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Like all our terms, this one will go quickly with a variety of events and activities. It will be the June/July holidays before we know it!

In December 2023, the Victorian Cancer Council prepared a report for the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, concerning the Australian Secondary School students’ use of alcohol and other substances, and the use of tobacco and e-cigarettes. These reports are an interesting read as there appears to be some forward progress in the education of young people about alcohol, cigarettes, and other illegal substances.

The study revealed the following findings:

Sixty-five percent of Australian Secondary school students had tried alcohol, noting significantly higher drinking prevalence among older high school students. Notwithstanding this statistic, there is evidence of the decline in alcohol use for the older students since 2017 and for younger students, alcohol use had plateaued since 2014.

Parents were the most common source of alcohol for current drinkers; very few (6%) bought their own alcohol. Younger students mostly reported that they drank at home (43%) and older students were more likely to drink at parties (36%).

Cannabis was the most used illicit drug, mainly for the older students. Use of cannabis though has declined since 2017. Only 6% reported using other illicit drugs.

There has been a substantial decline in smoking cigarettes since 1996.

However, there have been large increases in vaping among all age groups of secondary students with vaping reported at 30% in 2023. Dual use of tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes appears to be very uncommon.

If you would like further information about these reports, they can be found online at

Ros Curtis

It is very important for parents to be aware of their child’s safety in both the physical and online environments. I’d like to include a special note to ask parents to please be aware of your daughter’s activities online, who and what they are engaging with, and communicate with them about these activities. Our student protection policies and procedures certainly extend to the online forum, and I have included information and contacts for this below.

Student Protection

St Margaret’s takes student protection seriously, and so it is timely that I remind all families about the policies and processes that we have here.

St Margaret's AGS is committed to:

- promoting and striving to provide a safe, supportive and ethical environment for the wellbeing and holistic development of students; and

- providing a safe secure nurturing environment in which all its students may grow and learn.

Student Protection Officers 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 St Margaret's Student Protection Officers are:

- Deputy Principal - Karen Gorrie

- Head of Boarding - Lesa Fowler

- Dean of Academics – Caitlin McCluskey

- Head of Primary School - Angela Drysdale

- Assistant Head of Primary - Wellbeing and Operations (PP-6) – Annette Box

- Dean of Students - Nikki Townsend

- Senior Psychologist – Michelle Alexander

- School Psychologist - Emma Greensill

- Head of Year – Nicole Walker

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

The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety. eSafety fosters online safety by exercising powers under Australian government legislation, primarily the Online Safety Act 2021. Their website () is a great place to start if you think you or your daughter is experiencing harmful content online. They have information and facilities to report complaints about online behaviour to the eSafety commissioner whose department will then investigate.

Our statement of commitment is as follows:

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.

Karen Gorrie

Family Services

Our Family Services are an opportunity for students and families to connect with our Anglican tradition and the legacy of the Society of the Sacred Advent, gather in our chapel for Holy Communion and foster community. They are also an opportunity for students to be baptised or admitted to Holy Communion.

Year 11 and 12 Family Service    
Tuesday 23 April, 6pm, School Chapel

Year 7 and 8 Family Service        
Wednesday 29 May, 6pm, School Chapel

 Primary Baptism and Admission to Holy Communion

Like the family services in the secondary school, the Primary Baptism and Admission to Holy Communion service is an opportunity for Years 4-6 families to gather for Holy Communion and to build community. Baptism and Admission to Holy Communion are also an option for students.

Join St Margaret’s and Churchie, Years 4-6 Baptism and Admission to Holy Communion Service
Wednesday 1 May, 6pm, St John’s Anglican Cathedral, Ann St, Brisbane

Confirmation

Our Regional Bishop will join us in Week 10 for our annual Confirmation Service. This is an opportunity for secondary students, parents, or staff to confirm their baptismal promises and invite to Holy Spirit to strengthen them in living out the great call to love our neighbour.

Confirmation Service
Monday 10 June, 6pm, School Chapel

Please email me if you have any questions regarding these events, jdow@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Jazz Dow

We would like to also encourage as many families as possible to participate in the Day/Boarder long weekend. This is a very important part of building our community and relationships with day families.  We encourage the boarders to take a day girl or two home for the long weekend, Friday 3 May to Tuesday 7 May. This weekend is about the boarding girls having the opportunity to show their day girl friends where they live and sharing as many experiences with them as possible. We look forward to seeing many photos from this weekend.

This term we also celebrate National Boarding Week which is an opportunity to share with the wider community all of the great attributes of being a boarder at St Margaret’s. All the girls will be invited to share their experience of boarding at St Margaret’s.

Our regional tours begin this term and I hope to see many of you at different events. Just a reminder that we will be in Goondiwindi from Wednesday 1 May to Friday 3 May and the following week at Beef Week in Rockhampton where we are sure to see many of you. 

