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For those planning ahead, particularly for the holiday breaks, the term dates for 2019 have now been confirmed and the draft dates for 2020 are now on our website. These dates can be accessed through this link.

At the end of the term, I would like to take the opportunity to thank two members of staff for their service to the school - Mrs Caroline Kill (who replaced Vicki Strid and took her classes while she was on long service leave) and Ms Dimity Harris, our Deputy Head of Boarding. We wish both all the best for this next phase of their professional journeys.

We all worry about friendships, play dates, birthday parties, who’s in and who’s out. Sometimes we worry more than our children do. We want them to be happy and enjoy having lots of friends. We are sad when they fall out with friends and anxious when they make a friend we are doubtful about. Popularity is a minefield for parents, as well as children. While many friendships don’t last long when we are young, the effects of popularity or lack of it, can endure a lifetime. Certainly, in the short term there appears to be only benefits with being popular; however, there is some research to suggest that those students who trade on popularity and status, earning admiration for being visible, influential and dominant in school, may be more likely to experience anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties later in life.

The best way to ensure successful peer relationships is to encourage two things. One is listening and the other is being kind. You can control being kind and kindness will always in the long run win more friends. Taking the time to teach your daughters to listen to others also assists social standing. Teaching them how to show interest in others, usually by asking questions and being attuned to the social tone of the group, is vitally important.

From Fagel, P Seven Steps parents can take to ensure kids work for the right kind of popularity.

Term’s notice of withdrawal
Just a final reminder to parents that if your child is not returning to St Margaret’s in 2019, 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. Currently, we are working on the 2019 timetable and staffing, and it is important that we have accurate enrolment numbers. 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 the 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 registrar@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Ros Curtis 

We have a number of camps and tours happening over the holidays. A group of girls in Years 10-12 will be attending the New Zealand Ski Trip in the first week of the holidays. They will travel to ski fields near Queenstown and we wish them a safe journey and lots of fun.

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

Good luck also to the rowers attending the State Rowing Championships in Rockhampton this coming weekend. There are many schools competing in this event, and we wish all the rowers and supporters who are going with them best wishes for a safe and successful regatta.

Finally, we wish our students attending the Athletics Camp for four days at the beginning of the holidays all the very best with their training. We look forward to seeing the results of these intensive sessions, with our QGSSSA Athletics competition happening soon on the 15th of October.

To all families, I wish you a wonderful holiday, and I look forward to welcoming our students back again for Term 4.

Karen Gorrie 

Pet Prayer Spaces will also be set up to enhance the Spiritual experience! Can you believe it?

Remember, all are responsible for their own pet in terms of behaviour and temperament. Appropriate restraints or small cages are recommended for comfort. Perhaps you will need to cover your pet’s cage with a towel? Bring along some of their own comforts like treats or toys.

Morning tea will be available after the service, catered and served by some delightful Year 8 students. For any questions, just call me on 3862 0716.

Upcoming Services
Tuesday 9 October - 9:50am, Induction of 2019 Student Leaders, PHSC
Wednesday 10 October - 8:20am, Year 7 Eucharist, Chapel
Wednesday 10 October - 6pm, Boarders’ Beginning of Term Eucharist and Pet Blessing
Thursday 11 October - 8:20am, Year 8 Eucharist
Friday 12 October - 8:20am, Year 9 Eucharist
Sunday 14 October - 9am, Pet Blessing, Barley Sugar Garden

The Sisters’ Chapel
One of the most sacred places I know is The Sisters’ Chapel here in our grounds. Until 1958, the old brown timber chapel was the School Chapel. This year, I have been honoured to celebrate life’s milestones in this place, from baptisms to funerals. There is a deep sense that prayers of the past 100 years have been uttered and heard. Recently, our Year 12 girls were able to take a small amount of time during their Retreat to sit in silence and wonder in the Sisters’ Chapel. For me personally, this Chapel was also where I sat and discerned my calling to ordained priesthood in the 90s.

If you would like to visit this beautiful place, built in 1912, and spend some time in reflection and prayer, please contact me so I can unlock for you.

May the restful grace of my Creator God grant a quiet end to a busy day
Calm me Lord, make my breathing yours
Still my heart, settle my thoughts
Draw love within me
Tension without
Enfold me in your tender arms of peace
Amen

With every blessing on you and your week ahead,
The Reverend Canon Nicki Colledge 

Term 3 is always a very busy term and the girls have shown great resilience. Many of them have displayed a passion for their interests, whether it be academic, sport, music, art or any other area. Passion gives them the determination to succeed, as well as the ability to focus their attention on a goal or task.

