eNews Archive Issue 12 - 1 May 2025

WHOLE SCHOOL

From the Principal

We have been advised by the Brisbane City Council that they have received an increase in the number of reports of illegal parking around our school. As a result, our school has been added to Council’s Safer Schools Program this term. This program aims to promote safe parking practices and ensure compliance with local traffic regulations around schools.

Therefore, the Brisbane City Council has asked us to let you know that over the coming term, Council officers will be conducting regular patrols around the school to monitor parking compliance. Brisbane City Council’s Parking Compliance Officers will be actively patrolling the streets surrounding the school over the coming term to encourage safer parking behaviours. These patrols will be conducted on foot and in highly visible Community Safety and Regulation vehicles that can identify alleged offences using Automatic Number Plate Recognition and GPS software. Compliance action will be taken on any observed breaches. These patrols will include primary and secondary Drop Off and Pick Up areas as well as Lapraik Street.

As you know, parking in accordance with all road rules and signage is important to keep our children and other road users safe. A guide to common parking signs around school zones can be found on Council’s website

While we understand the challenges parents face in navigating school zone drop-off and pick-up, it is crucial to prioritise safety. Child safety is paramount, and illegal parking within school zones remains a significant concern.

Therefore, we continue to request that parents, guardians, and visitors adhere to all parking regulations in the vicinity of the school.

We wish all our students embarking on day/boarder weekend adventures a most enjoyable experience with a reminder to everyone that school recommences on Tuesday 6 May.

Ros Curtis

From the Deputy Principal

As we settle back into the rhythm of the school term, I often find myself having conversations with girls about how to manage when they are feeling ‘stressed’. We all feel ‘stressed’ at some time or another, and we cannot avoid it. The good news from research by Tony Fernando: the research highlights the importance of building resilience and thinking about stress in ways to enhance wellbeing and thrive. We need to think about stress differently, normalise it, and acknowledge and be compassionate with our thoughts in order to deal with the pressure.

Here are some strategies I often discuss with the girls; they are simple and common sense, and you may be able to use them at home with your daughter.

1. Help her to see the meaning in her stress

The ideal life is not stress-free. According to the Gallup World Poll, the happiest people on earth report high, not low, levels of stress. The reason that the girls feel stress is because school and learning is something that they care about. When you care a lot, you experience more stress. Therefore, help your daughter to see this, and work on strategies such as time management, social media free time and stillness to assist with seeing the meaning and normalising and not catastrophising.

2. Help her to focus on a Growth Mindset

This can protect your daughter against some of the harmful effects of stress. Get her to focus on what is going well and how to move through the ‘rough patch’ using productive strategies such as talking about the learning that is happening in the ‘rough’ times and focus on the feelings when this ‘patch’ has passed.

3. Practice Vicarious Resilience with your daughter

Vicarious resilience is what psychologists call the flip side of contagious stress. It’s the ability to ‘catch’ resilience from those we see persevere, grow, and thrive. Have your daughter think how someone else might deal with the same problem. Talk to them about how you deal with pressure and how you have seen others deal with stress. Too often the girls think they are the only ones who are feeling ‘stressed’, and this leads to the final mindset shift when feeling stressed.

4. Help her to be compassionate with herself

A mindset of “I’m the only one” can drive your daughter to self-destructive behaviours like procrastinating, catastrophising, and hiding her problems from people who can help. In contrast, letting your daughter know that others share stress is a powerful source of resilience. Teaching your daughter that pressure and stress are normal, she will be less likely to give up on her goals, more willing to talk with others about her problems, and more likely to get the support she needs.

However, it is important to remember that if your daughter does not respond to your assistance and guidance, we are always available to help and offer support for you and your daughter.

Nicole Devlin

Chaplain

Over the past months, I have been working with the Year 4 Cohort to prepare them for our upcoming Baptism and Admission to Holy Communion service. During the lessons, we discuss the role of symbols, sacred space, community and traditions, and how Baptism and Holy Communion are understood in the Anglican Church.

The classes are inclusive, and accessible to students, whether they are Anglican or of another denomination or faith tradition. During our time together, there is always time for questions, and there are always many of them.

One of the joys of being a school chaplain, is listening to and holding space for big questions. I remind students that I do not have definitive answers to all of these big questions, but there are many opinions and beliefs, and that they too have an inherent wisdom in response to their questions.