Lesa Fowler

Year 11 Exam Mornings

There is a Year 11 Exam morning on Friday 26 April. All Biology students are required to be at school ready for their exam to begin at 8:20am. All Year 11 students who do not study Biology are not required to be at school until Year Level Assembly at 9:50am.

On Thursday 16 May there will be another exam morning for English. All English students are required to be at school ready for their exam to begin at 8:20am. Any students who do not study English are not required to be at school until lesson 2A at 10:50am.

Caitlin McCluskey

A reminder that SSS operates on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 5:00pm to 7:30 pm. Parents do have the option of purchasing dinner for their daughters from the boarding house at the time of booking for $12.50. Bookings close at 9:00am on the day, unless the maximum number (25) is reached prior to this point, so I do recommend parents book in early to avoid missing out.

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.

Trends in Education

Next Wednesday (24 April), our first Trends in Education Seminar is occurring in the Arts Centre Foyer (4:00pm for 4:30pm start; 6:00pm finish). Our guest speaker is Ms Sally Lawrence, who will be speaking on Breaking Down Barriers to Build Cultural Capability with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. It is sure to be an informative and insightful lecture, that will provide our teachers with much food for thought.

Importantly, this seminar is open to all teachers in South-East Queensland. Any St Margaret’s parents who are interested are also very welcome to attend. Further information about this free seminar can be found through the following link . Registrations close tomorrow (Friday 19 April).

Chris Dunn

Over the holidays students should have been reflecting on their SMART Goals for Term 2 ready to discuss this with their form class teacher or Academic Adviser. Dr Stephen R Covey, renowned educator and author of the book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ suggests that there are habits people can develop to succeed in life. In fact, his suggestions can also help prepare your daughters to succeed in their studies.

Outlined below are seven Habits of Highly effective students suggested by Covey. You may wish to discuss these with your family:

1. Be proactive, recognise that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities, your time and your resources. Don’t allow peers to dictate what you consider important.
2. Begin with the end in mind. Envision what you want in the future and how are you going to make this a reality.
3. First things first! Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself and don’t get distracted from your goals. Discover your key productivity periods and places. Do you work better in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Find spaces where you can be the most focussed and productive.
4. Think win - win. Contribute well in your class, your fellow students, and even your teacher will benefit. Value and respect those around you.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. When you have an issue with another person, try to see it from their perspective. Now ask yourself how you can best approach the issue with that person given the situation.
6. Synergize! Combine the strengths of others through positive relationships and teamwork.
7. Sharpen the Saw: Exercise, prayer (meditation, yoga etc), service, reading, healthy diet and sleep all contribute to a healthy fulfilling lifestyle.

“Your life doesn’t just “happen.” Whether you know it or not, it is carefully designed by you. The choices, after all, are yours. You choose happiness. You choose sadness. You choose decisiveness. You choose ambivalence. You choose success. You choose failure. You choose courage. You choose fear. Just remember that every moment, every situation, provides a new choice. And in doing so, it gives you a perfect opportunity to do things differently to produce more positive results.” (Stephen Covey, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’)

 Nikki Townsend

“We hope you were able to continue striving in your own way, even if not in the academic arena, but still building good habits to set you up for a successful term. Whether it was helping to pitch a tent, make a campfire, stay on a stand-up paddle board or solving a puzzle, finishing a level on a video game, training in a team or practising an instrument, there are always lots of opportunities to develop your capacity to strive. It’s good to remember that striving or the process of working towards your goals can also be entertaining and bring you joy, and that hobbies or outside school pursuits are also important to support our achievements at school.”

As a follow up to Lauren’s comments, I spoke to the girls about the importance of striving to find tiny little joys in life. Finding joys in life is not just about feeling good momentarily; it has profound implications for brain development and overall wellbeing. Research suggests that people should train their brain to find joys as the brain is designed to respond to negative experiences. Building a reservoir of positive emotions through joyful experiences can contribute to greater mental resilience. A resilient brain is better equipped to cope with challenges and setbacks, leading to improved emotional wellbeing and mental health in the long term.

Therefore, finding joy is important for building positive wellbeing for both self and the social environment. Our school is committed to making our school community one of positivity and gratitude. St Margaret’s commitment to being a nurturing community is based on a high degree of relatedness of the stakeholders. Our school is like a ‘nested community’ in which collections of people are tied together by common values, our St Margaret’s Way, founded on our faith.

Many joyful experiences also involve social interactions, which are crucial for brain development and emotional regulation. Positive social connections have been linked to increased levels of oxytocin (the 'bonding hormone'), which promotes feelings of trust and connectedness, further supporting brain health.

