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We are finishing our term in a big way with a number of our students attending the QGSSSA Athletics Carnival and our students in Years 9 and 11 will also be attending to cheer on their fellow students.

Good luck also to the rowers attending the State Rowing Championships at Wyaralong Dam this coming weekend. There are many schools competing in this event, and we wish all the rowers best wishes for a safe and successful regatta.

The annual Sony Children’s Holiday Camp is on again this year, and a number of girls in Year 11 have been preparing for this. Run in conjunction with Churchie, the weekend-long camp brings together students from St Margaret’s and Churchie along with doctors and nurses from across Brisbane to partake in activities with guests with disabilities and special needs in order to give their families respite. It is a life-changing camp for our students and we wish them well.

The first day back at school is Monday 30 September – please note that there is no student free day on this day. All boarders return on Sunday 29 September.

Our Prize Reading Assembly will be held on Tuesday 1 October. At this assembly we will announce those students who will receive awards and prizes at our Annual Speech Night on 8 October. Year 12 parents are now able to reserve their tickets through a link that was sent to them last week. Another link will be sent to families in Years 7-11 on 1 October.

We will also have some awards presented at our Sports Awards Evening on 3 October, Music Dinner on 4 October, as well as our Special Awards Ceremony on 11 October.

Parent Survey

Thank you to all our parents who have taken the opportunity to complete the survey sent to you by education consultants MMG. To receive the most benefit from conducting such a survey, we would appreciate hearing from as many families as possible. To this end, we have extended the cut-off date of the survey to this Sunday 15 September. If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Ms Wendy Johnston, Director of Marketing and Communications, via email at wjohnston@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Karen Gorrie

Too often, our days are filled with background noise – the TV on, radios or devices playing the minute we step into the car, and the endless pings, bleeps, and vibrations from our phones, keeping us on call around the clock. It’s no surprise that we, along with our children, feel frazzled at the end of the day. Even sleep, meant to rejuvenate us, is interrupted by the buzzing of our so-called "silenced" technology. We seem conditioned to believe that we must always be connected, mentally engaged, or entertained.

This holiday, it would be wonderful if your daughters could take just five minutes each day to immerse themselves in true silence – no music, no screens, no distractions. While this may feel uncomfortable at first and require discipline, the benefits are invaluable. As Susan Leigh of Lifestyle Therapy explains, "Silence requires us to become more confident, confident in our ability to be quiet and still, to find an inner peace that enables us to sit and enjoy the silence. Being confident and at one with ourselves allows us to enjoy our own company or that of others without the need for constant activity or engagement."

For those who find it challenging to simply do nothing, this time can be spent in silent prayer, meditation, or reflection on a meaningful passage. Embracing silence and becoming comfortable with solitude can be a powerful way to alleviate stress and foster emotional wellbeing. As the Dalai Lama wisely notes, "Sometimes silence is the best answer."

Wishing you and your families a blessed and peaceful holiday.

Nikki Townsend

I would like to thank the Year 12 Leaders, particularly the Sacristans, for their positivity, initiative, and creativity over the last year. It has been a joy to work with you all and I have learned much from you.

Last weekend I read Erling Kagge’s book Walking: One Step at a Time. It was a celebration and meditation on the simple act of walking. It was a homage to our theme this year, ‘Striving’, because walking is far more about the journey than the destination. When we intentionally take the time to walk, for the sake of walking, we find that revelation and restoration arrive as we put one foot in front of the other. Walking is a way to slow down, improve memory and wellbeing. May these holidays be a moment for you to slow down, or be intentional in the everyday act of walking, and improve clarity and wellbeing.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

In the boarding house and the primary school, the girls learn important skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and social-emotional skills to prepare them for the modern world. As boarders and members of the primary school they learn to be flexible thinkers and over the course of the year they have developed a sense of independence and the ability to work collaboratively. 

The Year 6 girls can grow and learn in an environment that is supportive and nurturing and are a welcomed addition to the primary school. They are provided with many wonderful opportunities outside the learning that happens in the classroom which encourages them to develop in many ways. 

This term the girls have participated in House Chapels, Prayer Space, Andrews Cup, Crazy Hair Day, Book Character Parade, Interhouse Athletics, Interhouse Music Week, ICAS Maths and Science Tests.  All these activities provide the girls with so many ways to interact and grow. 