In the secondary context, I often get asked questions like:

What is my purpose?
What happens when we die?
Where is God in the midst of suffering?

I remind the students that adults ask these same existential questions, and that these are the questions that will travel through our entire lives with us, because we are human.

As we continue in the Easter season, we remember that when the risen Jesus met his friends, he met them in their sorrow, grief, and big questions. He appeared with peace and compassion. This is the same way God meets us in our questions, with a peace which passes all understanding. God holds space for all our doubts and our questions and meets us there with compassion.

Note:

It is not too late to sign your daughter up for our forthcoming Baptism and Admission to Holy Communion Service with Churchie at St John’s Cathedral on Wednesday 7 May at 6pm. Please fill in to register.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

Acting Deputy Head of Boarding

Day Boarder Weekend

I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the importance of the Day Boarder Weekend, taking place this weekend from Friday afternoon through to Monday. This is a meaningful, annual tradition for the school community.

This weekend isn’t just about having a break from routine. It’s a time set aside to recognise the unique experience of boarding life, the challenges, the independence, the friendships, and the strength it takes to live away from home.

It’s also an opportunity to build stronger connections between boarders and day students. For many boarders, this weekend is a chance to invite a day girl friend/s home to show them what life is like in their communities, on their farms, or in their families. It allows the day students to step into their world and to better understand the differences, the distance, and the depth of the boarder experience.

There’s something really special about sharing this part of their life as it builds empathy, deeper friendships, and reminds the girls that while we they all come from different places, they’re united as Maggies girls.

Boarding parent Georgina Poole published a story in the Graziher Magazine sharing her first-hand experience of this weekend tradition. Below are a few excerpts from her recount:

‘It’s difficult to quantify the lasting impression of such an experience. These young women may be the policymakers, corporate CEOs and philanthropists of tomorrow, and the more they understand our rural and regional landscape, the stronger our communities futures will be.’

‘It’s comforting; it’s a credit to St Margaret’s for building a strong culture; and it’s a wonderful opportunity to give back to the generous surrogate families who step in when our kids are far from home’.

Whether you’re going home, hosting a friend, or staying in, we hope you take this weekend to rest, reflect, and celebrate the pride that comes with being a boarder. You are part of something truly unique and that’s worth honouring.

Gracemere Mataia

Dean of Academics

Year 11 Academic Progress meetings will begin next week. Each Year 11 student is required to book in a meeting with me to discuss their results and goals from Term 1. Parents are more than welcome to attend these meetings either in person or via phone/Teams. Appointments are available before, during and after school. Students are able to book these meetings via the Year 11 Academic Progress Meetings tile on the Year 11 POD page.

Year 10

Year 10 students are currently attending their Career Avenues follow up consultation. This forms a part of the subject selection process. In the coming weeks, students will also attend the Broadening Horizons Conference, Transition Day, Subject Selection evening and a Careers Expo. Following this, the girls will need to fill out their SET planning documentation and meet with a staff member to discuss their subject options for Years 11 and 12. Students are welcome to book in with me to discuss any questions they have throughout this process. Bookings can be made via the bookings tile on the Year 10 POD page.

From the end of Week 3, students and parents will be able to watch videos outlining each senior subject in preparation for their subject selection choices later in the term.

“Effort = Results. Success isn’t about luck; it depends on how much effort you put in.” – Daniella Sorbella, ‘24

Caitlin McCluskey

Dean of Studies

St Margaret’s is committed to the professional development of our staff, but also of the profession more broadly. As such, we believe strongly in contributing to the development of our staff and of future professionals in education. Due to this commitment, St Margaret’s welcomes the opportunity to have pre-service teachers in our school, who learn through active role modelling and exposure to real practical experience in the classroom, while also enabling us to engage with current developments in tertiary education.

This term the following staff will be hosting pre-service teachers from Queensland University of Technology and The University of Queensland: Mr Craig Berry, Ms Karen Kirk, Ms Sophie Boller, Ms Alison Davis, Ms Georgia O’Brien, Mrs Louise Brown, Ms Helen Philp.

These members of staff will be working with the pre-service teachers to develop their skills in preparation for demands connected with the teaching profession. These experiences are very powerful in that they provide real opportunities for the pre-service teacher to develop their proficiency in planning, organisation, classroom management, and teaching practice.

