Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ

In the secondary school, Adam Hand has joined us to teach Science and Maths; Brian Lovett to teach Digital Solutions and Technology; and Kirk West to teach Legal Studies this term. Kelly Knox has also joined us to manage Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Enhancement alongside Louise Sands in the primary school. Katie Court is taking Louise Sands role in Year 6. Kelly Knox will also work supporting students in Years 7 and 8 alongside Margot Johnston, who has been appointed as the Acting Assistant Head of Faculty in Student Pathways and Futures.

In a little over two weeks, the 2022 MAYO Arts Festival will be underway, commencing with the Gallery Opening Night Cocktail Party, supported by Cult Design, on the Friday evening (29 July), followed by Saturday’s family-friendly festival.  Aptly themed ‘RECONNECT’, the event promises something for everyone, from appreciation (and purchase) of the always inspired 3-D artworks (ceramics, sculpture, jewellery etc) in the gallery, to workshops for children and adults alike, bountiful food trucks on Circular Drive, a creative array of market stalls in Eton Hall, ‘fun-of-the-fair’ activities in the Barley Sugar Garden, such as laughing clowns, lob-a-choc, lucky dip, face painting, putt putt and more, while on Petrie Street you’ll be able to whiz down the giant slide, or take a spin in a cup and saucer! There are also live performances throughout the day, featuring music, dance and drama. 

Some pre-planning will ensure you get the very best of the festival experience. The Gallery opening is always a wonderful evening and I invite you all to consider purchasing a ticket for the night. The workshops must be pre-booked, and some have already sold out, while the best value for the activities and rides can be gained by pre-purchasing ride passes and a Barley Sugar Bonanza pass.

Further details and links to pre-purchase all the above, including the Gallery opening night tickets, can be found in the MAYO section of this eNews.

I would like to thank all our very generous sponsors and donors of goods and services and raffle prizes and the many parent volunteers who help make the festival possible.

Ros Curtis

If any parent is volunteering in the school, they must fill out the Volunteer Application form, found at the following link: /discover-st-margarets/student-protection/volunteering-at-st-margarets/volunteering-at-st-margarets . This link will give you all the information about volunteering, as well as the volunteer register link. Please note that each volunteer must fill out a new form each year, as the application is only valid for one calendar year.

Statement of Commitment

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School supports the rights of children and young people and are committed to ensure the safety, welfare and wellbeing of students. St Margaret’s is therefore committed to responding to allegations of student harm resulting from the conduct or actions of any person, including that of employees.

This commitment includes the provision of a safe and supportive living and learning environment for all students and requires all employees, volunteers and visitors to model and encourage behaviour that upholds the dignity and protection of students from harm.

In support of this commitment, St Margaret’s is dedicated to our Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy which includes having relevant policies, procedures and training in place to effectively address the safety and wellbeing of students in our care.

Student Protection Officers:

These are persons designated as liaison people to whom students may refer if they are not feeling safe; or to whom they make complaints of harm, inappropriate behaviour or physical/sexual abuse. The Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Student Protection Officers are:

- Deputy Principal - Karen Gorrie

- Head of Boarding - Lesa Fowler

- Head of Primary School - Angela Drysdale

- Dean of Students - Nikki Townsend

- Guidance Counsellor - Sharon Stone

- Dean of Studies – Caitlin McCluskey

- Assistant Head of Primary – Curriculum (PP-6) – Kate Frewin

All Student Protection documentation, including all policies and procedures, can be viewed on our internet page at /discover-st-margaret-s/student-protection.

Karen Gorrie

I would like to wish you all a very warm welcome to Term 3 and a special welcome to new students and their families joining our St Margaret’s community.

I hope you have all managed to get some rest and refreshment. As we arrive back at school, it takes time to readjust with the routine and expectations. It can sometimes feel overwhelming. When things feel overwhelming there is much support available at school. We have a wonderful wellbeing team with Ms Townsend, Ms Dawson, Rev'd Susan, Ms Stone and me, as well as your Heads of Year. Please feel free to pop into our offices on level 3, Avoca.

