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Durack College

With the winter holiday break behind us, senior students are now beginning to take stock and prepare for 2022; what an exciting time! Most of our school leavers will continue their educational journey by enrolling in a tertiary course. Some will need accommodation whilst studying in Brisbane.

I thought I’d take this opportunity to let you know that applications are now open for Durack College for the 2022 academic year. If your daughter, or someone you know, is interested in enjoying their independence and freedom as young adults, while being surrounded by a range of support mechanisms which allows them to focus on their studies, then I urge you to consider Durack College. Nestled in a quiet corner on the St Margaret’s campus, Durack College is a unique tertiary residence for young women offering accommodation and full board and combines this with its unique Student Success program, tailored to young under-graduate and post-graduate students. Book a tour or find out more by visiting the or contacting the College Director, Kelly Alford on kalford@durackcollege.com.au

Term’s notice of withdrawal

Currently, we are working on the 2022 timetable and staffing, and it is important that we have accurate enrolment numbers. This is just a reminder to parents that if your child is not returning to St Margaret’s in 2022, we require one full school term’s written notice (or one school term’s fees in lieu of notice) when withdrawing a student from the school. In some year levels, we have waiting lists and we need to be able to contact those on the list who are hoping to secure a place at our school. To meet the requirement of a term’s notice, advice can be received up to the last Friday of the September school holidays. Advice may be emailed directly to me or to our admissions via admissions@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Ros Curtis

Many may not realise that talent alone has little or nothing to do with success. In most things, people learn quickly at first, then more slowly and then stop developing completely. However, some people keep improving – how does that happen?

People who have achieved success in their chosen endeavour will mostly say that they have devoted time to effective practice. By effective practice I mean the type that gives you feedback on what you are doing well and what you can improve. It often means doing the same things over and over again until understanding is reached, then moving onto the next step. Using feedback to tweak the practice to improve is also needed. All of this takes time and can be frustrating, but perseverance is the key.

I often urge the students that I see not to do a task with the goal of finishing it, do the task with the goal of doing it well, editing and refining the work along the way and when ‘finished’. A piece of work is not truly finished until the end of the editing process.

It is possible to practise your schoolwork, over and above assessment items that need to be completed. Here are some ways you can try to practise and improve:

• Approach each school task with the goal of getting much better at it
• As you do the task, focus on what’s happening and why you’re doing it the way you are
• After the task, ask your teacher for feedback on your work. Truly digest this feedback – use it to make changes if necessary. Practise the changes.

Karen Gorrie

It is during these times that our values and what we really care about comes to the fore. If we don’t have time to reflect now, because we are caught in the busyness that all the changes brought, hopefully you will have time to reflect and think at little later. Perhaps we could ask ourselves what we have learnt or continue to learn during this time? What I am hearing is people are really thinking about, what do they value? And what is important to them.

Prayer

Give us peace and give us strength as we face the challenges and changes that confront us. We pray for those who are in isolation. We pray for those who are grieving. We pray for those who long for comfort of families and friends. Loving God we pray for all those who work on the front lines. We acknowledge medical staff, and those who make the hard decisions. We pray for our school community and may we continue to care for each other. Amen.

Susan Crothers-Robertson

The look on their faces when something unexpected arrives is priceless. Being told they must wait till after school to collect the larger packages is like telling them they have to run a marathon, disappointment is visible. Once they have their hands on it, the opening of the letter or parcel, sometimes done with great precision, other times ripped into with gusto, is something to see. The girls are always so excited to show off their new purchase to their friends or to share their goodies that have turned up in a care parcel.

If you really want to make your daughters day, or even her term, send her something in the mail.

Angela Crowe

The Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) is Queensland’s senior secondary schooling qualification. It is internationally recognised and provides evidence of senior schooling achievements. To facilitate this move, along with choosing elective subjects (studied for 4 lessons a week), students will have the opportunity to complete a Certificate II qualification that will contribute to their QCE and develop skills for their future work or study.  

Areas of study for the Year 10 Certificate Program include the following areas:

• Sport and Recreation
• Hospitality
• Community Services
• Health Support Services
• Rural and Agricultural Studies

As a school we work with Registered Training Organisations (RTO) to deliver these qualifications. One RTO that we have been working with over the past 2 years is Axial Training. This partnership with our school is very productive; this is evident through the scholarships that Axial Training are providing for five of our current Year 11 students who are studying a Certificate II in Health Support Services. 

This qualification will provide the students with foundation skills necessary to work in an assistant role in a health, aged or residential care setting, or to undertake further study in the field. This course will equip them to work with people from diverse backgrounds, recognise body healthy systems, respond to behaviours of concern, and transport patients.

Thank you to Axial Training for their support of these students as the work towards obtaining their Queensland Certificate of Education.