I would like to welcome the pre-service teachers to St Margaret’s, and thank the supervising teachers for supporting these new teachers entering our wonderful profession.

Chris Dunn

Dean of Students

The importance of gratitude

Gratitude is a powerful practice that positively impacts our mindset, relationships, and overall wellbeing. By focusing on what we have rather than what we lack, we cultivate resilience, improve our mental health, and strengthen our social connections. Research by Emmons and McCullough (2003) found that individuals who regularly practice gratitude experience greater levels of happiness and lower levels of depression. Gratitude helps shift our perspective, allowing us to navigate challenges with a sense of appreciation and optimism.

Studies also show that gratitude enhances emotional and physical health. Wood, Froh, and Geraghty (2010) found that grateful individuals have lower stress levels, improved sleep, and stronger immune systems. Additionally, expressing gratitude fosters deeper relationships by increasing empathy and reducing aggression (Bartlett & DeSteno, 2006). A simple habit, such as keeping a gratitude journal or regularly expressing appreciation to others, can lead to long-term improvements in overall life satisfaction.

In a school or workplace setting, cultivating gratitude helps build a supportive and positive environment. When we acknowledge each other’s efforts and express thanks, we create a culture of encouragement and mutual respect. By making gratitude a daily practice, we can improve not only our own wellbeing but also the wellbeing of those around us.

References

Bartlett, M. Y., & DeSteno, D. (2006). Gratitude and prosocial behaviour: Helping when it costs you. Psychological Science, 17(4), 319-325.
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389.
Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 890-905.

Nikki Townsend

eNews new feature photo 11 June 2019 Angela Drysdale_HoP

Head of Primary

“Glimmers are those small moments in our day that bring joy, peace or gratitude.” Unknown

A person’s brain is designed to respond to negative experiences, but research suggests that people should train their brains to find joys. When a person trains their brain to notice “glimmers", those small, positive moments that bring light into our day, something profound happens – a person’s disposition shifts from focusing on what’s wrong to appreciating what’s right.

The simple practice of reframing not only changes how we experience the world, but it also shapes how our children learn to see theirs. Children learn by example. When we model resilience and optimism, they absorb those mindsets. A rainy day becomes an invitation to splash in puddles or share a warm, cozy moment indoors. A mistake turns into a stepping stone for growth. A moment of frustration becomes a gentle reminder to pause and reset.

This way of seeing doesn’t ignore challenges—it transforms them. When we reframe setbacks as opportunities, we nurture emotional resilience and teach children to find the beauty in the everyday. Over time, this mindset reduces stress, fosters hope, and builds stronger emotional foundations. As a parent you might like to:

Share moments of joy with your child daily and invite them to do the same.
Pause to appreciate simple pleasures—a kind word, a shared laugh, a quiet moment.
Reframe challenges: What can we learn? What unexpected, good came from this?

Turning negative moments into positive glimmers offers a range of powerful benefits for both emotional wellbeing and personal growth. Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Builds Emotional Resilience

Reframing challenges helps us bounce back more quickly from setbacks. When we find meaning or growth in difficult moments, we build inner strength and adaptability—skills that are especially important for children as they develop.

2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Focusing on glimmers shifts the brain’s attention away from stress and threat. Over time, this helps calm the nervous system and reduces the intensity and duration of anxiety or overwhelm.

3. Strengthens Optimism

By actively seeking out the good—even in tough situations—we train our brains to develop a more hopeful and balanced outlook. This supports a more optimistic mindset, which has been linked to better mental and physical health.

4. Enhances Relationships

When we practice gratitude and share glimmers with others, it fosters connection. This can deepen relationships, build empathy, and create a more positive social environment at home, at school, and in the wider community.

5. Encourages a Growth Mindset

Seeing mistakes or setbacks as opportunities to learn helps children and adults alike develop a growth mindset. This fuels motivation, curiosity, and a willingness to try again.

6. Creates Lasting Habits of Joy

When we regularly pause to notice glimmers—like a shared laugh, a moment of quiet, kind word—we start building a habit of appreciation. Over time, this habit rewires the brain to seek out more of these moments, making joy more accessible and frequent.

The practice of finding glimmers in life is an important aspect of the St Margaret’s community, as we are committed to fostering a nurturing, positive environment grounded in gratitude and emotional connection.

