, worn in the normal position on the lobe of the ear no larger than 5mm in diameter. A blue slip will be issued for uniform breaches. Three blue slips will result in a lunch time detention.
• Play hats must be worn at all break times by all Prep to Year 5 students. Year 6 students may wear their panama.

 

The St Margaret’s school uniform is the symbol of our school and history and it is noticed not just by the staff at school but also by the wider community when girls wear it beyond the gate. For students enrolling in our school it is often commented upon and identified as a positive for the school. When students are seen in their uniform in the community, comments will be made about the way in which they wear their uniform. I ask that girls wear their uniform correctly at all times so that we do receive positive feedback from staff and the community about the way in which a uniform is worn. I know in the future, as Old Girls, the girls will see the next generation of St Margaret’s students and remember they always wore their uniform properly and with pride. I thank families who support their daughter in wearing her uniform correctly and the girls for being responsible by wearing their uniform correctly and proudly as they uphold the School’s tradition and values.

 

Date and Event

Thursday 2 August: Debate/Public speaking with St Aidan’s at St Margaret’s, 4-5pm

Friday 3 August: Free Dress Day

Friday 10 August: Primary Interhouse Athletics and Ballgames Carnival

Tuesday 14 August: Classics in the Cathedral

Wednesday 15 August: RNA Exhibition Holiday

Thursday 30 August: Book Character Parade

Friday 31 August: Years 5 and 6 Arts Spectacular

 

Angela Drysdale

 

ICAS

This week, we received the results of the 2018 Science International Competitions and Assessment for schools. Congratulations to the following girls who received Distinctions:

Charlotte Rhode

Yun (Mona) Lin

Neve Mattsson

Elise Selwa

Zara Walsh

Caitlin Williams

Lilly Young

 

Accelerated Reader

We would like to acknowledge the following girls who have read 2 million and 3 million words so far this year:

2 Million Words

Brigid Sweeney

Emily Smith

Caitlin Williams

Lily Alford

Zara Fraser

 

3 Million Words

Arabella Harris

 

Cathy Cox

Assistant Head of Primary 

     

 

     

 

Community Choir

The St Margaret’s Community Choir commenced rehearsals last week. This is always a fantastic way of connecting with the broader St Margaret’s community. This year, the Community Choir will again participate in our annual Classics in the Cathedral concert held in St John’s Cathedral singing Karl Jenkin’s Benedictus, and will also perform at the whole of school Choral Concert held in Eton Hall at the end of Term 3. There is no need to register in advance for the choir - just come along to rehearsal this week in the Arts Centre Foyer, 6-7pm. If you were not able to make the first rehearsal, you are still more than welcome to attend. Please find attached a letter (PDF 217.5KB) with further details, and feel free to advertise the choir to family and friends!

 

 

Classics in the Cathedral

The St Margaret’s Music Department is very excited to again present our annual Classics in the Cathedral concert. Classics in the Cathedral will be held this year on Tuesday 14 August in St John’s Anglican Cathedral at 7pm. This is a spectacular evening of beautiful music, performed within the stunning setting of St John’s Cathedral and is one of the St Margaret’s Music Department’s very special music events. Tickets are $25 for adults (no cost for students/children). Tickets may be purchased through Flexischools or at the door. A letter with further information has been distributed to students and is available here (PDF 293KB).

 

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on 4 September 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 

This weekend, games will be against St Peters Lutheran College at their home venues. The weekly schedule for Round 3 is available via the Secondary POD page or by clicking here (PDF 252.6KB). Transport to and from venues is available to all girls. Day girls are asked to register online via the link found on their individual sport pages via the POD.

 

     

 

     

 

Vicki Wilson Cup

The St Margaret’s Vicki Wilson Cup campaign started on Monday 30 July, with an outstanding win 59-18 over North Lakes State College. Well done to all team members and coaching staff! The schedule for the next two round games are found below:

 

Tuesday 7 August v Genesis Christian College at Bray Park

Monday 13 August v Mt Alvernia at Kedron

 

Netballers learning from the best

Over the season, both our club and QGSSSA teams have been experiencing coaching from Hall of Fame Netballer, former assistant Silver Ferns coach and now the national Fijian team coach, Vicki Wilson. Vicki has been a part of St Margaret’s Netball for over a decade imparting her knowledge and expertise on scores of St Margaret’s netballers. This is a highlight of our Netball program and one in which all girls benefit from as we aim to provide exceptional sporting programs for our girls.

 

QGSSSA Rhythmic Gymnastics

Forty students will compete at the Rhythmic Gymnastics Warm-up Competition on Friday 3 August at Moreton Bay College in the lead up to the QGSSSA competition to be held on Friday 10 August. This is a sport that requires artistic flair, strength and poise to be successful and we wish all girls the very best for the competition.