The highlight for the girls was the Primary Arts Spectacular. Students diligently prepared for this special night on the Year 6 calendar. They created wearable art in their art lessons, learnt the music in music lessons and dance routines in HPE lessons. Parents can see more 'behind the scenes' of Arts Spectacular on the Spotlight on Primary POD page accessible via the Primary POD page.

Another highlight for the girls was the Testing and Activities Day on the 29 August where they were able to meet some of the Year 7 boarders for 2025. They will be able to help all of the new girls settle into boarding with the knowledge that they already have of the boarding house. It has been wonderful to watch these girls mature over the year and they have shown their resilience in adjusting to boarding life.

Lesa Fowler

Moving forward,

Year 12

All students have copies for SWOTVAC timetables and the External Assessment Timetable, provided via email and on the POD. As always, we appreciate the teachers who give up their holidays to run the SWOTVAC sessions. The girls have covered all the content for the exams, their teachers are here to support, but the hard work and commitment to get them to their final exams is up to them.

Year 11

The current Year 11s will begin their Unit 3 study next term. Each Year 11 has access to the Assessment Calendar until the end of the year that includes Internal Assessments for Unit 3 that counts towards your daughters ATAR calculation. Year 11 students will also receive their first ATAR prediction based on their Unit 1 and 2 results.

There may be some students who wish to do a final change of subjects. This must be finalised by Week 2 of next term, so please reach out to me if this is your daughter.

Year 10

All students have finalised their subject selection for Year 11 2025/Year 12 2026. At this stage of the process there may be some doubts and I have been meeting with students who have been having second thoughts to discuss their selections. As the timetable has been created for next year, it is possible that not all subject changes are able to be accommodated.

For all girls, over the holidays, take some time to relax and recharge. I certainly will be and am looking forward to reading plenty of books. Find the activity that fills your bucket and make time for it in the holidays so that you are ready to come back refreshed for Term 4!

Caitlin McCluskey

I do encourage students to take the time to reflect on the progress they have made towards their curricular and extracurricular goals this term, and, if necessary, consider adjustments to strategies in Term 4 to ensure they can achieve them. This reflection is part of the metacognitive thinking that will ensure they are growing as a learner each and every term.

I wish all students and their families a relaxing and rejuvenating break.   

Chris Dunn

Special mention for the Pre-Prep and Prep students who, for some of them, it was their first time competing in a whole school competition. It was evident from their joy, excitement, and enthusiasm that they relished the day from lining up at the starting line, collecting a ribbon after they stepped across that finish line, interacting with the ‘big’ girls and just being ‘amongst it’.

Thank you to Ms Richards, Ms Edwards and Ms Rowe for their organisation. Thank you to all primary school staff for supporting their girls and their events. Thank you also to the Years 5 and 6 parents who worked tirelessly to provide lunch on the day. It was wonderful to see so many parents, relatives and friends of the girls attend and support them. Both the staff and girls appreciated your attendance.

Congratulations to the following houses who placed in the Track events:

1^st Lawson

2^nd Bede

3^rd Chaucer

And to the following houses for placing in the Field Events:

1^st Bede

2^nd Tennyson 

3^rd Milton

Another highlight of this week and term was when students in Years 1 to 4 headed to the theatre to see the book, Fancy Long Legs come to life. This theatre experience followed two workshops that the girls in Prep-Year 3 experienced with Alex Van den Broek, the show’s Music Director and Luke Kennedy from The Little Red Company who have co-produced this new work. The offering of these experiences is testament to our commitment to students’ development of creativity. Creativity is described as putting your imagination to work and that is not just about being artistic, but it is the process of having original ideas that has value that is to create new ideas, new approaches, new actions, to challenge, to express, to experiment, to consider.

With the first day of holidays tomorrow, I thought it was timely to set a creativity challenge. During the holidays, provide opportunities for your child to be creative and the simple act of making something new. Engage in these activities together or provide the opportunity - build a sandcastle, draw, build with Lego and boxes, play a thinking game, conduct experiments, visit the art gallery, or the museum, read together (this can be an AR book), play board games and cook. Not only will you be encouraging creativity, but you will be spending enjoyable time together. 

Interestingly, research has found the happiest childhood memories that adults hold have two common threads. First, childhood happiness always centres on activities experienced together as a family. Second, the most pleasurable childhood times almost always centred around simple activities.

