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We have recently hung seven works by renowned Queensland artist, Ian Smith around the school for the students to enjoy and to be inspired. They are on loan to us for 12 months. Two have been hung in the Arts Centre Foyer – for you to enjoy next time you are in the school and visit the ACF. The didactics give the detail about the works – the first is called 'Life still - in a Brisbane restaurant' (2003) and this painting exemplifies considerable artistic license in exaggerating simple starting points and combining ideas from different sources. The second painting is called ‘NOW’ (1996) which captures the moment of two people watching a surfer jumping on to a rolling wave at Burleigh Headland.

Last week, all parents should have received an email from me informing them of a parent survey we are undertaking this year. The school has commissioned specialist education consultancy MMG Education to conduct an online survey of all Prep to Year 12 parents of the school. The survey will give you the opportunity to express confidentially your views of the ways in which we meet your needs and those of your daughter/s.

Your responses will assist the St Margaret’s School Council and Senior Leadership Team to review the School’s operations and plans for the future.

The use of MMG Education’s services will ensure that the research is conducted at arm’s length from the school. Please be assured that all responses will be treated by MMG Education in strict confidence and that no parent will be identified to the school by MMG Education based on questions asked or responses made.

Parents of all students from Prep to Year 12 will be invited to complete confidential questionnaires over a two-week period commencing this Friday 31 August. You will receive an email from MMG Education that will provide you with access to your own, unique questionnaire.

By completing your questionnaire, you will be making an invaluable contribution to the future of the school as we strive to ensure we are providing the best opportunities possible for our students.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important project.

Ros Curtis 

This week we saw an amazing whole school initiative in the Ponytail Project. From the Primary school students who came with Crazy Hair for the day (and didn’t they look great!), to the girls who cut their ponytails to give to the making of wigs for patients undergoing cancer treatment, to the over $92,500 (at the time of writing this article) they have raised for the Minotti Trust and the Cancer Council, and to the wonderful support of parents, staff, families and friends, this day was a huge success.

At the beginning of the school holidays, a group of Year 11 students will be taking part in Sony Camp. This is a camp that provides care for children with special needs for a weekend in order to provide a couple of nights respite for their families.

In the school we also have the Toc H group and the Philanthropy group, both of which donate their time to those less fortunate, and hold awareness, fundraising and collections for various causes throughout the year. Students are invited to be part of these groups, and I urge students to consider joining.

Each year, for the past five years, the Year 9 cohort raise money for Birthing Kits. Disposable Delivery Kits are recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an essential tool for use by birth attendants when a delivery occurs at home, and particularly in emergency settings. There is evidence from around the world demonstrating that these kits prevent childbirth-related infections and also act to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies by removing barriers and supporting mothers to access health services. In many low-resource settings health facilities are not adequately equipped with clean supplies so kits can also be used to resource and improve the basic cleanliness of these environments. The majority of kits received by Birthing Kits Australia are sent to sub-Saharan Africa.

Year 10 also fundraises at the annual Year 10 Lunch for a charity of their choice, Year 11 fundraise for Sony Camp and Year 12 have traditionally done fundraising for Heart Foundation and Cancer Council.

There are many more causes that our students choose to support each year (too many to list!). It has been a great year of students giving their time to worthy causes, and we continue to appreciate our community’s support of all these and other initiatives.

Karen Gorrie 

So, come along any time, Prayer Spaces are open to all in our community.

This time, you can literally ‘bin’ the stuff in your life that is a burden, that holds you back, that is painful (we have our own bin).

You can ponder all manner of philosophical or miniscule issues, write them down and deliver them to the twinkly ‘beyond’ (whatever THAT means!).

     

You might like to curl up with a cushion and play with the colourful bubble timers. The couch and the teapot are there too.

Come and take a paper doily (like Grandma used to crochet… only paper!) and write what gives you JOY, and peace. This is the ’Doily of Delight’!

The Plasma Ball makes a return… discover the intricate connections in a world of electricity meeting your soul…

Sound intrigued? If the Chapel is open, you are welcome to pop in. All are invited… all faiths, no faith, and everything in between.