Angela Drysdale

Assistant Head of Primary

Throughout the year there are several exciting initiatives and days of celebration which serve as learning and fundraising opportunities for the girls. This term, Week 6 commences with National Sorry Day on Monday 26 May and on Tuesday 27 May students will attend a special Sorry and Mabo Day assembly at which they will hear from members of our school community about their experiences as First Nations and Torres Strait Islander peoples as well as learn about the historical events that put this day on the calendar.

In addition to this, our Term 2 ‘free dress’ day will occur during this week which will once again be ‘Jersey Thursday’ on Thursday 29 May. This is a day to celebrate inclusivity and identity by wearing your team colours. This could be a team jersey, jumper, shirt, or scarf, and all gold coin donations on the day will go towards the ‘Pay It Forward’ program to support future Yalari Scholarships along with our 2025 charity, .

Girls are encouraged to show their ‘team colours’ and join in the celebrations on Circular Drive at morning tea including art, entertainment and more. If girls do not think they have a team to support they can show their house colours and wear their house shirts (or Year 6 shirt), socks, and ribbons with their sports tracksuits. We look forward to seeing the primary school students participating in the many events on offer in this significant week in our school calendar.

Annette Box

Head of Performance

Classics in the Cathedral

The St Margaret’s Music Department is excited to announce that Classics in the Cathedral will be held in St John’s Anglican Cathedral on Friday 23 May. This is an evening of beautiful music, performed by St Margaret’s music ensembles within a spectacular setting and is one of the school’s very special performance events. Tickets are now on sale and must be purchased online via . The cost for an adult ticket is $30, with no charge for children/students. Please print your ticket or download to your mobile phone to present upon entrance at the concert. All tickets must be pre-purchased as tickets will not be available at the door. A letter with more details is attached. (PDF 454.5KB) We look forward to having many in attendance at this special event.

ANZAC Day Service

Thank you to the Sister Helen Wind Symphony and Chorale for their musical contribution to the ANZAC Day service this week. The Sister Helen Wind Symphony performed the moving piece The Spirit Lives by Brisbane composer Edward Kennedy and Chorale performed A Perfect World by Karen Elliott, also a local Brisbane composer. Thank you to Hope (Yr 10) who provided a wonderful rendition of The Last Post/Rouse on trumpet. This was a very special moment in the service. All our musicians’ contributions were greatly appreciated.

Extracurricular photos

Photos for students in extra-curricular music ensembles will be held next Wednesday 7 May in Eton Hall. A schedule with times is attached here is available on the POD. Students are to ensure they bring their performance uniform (if required) and their instrument on the day.

Encorah

We are very excited to announce that Encorah, our Secondary all-comers choir, will recommence rehearsals in Term 2. Encorah is open to all students in Years 7-12 who enjoy singing. All are welcome to attend with no audition required. The choir will sing a wide range of repertoire from a variety of genres including music theatre, pop, jazz and folk styles. The choir will rehearse with Ms Langford from 3:30-4:30pm every Thursday afternoon in the Arts Centre/Drama Room (V101) with the first rehearsal to commence on Thursday in Week 3 (8 May) in the Drama Room. There is no need to sign up – students are asked to just come along to the first rehearsal where their details will be taken down for future rolls. (Please note it is an expectation that all students in Exultate and Volare will attend Encorah rehearsals).

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 3 June 2025 at 5:00pm in the Circular Drive Classroom 01 (in front of the Arts Centre Foyer). Parents from both the primary and secondary school are welcome to attend.

Brad King

Director of Sport

QGSSA Autumn Fixtures

Unfortunately, the wet weather continues to impact our fixtures with continued field closures around Brisbane. Thank you for everyone’s patience as we get back on track. I would like to thank all our Touch players who played through rain in our Round 4 fixtures last Thursday afternoon down at Windsor Park. I applaud all the teams and spectators for getting through the round in wet conditions. Soccer is currently being rescheduled for this round.

The next few weeks of QG sport will be compact with some make up rounds taking place between published rounds.

Round 6 – Friday 9 May (Touch, Soccer & Basketball) Home round v Somerville House

Round 1 Rescheduled – Tuesday 13 May (Touch & Soccer) Home round v IGGS

Round 7 – Friday 16 May (Touch, Soccer & Basketball) Away around v BGGS

Club Netball

Club Netball returned for the 2025 season at Downey Park last Saturday. With 34 of our 39 teams playing throughout the day, there was STM representation across most rounds. A special shout out to our Head of Netball, Gayle Coutts as well as Assistant Director of Sport Angela Crowe and Karen Booth and the rest of the Netball coaching teams for the tremendous amount of effort they have put in so far getting the Club organised and prepared for what will be a great season!