 

 

Athletics

The St Margaret’s Athletics training squad will be participating in internal trials throughout Week 4 and will compete in the University of Queensland Super Six Athletics Meets every Friday night, commencing on 10 August. The Competition meets are vital to the squad’s preparation for the QGSSSA Competition on Monday 15 October, where St Margaret’s is looking to better their performance from last year and become contenders in the quest for the Percentage Cup. The dates for each warm-up Athletics Meet is found below:

• 10 August, 4:20pm – 7pm
• 17 August, 4:20pm – 7pm
• 24 August, 4:20pm – 7pm
• 31 August, 4.20pm – 7pm
• 7 September, 4:20pm – 7pm
• 14 September, 4:20pm – 7pm
• 12 October, 4:20pm – 7pm

 

For further information on the trials and warm-up meets, download the Athletics Newsletter from the Athletics POD page.

 

Congratulations…

Alice O’Driscoll for being selected in the 13-15 Years Metropolitan North Team who will be competing at the State Championships on the Gold Coast from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 August.

 

Isabelle Simpson for being selected in the 10-19 Years Metropolitan North Golf team competing at the State Championships this week in Kingaroy.

 

Upcoming Events:

• Rhythmic Gymnastics Warm-up Competition - Friday 3 August
• Winter Fixtures v St Peter’s at away venues - Saturday 4 August
• St Margaret’s/St Aidan’s Rowing Regatta at Wyaralong – Saturday 4 August
• Vicki Wilson Cup Netball Game v Genesis Christian College – Tuesday 7 August
• QGSSSA Rhythmic Gymnastics Competition – Friday 10 August
• Athletics Super Six Series Meet One – Friday 10 August

 

Helen Lobegeiger 

Please click here (PDF 570.8KB) for further information. 

Coordinated by the Communication, Speech and Performance Teachers’ Inc., the event will feature the works of authors and illustrators who have either won or been nominated for the annual Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards and will include books by Bob Graham, Ruth Park, Colin Thompson, Amy Lissant, Pamela Allen, Margaret Wild, Noela Young, Norman Jorgenen and Mem Fox among many other acclaimed Australian children’s authors and illustrators.

 

As part of the performance, Year 8 students: Kate Bloomfield, Ella Gouldthorp, Verity House and Claire Pitt and Year 9 students: Chloe Fenwicke and Priscilla Russell will bring to life a heart-warming story about an aging, ailing dog called “Toby” by Margaret Wild.

 

The performance is being held at 3pm on Sunday 12 August at the Iona Performing Arts Centre, 85 North Road, Lindum. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online via the CSPT Inc. website:

 

Come along and enjoy a wonderful afternoon of storytelling!

 

Maria Chamberlain

 

Across the weekend we welcomed a record number of more than 500 past students back to St Margaret’s to celebrate milestone reunions and to join us for Old Girls’ Day. The Reunion Weekend celebrations commenced on Friday evening with our 10, 20 and 30 Year groups, while those celebrating their 40, 50 and 60 Year Reunions joined us for lunch and tours on Saturday. The Old Girls’ Day Chapel Service and Morning Tea was held on Sunday, and our final function, the VIP 60+ Reunion Luncheon on Monday this week.

 

The past student community engenders a sense of belonging and support that extends well beyond the school gates; and this was evident across the weekend as many past students reconnected and shared fond memories of their time at school.

 

Of course, planning a weekend of celebrations for 500 past students is no easy feat, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who made it such a success.

 

Our faithful team of volunteers, Janice Moody (Biddulph ’56), Dawn Jones (Rees ’44), Suzette Purdy (’65), Anne Muggleton (Schmidhauser ’56), Sheena Dyason (’51), Beverley Fox and Trish Barlow played a huge part in tracking down new email addresses and contact details of our past students.

 

In addition to the planning that takes place behind the scenes, there is also an army of staff that help create these beautiful functions. From boarding student volunteers, to Scott Johnson and his Catering staff, to our brilliant Facilities team who assist with the set up and dismantle; not to mention Alimony Murray (Front of House), Kari Coombes (Functions Coordinator), Peter White (IT), Wendy Johnston (Giddens ’79) and her marketing team and last but not least, the wonderful Bronwyn Perry (Thorley ’68) for her brilliant PowerPoint presentations.