Our St Margaret’s Way encourages us as a community to reflect on two questions when coming to school each day, “How do I want to feel every day when I come to school?” and “What am I doing to ensure others can feel this way?”. These are helpful questions to ask as a daily practice as they remind us of the impact our actions and attitudes have on others, for better or worse. They are also a good way of setting positive intentions for each day. Parents and carers, you might like to reframe the questions for your own daily endeavours. Our mindset has an impact on the way we encounter other people and daily tasks and setting these intentions allows us to shift perspective when we need to, enabling us, and the people around us, to access joy.

As you begin the Term 3 journey, may each of you experience the great love and compassion that God has for you.

Kind regards.

Rev'd Jazz

Drawing on cultural diversity to explore underlying attitudes, to broaden student learning experiences and better prepare them for life in a more culturally and linguistically diverse society is an important part of boarding life. Girls from varied backgrounds share common experiences of growing up, working together as a team, and dealing with stressful situations. They all read the same novels, dance and listen to popular music and, more often than not, complain about the same issues. To truly prepare our boarding girls for the world we all live in today, we need to ensure that when they leave the safety and security of the boarding house, they are globally equipped with the ability to succeed in an ever-changing world.

The closed weekend allows the girls to come together as a community and share their differences and to help build on relationships.It is about the girls understanding and acknowledging that we are all different, and that is what makes us an inclusive and caring boarding community.

Lesa Fowler

Year 12

This week, all Year 12 students received an email from me inviting them to sign up for an ATAR indication meeting to discuss their updated ATAR indication, based on the first two assessments of each subject. Meeting times begin on Monday and will be available before, during and after school. You are most welcome to attend these meetings with your daughter.

In addition, the Roadmap to External Exams has been released this week. This maps out your daughter’s final two terms of her schooling with assessment dates, Mock Exam Block, SWOTVAC and External Examinations all included.

Semester 2 Assessment Calendars

Assessment Calendars for all year levels for the remainder of 2021 will be uploaded to year level pages on The POD by the end of Week 2.

Caitlin McCluskey

The purpose of these sessions is to provide girls with a quiet and well-resourced space that is conducive to productive homework and study time. Each SSS will be staffed by up to two tutors, who offer advice and guidance on how to plan effectively for upcoming assessments. The SSS tutor group is made up of ten young women who are currently studying at university and have much to offer our girls in the way of study skills.

For students attending SSS after an afternoon of sport, transport is available to and from Windsor Park. For those staying on after school to attend SSS, the Eunice Centre is open until 5pm prior to the commencement of the study sessions.

Parent Teacher Interviews

I would like to thank parents, carers, students and teachers on the collaborative and congenial way in which they engaged with Secondary Parent Teacher Interviews on Monday. The start of a new semester is always an opportune time for students to be introspective on the successes and challenges from their previous semester, and to consider practical steps they can take for improvement.

To this end, over the coming weeks all Years 7 to 12 students will be working with their Academic Advisors or Form Teachers to map out their Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Paths for Semester 2 on Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Analytics, which includes the development of three S.M.A.R.T. goals. Progression towards these goals will be evaluated by the students throughout the semester, and I would warmly welcome them becoming a source of discussion at the dinner table.

Assessment Planners

Years 7 to 10 Semester 2 Assessment Planners have now been published on the respective Year Level POD Pages.

Best wishes to all students for the start of semester.

Chris Dunn

On Tuesday, we held the secondary interhouse athletics carnival where girls enjoyed the day with their peers to support their House members as they battled it out on the track, field and in spirit through cheering and war cries. Days like this demonstrate what can happen when, as an individual, you contribute. The result is essentially achieved as a team. Our athletes competed for themselves but contributed towards their house points score, which gives an extra layer of healthy competition to the day. Cheers were abundant as the girls rounded the bend into the finishing straight. Any athlete could tell you how much the crowd can help you find that little bit extra to get you over the line that little bit faster. Girls feel the support of their peers and it is always fantastic to see the celebrations and congratulations at the conclusion of events. 