During the holidays do something different, fun and something that involves laughter, play and creativity. Just enjoy the break from routine and I look forward to seeing everyone next term.

Angela Drysdale

The best weapon to arm yourself with in the face of this, is knowledge. One of the benefits of our partnership with Safe on Social is to provide high quality, up to date information to best support teachers and parents as we guide the girls to make informed judgments as they navigate the digital landscape.

Safe on Social offer group public webinars that anyone can join from anywhere. Parents can tune in by themselves or with their children, to have a shared understanding of the pitfalls but also the possibilities that can be enjoyed through the many platforms and apps. The webinars are engaging, interactive, impactful, relevant, and affordable. While they are not free, Safe on Social are a highly reputable organisation and they provide attendees with several excellent resources to support you after the session. The sessions are run almost weekly due to the high level of interest and how affordable they are.

One session of particular interest that may appeal is Preparing Tweens/Teens Before Giving Them Access to a Smartphone. This session is aimed at helping to empower your daughter with the skills she needs to navigate the online world safely and responsibly before she gets her first smartphone or if she has gone a little off track since having one. This is next being held at 7.00pm on Monday 30 September. You can find out more information .

Until then, over the break, we encourage you to maintain open communication with your daughters about how they engage online and have clear boundaries about how often and much they access their devices while they are on holidays. This will set them (and you) up for an enjoyable and replenishing break as we head into a short but extremely event-filled Term 4.  

Annette Box

Special thanks to the conductors of the ensembles, Ms Katahanas, Ms Langford (along with Ms Brennan who conducted on the evening) and Mr Ng, for preparing the students for the concert. A very big thank you also to the Music Support Group for their assistance in organising refreshments for the students prior to the concert.

Auditions

Auditions for 2025 Secondary Music Ensembles will be held in Week 3 of Term 4 with audition excerpts available via the respective POD pages. Details regarding audition times are also available on the POD.

Interhouse Solo Music Competition Results

Congratulations to all students who performed in the Interhouse Solo Music Competition held during Weeks 7 and 8 this term. It was wonderful to hear so many diverse, engaging performances from a wide range of age groups across the primary and secondary school. All students who performed were allocated a point for their house with extra points added for students who received first place in their respective competition sections. This was not only a great chance for our music students to perform to their peers but also an opportunity to show house spirit!

Congratulations to Milton who won the Primary Interhouse Solo Music Trophy and Lawson who won the Secondary Interhouse Solo Music Trophy! Individual section results are below along with the full Primary and Secondary House results.

Band Category

Junior Division (Years 4-6) 1st place: Jessia Ma (Bede)

Intermediate Division (Years 7-9) 1st place: Edith Barber (Spenser)

Senior Division (Years 10-12): 1st place: Jasmine Leung (Kendall)

Piano/Percussion Category

Junior Division (Years 4-6) 1st place: Michelle Dawn (Kendall)

Intermediate Division (Years 7-9) 1st place: Piper Chalmers (Bede)

Senior Division (Years 10-12): 1st place: Elysia Li (Milton)/Tammy Tang (Lawson)

Strings Category

Junior Division (Years 4-6) 1st place: Lucy Holland (Milton)

Intermediate Division (Years 7-9) 1st place: Christy Lok (Lawson)

Senior Division (Years 10-12): 1st place: Audrey Lam (Lawson)

Voice Category

Junior Division (Years 4-6) 1st place: Alice Sutherland (Tennyson)

Intermediate Division (Years 7-9) 1st place: Gia Comino (Tennyson)

Senior Division (Years 10-12): 1st place: Astrid O’Meara (Tennyson)

Overall House Winners:

Primary

Secondary

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be the AGM and will be held on Tuesday 22 November at 5:00pm in the Circular Drive Classroom 01 (in front of the Arts Centre Foyer). We encourage parents from both primary and secondary schools to become involved.

Brad King

Award winners and their families will receive personal invitations in week 10 of Term 3. We warmly invite and encourage the entire St Margaret’s community to join us in celebrating the successes of the 2024 program. Any additional tickets will be made available towards the end of the holiday period.

Sports awards criteria can be found of the St Margaret’s

If you have any queries, please email me at lknight@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

We look forward to celebrating the year of St Margaret’s sport!