Annual St Margaret’s Pet Blessing
On Sunday 14 October, 9am in the Barley Sugar Garden, our celebration of creation and pets, great and small, will be held. The Feast Day for the Patron Saint of Animals, St Francis of Assisi, is on 4 October and so we aim to keep our ‘Festival of Francis’ as close to that day as possible.

Come along with your family, friends and, of course, your pet! You may also bring photos or cuddly toys! In the event of rain, we will move into the School Chapel. Naturally, owners of any animals/creatures are responsible for their restraint and mess-making.

Mark your diaries now!

Reflection – A Plodder’s Prayer by Michael Leunig

With every blessing on you and your week ahead,
The Reverend Canon Nicki Colledge 

“Well I did not have to say to any girl, ‘It is four o’clock and you should be out of uniforms, as most girls had had their showers by then and were preparing for their special night. By 5:10pm all the girls were decked out in their finery, in time for photos on the Terraces. It was so exciting, everyone enjoyed dressing up and eating together. The meal served at the formal dinner was yet again something to wait for and we thank our chefs in the kitchen.” Cheryl Harrison

 

 

The dinner was attended by our Deputy Principal, Karen Gorrie, Dean of Students, Nikki Townsend and School Chaplain, The Reverend Canon Nicki Colledge. We were also joined by Kate Montgomery, Head of Year 9 and as always, we welcome Sandra Johnson, Pastoral Care Coordinator and our two Boarder Captains, Christine Dawanincura and Prudence Brosnan.

 

Ms Gorrie addressed the girls on the all-important, The St Margaret’s Way, prior to Primrose Carrigan delivering the Grace. We are thrilled to report that these girls responded brilliantly to what it means to follow and embrace The St Margaret’s Way. As this discussion was unprompted, the group revealed their authentic understanding of its value and importance; ultimately making the staff incredibly proud. With camp fast approaching, it was certainly a lovely evening focussed on the bonds already fostered as a group of Year 9s living and learning together.

 

Dimity Harris 

One of the features of this page is a list of St Margaret’s study tips that the girls will find very helpful. They are:

1. Tidy up and arrange your study space/desk - a clean and neat working space allows you to work efficiently and enhance your desire and determination to revise.
2. Teach your peers or explain a new concept or process to them – explaining information to your peers allows you to understand and comprehend the concept.
3. Encourage our 'sisterhood' theme this year by lending our hands to one another – for example, form an effective and positive study group with your friends.
4. Gather together for a study session and make sure you all stay focused on your study topic by helping one another figure out the solution as a group.
5. Establish a study routine/plan – study in small chunks with regular breaks.
6. Make sure you have a goal when studying (study with purpose, with reason).
7. Test yourself.
8. Ask questions in class and go to tutorials - teachers and your friends are all willing to help you.

The page also features a list of study skills videos and an effective method for planning a day of study. Due to the business of this time, we can also remind the girls to make sure they continue to eat well, sleep well and stay calm so that they can think clearly.

Jo Butterworth 

Supervised Study Sessions

Supervised Study Sessions are currently well attended due to assessment work due. A reminder, that all students attending Supervised Study Sessions from 5pm need to be booked in via Flexischools. If your daughter is not booked in, she may not be able to stay due to the limit of 25 students per session. This service is being run to assist students; however, due to the number of girls just ‘turning up’ we are not sufficiently staffed, and this is putting pressure on the tutors. Thank you to those parents who are booking their daughters in for the service.

 

To book, parents will need to log into Flexischools and select ‘Supervised Study Sessions’. Bookings are limited to 25 participants each night and when a session is full no further bookings can be made. Bookings are essential and should be made in advance to ensure a place is available. If dinner is required, payment must be paid at the time of booking and this option selected in Flexischools.

 

Nicole Devlin 

A braid stall and bake sale also operated to raise extra funds. It was so lovely to see Old Girls, parents and some of the original girls who initiated the project back in 2015 being able to celebrate this momentous occasion with us. The money raised will be split between the Cancer Council and the Minotti Trust.