Through our “See My Difference, See My Worth” festival, we encouraged the boarders to make a difference in someone else’s life. To gain a deeper understanding of our differences encourages open conversations and a greater understanding of each individual within the Boarding House. Our aim was to give the girls a different perspective, so they would have a greater ability to accept why we are all different. This is so important as the globalisation of our would means that young people see the enormity of worldwide issues and often don’t understand the ability they have to make a difference in someone else’s life. This can be simply understanding why someone may react to a situation differently. Much of this comes down to kindness and showing the girls that through practical acts of service and random acts of kindness, young people can discover that contributing to others and understanding others makes them feel good too.

This term, the girls have shown their resilience and their ability to understand that there are definite pressure times and we all have to work hard. We encourage them on a daily basis to see their potential and create an environment which encourages them to use this potential in the best possible way. The presence of trusted adults in the Boarding House and modelling healthy resilience strategies is one of the most important characteristics we can show the girls. Developing these strategies are an important part of preparing them for when they leave school. Positive role modelling and displaying the appropriate way to behave in different situations set them up to be able to deal with circumstances as they arise.

Lesa Fowler 

At St Margaret’s over the past few weeks, I have also been part of several conversations about reading. These conversations have ranged from talking about the enjoyment of reading, making decisions about the choice of a favourite book for the Book Week competition, knowing how to read questions in exams, even knowing how to read a textbook so that you can remember the information. There is no doubt that reading helps to make you smarter, mentally sharpe, wiser and up-to-date with what’s happening around you. So, I encourage you to urge your daughters to find a book to read this holiday.

Often, when I speak to the girls about reading I hear many say that they just haven’t found the perfect book or genre they like. I implore the girls in this moment to visit a library, any library, or talk to a friend or one of their teachers to find out what others read. There’s a reading genre for every literate person on the planet, and whether your tastes lie in classical literature, poetry, fashion magazines, biographies, religious texts, young adult books, self-help guides, street lit or romance novels, there’s something out there to capture your curiosity and imagination. Step away from your computer for a little while, crack open a book and replenish your soul for a little while.

Have a relaxing holiday and I leave you with one of my favourite reading quotes:

“You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.”

Paul Sweeney

Jo Butterworth 

To assist with the planning, Term 4 Assessment Planners have been uploaded to the POD for you and your daughters’ information. I encourage all girls to take some time over the holidays to prepare for Term 4. It is a busy term and it is important to be prepared and planned.

Term 4 Pre-service Teachers
As a school, St Margaret’s is committed to the professional development of their staff. Due to this commitment we also value the opportunity to have Pre-Service Teachers in our school to learn from our professional staff. During this term, we have 4 Pre-Service Teachers from QUT completing elements of their education degree through practical experiences in the classroom.

We welcome the following Pre-Service Teachers and thank the Supervising Teachers who have offered their time and classroom to help develop the teachers of the future:

Tiana Barret - Supervising Teacher: Talia O’Callaghan
Stephen Gee - Supervising Teacher: Claire Bloomer
Reece Goode - Supervising Teacher: Therese Garrahy
Madeleine Miles-Maunders - Supervising Teacher: Clair Monnickendam

Term 4 Supervised Study Sessions
Supervised Study Sessions will resume again on Monday 15 October. Remember to book in to ensure your places for Term 4. To book, parents will need to log into Flexischools and select ‘Supervised Study Sessions’. Bookings are limited to 25 participants each night, and when a session is full no further bookings can be made for that session. Bookings are essential and should be made in advance to ensure a place is available. If dinner is required, payment must be paid at the time of booking and this option selected in Flexischools.

Nicole Devlin 

Term 3 has been busy, exciting and eventful with events such as the announcement of student leaders for 2019, Classics in the Cathedral, Rowing Head of the River, QCS Test for the Year 12 students, Year 9 Camp and Sony Camp (to be held this weekend) just to name a few.

Churchie will be hosting the annual Sony Children’s Holiday Camp Program. This is a unique respite program that sees our students, alongside students from Churchie, taking on the responsibility for the care of children with special needs, allowing their families to have a valuable respite. The most remarkable element of the Holiday Camp Program is the life-changing effect it has on all involved. The student companions will need to work together in teams to help support the campers.

Term 4 will be upon us very quickly with some major events such as the 2019 Senior Leaders’ Induction, Year 10 Lunch, Speech Night and Valedictory Week for our Year 12 students.

I would like to wish all of our students, and their families, a safe and restful break and I look forward to seeing all of our young women ready to embark on the final term of the year.