Latest Sport News and Information

For the latest sport news and information please check out the following Secondary School Sport POD Pages:

• Athletics -
• Rowing -
• Club Swimming -
• Club Water Polo –
• QGSSSA AFL (Junior) -

Lloyd Knight

Artwork of the Month

Congratulations to Elysia in Year 10, our September Artwork of the Month awardee, chosen by the 2024 Visual Art Captains - Sara Jo, Amy and Amelia.

Elysia has displayed an aptitude for working with ceramics that has translated masterfully in resolving a lifelike depiction of her chosen artist. The final clay likeness is texturally engaging and dramatic. Elysia has manipulated form and shape to show a realistic version of her subject matter. Her hand building techniques demonstrate a real love for this medium.

Booklists 2025

Booklists for Pre-Prep to Year 11 2025 will be available online from 11 October 2024. To access the Campion Education Online Booklists for 2025 please click on this link and follow the instructions. Alternatively, the lists can be accessed via the Supplies Shop page on both the POD and the St Margaret’s website under Books and Stationery.

Boarders ONLY are able to have their book pack delivered to the St Margaret’s boarding house for pickup on return to school in Term 1 2025. Boarders requiring their book pack delivered to the school must complete their delivery address as: Boarder – Deliver to St Margaret’s AGS.

Blazer Fittings – current Year 9 Cohort 2024

Students entering Year 10 in 2025 are required to be fitted for their blazer prior to the end of term 4 2024. All orders will need to be placed by 15 November 2024 for a March 2025 delivery. Students can visit the Supplies Shop during our opening hours (no appointment required). A blazer fitting takes around 15 minutes. The cost of the blazer is $275 or $290 for custom make and is payable at the time of ordering.

Uniform Fitting Appointments – Online booking system

Bookings for October, November and December 2024 and January 2025 are now available online. We encourage families to book a fitting appointment as soon as possible, as appointments are filling fast.

Book your appointment online via the school website:

Appointment times are either 30mins or 60mins depending on your fitting type. Fitting types include New Student, Existing Student, Boarder Only and Pre-Prep/Prep.

• One appointment = one student fitting
  If you are booking for two or more students, please book separate fitting appointments for each student. These can be at the same time if times are available.

• All fittings will take place in the Supplies Shop, which is located onsite, just off Circular Drive through Gate 1, Petrie Street, Ascot.

Trading Hours (Term Time)

Monday            8am – 2pm
Tuesday               8am – 2pm
Wednesday      10am – 5pm
Thursday             8am – 2pm
Friday                8am – 2pm

Public Holidays Closed

Bring a colleague or a friend and enjoy a gourmet breakfast and coffee whilst listening to our guest speaker Helen Moore, Chief Operating Officer, KFC Australia.

We encourage all parents to attend, especially those with daughters in Years 11 or 12. These events provide an exceptional opportunity for your daughters to hear from inspiring female leaders across a wide range of industries and emphasise the importance of visible role models in shaping their ambitions.

Helen is a commercially astute, passionate, people and business leader, with extensive experience growing businesses across the Food & Retail sectors. Helen currently leads a 14,000 strong team to operate 300 KFC restaurants across Australia from Busselton to Brisbane and everywhere in between!

Prior to joining Collins Foods, Helen was CEO of Oporto, leading 180 restaurants across Australia and New Zealand. Prior to that, Helen was General Manager – Convenience Development for Ampol (formerly Caltex Australia) creating the successful Foodary retail format. Helen has over 15 years’ experience in retail and consumer goods, commencing her career in investment banking with JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank before transitioning to senior leadership roles at Woolworths Group.

Event Details

Date:             Tuesday 15 October 2024
Time:             6.45am arrival for 7.00am - 8.45am
Location:      Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret's Anglican Girls School, 11 Petrie Street, Ascot
Format:          Sit down breakfast  
Tickets:          $85 Adult, $40 Student (Years 10-12/Tertiary). 
Corporate tables: $850 (10 seats), includes company logo displayed on table and acknowledgement during event.
To purchase tickets: 

We thank our series sponsors, Major Sponsor: , Supporting Sponsors: , , , and .

St Margaret’s Online Business Directory

Now more than ever it’s important to get behind business owners within our community and support those who support the school.

If you are looking for services such as accommodation, accounting, automobile, healthcare or legal, looking to buy or sell property or make home improvements take a look at the St Margaret’s Online Business Directory. 

The 2024 Directory can be viewed via this link: /community/business-directory

Georgia Mitchell