eNews Archive Issue 13 - 4 May 2023

WHOLE SCHOOL

From the Acting Principal

It was lovely to see all the photos of our students from the Day Boarder Long Weekend sent through to us with many posted to our social media sites. I’d like to sincerely thank our boarder families for opening up their homes to our students for the weekend. In the photos I saw, I smiled at the beautiful sunsets, our students riding horses and helping with the cattle and sheep, campfires, farm vehicles and bikes, boats and dams, bushwalks and balancing on cotton bales, picnics and cups of tea, and overall fabulous experiences for all involved.

Whilst our students enjoyed an extra student free day this week, our staff took part in some professional development. Our teaching staff in the primary school did some pastoral care meetings, BrightPath training and some preparation and planning. Our secondary staff did some Australian Curriculum planning, with the Heads of Faculty and Assistant Heads of Faculty spending time with Glenn McLachlan (Director of the Professional Learning Institute) on coaching. The staff found the sessions very rewarding and are looking forward to implementing some of their learnings and planning in their classrooms.

Next week we will be holding our second Professional Women’s Network Event for the year. We will be welcoming guest speaker Tracey Cooper-Lavery ('87). All information about this event can be found in our Development and Community section of this eNews.

Finally, I’d like to bring to your attention our Code of Conduct for Electronic Communications. This can be found in the Parent Handbook. Staff are available to be contacted about your daughter via email, however, it is important to note that it may take up to 48 hours (not including weekends) for them to respond. Staff (and students) may work and send correspondence at times that are not traditionally seen as work hours. This is a personal choice, and there is no expectation for staff to read emails nor respond other than in their work hours.

Karen Gorrie

From the Acting Deputy Principal

Becoming a Powerful Learner

Recently I read an article by Eduardo Briceno, the co-founder and CEO of Mindset Works. A key emphasis in the paper was the idea that learning is an internal process (Briceno, 2013). It happens in the mind of the learner. This is powerfully accurate and it compels us to focus our energies on engaging the minds of our girls so they are able to learn well. As educators and parents, we can provide them with an optimal learning environment and with rich and challenging opportunities, but we can’t make them learn. They have to do that themselves.

While “the key” to effective learning can vary greatly from one student to another there are fundamental conditions which are important for all learners. I believe that the master key for unlocking a student’s capacity to learn is the concept of CONNECTION. Young people need to feel connected even when they don’t want to be. They need to be connected with the adults in their lives. It is that connection that will unlock their capacity to learn.

Learning is inextricably linked with emotion. Connection is fostered by positive emotions and hindered by negative ones. We know that girls are unable to learn well when they are frightened or overwhelmingly anxious; similarly, when they feel a sense of connection their learning is fostered. Essentially feeling connected means feeling seen, valued and safe. In a school context this happens in different ways for different girls. It is about being noticed – either by being greeted by name or congratulated on a performance or pulled up for not completing homework. At home feeling connected is obviously about feeling loved but it is also about being accountable for behaviour and limited at appropriate times.

So how do we give our girls a belief in their capacity to learn? Firstly, we help them to understand the process of learning, how it works and what it feels like. Science supports the idea that the brain is like a muscle – the more you use it the stronger it gets. We know that when you repeat something again and again the part of your brain which you are using grows new connections. This is the power of practising! Struggle and failure and getting things wrong are part of learning.

It is important that we engage students in these conversations when they receive setbacks. We need to assist them to set goals which are based on their successes and disappointments and help them to understand that results capture their achievements at a particular point in time but are not a measure of their ultimate capacity or their worth.

References

Briceno, E. (2013). Mindset and Student Agency. UnBoxed San Diego, CA: High Tech High Graduate School of Education.

Deak, J. (2203) Girls will be Girls. USA: Hyperion

Martin, A. (2010). Building Classroom Success. London: Continuum International Publishing Group.

Nikki Townsend

Chaplain

Last week I joined other members of the Education Leadership Team at the ASCENT conference. ASCENT is the Anglican Schools biennial conference where we learn and network with other Anglican School leaders from across Queensland. Due to Covid-19, it had been over four years since the last conference. It was a joy to meet and share ideas, resources, and inspiration.