 

We would like to thank the Prefects, all students involved, our Dance Group, Ms Jenny Matheson and the Facilities and Marketing staff for all assistance with this event. This event is a real testament of St Margaret’s caring community.

 

     

 

     

 

Nikki Townsend 

     

Book Week culminated today with the P-4 Book Character Parade. It was a wonderful sea of colour and characters that come from the pages of so many wonderful books, both new and classics. The parade opened with a motley crew of teacher pirates and video of them hurrying to the parade. Thank you to Victoria Nikolova, Marketing and Communications Assistant for creating this video. The pirate teachers certainly ‘anchored’ the theme of ‘Find your Treasure’ as they sang to their ‘treasure’ that is, their favourite book.

Opening a book is like opening a treasure box. As you open it, you are filled with anticipation of what lies within: exotic places, riveting storylines and enticing illustrations. A book is also like a treasure map as it takes you on a journey to unknown places, into people’s hearts, different times and engages you in a myriad of adventures. We all know treasure maps are used by pirates to reveal where hidden treasures lie. Our teachers are always on the lookout for how to help their students find their treasure and that is why they got into the spirit of this Book Week theme. Thank you to the staff for their efforts.

Thank you to the students for bringing the characters to life from the pages of the books we love and treasure and also to parents and families for making this happen. Thank you to the library leaders for supporting the parade and to Emily Smith for presenting her talk on the value of reading; who was not daunted by sharing this speech with a large audience.

All the girls loved watching a snippet of the Year 5 Arts Spectacular dance. Whilst the dance was set in a different continent, with a different animal to the shortlisted book, “A Second Sky”; the dance and the book share the same moral. When you encounter problems, you can learn life’s lesson of never giving up. Thank you to Mrs Edwards and the dancers for this wonderful presentation.

The love of reading is not just evident during Book Week, but throughout the year. We are lucky that our AR program (as described last week) provides evidence of the number of words read by our Years 3 to 6 students. At the Book Character Parade, it was announced that 130 million words have been read by these students to this point in time; a great effort from the students, teachers and parents who have supported them in their reading endeavours.

e-Smart
Next week is National eSmart Week 2018, which celebrates building cyber safe communities. eSmart Schools was developed in response to schools' expressed need for a positive and evidence-based framework to address issues of cyber bullying and cyber safety. National eSmart Week is an initiative developed by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation. We have worked hard to create our cyber safety curriculum which sits within our Pastoral Care program. We are an accredited eSmart School.

The internet is here to stay, and when used correctly, it provides a great place to learn, be creative and stay connected. The girls in the Primary school have created posters and flyers to get the cyber safety message across. You will find some of these on display in the Atrium and also at Hamilton Public Library. Be sure to visit.

Our Year 6 girls have been working to obtain their digital licence. This is an interactive online education program which prepares children for the online world. We encourage parents to avail themselves of the excellent resources readily available through various agencies. We recommend the following to you:

eSafety Commissioner:

Think You Know – parents and youth:

National Centre Against Bullying:

eSmart – Alannah and Madeline Foundation:

Upcoming Events
Friday 31 August: St Margaret’s Primary Breakfast, 7am
Friday 31 August: Years 5 and 6 Arts Spectacular, 6:30pm
Saturday 8 September: St Margaret’s Race Day
Sunday 16 September: Young Families’ Service, 9am
Tuesday 18 September: Choral Concert, 6:30pm

Angela Drysdale 

Please note that a sausage sizzle, provided by the Music Support Group, will be available for students after rehearsals, from 5pm on Tuesday 18 September in Eton Courtyard. For catering purposes, students are requested to write their name on the sign-up sheet in the Sister Helen Orchestra Room by Friday 14 September.

 

 

Private Music Students’ Recital

Congratulations to all students who performed at the Private Music Students’ Recital on Wednesday afternoon. It was a wonderful afternoon of music and all students who performed should be very proud of their efforts!