Students and staff also enjoyed a range of tasty goodies on the day with funds raised going towards the Philanthropy Group charity, Stride for Mental Health. Stride is dedicated to providing services to support people at all stages of their mental health journey, from providing early intervention to assisting people with ongoing and complex needs.

When you look closely at just one event on our school calendar, it is not difficult to see where St Margaret’s get their reputation for fostering such a strong sense of community. An ‘ordinary’ event such as the interhouse athletics carnival can provide our girls with a much richer experience than one would normally assume, and this is thanks to the continuing spirit of the St Margaret’s community. 

Nikki Townsend

The Choral Competition offers so many challenges, understanding the nuances of poetry, learning and reciting a poem and presenting in unison. The presentations were significant and an impressive achievement for all girls but particularly the younger members. These performances would not have happened without the dedication and guidance of all the house teachers. This type of learning is not common, so for both the girls and the teachers, the competition offered some form of challenge. However, as role models, the teachers accepted the challenge of the competition and planned, prepared, and committed to exiting the learning pit with a stellar performance. Thank you to Rose Isbell, who volunteered to do the difficult job of being judge.  Congratulations to 1^st – Milton, 2^nd – Lawson and 3^rd – Tennyson.

For the adult, we know spending time with a child or children adds infinite value to an adult/child relationship. Many visitors took the opportunity to do activities with their child and I know the simple joy of working together will be an everlasting memory for both the child and the adult. Thank you to the many visitors who joined us to watch the interhouse ballgames; there were some hard-fought games. Thank you to the HPE staff for their organisation of this sporting event. Congratulations to 1^st – Lawson and tied 2nd - Kendall / Tennyson.

Thank you also to visitors for purchasing many books at the book fair. A percentage of the sales goes towards purchasing more books for our library, so both the girls’ home library and school library benefited from the purchases. Thank you again for those who attended these events and I know we will see you again at the special events we will host this term.  

Angela Drysdale

These were developed by our staff and are implemented across the entire school and displayed in every classroom to support the already strong school values which underpin the St Margaret’s Way. While you can see the full list of these below, there were a few that Mrs Drysdale particularly focused on as a timely refresher for returning students and for those students new to the school:

• Know what you are learning in class and why.
• Be on time and prepared for class with charged laptops and focused from the start of the lesson until dismissed.
• Keep your physical environment tidy and clear of litter. This includes both the classroom and grounds.
• Communicate respectfully with all members of staff and each other, using appropriate tone, names, and times. Email etiquette is to be used, including appropriate format and response times.
• Wear uniforms correctly including following the rules of sun safety by wearing your hat during breaks and before and after school. Do not chew gum. Food or drink (other than water) must not be consumed in classrooms and hallways.

Over the next few weeks, your daughters will be further unpacking all these expectations with their class teachers, so it would be useful for you to support them in embracing these expectations so that we can work together for a productive and positive semester. We look forward to seeing you at one of the many exciting events on the horizon.

Annette Box

MAYO Festival

Our St Margaret’s music ensembles are very excited to be performing at the upcoming MAYO Festival on Saturday 30 July. Music performances will be provided from 10am through to 4:00pm on Circular Drive. The schedule for music performances is below. All girls performing are asked to purchase a MAYO t-shirt which will be worn for performances (with smart jeans and sneakers). If students have a MAYO t-shirt from a previous festival, they may wear that shirt. T-shirts are available for purchase in the Sister Helen Orchestra Room for $10.

10:15am           Sister Helen Wind Symphony

10:30am           Jackson Concert Band

10:45am           Chaseley Concert Band

11:00am           Elayne Jones Percussion Ensemble

11:15am           Belle Voci

11:30am           Chorale

11:45am           Serenata

12:00pm           Amati Strings

12:15pm           Stradivari Strings

12:30pm           Chamber Strings

1:00pm             Encorah

1:15pm             Volare

1:30pm             Exultate

2:30pm             Sculthorpe String Quartet

2:45pm             Stage Band

3:00pm             Highly Strung

3:15pm             Monday Rock Band

3:30pm             Tuesday Rock Band

Call for MAYO Volunteers

This year the Music Support Group will be hosting a bar from 12.00pm - 4.00pm. The support group is looking for volunteers to prepare and donate items for snack boxes as well as volunteers to serve on the day. If you are able to assist in any way, please click on the Try Booking link to provide your details:

For further information please contact the President of the Music Support Group, Ms Antoinette Aquilina (antoinetteaquilina@me.com)

Student Congratulations

Congratulations to Tara Krakat (Year 11) who performed as a soloist with the Gold Coast Chamber Orchestra during the recent school holidays. This performance required Tara to not only perform as the soloist but also conduct the orchestra from her violin. This is a wonderful achievement!