Nicole Devlin

Please note that all ICAS tests start at 7:00am. Students must report to E201 no later than 6:50am in preparation for the tests. All students must bring their school-issued laptop and ensure that it is fully charged. All students have also been emailed this information.

Pre-Service Teachers

St Margaret’s is committed to the professional development of our staff but also of the profession and as such we believe strongly in contributing to the development of our staff and of future professionals in education. Due to this commitment, we value 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: Ms Patrice Chappell, Mr Noel Peinke and Mrs Louise Brown. 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 and organisation, classroom management and teaching practice. 

I would like to welcome the Pre-Service teachers to the school and thank the supervising teachers for supporting the new teachers entering this wonderful profession.

Caitlin McCluskey

As the Student leadership announcements will be made next week one of the questions we will be asking the Year 11 girls who have applied for leadership positions is; “ How they will deal with disappointment if they are not successful in being selected as a leader?”

As adults we are all aware that life will have its fair share of disappointments and frustrations. At home reacting to these stressful situations might start with shouting, hiding or feeling sorry for oneself. At school and in the student’s future careers these types of behaviours could in fact harm their reputation.

We must remember that decisions will be made but, it is the individual’s final decision and choice on how they behave and react. Individuals are encouraged to do the following if they find themselves disappointed:

• Have a positive mindset – realise that not all things will go your way all of the time, look for something positive.
• Adjust your goal – if you are disappointed that you did not reach your goal, that does not mean the goal is unreachable in the future
• Record your thoughts – writing allows your negative feelings to be expressed and released
• Smile and support those who have been successful – this shows a lot more about your character if you can rise above your disappointment and continue to be the best person you can be.

“Disappointments are just God’s way of saying: “I’ve got something better! Be patient, Live Life and Have Faith” Anonymous

Nikki Townsend

The aim of teaching and practising the big six literacy skills in isolation is for developing readers to automatically integrate them as they read. The automaticity of these skills also leads to a child reading for pleasure. Picking up a book of one’s own free will and anticipating the satisfaction of reading is reading for pleasure, which is the aim of all primary school reading programs. We encourage reading for pleasure through library borrowing, the Accelerated Reading (AR) program, novel study, and Literature Circles (Years 3-6) - all platforms that ultimately help students to become lifelong learners.

In August, we really celebrate books as this is the month in which Book Week occurs. Book Week runs from 22 to 27 August and this year’s theme is Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds. Our celebration is designed to encourage a love of reading and will include a book character parade, special lunchtime activities and an exploration of the short-listed books. Watch this space for more information.

As adults, we have an obligation to encourage the young people in our lives to read for pleasure. You can do this by modelling reading, joining your local library, and having a variety of books available at home.

As author Matt Haig expresses so well, reading is “…important because it gives you room to exist beyond the reality you’re given. Reading makes the world better. It is how humans merge.  How minds connect. Dreams. Empathy. Understanding. Escape. Reading is love in action.”

Upcoming Events

• Free Dress Day – “Winter Warmer” – Friday 20 August
• Crazy Hair day / Ponytail project – Monday 23 August
• Book Week Parade –  Tuesday 24 August
• Father’s Day / Primary Breakfast –Thursday 2 September
• Primary Arts Spectacular – TBC
• Athletics Carnival – Wednesday 15 September

Angela Drysdale

Music Ensemble Rehearsals

As a result of ongoing COVID restrictions, several changes have been made to ensemble rehearsals for this week and the coming week (Weeks 5 & 6). An updated schedule has been attached (and is also available ).

(attach schedule) (PDF 159.5KB)

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be on Tuesday 24 August at 5.00pm in the Primary Music Room (second floor of Chaseley). Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend.

Brad King

All sports staff are working with the various sporting associations to develop a plan for the remaining winter fixtures, rowing regattas and Athletics competition meets to ensure all participants are provided with the best possible experience and outcome. Updates from all associations will be posted via the Secondary Sport POD page as well as the individual sport pages.

QGSSSA Badminton

Trials and training for Badminton will now be delayed and will commence the week beginning on Monday 23 August. This is to ensure we are not introducing any new coaches into our environment whilst we are under the current restrictions over this two-week period. For up-to-date information regarding the trials and training sessions, please view the information via the .

Club Water Polo

Pre-season training for water polo for all age groups will now be delayed and will occur on Wednesday 25 August. This is to ensure we are not introducing any new coaches and students into our environment whilst we are under the current restrictions until Sunday 22 August. Please note, there is a time change for age groups on Wednesday 25 August, All Students and families are asked to access the updated information schedule from the or the .