 

 

Music Performance at QGSSSA 110 Year Celebration

Thank you to Amira Ryan (Year 11) who performed alongside students from other schools as a member of a string quartet, providing entertainment at a special dinner to celebrate 110 years of the QGSSSA. I know the girls involved enjoyed performing together to mark this special occasion and provided a wonderful contribution to this special event.

 

     

 

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on 4 September at 5pm in the Primary Music Room (second floor of Chaseley). Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend.

 

Brad King 

Club Netball Success
Congratulations to all Club Netball teams for a great season of Netball. Special mention must go to Team 7 (13 Years) and Team 11 (12 Years) who progressed into the Grand Final this weekend after two nail-biting matches, where Team 11 won by one point and Team 7 clawed their way back into the match to win by four.

We invite all friends and families to come and support our teams this Saturday 1 September in their quest to be premiers at 10:40am for Team 11 v Arana and 12:15pm Team 7 v All Hallows.

 

Head of the River
The BSRA Head of the River will be held on Saturday 1 September at Wyaralong Dam from 8am to 1pm. This is a great opportunity for all students and friends of St Margaret’s to come and support our rowers. A supporter’s bus will be available for all students departing from St Margaret’s at 8am which will then travel to St Aidan’s to allow girls playing in the first round of winter fixtures the opportunity to attend this great event. The bus will then return to St Margaret’s at approximately 2:30pm.

Further details are below:

When: Saturday 1 September
Where: Wyaralong Dam
Supporter’s Bus: Departs Butler Street at 8am and arrives at St Aidan’s to pick up girls from Winter Fixtures at 8:45am. Arrives at Wyaralong Dam at approximately 10-10:15am. Bus returns to St Margaret’s at approximately 2:30pm.

All girls wishing to catch the supporter’s bus must register online via the link supplied on the Secondary Sport POD page.

 

 

     

    

Winter Fixtures
There were some great contests against our neighbours, Clayfield College within the winter sport fixtures played last weekend. Hockey had a super Saturday winning 2 out of 3 games. Netball won 3 games and tied 2. Tennis teams had similar success, winning 3 out of 5 matches, while Volleyball had success with the Open, Year 10 and Year 8 teams recording a win. The next round of fixtures will be against St Aidan’s at their home venues. The weekly schedule is attached here (PDF 269.7KB) and available on the Secondary Sport Page on the POD.

National Cross Country Success
Four students from St Margaret’s competed at the Australian Cross Country Championships over the weekend. Congratulations to Isabella Harte, Chloe Fenwicke, Ciana Jamieson and Bella Donaldson who ran superbly, both individually and within their team races. Special mention to Isabella Harte who placed first in the 13 Years 3000m and is now the National Cross Country Champion.

     

Save the Date
The annual Sports Awards Evening will be held on Friday 19 October 2018. This event is a highlight in the St Margaret’s Sporting calendar and I am pleased to announce the youngest Australian to summit to Mt Everest will be our special guest speaker. The evening will be honouring students and coaches in the following categories:

• Most Valuable Player/Athlete
• Rising Stars
• Service to Sport
• Summer, Winter and Autumn Teams of the Year
• Coach of the Year
• Captain of the Year

 

 

Helen Lobegeiger 

Year 11 Visual Art students have attended an artist talk and workshop with Brisbane artist, printmaker and bookmaker, Mr Glen Skien. Glen demonstrated his working process and spoke of how important using an artist journal is to his creative process. The sessions with Glen will prove to be invaluable as the students develop ideas for their own handmade artist book.

 

     

     

 

Lisa Smith 

Visiting Exchange Students

Visiting students had lunch with our Principal, Ms Curtis and Deputy Principal, Ms Gorrie on Wednesday 29 August. They presented their Exchange experience to the Year 8 cohort at the Year Level Assembly today, Thursday 30 August, which encouraged many questions about their respective Exchange schools. Nine of the visiting Exchange students will be going on a 2-day trip to Sydney on 6 and 7 September with Ms Achari and Ms Stone.

 

 

Correspondence from St Margaret’s Students Away on Exchange

We recently received an update from Anna Dunning, Harriet Warby and Lucia Capelli who are away on their Exchange at St Anne’s in South Africa. They are loving their time in South Africa and have visited places such as Balito in Durban and Garlington.