Anglican Schools Music Festival

There will be a pre-festival rehearsal this Sunday 17 July for students participating in the upcoming Anglican Schools Music Festival from 9am – 3pm. Students from Brisbane, Gold Coast and Toowoomba regions will meet to rehearse repertoire in preparation for the Gala Concert to be held at QPAC on Friday 12 August. All girls involved in the String Orchestra will rehearse at St Margaret’s, and students who are involved in the Choir and Symphonic Band will rehearse at Cannon Hill Anglican College. Students involved will have received letters with further details.

The Anglican Schools Music Festival promises to be a wonderful opportunity and this pre-rehearsal day will be an important time to prepare for the Gala Concert. For those who are interested in attending the Gala Concert, tickets are now available from QPAC ( or call 136 246) for $36. We are hoping to have many in attendance to support our student musicians.

Prep/Year 1 Choir

This term in the Music Program, Prep and Year 1 students will be offered the exciting opportunity to become involved in a Prep/Year 1 choir at school. This is the first time that we have offered this opportunity in the early years, and we believe it will provide wonderful opportunities for the students to develop and nurture their love of singing with their peers as well as building confidence to perform to audiences at events within the school community. Rehearsals will occur every Friday morning from 7:45am-8:15am in the primary music room starting from this week (Term 3, Week 1). Ms Brennan will meet the girls in the Atrium at 7:40am where they will then move up together to rehearse for 30mins. We ask that students who arrive after 7:45am are escorted by their parents up to the music room to join the rehearsal. We can confirm our first performance opportunity which will occur at the annual Book Week in Week 7 this term. Students who wish to be involved in the performance are asked to commit to regular attendance at each Friday morning rehearsal to ensure a successful and positive performance experience There is no need to sign up. Just come along this Friday at 7:40am.

Music Support Group

Thank you to all those who attended the last Music Support Group meeting. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 2 August at 5.00pm in M’s Cafe. Parents from both the primary and secondary schools are welcome to attend.

Brad King

School Holiday Camps

Over the school holiday break, over 350 students took part in a variety of sports camps, tours and training clinics.

Our rowers travelled across both Queensland and New South Wales continuing their preparations and march towards Head of the River. Throughout these camps, students went through an extensive training program of physical and technical sessions. Significant improvements were made, both technically and physically. Mr Jared Bidwell, Head of Rowing, was very impressed with the “oarsome” work of all athletes.

Our netballers had a busy holiday period, highlighted by the success of our QISSN representative netball team who won their grand final, 19-15 against Emmaus College. The QISSN competition saw the top independent school teams from across the state come together and battle it out in Mackay. Congratulations to the following team members: Ella Antonie, Catherine Gillan, Syren Letizia, Emily Millar, Lauren Packer, Sienna Small, Chelsea Uisa-Kainiu, Georgia Warby, Helaina Williams and Aimee Young.

Our netball program also hosted its first QGSSSA netball training clinic. This event offered students the opportunity to receive coaching and important tips about sports nutrition and psychology from leading athletes and coaches from the Queensland Firebirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning.

Our track & field athletes also took the opportunity to harness their skill and knowledge within their training day. This clinic offered students the opportunity to get important training time in on the synthetic service and also harness their coordination skills through a boxing session with Magic boxing. Away from the track students got the opportunity to learn some nutrition tips from sports dietitian Sally Anderson, from Apple to Zucchini, and explore the journey of Nikita Moore, student athlete from Northern Arizona University.