Metropolitan North Representative Sport Update

The Metropolitan North Regional Track and Field Trials have been cancelled.  Whilst there was a strong desire for to proceed with scheduled representative sporting events the decision to cancel this event was based on the following:

• Cancellation of the State Track and Field Championships 2021.
• Timelines – many districts have yet to conduct their trials and will not be able to do so this term.
• A number of schools within the region have schools and students in quarantine creating inequity amongst athletes.
• Exam and assessment priorities.
• Current health advice which does not condone interschool interaction.

St M Virtual Run Club

Thank you to all our Run Club members (90 in total) who kept active whilst in lockdown and stayed connected via the Strava App.  Congratulations to our Top 10 athletes who pounded the pavement to record some huge distances over the week.

1. Alison D – 197.6 km
2. Annie M – 87.4 km
3. Ella B – 78 km
4. Alice O – 78 km
5. Tilly L – 67 km
6. Abby G – 66 km
7. Amy Y – 51 km
8. Jemima R – 40 km
9. Ellen T – 32 km
10. Charli S – 30 km

Helen Lobegeiger

This week, Year 11 and 12 Art students are mounting a display of their most recent practical projects and don’t miss, the last week to enjoy the Year 9 Still Life paintings on show in the Arts Centre foyer.

Lisa Smith

The Ponytail Project is a tradition for St Margaret’s students and was adopted by the Cancer Council Queensland and launched state-wide in a bid to gather a groundswell of support from schools across Queensland in 2018. If you would like to support a student or team to #ROCKTHECHOP for Cancer Council’s Ponytail Project this year, you may wish to do so via this link:

Although we are now out of lockdown, unfortunately we have had to cancel or postpone a number of upcoming events. These decisions have been made with the best interests of the wider school community in mind and to comply with current COVID restrictions as well as the school directive to limit the number of adults on campus.

Professional Women's Network Breakfast for Term 3 Cancellation

It is with disappointment that we wish to advise you that the Professional Women's Network Breakfast, scheduled for Tuesday 17 August 2021, has been cancelled.

Over the next week, we will be in contact with anyone who purchased tickets via Flexischools, to arrange a refund. Details for our next PWN event will be sent out to our PWN Community shortly.

We would like to thank our sponsors and our community for your understanding and support.

We look forward to welcoming you and our guest speaker, Ruth Drinkwater, to our Professional Women's Network breakfast next term.

St Margaret's P&F 2021 Polo Day Cancellation
It is with regret that the P&F Association has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 St Margaret's Polo Day, scheduled for Saturday 4 September 2021.

With the current COVID restrictions, we felt that the early cancellation of this event, given its nature and size, would be in the best interests and safety of all. Over the next week, we will process full refunds, via the Try Booking platform, for everyone who had purchased tickets.

We would like to thank our event sponsors, who had generously agreed to support our Polo Day and will look forward to working with them on a bigger and better Polo event in 2022.

Thank you once again for your support and understanding, we look forward to seeing you all soon.

Lara Pickering

Entry to Medicine 2022

This document outlines the possible entry methods into medicine courses throughout Australia in 2022. to access the information.

QUT |

Wednesday 13 October 2021, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. Online. Join us for a live webinar to help you find the best pathway to your preferred course.

UQ

Enhanced Studies Program (ESP) applications for students who will be in Year 12 in 2022 will open on 2 August 2021.

Open Days 2021 Planner

A comprehensive list of tertiary Open Days is available from this link:

QTAC admissions open

QTAC applications will open on Tuesday 3 August for admission to courses for 2022.  To create an account, you will need to nominate an email address - DO NOT USE YOUR SCHOOL EMAIL as it will be invalid once you leave school. for more information.

Register to get your ATAR result

If you are a Year 12 student and you want to find out what your ATAR is, you must . You can register from Tuesday 3 August.

Queensland Conservatorium auditions have early closing dates

Auditions for students wishing to study the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Acting, or Bachelor of Musical Theatre 

Important dates:

August

1/08/2021         UAC applications for Year 12s open

2/08/2021         VTAC applications open

3/08/2021         QTAC applications open for 2022 courses: ATAR account registration opens  

During August some QTAC audition and portfolio applications close 

September     Early closing dates for some courses

October          Reminder to get EAS and supporting documents submitted

25/10/2021       External assessment period commences

November

12/11/2021       Due date to apply & submit documents for 19 November offer round

19/11/2021       Graduation day for Year 12

December

09/12/2021       Due date to apply & submit documents for December 23 offer round 

10/12/2021       Due date to apply & submit documents for 13 January offer round 

17/12/2021       Qld ATAR and QCE released 

20/12/2021       Due date for change of preferences prior to next offer round 

23/12/2021       December offer round

January

13/01/2022       January offer round 

                           Further offer round

Liz Johnston