 

We are also very grateful of the leadership and enthusiasm of the Reunion Coordinators:

 

Class of 2008 - 10 Year: Janet Keki, Charlotte Bondfield, Jess Brodie

Class of 1998 - 20 Year: Penelope Barsha (Gibson), Emma Muirhead (Burnham), Anna Dakin (Robertson)

Class of 1988 - 30 Year: Antonia North, Angela Tracey (Wright)

Class of 1978 - 40 Year: Jan Callanan (White)

Class of 1968 - 50 Year: Libby Black (Stanley), Jacky Garnsworthy (Roebuck), Sandra Whybird (Shields)

Class of 1958 - 60 Year: Janice Kazakoff (Seipel), Sandra Griffiths (Cook)

 

It never ceases to amaze me how caring and kind the past students are; particularly our very special VIP 60+ Reunion group. It is such a privilege to be able to sit with these women, hear their stories and connect with their overwhelming sense of gratitude of what life has taught them since receiving their education at St Margaret’s.

 

I also had some wonderful conversations with past students who are investing in the future of our current girls through supporting scholarships. Philanthropic donations have provided scholarship support for students in need, to access and obtain a St Margaret’s education.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank those who made a donation to support scholarships and bursaries, when registering to attend their reunion event.

 

2018 St Margaret’s Race Day Raffle

Our first prize in the ever-popular St Margaret’s Race Day Raffle is a wonderful piece from PandaPearls, the iconic jewellers in the inner northern suburbs of Brisbane.

 

PandaPearls have generously donated a stunning 9ct rose or yellow gold handcrafted Australian made pearl ring in gallery setting and scrolled design with a 14mm South Sea Mabe Pearl surrounded in 25 white SI diamonds. In addition, a stunning pair of South Sea earrings on rose or yellow gold and a $500 personal champagne shopping experience to put towards a bespoke PandaPearls strand to suit you perfectly.

 

To buy tickets, please . 

Professional Women’s Network

Guest Speaker: Alison Quinn, CEO, RetireAustralia - SOLD OUT!

When: Thursday 23 August 2018 (Breakfast)

Where: Arts Centre Foyer

 

SAVE THE DATE – Tickets on sale soon

Guest Speaker: Linda Richards, Deputy Director (Research), Queensland Brain Institute and President, Australasian Neuroscience Society

When: Thursday 18 October 2018, 5:30pm – 7:30pm (Cocktail)

Where: Price Waterhouse Coopers, Brisbane CBD

Tickets: Corporate dry bar $800 (for 10 people), $60 adult and $40 students (Years 10-12/tertiary)

 

Lara Pickering  

QUT - Creative industries events
Students interested in pursuing a creative career are invited to on 24 and 29 July, and on Sundays during August. Students seeking entry to specific courses with portfolio, audition or interview requirements can attend an on 5 August.

The University of Queensland
UQ: Extension - Application for Music auditions to 8 August
Please note that the application deadline for Bachelor of Music (Honours) auditions has been extended. Applicants wishing to audition for the program will be required to have all documentation submitted by no later than Wednesday 8 August. This is a revision from the application date printed in the QTAC guide.

UQ: Engineering and Computing Careers Evening
Do you want an exciting, fast-paced career with qualifications that enable you to work around the world, as well as the skills to solve both local and global challenges? Find out how you can have all this and more with a career in Engineering or Computing.

Date: Thursday 23 August
Time: 6- 8pm
Venue: GHD Auditorium 200, Advanced Engineering Building (#49)

ANU
ANU is changing how we do admissions, making it easier for students to apply to Australia's National University. Students wishing to commence at ANU in 2020 will apply directly to ANU in a single application that covers admissions, scholarships and accommodation.

Timeline:

• March to May 2019 - Students apply to ANU
• August 2019 - Early outcomes are released, conditional on meeting ATAR requirements, outcomes including admissions, scholarships and accommodation offer

 

We will make early offers to students based on Year 11 results, conditional on achieving the required final OP/ATAR. This means students will know they have a place at ANU much earlier, and they can start planning for their life at University.

QTAC
QTAC applications for current Year 12 students open 2 August. All applications are submitted online via the QTAC website. Some courses have earlier closing dates, but the general early closing date is 28 September 2018.

Griffith University - 2019 Scholarship Applications open soon
Each year, Griffith University provides more than 40 million dollars in direct financial support to help new and continuing students successfully complete their degrees. More than 600 scholarships are available to cover tuition, education and living expenses and students can apply for multiple scholarships with just one application. Applications for 2019 opened on 20 July 2018. Explore scholarship options and apply online at .

The University of New England
Benefits of UNE Early Entry Direct:

• Apply directly to UNE online.
• No application fees.
• Know earlier (November) that you have a place at UNE to relieve the pressure of waiting for results and let you plan your big move.
• No QTAC application required - Applying through UNE Early Entry does not prevent you from making another application through a tertiary admissions centre so it’s a great way to increase your chances of getting into the course you want.