Nikki Townsend 

Lights, Sound, Action! This was the vibe for our Book Week celebration with the girls feeling very special parading as their favourite book character on the catwalk or should I say, “as they walked the plank”. Reading has continued to be a huge focus in the Primary school as the girls in Years 3 to 6 have embraced and sprinted with the Accelerated Reading Program. We have had 38 students this year celebrate at the Millionaires’ Morning Tea, their individual success of reading 1 million words. In addition to these girls, 7 students have read over 3 million words and 14 students have read over 2 million words. Special mention must be given to Arabella Harris, who has read over 5 million words. In total, students in Years 3 to 6 have read over 140,000,000 words; this is a fantastic effort! Next term, we will be sharing the tracking of the number of words read by the girls and to work out the process of tracking, a competition will be launched. The students will need to use their maths skills to calculate the process!

I would encourage parents of students in Pre Prep to Year 2 to encourage and start your daughters’ love of reading by modelling reading and reading with your child. Australia’s leading author, Mem Fox states that every child should hear a thousand stories before they begin to learn to read for themselves. This is easily achieved if a child hears 3 books a day (one favourite, one familiar, one unknown). With this formula of 3 books a day, 1,000 books are achieved in one year.

Mem Fox also believes that you shouldn’t stop reading aloud to your child once she becomes a reader, as reading with another person is so powerful:

“When we take the time to read aloud to the children in our lives, we bond closely with them in a secret society associated with the books we’ve shared. The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks that fly when a child, a book, and the person reading make contact. It isn’t achieved by the book alone, nor by the child alone, nor by the adult who’s reading aloud – it’s the relationship winding among all three, bringing them together in easy harmony.”

This information about reading and early maths was shared recently with our Early Childhood parents (both current and future parents), when Mrs Cox and I presented at our Growing Great Learners parent’s in-service. Thank you to the many parents who attended this information evening. It was very encouraging for our school knowing we have so many parents who acknowledge their role in the education partnership. Thank you also to Elizabeth Hook for her organisation of the evening.

This term, Pre Prep to Year 2 students have participated in many experiences beyond the classroom walls with visits to our sister and brother schools. Pre Prep enjoyed the wildlife with St Aidan’s and the Prep to Year 2 girls headed to Churchie to explore the short-listed books with the boys.

It was affirming to open the Sunday Mail on Sunday 16 September, to find that St Margaret’s Primary was identified as the third in the Top 10 Primary Performers in Queensland. Congratulations to the girls and teachers who have guided and nurtured the learning of the Years 3 and 5 girls on their educative journey.

The final week of Term 3 included the Choral Concert. It was a fabulous evening with our Primary choirs and the Year 2 class excelling in their performances. Thank you to Ms Brennan and the teachers who assisted on the evening. The term finished on a high of beautiful voices, frivolity and enthusiasm when the Primary houses competed with Secondary houses in the Interhouse Choral Competition.

Just as we have provided learning experience beyond the classroom, the holidays can also offer this opportunity. Visit a gallery, go for a hike, take in a movie, get sand between your toes, make and create, read, write, talk and use maths; cooking, counting, shopping with money. Make the most of the time you share together with your daughter. I wish everyone a restful holiday and look forward to sharing the upcoming final term with you.

Angela Drysdale 

Special thanks to Ms Brennan for the amazing work she did in preparing many of the choirs and for organising such a great event. Thank you also to Ms Stephan for the work she did in preparing Belle Voci and Elevarsi Voices for the concert. Thank you to the Music Support Group who put on a sausage sizzle for the girls and provided refreshments and raffles in support of the Music Program at St Margaret’s.

Upcoming St Margaret’s/Churchie Music Afternoon
On Wednesday 17 October, the members of St Margaret's Sister Helen Wind Symphony, Jackson Wind Ensemble, Encorah and Stradivari Strings will participate in an informal rehearsal and performance with the members of Churchie’s Music Program in Eton Hall. This will be a fantastic opportunity for the girls to meet musicians from Churchie and experience performing in a large ensemble setting.

Students will rehearse between 4:00pm and 5:30pm and from 5:30pm, the St Margaret's Music Support Group will provide a sausage sizzle dinner for all students. At 6:30pm parents are invited to attend an informal performance in Eton Hall which will conclude at approximately 7pm. Please click here (PDF 169.3KB) to view a letter with further details.

Music Support Group
The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on 23 October at 5:00pm in the Primary Music Room (second floor of Chaseley). Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend. Please also note that the Music Support Group Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 27 November at 5:00pm in the Primary Music Room.