Club Swimming

Club Swimming returned this week for Juniors through to Seniors including our Senior Swim Fit squads. The coaches were impressed with initial participation in sessions. If there are any students looking to register and haven’t done so, please go the Club Swimming POD before the end of this week.

National Age Swimming Championships

As reported last week, some of our St Margaret’s students competed in the National Age Swimming Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre with great success. These included Year 9 students, Clementine C, Chloe Nand Charlotte M who competed together in the 13-14 years 4 x 50m freestyle relay and 4 x 50m medley relay club events; winning silver in both events. Congratulations to these students and other St Margaret’s students who competed in these Championships.

Photo credit: Jodie Morgans

Changes in the STM Sport Team

This week we say farewell to our Sports Administrator, Rebecca Wilkinson who is moving onto a new role with Mary McKillop College as Head of Sport. Bec has been a great asset to the sports team and we have valued her contributions during her time here at St Margaret’s, both to the sport team and to the students she has assisted. We wish her all the best of luck. Recruitment of a new Sports Administrator is being finalised, and we look forward to welcoming them soon.

We would like to continue to recognise the outstanding achievements and representation of students participating at a national level, outside of the school sport pathway. I look forward to continuing to hear from our community regarding such outstanding achievement. Please email me at awilliams@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

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 -

Anne Louise Williams

Lara Pickering Development and Community 2018

Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement

Professional Women's Network Breakfast - with guest speaker Amanda Lacaze ('76), CEO and MD of Lynas Rare Earths

Join us for a thought-provoking breakfast with Amanda Lacaze (’76), a trailblazing executive at the forefront of critical minerals and future technologies. Named as one of The Australian Financial Review’s Business People of the Year, and recognised as 2018 CEO of the Year by MiningNews.Net, Amanda leads one of the world’s most strategically significant resources companies—Lynas Rare Earths.

With rare earths at the heart of the global shift toward electric vehicles, renewable energy and defence technology, Amanda will share how Lynas is positioning itself as a leading player in the critical minerals market, as well as lessons in leadership and resilience from her rise to the helm of a global company.

Date:         Wednesday 11 June 2025
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 with grab-and-go barista coffee on arrival.
Tickets:     $85 Adult, $45 Student (Years 10-12/Tertiary)
Corporate tables: $850 (10 seats), includes company logo displayed on table and acknowledgement during event.

Tickets are available here:

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

St Margaret’s Secondary Father Daughter Breakfast – Tickets on sale now

Students in Years 7-12 and their fathers are warmly invited to join us for the St Margaret’s Secondary Father Daughter Breakfast, hosted by the P&F Association.

We understand that it is not possible for all girls to invite their fathers. Girls are welcome to invite a relative or family friend. Boarders are welcome to 'adopt a dad' for the event.

Date:     Thursday 19 June 2025
Time:    6.45am for 7am- 8am
Venue: Circular Drive and Arts Centre Terraces
Cost:    $49 per adult /$39 per student (Years 7-12).

Tickets are available here:

Aspiring Young Women’s Network Breakfast - with guest speaker, Elise Gane (’04)

Is your daughter considering a career in allied health or academia, or contemplating her subject selections for Years 11 and 12?

We invite parents and senior students to join us at the first Aspiring Young Women’s Network Breakfast event of 2025 to hear from Elise Gane (’04), a physiotherapist with 16 years of clinical experience.

Elise will share her journey, from completing a PhD in cancer rehabilitation to her current role as a Principal Project Officer at Queensland Health where she works in digital health projects.

Elise’s experience across the public health service as a clinician, researcher, and project officer, give her a unique insight into the current challenges facing the public health system in Queensland and the critical role allied health professionals play in the delivery of quality healthcare services to Queenslanders.

Date: Thursday 29 May 2025

Time: 6.45am arrival for 7.00am - 8.45am

Location: Eton Hall, St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School, 11 Petrie Street, Ascot
Format: Continental style breakfast

Tickets: $38 Adults/Student

To purchase tickets please

We thank our series sponsors and the

Lara Pickering

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