These camps, tours and clinic provided a fantastic opportunity for our students to develop, forge friendships and enjoy their sporting experience. Thank you to all the students, parents, coaches and guest speaker who made these events such an outstanding success.    

QGSSSA Winter Season Sport

The QGSSSA Winter Sport season takes place across Term 3. To view information regarding to your daughter's sport/s, please use the links below:

*Please note season fixtures posted on the POD are DRAFTS only.

St Margaret’s Run

To help celebrate Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Day the Activities Office shall once again be hosting the Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Run.

The Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Run is a tradition that commenced in 1999 and is based on the famous ‘Great Court Race’ first run at Cambridge University. Our circuit is around the school, approximately 800m in length.

The Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Run will be held on Friday 22 July as a part of the St Margaret’s Day celebrations.

The event includes the following secondary divisions:

• Junior Division (Year 7 & 8)

• Intermediate Division (Year 9 & 10)

• Senior Division (Year 11 & 12)

• Prefects Race

The fastest overall time will be crowned the Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Run Champion and will be awarded the trophy during the Sports Awards Evening later this year.

Students must register to participate in this event. If you daughter is interested in participating in this event, please ensure she registers through the Secondary .

We look forward to a great term of sport ahead.

GO MAGGIES!

Lloyd Knight

Tickets: $70pp, includes drink on arrival and canape menu. Cash bar will be available.

Download the event invitation.
Purchase online:

Saturday 30 July

On Saturday 30 July from 10am, the school will be transformed into the family-friendly festival with art workshops, rides, live performances and food trucks on Circular Drive, artisan market stalls in Eton Hall, and fair activities n the Barley Sugar Garden.

Workshops

Limited spaces are still available within some of the workshops on Saturday 30 July. Bookings can be made here: 

Rides

For our thrillseeking students, the following rides will be setup on Petrie Street.

• Giant Slide
• Superflyer
• Skater ride
• Tea cup and saucer

Individual rides will cost $6 on the day. Alternatively, you can purchase an unlimited ride pass at a cost of $25 (pre-purchased) or $30 on the day.

Pre purchase your pass through 

Barley Sugar Bonanza

The Barley Sugar Garden will be a vibrant hub of activities between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 30 July.

Purchase a Barley Sugar Bonanza pass for seven activities which can be redeemed at any of the following:

• A turn at laughing clowns (three attempts)
• A turn at target toss (three attempts)
• One lucky dip
• Pet rock painting
• Face painting (between 10am – 1pm only)
• Decorate a cupcake
• A turn at Golf Central putt putt

Passes are $6 per activity OR $25 for seven activities. Pre-purchase at this link: 

Stall Donations - We need your support

Once again I would like to thank all the families who have got behind this event; it is not too late to donate for our school-based stalls.These include prizes, chocolates, drinks, wine and lollies and baked goods. The decorated cake boxes will be judged on Saturday morning.

Further Details for Donations

Cake and Sweet stall (PDF 1.1MB)
Lucky Dip stall (PDF 1.2MB)
Soft drink, Chips and Lollies stall (PDF 2.1MB)
Wine donations stall (PDF 1.8MB)

Thank you for your support.

All donations can be delivered to the Primary Office or School Support.

Thank you to our stall sponsors including Golf Central, Angelo’s Fresh Pasta, Applied Air Services, Scriptrite Pharmacy Albion and Clear Insurance for their support of our year level stalls.

After Dark

This year we have introduced, After Dark (5pm to 7pm).  As the sun sets, you will be entertained by a jazz trio while enjoying a drink and a light supper. A wonderful way to finish the day. The school looks forward to welcoming families, friends and the wider community to the MAYO Ats Festival.

Lastly, my sincere thank you to all the festival sponsors of this event.

Getting to MAYO

As our families will be aware, parking will be at a premium during MAYO. On the Saturday we will be offering a shuttle bus service between Oriel Park (Wren Street) and the school from 11am, with the last bus leaving the school from the boarder gates at 3pm. 

Angela Drysdale

Chair of MAYO Festival

Volunteering at St Margaret’s this term?