The theme of the conference was “be inspired: be inspiring”. We had several guest speakers that inspired us to think about how we are inspiring and inspired by others. Seamus Evans inspired us with his presentation, “turn your flaw into a superpower”. Seamus was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age ten and shared with us some of the harrowing experiences he had at school because of how other children treated him. Despite these challenges, he harnessed his Tourette Syndrome and moved from school into presenting on various television shows for Network 10.

During the session, he continued to share his life story and the various challenges he has overcome to now be a comedian, professional presenter, and ambassador for Tourette Syndrome Australia.

Seamus is an incredibly inspiring human being who made clear to us that the things we see as flaws, when viewed with a different perspective, can be our greatest strengths, our point of difference, our unique contribution to the world. For example, Seamus is using his superpower to educate the Australian population on Tourette Syndrome, to inspire young people, and indeed people of every age, to embrace who they are and live confidently and abundantly. I found this a powerful reminder of the importance of self-acceptance in the journey to flourishing.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

Student Wellbeing Coordinator - Boarding

The highly anticipated Day Boarder Long Weekend occurred last weekend. The 4-day event saw approximately 75% of the boarding house head far and wide, taking day girls or fellow boarders home to give them a taste of what living outside the metropolis is like. Photos of cotton fields were a plenty, as well as long days spent at the beach. Day girls tried their hand at mustering and marvelled at the wide-open spaces and spectacular night sky. This weekend is a highlight on the school calendar and based on the photos below, it’s easy to see why.

Speaking of highlights, the boarding house is preparing for ‘Do it For Dolly Day’. On Friday 12 May (Week 4), our boarders will be selling blue ribbons for a gold coin donation with all proceeds going to Dolly’s Dream foundation. In Week 5 we are also celebrating National Boarding Week. This week highlights the role boarding plays in our school community and the celebrations will feature several activities for both boarders and day girls.

Hannah Calcino

Dean of Academics

Subject Selection Evenings

In Week 6, we will be holding information evenings regarding subject selection for next year. Sessions for Year 9 2024 and Year 11 2024 will be held on Tuesday 23 May while a session for Year 10 2024 will be held on Thursday 25 May. The purpose of these evenings is to give parents and students information about the structure of their learning in the upcoming year and beyond as well as more specific information about the subjects offered. There will also be an opportunity for parents to ask questions of the Heads of Faculty.

Year 10 SET planning

Following the subject selection evening, each Year 10 student will attend a SET planning meeting with an allocated staff member. Parents are more than welcome to attend these meetings either in person or via Teams. These meetings are the final step in the process to prepare and support our students in selecting their pathway and subjects for success in Years 11 and 12.

Caitlin McCluskey

Dean of Studies

Learning in the final week of term

The final weeks of term bring with them many assessment deadlines that are often the culmination of units being studied. At St Margaret’s, it is important to note that despite a term assessment having been completed, new and meaningful learning, often associated with the next assessable piece, commences immediately afterwards in each subject, and continues right through until the final day of term. Thus, it is very important that, where possible, students are remaining in class well into the final week of term. Obviously, individual circumstances may prevent a student remaining at school until the last day, however, in these instances, it is recommended they speak with their teachers to discuss what new learning they are missing out on.

A reminder also, that all student leave must be sent to studentleave@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Trends in Education

On Tuesday 16 May, 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 Dr Chris Blundell, who will be speaking on the implications of ChatGPT for Education. 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 on our website: /event/trends-in-education-seminar/0x0/y . Registrations close on Monday 8 May.

Chris Dunn

Acting Dean of Students

St Margaret's has a long history of supporting students to develop a philanthropic mindset and drive positive change in their communities and around the world. The school's commitment to service has played a significant role in fostering this culture of philanthropy.

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eNews new feature photo 11 June 2019 Angela Drysdale_HoP

Head of Primary

Sport in the primary school

Last week the sky opened as the girls headed off to compete in Touch Football and Tennis however the weather did not dampen the girls’ spirits and efforts. Teams in both sports played with great results.

Firstly, a special acknowledgement to the tennis A Team. Congratulations to Lucy Page and Sage Selwa who were placed first and ensured that for the third year in a row the school has won this event.

The A touch team displayed a similar commitment to the A tennis team, they were undefeated until the final game where they placed second. Well done to this team. Additionally, B White placed 3rd, C Blue placed 2nd and C Grey placed 3rd.