 

Angelin Achari 

Bookings for the St Margaret’s OSHC September School Holiday Program opened on Monday 20 August. If you require care for the upcoming school holiday period, please return your booking form before 14 September 2018.

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

What is the cost?*
$60 per day. Incursions and excursions incur additional costs. These are compulsory for all students and therefore you are able to claim CCB/CCR for these.

What are the hours of operation?
The service is open from 7am until 6pm in the OSHC Room (under the Primary School Office).

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

Palu Ingram 

The App now includes a direct link to The POD, a Notifications link so you can review a list of notifications you may have missed and we have consolidated My Groups and Join Groups into a single link called Groups. In addition, all links to social media have now been consolidated in the bottom menu. If you wish to provide feedback on these changes, simply navigate to the Settings icon within the App itself and select App Feedback. Updates apply to both iOS devices (iPhone/iPad) and Android devices.

Peter Cottle

In 2015, a member of the St Margaret’s parent community was diagnosed with breast cancer and students were moved to help – launching the student-led fundraising initiative they called ‘The Ponytail Project’, believing that chopping off their ponytails was a small price to pay to support those impacted by cancer.

 

Schools often lie at the heart of the bond between young people and charities, and St Margaret’s are extremely proud of the philanthropic spirit demonstrated by students this week.

 

Congratulations to the girls on an incredible effort and thank you to all who generously supported this important cause.

 

Professional Women’s Network

The third Professional Women’s Network Breakfast for 2018 sold out in record time with 160 guests in attendance.

 

Attendees were treated to a delightfully entertaining and inspiring presentation by Alison Quinn, CEO of RetireAustralia. If you missed the event, or would like to hear Alison’s speech again, you can listen online at: .

 

A huge thank you to our wonderful corporate sponsors:

 

Major sponsor: Laureate Universities

Associate Sponsors: Pitcher Partners and McCullough Robertson

Special Table Sponsor: Programmed Property Services

Supporting Partner: Queensland Brain Institute

 

We would also like to thank our generous raffle prize donors: Pitcher Partners, Annabelle Chaplain, Keri Craig-Lee, View Hotels, James Becker & Co and MTA Mobile Travel Agents.

 

All funds raised from the Professional Women’s Network events support the School through our Endowment Fund, which assists with bursaries and the future development of facilities at St Margaret’s.

 

Save the date!

Tickets for our final Professional Women’s Network event this year will go on sale shortly, with Dr Lavinia Codd delivering the keynote address. After a career as a Chartered Accountant at leading international firms, Dr Codd suffered a stroke at the age of 31.

 

As part of her cognitive recovery, Dr Codd resumed her Bachelor of Science degree, before completing her PhD at Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) in 2015. In 2018, Dr Codd was appointed as the Advancement Manager at QBI. She also established the QBI Stroke Advisory Board to raise awareness of, and funds to support, vital research into stroke.

 

We hope that you will join us for our final exciting cocktail event in 2018 and hear Dr Codd’s inspiring story of her determination to improve the chances of recovery for the almost 50,000 Australians who suffer a stroke each year.

 

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

Where: Price Waterhouse Coopers, Brisbane CBD

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

 

Race Day

St Margaret’s P&F Race Day is less than 2 weeks away! In past years, each student has been asked to sell a book of raffle tickets. This year, we are conducting the raffle by sale of tickets online via a dedicated raffle tickets site.

 

As there are no books of raffle tickets, the success of the raffle depends on parents going online. Please to buy your raffle tickets.

 

Prizes include:

1st Prize - PandaPearls

2nd Prize - Getaway at The Beach Ranch Luxury Accommodation, Angourie

3rd Prize -  Noosa Family Break at The French Quarter

4th Prize -  Golden Hamper by Racecourse Road Dental

5th Prize -  Bottle of Penfolds Grange, 2012 vintage

6th Prize -  BRC Members Tour + $250 Palace Supper Club voucher

7th Prize -  Bridgestone Voucher, Nundah or Hendra location

8th Prize -  Puma Fuel Voucher

9th Prize -  Keri Craig Emporium Pack + Bottle of Pink Moet & Chandon

 

The Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ P&F Race Day Raffle will close at 2:30pm on Saturday 8 September. Draw will take place at 3pm Saturday 8 September 2018 at The Grove Marquee, Doomben. Winners will be notified in person or by email or telephone.