Brad King 

Save the Date - Sports Awards Gala Evening - Friday 19 October
The annual Sports Awards Gala Dinner will be held on Friday 19 October. This event is a highlight in the St Margaret’s sporting calendar and I am pleased to announce Alyssa Azar, the youngest Australian to Summit Mt Everest will be our guest speaker, sharing words of wisdom on the mindset needed to achieve great things and overcome setbacks and tragedy. The evening will be honouring students and coaches in the following categories:

• Most Valuable Player/Athlete
• Rising Stars
• Summer, Winter and Autumn Team of the Year
• Coach of the Year
• Captain of the Year

All students who will be receiving an award will be notified prior to the event. For further details please see the attached invitation (PDF 346.1KB).

QGSSSA 110 Years Celebration
The final round of winter fixtures marked 110 years of QGSSSA, with all girls from all schools wearing a purple ribbon. The Open and Year 7 teams played at a central venue to highlight the spirit of friendship and competitiveness so many women and girls have experienced over its 110-year history.

Nitro Athletics
St Margaret’s entered three teams into the Nitro Schools Knockouts - Junior, Intermediate and Senior. The format of the competition is unique with events including a 60m sprint, 2 x 300m relay and 2 x 100m, 1000m, 150m and a medley relay consisting of 200m/200m/400m/800m. All teams performed well with the Intermediate team finishing 4th out of 19 teams and narrowly missing out on qualifying for the National Championships later this year.

Water Polo
All teams have been finalised and announced via the Activities noticeboard and via email. Training will commence the first week of Term 4 on Wednesday 10 October and Friday 12 October, with games starting on Saturday 13 October. All players must be registered with Water Polo Qld through the MemberPool system prior to the first game. Please to register.

A Water Polo Season Launch will be held on Thursday 11 October from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. All Water Polo team members, and their families, are invited to enjoy a barbecue and listen to a presentation made by the Head of Sport and Water Polo Coordinator regarding the upcoming season at 4pm.

Upcoming Events:

• Athletics Camp: Thursday 20 September - Saturday 22 September
• State Secondary Schools Rowing Championships: Friday 21 September - Tuesday 25 September

What’s on in Term 4

• Athletics - Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning and afternoon, culminating in the QGSSSA carnival on Monday 15 October
• Water Polo Season Launch - Thursday 11 October, 3:30pm-4:30pm; games to commence on Saturday 13 October
• Junior Softball (Years 7-9) - Trials commence Thursday 11 October
• Swimming training commencing from Monday 22 October
• Cricket training commencing from Tuesday 23 October
• Badminton training - Continuing Monday afternoon, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings

• Friday 21 September - 25 September - State Rowing Championships

Helen Lobegeiger 

The smART Club activity for Term 4 will involve creativity with a community focus. Girls will make handmade Christmas decorations to deploy at the St Augustine’s Anglican Church on Racecourse Road. The activity is free of charge and is open to all students in Years 7-12. Please click here (PDF 837.4KB) to view the information flyer.

Lisa Smith 

As RePL holders, Eloise and Jazmin have shown they can plan and pilot a flight as part of a commercial operation, without compromising public safety or company indemnity insurance policies. Eloise and Jazmin are pictured following their practical flying test holding a DJI S1000 drone.

Chris Farrelly 

Delivery

• Pre Prep orders will be delivered to the Pre Prep Room.
• Prep to Year 3 Orders will be delivered to Primary Reception, available for collection by the student or parent. 

Collection

• Years 4-12 orders are available for collection at the Supplies Shop by the student or parent. 
• Mixed orders can be collected at the Supplies Shop by the Senior Student.

Please email: suppliesshop@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or phone 3862 0776 if you require assistance.

Terisa Arnold

Join us for a special cocktail style reception in The Harbour Room at the InterContinental Sydney with stunning 200-degree views over the Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Watsons Bay and the Botanical Gardens.

Date: Friday 5 October 2018
Time: 6:30pm–8:30pm
Venue: The Harbour Room, Intercontinental Sydney, 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney
Dress: Business attire
RSVP: Friday 28 September 2018 by registering here.

The event is complimentary, and a selection of canapes and beverages will be provided.

Any enquiries can be directed to the Development and Community Office: Tel: 07 3862 0884 or Email: developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Please note, as we may not have updated contact details for all past students of St Margaret’s living in the Sydney area, we would be most grateful if you could forward this invitation to other past students of St Margaret’s

Professional Women’s Network
Tickets for our final Professional Women’s Network event this year are now on sale!

Dr Lavinia Codd is delivering the keynote address. After a career as a Chartered Accountant at leading international firms, Dr Codd suffered a stroke at the age of 31. As part of her cognitive recovery, Dr Codd resumed her Bachelor of Science degree, before completing her PhD at Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) in 2015. In 2018, Dr Codd was appointed as the Advancement Manager at QBI. She also established the QBI Stroke Advisory Board to raise awareness of, and funds to support, vital research into stroke.