Congratulations to all of the girls who participated in both the Andrews Cup Tennis and Touch teams.

As a school we are very fortunate to belong to an Association committed to primary age girls’ sport. Andrews Cup (Queensland Girls Primary Independent School’s Andrews Cup Association Sports) has a long history as it was started in 1938 by Miss Jessie Andrews. The nine other schools in the competition share similar values and traditions with respect to the active participation of primary girls in healthy sporting pursuits, in a carnival style competition.

Member schools are committed to the Association, its values and guiding principles and are willing to embrace change and are cognisant and respectful of the ethos of the Association.

The Andrews Cup Association values:

Its past and its founders
Current leaders and sportspersons in the Association
The culture, values and traditions of member schools
Sportsmanship and friendly participation
Sport, physical well-being, and primary girls
Commitment and ethical behaviour from all members of the Andrews Cup community
Strategic futures thinking

As a school we are committed to encouraging a healthy lifestyle with fitness and exercise an important aspect of the Andrews Cup competition. A bonus for St Margaret’s is the provision of regular training with expert coaches in each of the Andrews Cup sports.

I wish the cross-country team all the best for next week when they participate in the Andrews Cup cross country.

Our sporting competition was not limited to Andrews Cup recently. Two weeks ago, Club Netball commenced. We have eight teams competing for St Margaret’s netball club as part of the Downey Park Netball Association. The six non-competitive teams have enjoyed their first two games for the season and likewise for the competitive teams. I wish all these teams well for the season. Thank you to Ms Rowe and Ms Poupardin for their organisation and support of Club Netball as they are now responsible for overseeing the program. If you have any questions about Club Netball please contact Morgan Rowe, mrowe@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Thank you to the coaches and spectators for supporting the girls at each of these competitions.

Angela Drysdale

Assistant Head of Primary - Curriculum

Term 1 Assessment – Years 5 and 6

All Years 5 and 6 Term 1 Assessment has now been released via Learning Analytics. Students are encouraged to review their feedback and use it to reflect on the term and develop learning goals for Term 2 and beyond.

Cluster Program – Reading

Following on from Mrs Drysdale’s Week 1 article, we are pleased to share that this term our Years 3/4 and 5/6 Cluster groups will be focusing on the development of reading comprehension using the Reciprocal Reading approach. Reading comprehension involves understanding the meaning and intent of a written text and requires the coordination of many cognitive abilities. The Simple View of Reading proposes that reading comprehension can be predicted by two key factors – the ability to decode and the ability to understand what the words are saying.

Reciprocal Reading is designed to explicitly teach students how to monitor their understanding of texts and to use four strategies to assist them when they do not understand part of a text. It involves reading, thinking and talking. It is based on four major comprehension skills – predicting, summarising, questioning and clarifying. Each of these skills is modelled by the teacher and students are then given the opportunity to practise using each skill prior to running a reciprocal reading group. Students work in groups of four, with each group member bearing responsibility for one of the comprehension skills.

Pre-Service Teachers – Primary School

St Margaret’s recognises the important role schools play in the development of preservice teachers. Professional experience is a key component of teacher education and supervising teachers work with preservice teachers to develop their skills and confidence. This term the primary school thanks Kylie Briggs and Sarah Singleton for hosting our preservice teachers and welcomes Ingrid Sulzbacher and Riley Riordan to St Margaret’s.

Kate Frewin

Head of Performance

Music Camp

The Music Department is very excited to be taking over a hundred students away on Music Camp this coming weekend to the Sunshine Coast Recreation Centre. The camp will be a wonderful opportunity to not only build musical capacity but also strengthen friendships across the entire program. A ‘What to Bring’ list has been emailed to parents and students. Students are reminded to come to SHOR at the end of the school day on Friday to collect their music camp t-shirt and camp booklet, and then change into free-dress (music camp t-shirt and jeans/shorts plus covered footwear) prior to boarding the bus. School bags may be left in SHOR whilst on camp and collected upon returning to school on Sunday afternoon. Thank you in advance to our staff and our music seniors who will assist in leading the weekend’s program!

ANZAC Day Service

Congratulations to Exultate, Volare and Chorale who combined forces to sing a beautiful rendition of Here You Lie by Australian composer Mark Puddy at the school ANZAC Day service held last week. It was a very moving performance and appreciated by all in attendance. Thank you also to Hope Cavanagh (Year 8) who performed The Last Post and The Rouse on trumpet. This is always a very special moment during the ceremony. Thank you to all these students and staff for their valued contribution to this important service.