 

2018 Sydney Alumni Reception

The Principal of St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Ms Ros Curtis, warmly invites past students and members of the St Margaret’s community, living in or visiting Sydney and surrounds to attend this special reunion event.

 

Join us for a special cocktail style reception in The Harbour Room at the InterContinental Sydney with stunning 200-degree views over the Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Watsons Bay and the Botanical Gardens.

 

Date: Friday 5 October 2018

Time: 6:30–8:30pm

Venue: The Harbour Room, InterContinental Sydney, 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney

Dress: Business attire

RSVP: Friday 28 September 2018 by registering here.

 

The event is complimentary, and a selection of canapes and beverages will be provided.

 

Any enquiries can be directed to the Development and Community Office: Phone: 07 3862 0884 or Email: developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

You can download an invitation here.

 

Please note, as we may not have updated contact details for all past students of St Margaret’s living in the Sydney area, we would be most grateful if you could forward this invitation to other past students of St Margaret’s.

 

2018 Alumni Survey

Past students from St Margaret’s are invited to provide feedback on current and future engagement with St Margaret’s, and to help drive the future direction of the Old Girls' Association through our .

 

The online survey is easy to do, only takes a few minutes and is open to all Alumni, including those living overseas. By completing this survey, you will also go in the draw to win a $100 Coles Myer Gift Card!

 

Lara Pickering 

The University of Queensland
Make your university experience easier and more affordable with the support of a scholarship:.

QUT
Find the scholarship that takes your success to the next level: .

Australian Catholic University (ACU)
Elite Athlete and Performer Program (EAPP) applications – open now. Applications close on 4 December to receive early timetabling support for semester 1 2019. .

Additional information about studying at ACU such as pathway options, fees and scholarships and information for parents is available .

Reminder: Non-Academic Requirements for Teaching Entrance (NARTE)
Teaching suitability assessments have been introduced to Queensland for all initial teacher education courses to assess if future students possess the desired qualities to become effective teachers. Further information is available at:

The University of New England: UNE Early Entry Direct
Apply via on or before Friday 28 September 2018.

Australian National University: 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. For further details on admission, fees and program requirements visit the .

QTAC
QTAC applications are open for current Year 12 students. All applications are submitted online via the QTAC website. Some courses have earlier closing dates and extra requirements. Please check the website for details.

The 2019 VTAC App is now available for download (or update) from your App Store
To download the free App for the first time visit your App store; Search for VTAC and select Download.

Queensland School of Film and Television: Film and Media Workshops
Date: Saturday 1 September 2018
Time: 9am-1pm
Venue: QSFT Campus, 22 Warwick Street, Annerley, QLD, 4103
To apply:

Choosing the right course and institution
Some issues to consider:

University Open Days
University of Southern Queensland (USQ)
USQ Ipswich - Saturday 1 September
USQ Springfield - Friday 7 September

KEY DATES:

Friday 28 September 2018
QTAC - Suggested closing date for 2019 applications
UNE - Closing Date Early Entry application

October 2018
QTAC supporting documentation should be      completed (while at school)

16 November 2018
QTAC 1st round offer Year 12

15 December 2018
OP released

Monday 17 December 2018
OP Advice Night: UQ Centre, St Lucia campus, 4–7pm

Tuesday 18 December 2018
QUT Real Decisions Gardens Point campus

20 December 2018
QTAC offer round

7 January 2019
Last day to change preferences for 16 January offer round

16 January 2019
QTAC offer round

25 January 2019
QTAC ‘top up’ offer round

31 January 2019
QTAC ‘top up’ offer round

5 February 2019 onwards
QTAC ongoing offer rounds

Other dates are available:

 

Elizabeth Johnston