We hope that you will join us for our final exciting cocktail event in 2018 and hear Dr Codd’s inspiring story of her determination to improve the chances of recovery for the almost 50,000 Australians who suffer a stroke each year.

When: Thursday 18 October 2018, 5:30pm – 7:30pm (Cocktail)
Where: Price Waterhouse Coopers, Brisbane CBD
Tickets: Corporate groups $800 (for 10 people), $60 adult and $40 students (Years 10-12/tertiary)

Lara Pickering 

Date: Tuesday 25 September
Time: 3pm-7pm
Registration Link:
Please register prior to the event date so that you can log in at ease once the event goes live.

Are you in Year 10 or 11? Considering a Career in Medicine or Dentistry?
UMAT is held once a year usually on the last Wednesday of July. NIE hold courses to prepare students for UMAT: .

 Whitehouse Institute of Design
This institution offers summer workshops (from 2-5 days) in various aspects of design at the Sydney and Melbourne campuses. Visit the website for more information.

News from UQ
Enhanced Studies Program
High achieving Year 11 students are invited to apply for UQ's Enhanced Studies Program (ESP). ESP provides students with an opportunity to extend their studies by completing a university subject in Semester 1 of Year 12. Applications close on Wednesday 31 October.

INSPIA Student Summit - register now
Registrations are now open for the third INSPIA Student Summit to be held on Friday 28 September at UQ's St Lucia campus. This free event aims to inspire Maori and Pacific Islander high school students to dare to dream at the prospect of university study. Students in Years 7-12 may apply; however, preference will be given to students in Years 10, 11 and 12.

UQ College University Prerequisite Course - apply now
UQ College is offering a short, four-week Intensive Program to assist any student who requires a prerequisite subject for their desired tertiary program in the QTAC January Major Offer Round. Courses in Mathematics B, Biology or Chemistry are delivered on the UQ St Lucia campus from Tuesday 20 November - Saturday 15 December.

Queensland Mathematics Summer School - register now
The Queensland Mathematics Summer School at UQ (QMSS) is a five-day program from Monday 21 - Friday 25 January 2019 for mathematically talented Year 10 students planning to study Year 11 Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics in 2019.

Scholarships
Make your university experience easier and more affordable with the support of a scholarship: .

Griffith University
2019 scholarship applications are open! Explore scholarship options and apply online at .

QUT
Vice-Chancellor's Scholarships now open. Check out the academic, elite athlete and creative industries now.

Australian Catholic University (ACU)
Elite Athlete and Performer Program (EAPP) applications – open now. Applications close on 4 December. .

Reminder: Non-Academic Requirements for Teaching Entrance (NARTE)
Teaching suitability assessments have been introduced to Queensland for all initial teacher education courses to assess if future students possess the desired qualities to become effective teachers. Further information is available at: .

The University of New England
Early Entry is available for most UNE degrees, for current Year 12 students. For most courses you are offered you will also have the option to accept the offer and defer for up to two years. Apply via on or before Friday 28 September 2018.

QTAC
QTAC applications are open for current Year 12 students. All applications are submitted online via the QTAC website. Some courses have earlier closing dates and extra requirements. Please check the website for details.

Monash University Preference Change Day Expo
Monday 17 December, 3-7pm, Building H, Caulfield campus

Key Dates:
Friday 28 September 2018
QTAC Suggested closing date for 2019 applications
UNE Closing date Early Entry application

October 2018
QTAC supporting documentation should be completed (while at school)

16 November 2018
QTAC 1st round offer Year 12
UQ Academic Scholarships closing date

15 December 2018
OP released

Monday 17 December 2018
OP Advice Night, UQ Centre, St Lucia campus, 4-7pm

Tuesday 18 December 2018
QUT Real Decisions, Gardens Point campus

20 December 2018
QTAC offer round

2019:
7 January
Last day to change preferences for 16 January offer round

16 January
QTAC offer round

25 January
QTAC ‘top up’ offer round

31 January
QTAC ‘top up’ offer round

5 February onwards
QTAC ongoing offer rounds

Other dates are available:

VTAC:
Friday 12 October 2018: 5pm, Scholarship applications through VTAC close
Friday 14 December 2018: 4pm, Change of Preference closes - International students
Wednesday 19 December 2018: 12pm, Change of Preference closes - Domestic students
Wednesday 19 December 2018: 2pm, Release of international VCE early offers
Wednesday 16 January 2019: Release of domestic round one course offers

For more information about key dates, please visit the VTAC website .

Elizabeth Johnston