 

Who can apply for Early Entry?
Early Entry is available for most UNE degrees, for current Year 12 students. For most courses you are offered you will also have the option to accept the offer and defer for up to two years.

Apply via: on or before Friday 28 September 2018.

Monash University
Audition preparation course – jazz and popular voice studies
This is a two-day course for jazz instrumentalists, jazz voice and popular voice students. Students will explore the performance and ensemble processes helping them build the skills required to audition for entry to the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music. Students will learn what is expected during the auditions for our jazz and popular voice courses.

Event details:
Date: Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 August 2018
Time: 10am – 3pm
Location: Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music, Clayton campus
Cost: $330
Register at:

Engineering prerequisites
Did you know that engineering graduates are among the highest paid graduates in Australia, with a median starting salary of $64,000 pa (2017 Graduate Outcomes Survey)? The Faculty of Engineering at Monash offers a flagship Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree enabling graduates to qualify as an engineer after just four years of study.

If you are interested in entering this course at Monash, it’s imperative to select appropriate subjects early on, to ensure you can satisfy the course prerequisites:

• English
• Higher Level Mathematics
• Physics or Chemistry

(all Australian Year 12 equivalent)

For more information, visit: .

Bond University Scholarships for Australian students
Scholarship applications for Year 12 Australian students opened on 1 June 2018. View each of the scholarships below to find out more about each, their eligibility criteria, value and how to apply. Download your copy of the Also review our for Year 12 scholarship applicants.

The University of Queensland
Changes to Doctor of Medicine program from 2021
The UQ Academic Board have approved changes to the selection process for UQ's Doctor of Medicine (MD) program that will impact current high school students. These changes will be progressively introduced over the coming years, allowing students ample time to prepare.

What are the changes?
There are two main changes to the selection process for the MD Program at UQ:

• The introduction of a Mini Multiple Interview as part of the selection process (only impacting current Year 10 students, or younger)
• The introduction of prerequisite courses to ensure students are well prepared for the first two years of the program (impacting all students)

 

Why the change?
Our revised admission process is designed to ensure the highly sought-after places in the MD program are offered to applicants who demonstrate the attributes and abilities most suited to the profession of medicine, and most likely to succeed in the MD program.

ANU
A pathway to medicine at ANU
The Bachelor of Health Science offers a pathway to the postgraduate at ANU without having to sit the GAMSAT. At the end of their second year in the Bachelor of Health Science, up to 30 students will receive an offer of entry to the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD), contingent upon their grade point average (GPA), an interview process and successful completion of the Bachelor of Health Science. Ten of the 30 places in the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD) program are reserved for rural and Indigenous students from the Bachelor of Health Science.

Program details: QLD OP: 6 and other prerequisites apply. For further details on admission, fees and program requirements visit the .

UQ Pharmacy Experience Day - save the date
Pharmacy Experience Day is an annual UQ showcase which invites students to discover where a Bachelor of Pharmacy can take them. Throughout the day, guests will take part in a range of hands-on laboratory activities, meet and quiz current students and participate on a guided tour through the world class facilities. All members of the public are invited to attend the Pharmacy Experience Day to be held on Sunday 19 August 2018.

University Open Days:

CQUniversity (CQU)
9 August 2018 (Thursday) Brisbane Open Day, 3pm-6pm
11 August (Saturday) Bundaberg and Mackay

Griffith University (GRIFFITH)
12 August 2018, Open Day Gold Coast, Nathan and South Bank Campuses

James Cook University (JCU)
19 August 2018 (Sunday) Townsville Campus
26 August 2018 (Sunday) Cairns Campus

The University of Queensland (UQ)
St Lucia campus - Sunday 5 August, 9am-3pm
Gatton campus - Sunday 19 August, 9am-3pm

University of Southern Queensland (USQ)
USQ Toowoomba - Sunday 19 August
USQ Ipswich - Saturday 1 September
USQ Springfield - Friday 7 September

University of the Sunshine Coast (USC)
Caboolture - Sunday 5 August 

KEY DATES:

Friday 20 July
Griffith University - Scholarship applications opened

Wednesday 1 August
UAC (NSW Tertiary) Applications opened
Early bird applications close Friday 28 September

Thursday 2 August
QTAC (Qld Tertiary) Applications open
Early bird applications close Friday 28 September

Monday 6 August
VTAC (Victorian Tertiary) Applications open
Close of timely applications: Thursday 27 September
Close of Scholarship applications: Friday 12 October

Sunday 19 August
UQ Pharmacy Experience Day, 9:30am-1pm

Friday 28 September
UNE Closing date for Early Entry applications

Monday 17 December
OP Advice Night UQ Centre, St Lucia campus, 4pm-7pm

Tuesday 18 December
QUT Real Decisions, Gardens Point campus

Elizabeth Johnston