Extra-curricular photos

Music Ensemble photos are taking place in Week 4 on Friday 12 May. Students will be required to bring their instrument to school for the photos, and they will need to wear the appropriate performance uniform for their ensemble. Ensembles requiring performance uniforms are Chamber Strings, Sister Helen Wind Symphony, Exultate, Volare and Secondary Rock Bands. Students are required to wear their middy for all other ensembles. If students are in ensembles with photos occurring at similar times, the photographers will wait to ensure students are able to be in all their respective ensemble photographs. The photo schedule is as follows:

STATION 1

STATION 2

STATION 3

8:00am Encorah

8:30am Bella Voci

9:00am Serenata

9:30am Exultate

8:00am Secondary Choral Captains, Primary Choral Leader, Primary Band Leader

8:30am Secondary Music Captains

8:40am Secondary Band Captains, Secondary String Captains

9:30am Sculthorpe String Quartet

9:40am Highly Strung

9:50am Beath String Quartet

10:00am Chaseley Concert Band

10:10am Chorale

11:00am Elayne Jones Percussion, Assembly Band

11:20am Stradivari Strings

11:30am Jackson Wind Ensemble

11:40am Volare

1:00pm Saxophone Ensemble

1:10pm Rock Band (Monday)

1:20pm Rock Band (Tuesday)

1:30pm Flute Ensemble

1:40pm Clarinet Ensemble

9:30am Brass Ensemble

9:40am Chamber Strings

9:50am Amati Strings

10:00am Tutti Strings

1:10pm Stage Band

1:20pm Sister Helen Wind Symphony

Movie Magic

On Tuesday 16 May, the Music Department will be hosting a Movie Magic Concert. This concert will feature Stradivari Strings, Chamber Strings, Jackson Wind Ensemble, Sister Helen Wind Symphony, Volare and Exultate, and will be a wonderful performance opportunity for our secondary ensembles. The concert will be held in Eton Hall, commencing at 6:30pm. There will be no cost for entry, and it is anticipated that the concert will finish by 8.00pm. Refreshments will be available for purchase, kindly provided by the Music Support Group, prior to the concert in Eton Courtyard. All students are asked to attend a warm-up and rehearsal in Eton Hall prior to the concert from 3:30pm-5:30pm. The students will remain at Eton Hall at the conclusion of the rehearsal with the option of pre-ordering dinner via TryBooking, to be facilitated by the Music Support Group. To pre-order dinner for your daughter, please follow (Orders close on Thursday 11 May at 5:00pm). Students will be required to bring their respective performance uniforms to school on the day of the concert, which they may change into at the conclusion of the afternoon rehearsal. We look forward to having family and friends in attendance to support the students at this event!

Music Support Group – Next Meeting

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 9 May at 5:00pm in M’s Cafe. We encourage parents from both primary and secondary schools to become involved.

Brad King

Head of Sport

Autumn Sport Term 2 Fixtures

Please be aware of the following adjustments to QGSSSA Autumn Sport. Upcoming dates:

Thursday 18 May

Round	Date	Opponent	Basketball	Soccer	Touch Football
Round 7	Friday 12^th May	Ipswich	AWAY	AWAY	AWAY
Round 8	Thursday 18^th May	St Hilda’s	AWAY	HOME	AWAY
Round 9	Friday 26^th May	Moreton Bay	AWAY	AWAY	AWAY

Sporting Achievement

It’s with great pleasure that we can recognise the outstanding sport performances and representation of St Margaret’s students at a national and international level. I would like to highlight and congratulate the following students on their recent achievements:

Annabelle Spall (Year 8) has been selected within the U13 Water Polo Queensland Talent Identification Development Squad. This opportunity will see Annabelle participate in squad development training with the goal of being selected within state representative team later in the year.
Georgia Montague (Year 12) who has been selected within the Rowing Australia U19 Women’s Coxless Four to contest at the World Rowing Under 19 Championships in Paris, France in August. We congratulate Georgia on this outstanding achievement and wish her all the very best for her preparation for the championships ahead.

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 lknight@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 -
Rowing -
Rhythmic Gymnastics -
Club Netball -
Club Swimming -

GO MAGGIES!