I am sure there will be much joy when our extended community of families and friends are invited into our school for two social occasions this term as we celebrate the special people in our lives. On Thursday 7 May, we will host the Primary Breakfast to celebrate Mother’s Day, and the term will conclude with a celebration of our Grandparents, Godparents and Guardians on Friday 7 June.    

I look forward to sharing a successful term with staff, students and our school community and actively seeking out little joys every day.    

Angela Drysdale

Students in Years 5 and 6 will conduct a deeper dive into the works of renowned author and illustrator Shaun Tan. They will critically analyse Tan's distinctive visual storytelling techniques and explore the deeper themes and interpretations present in his thought-provoking picture books.

Students will use four key visual literacy components to guide their analyses:

1. Image- Text Relationships: Do the pictures match the written text?
2. Visual Features: What is depicted in the image? Why were the colours chosen by the creator of the image?
3. Interactive Features: How is the audience being encouraged to interact with the image?
4. Compositional Features: How is the picture constructed?

By closely examining components and exploring these picture books, students will gain a deeper understanding of how visual narratives communicate meaning. They'll learn to think critically about the choices made by authors and illustrators, and how those choices impact the overall experience and interpretation of the book. Thank you to our Literacy Coordinator Mrs Singleton and the teachers in Years 2-6 for their work on these units and their dedication to providing differentiated and rich learning opportunities for our girls. I encourage you to initiate conversation with your daughters about their learning in Cluster this term.

Kate Frewin

19 April                      Churchie/St Margaret’s Afternoon                    

23 April                      ANZAC Day Service               

14 May                        Classics in the Cathedral                      

20-24 May                   Sem 1 Performance Presentations                    

14 May                        Amati Strings Assembly Performance

21 May                        Chaseley Concert Band Assembly Performance

5 June                         Soloist Recital Series #2           

22 June – 7 July         Europe Music Tour

Combined St Margaret’s/Churchie Event

On Friday 19 April, Jackson Wind Ensemble and Stradivari Strings will participate in a combined rehearsal and performance with boys from Churchie. Rehearsals will be held in Eton Hall and the Arts Centre Foyer with an informal performance provided in the respective spaces at 6:00pm. Thank you in advance to the Music Support Group for their assistance in providing dinner to the students.

Extracurricular photos

Photos for students in extra-curricular music ensembles will be held next Wednesday 24 April. A schedule with times will be distributed by the conductors to all students and placed on the POD. Students are to ensure they bring their performance uniform (if required) and their instrument on the day.

Friends of St Margaret’s Music

For parents who may be interested in providing further support to the St Margaret’s Music Program, there is the opportunity to become a “Friend of Music”. By purchasing a Gold Membership ($500) or Silver Membership ($250), parents are able to further expand opportunities and resources within the Music Program at St Margaret’s. Your donation includes priority seating at Classics in the Cathedral and your name (and donation year) will be added to the Friends of St Margaret's Music Honour Board displayed in the Sister Helen Orchestra Room. Further information is available via this link:

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Wednesday 8 May 2024 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

Our girls competed extremely well, represented in all divisions offered. Our Open team finished an extremely competitive 5^th, falling short of 3^rd position by less than 0.3 of a point. Talent Gymnastic Nicole M (Year 8) performed extremely well, gaining the highest score of all QG competitors in the vault competition. Our A Grade and B Grade teams both finished 2^nd overall in their respective divisions, demonstrating strong skills and determination in execution. Our C Grade & D Grade teams finished 4^th and 5^th respectively, while our two Years 7, finished 4^th and 10^th in the Year 7 competition respectively. Our two teams demonstrated great depth and interest in the sport of Artist Gymnastics. We are keen to see these teams continue to develop across the coming years.

St Margaret’s thanks our Artistic Gymnastics Captains Astrid O’M and Emily S, our committed staff led by Artistic Gymnastics Coordinator Ms Chappell and our fantastic coaching team made possible by our strong partnership with Delta Gymnastics. Congratulations to all involved.

Latest Sport News and Information

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

• Basketball (Autumn Sport) -
• Soccer (Autumn Sport) -
• Touch Football (Autumn Sport) -
• Cross Country -

• Club Netball -
• Rhythmic Gymnastics –
• Rowing -

Lloyd Knight

Blazer Pocket Embroidery

Blazers that require pocket embroidery must be submitted by morning tea on a Wednesday and take approximately two to three weeks to be returned to the Supplies Shop for collection. 

Student Card Purchases

Student Card fund top-ups

Please allow up to 24 hours for funds to clear when depositing funds onto student cards.

Flexischools daily limit

Please ensure the daily limit is set high enough to cover the cost of the uniform items being purchased. We will not be able to complete the purchase if there are insufficient funds available on the Student Card.