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School acknowledges the important work that volunteers carry out within our school environment. Assistance, whether it is as a volunteer in the classroom, tuckshop, excursions, P&F activities or sporting carnivals, enhances the quality of our students' teaching and learning experience. The safety and wellbeing of St Margaret’s students is paramount always.

As such, the school has a comprehensive process for recruiting, selecting and screening, inducting and training, recording and monitoring of volunteers to ensure the school complies with current legislative requirements in relation to working with children.

Parents who are volunteering on committees, with support groups or at school-associated events are asked to complete St Margaret’s Volunteer Register Form via this link. 

P&F Meeting

The next P&F Association Meeting will be held on Monday 18 July 2022 from 6.30pm in M’s Cafe.

If you have an agenda item or suggestions, we encourage you to send these via email to Tom Reddacliff, President, P&F Association: P&F@stmargarets.qld.edu.au 

If you are unable to physically attend, you may wish to attend online via this Microsoft Teams link.

Join on your computer or mobile app

Or join by entering a meeting ID
Meeting ID: 447 305 091 854
Passcode: uVBYng

Join with a video conferencing device

423271475@t.plcm.vc

Video Conference ID: 139 928 751 5

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Reunion Weekend and Old Girls’ Day

Calling all Old Girls!

Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ warmly invites graduate students from 2012, 2002, 1992, 1982, 1972, 1962 and VIP graduates from the years 1961 and prior to return to the school to celebrate their milestone reunions. The reunion events will be held at various locations at St Margaret’s over the weekend of Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July. 

The annual Old Girls’ Day Chapel Service and Morning Tea, open to graduates from all years, will be held from 10.30am on Sunday 24 July, and is always a wonderful opportunity to reconnect, remember and share personal histories with one another.

To find out more and to register, please visit the Reunion Weekend webpage: 

PWN 3 with Heidi Cooper, CEO of Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ)

Join us for our third PWN Breakfast on Thursday 18 August, with guest speaker, Heidi Cooper, CEO of Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ).

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to attend with your daughter or to take a corporate table and host your colleagues or clients.

Heidi Cooper is the CEO of CCIQ and is passionate about driving Queensland’s strategic growth.  Throughout her career, Heidi has worked extensively for the advancement of business in Queensland. With over 20 years’ experience in law, corporate affairs and policy making, Heidi has successfully driven strategies for major ASX companies. She has specialised in leading sustainable business initiatives with a key focus on economic growth, job creation, education, sustainability and community engagement. Heidi is currently a member of the Jobs Queensland Board and Brisbane Festival Giving Committee. She also has a longstanding commitment to community and not-for-profit initiatives and is a member of the St Margaret’s Foundation Board and the St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace School Advisory Council. 

Date: Thursday 18 August 2022

Time: 6.45am arrival for 7.00am - 8.45am

Location: Arts Centre Foyer, Ó£ÌÒ¸£ÀûÊÓƵ Anglican Girls' School, 11 Petrie Street, Ascot

Format: Sit down breakfast 

We also invite you to enjoy Barista Coffee from the Wolff Coffee Roasters cart, before and after the event!

Tickets: $85 Adult, $40 Student (Years 10-12/Tertiary).

Corporate tables: $850 (10 seats), includes company logo displayed on table and acknowledgement during event.

Book now via the Try Booking link:      

We thank our series sponsors for their support. Major Sponsor: Pitcher Partners, Associate Sponsors: Programmed Property Services and Wolff Coffee Roasters, and Supporting Sponsors: Downer, Clear Insurance, Westpac, O’Reilly Shaw Lawyers, Uniform Link and Move Recruitment Solutions.

Tickets are on sale for the Netball Support Group’s annual Trivia Night!

Date:              Saturday 20 August 2022

Time:              6.30pm

Venue:            Eton Hall, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

Tickets:           $600 per table - includes dinner.

   Table Captains are invited to purchase a table for their team of 8 guests:

RSVP:             Ticket sales close 9pm Thursday 4 August 2022, unless sold out prior

Enquires:        aandkcarrick@optusnet.com.au

Lara Pickering