Lloyd Knight

School Supplies Shop

Trading Hours (Term Time)

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

Public Holidays Closed

Rowing training shirts

We are now taking registrations of interest to purchase a long sleeve thermal white under shirt for rowing training. To register your interest please email suppliesshop@stmargarets.qld.edu.au along with the size of your current zootie. The cost of the Canterbury thermo under shirt is $55.00. Registration of interest will close by Tuesday 9 May to allow for production and delivery time.

Student Card purchases at the School Supplies Shop

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 are unable 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
Blazers – compulsory for Years 10 to 12
School Scarf

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

Blazer Pocket Embroidery

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

Lara Pickering Development and Community 2018

Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement

P&F General Meeting

The next P&F Association General Meeting will be held on Monday 8 May from 6.30pm in the Arts Centre Foyer.

All members of the St Margaret’s community are encouraged to attend. The meeting provides a great opportunity to connect with other families, keep informed regarding P&F and Support Group initiatives, and raise funds for the benefit of all students.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can join this meeting remotely via Microsoft Teams. Please ] to join via MS Teams or please [] to join via the web (Meeting ID: 480 853 910 337, Passcode: YTYB4j).

As St Margaret's takes steps toward becoming a more sustainable organisation, we also ask attendees to bring their own device to view meeting papers. The Agenda and supporting papers will be available on the POD [] ahead of the meeting.

Professional Women’s Network with Tracy Cooper-Lavery ('87) Director, Gallery and Visual Arts, HOTA Home of the Arts

Join us next Wednesday 10 May for our second Professional Women's Network Breakfast of 2023 with Tracy Cooper-Lavery ('87) Director, Gallery and Visual Arts, HOTA Home of the Arts, as guest speaker.

Tracy is an arts museum leader with a career spanning 25 years. Tracy will share her personal and professional experiences in the industry, her vision for the future for HOTA and discuss the business opportunities and challenges for visual arts in Queensland.

These events are excellent opportunities for you to attend with your daughter or to take a corporate table and host your colleagues or clients.

While our speaker list features female leaders, the events are attended by male and female members of the Brisbane business community.

Time: 6:45am arrival for 7:00am-8:45am.

Enjoy barista coffee from a Wolff Coffee Roasters cart, before and after the event.

Venue: Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret's Anglican Girls School

Cost: $85 adults, $40 students (Years 10 to 12/tertiary)

$850 corporate table (10 seats)

Book:

We thank our series sponsors, 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.

Purchase your tickets for the St Margaret’s Mothers’ Luncheon Raffle

Whether you are attending the event or unable to join us this year, you can enter the raffle for your chance to win some amazing prizes.

Raffle prizes include a two-night stay at Hotel X Penthouse suite worth $3,500, a two-night stay at The Beach Ranch in Angourie Point valued at $1,500, a $1,000 gift voucher to KAILO Wellness Medispa, a $1,000 Verve Photography package, a $990 bottomless brunch at Maggie May, $600 Champagne Bucket with Champagne, $500 shopping at Samantha Ogilvie, more shopping and restaurant vouchers and many more.

You can purchase your raffle tickets and view the full listing of prizes online via .

Thank you to our Prize Donors: Hotel X, Iris Rooftop Bar & Restaurant, Bisou Bisou, The Beach Ranch, KAILO Wellness Medispa, Verve Photography, Western Truck Group, Samantha Ogilvie, LOUENHIDE, Studio Pilates, VANO Studio, Tres Belle Jewellery, Murray’s Gardening and Maintenance, Sign Artist, New England Flower Co, Maggie May and Dandelion and Driftwood.

Aspiring Young Women’s Network Breakfast

Tickets are available for the second Aspiring Young Women's Network breakfast for 2023 with guest speaker Dr Emma Smith ('11).

Parents are welcome to attend these events with their daughters.

The Aspiring Young Women’s Network Breakfast (AYWN) Series provides an opportunity for secondary school students, from Years 9-12, to hear firsthand from alumni who have recently transitioned to university or their chosen career at these networking breakfast events.

Date:             Thursday 25 May March 2023
Time:             6:45am arrival for 7:00am start
Where:          Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret’s AGS
Cost:               $38 Adults/Students
Book:

Lara Pickering

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