Winter items

The School Supplies Shop now has supply of the following winter uniform items in preparation for the cooler months:

• Formal jumper – both poly/cotton and wool/nylon
• Pre-Prep/Prep fleecy tracksuit
• School tracksuit jacket and pants
• School Scarf
• Winter Tights – St Margaret’s Brown

We would encourage all families to call into the Supplies Shop as soon as possible to avoid missing out on your preferred size.

We have fun-filled and exciting activities planned for our Student Free Day Program. Further details of the program can be found here. Boys and girls, siblings, friends and family welcome!

Please refer to the attached Information Guide for full booking terms and conditions. We are unable to accept bookings via email or text message. The OSHC registration and Debitsuccess form must be completed, signed and sent back to us to finalise your booking. Please read the information guide carefully as some information has changed. OSHC Registration and Debitsuccess can be completed via the My Family Lounge.

PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR VACATION CARE BOOKING FORM VIA THE MY FAMILY LOUNGE APP

We are very excited to inform you that St Margaret’s OSHC has subscribed to a fantastic online Booking and Waitlist management program called QK Enrol. This program will give you access to manage your own account information, where you will have the ability to make bookings requests and allows you to complete and submit an online enrolment form for your child. You can do this and much, much more all within a parent portal called ’My Family Lounge’.

How do I log in?

Please navigate to the link below and either sign in with your existing My Family Lounge account or Register for an account if you do not already have one. Please note all families who have previously submitted an enrolment form will have an account already set up; all you will need to do is click ‘forgotten password’ and use the email address you used to receive this form.

When making a Vacation Care booking please select Casual bookings, not Permanent.

What is the cost?*

Early Bird Fees: $63 per day

Early Bird Bookings close: 22 April 2024

Fees: $68 per day*

Bookings close: 29 April 2024

*Incursions and excursions incur additional costs. These are compulsory for all students and therefore you are able to claim CCS.

What are the hours of operation?

The service is open from 7:00am until 6:00pm.

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

To achieve this, we are calling for the involvement not only of students to cut their hair and donate, but also any other family members and alumni who’d like to #rockthechop – whether they live locally or outside of Brisbane.

If you are an Old Girl or past or current parent and would like to help us reach our target, we are asking you to register your interest so we can keep you up to date with the 2024 event. And some of you might need to start growing your mane now!

Can’t get to Brisbane? You can still be involved wherever you are by joining the fundraising page and getting your local hairdresser or a trusted friend to lop off your ponytail or consider holding your own event in a regional area or international city!

We’d love to connect our boarding families keen to be involved from afar – perhaps to even host a morning tea on the day.  

If you are interested in becoming involved, we have set up an Expression of Interest form where you can indicate what type of involvement you are interested in, and if you are in another town, we could connect you with other’s keen to be involved.

Ready to join the cause? You can register to participate in this year's Ponytail Project .

If you have any enquiries, please email Wendy Johnston, Director of Marketing and Communications, on wjohnston@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or call (07) 3862 0837.

We are delighted to offer sponsorship opportunities for those in our community to advertise their business at the festival. Among these opportunities is the chance to sponsor a secondary year level stall for $500. This sponsorship includes:

• Opportunity to place one (1) corporate pull up banner behind stall at the event
• Opportunity to provide corporate collateral (e.g. brochures, discount vouchers, business cards)
• Company name listed on Mayo webpage with hyperlink through to company website
• Company name published in festival program (e.g. Fairy Floss and Popcorn Stall sponsored by company name)

The secondary year level stalls available for sponsorship this year are:

It is a fantastic opportunity to promote your business to the entire school community, which includes current parents, students, staff, prospective parents and students as well as Old Girls, while also supporting the arts at St Margaret’s. If you are interested in sponsorship at this year’s festival, please contact Pru Reed on 07 3862 0828 or email preed@stmargarets.qld.edu.au. 

Patricia O’Callaghan is an experienced Chief Executive Officer who has held significant senior executive positions over the past 15 years and has a passion for growing companies, communities and bettering the lives of people.

Patricia joined Tourism and Events Queensland as CEO in January 2023, after heading up Destination Gold Coast from February 2021 – December 2022 and following nine years with Townsville Enterprise, first as General Manager for Tourism and Events before being promoted to CEO, a position she held for five years.

With extensive experience in strategy development, advocacy, corporate communications, Government, stakeholder and media relations and marketing, Patricia has a proven record of working with communities to convert strategy into tangible outcomes.

Patricia has previously been accepted into the Australian American Young Leadership Dialogue, was named 2018 BOSS Young Executive by the Australian Financial Review and the recipient of the 2014 Australian Institute of Management – Young Manager of the Year Award for Queensland.

Event Details

Date:               Wednesday 1 May 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 or a corporate table:  

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

 Georgia Mitchell