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The results are from the annual Year 12 Completers Survey, which is conducted approximately six months after students completed Year 12. 65 out of 87 Year 12 completers completed this survey. This Next Step survey is conducted by the Queensland Government and the results provide comprehensive information about the employment, study and life choices of Year 12 completers approximately six months after completing Year 12 in Queensland Government, Catholic and Independent schools.

In 2020, 95.4% of Year 12 completers from St Margaret's were engaged in education, training or employment in the year after they completed school. Of the 65 respondents, 87.7% continued in some recognised form of education and training. The most common study destination was bachelor’s degree. A further 7.7% transitioned directly into paid employment and no further study.

Week 2 of Term 3 saw our valedictory week-long celebration for our current 2020 Year 12 students. These events began with the Music Dinner on the previous Wednesday night, followed by House farewells; Speech Night; the Boarders’ Dinner; the Thanksgiving Service at the Cathedral; the Valedictory Dinner; the student farewell with the Year 12 Graduation and Special Awards Ceremony; and the Sports Awards Evening. It was a whirlwind week of activity! Our Year 12s now have a week-long study period ahead of external exams starting on Monday 26 October. We wish them well for their final exams and we wish them good health, joy and contentment in their post-school life.

Ros Curtis

St Margaret's Anglican Girls School is committed to:

• promoting and striving to provide a safe, supportive and ethical environment for the wellbeing and holistic development of students; and
• providing a safe secure nurturing environment in which all its students may grow and learn.

Student Protection Officers are persons designated as liaison people to whom students may refer if they are not feeling safe; or to whom they make complaints of harm, inappropriate behaviour or physical/sexual abuse. The St Margaret's Student Protection Officers are:

• Deputy Principal - Karen Gorrie
• Head of Boarding - Lesa Fowler
• Head of Primary School - Angela Drysdale
• Assistant Head of Primary – Wellbeing and Operations (PP-6) – Mary Surtees
• Dean of Students - Nikki Townsend
• Guidance Counsellor - Sharon Stone

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

Our statement of commitment is as follows:

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School supports the rights of children and young people and are committed to ensure the safety, welfare and wellbeing of students. St Margaret’s is therefore committed to responding to allegations of student harm resulting from the conduct or actions of any person including that of employees.

This commitment includes the provision of a safe and supportive living and learning environment for all students and requires all employees, volunteers and visitors to model and encourage behaviour that upholds the dignity and protection of students from harm.

In support of this commitment, St Margaret’s is dedicated to our Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy which includes having relevant policies, procedures and training in place to effectively address the safety and wellbeing of students in our care.

Karen Gorrie

In the life of a school, the journey continues. The four weeks leading up to Christmas Day are called Advent, from the Latin adventus, meaning ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’. Advent marks the end of the church year and the beginning of the new church year. However, because Advent does not start until we have finished the school year, we are going to acknowledge Advent early. As part of our Advent journey, we will hold our outdoor Prayer Space, Dadirri, next week. Students will come in class time and during morning tea and lunch.

Advent is a season of waiting and preparation before the birth of the Christ Child. It is a time to prepare our hearts and homes for the arrival of the baby, Jesus. In our assembly each week, students will be invited to observe Advent which is a time of waiting and preparing. Each week, we will light a candle, and each candle will have the traditional Advent theme; hope, joy, peace and love. The final candle, the Christ candle, will be lit at our final full school Christmas service on the last day of school.

Families could also create their own holy space at home or within your own life. Please for instructions on how to make your own Advent Wreath, as well as the prayers for the theme each week.

Susan Crothers-Robertson

In the Boarding House, it is bittersweet to farewell a big group of sisters. The Year 12s leave big shoes to fill, having been significant role models to many of our younger students who choose Boarding life. We are confident that the new leadership for next year will make a very positive contribution to our school and Boarding culture. Our Year 11 students are already stepping up to the plate after following along such a close group of big sisters. Below are some comments from parents made during the week of celebration, which were very rewarding to hear:

“How can we leave such a wonderful community?”

“No more 6-hour drives, I was just getting use to them!”

“St Margaret’s is just one big family; how are we meant to walk away one last time?”

“My daughter has built life-long friends and will always be a part of the school. She will forever be a Maggie’s girl!”

Gracemere Mataia

As one year level finishes, the next group of students (our Year 11s) begin the Unit 3 and 4 journey as they work towards completing learning and work that will contribute to their ATAR and QCE. With this journey beginning I will be hosting a Year 11 (Year 12 2021) Parent Information Night to discuss with parents, key information about the QCE system, including assessment timelines, SWOTVAC and how to best support your daughter through their final year. An invitation will be sent home to all parents of Year 11 students early next week.

Finally, this week I spoke to the current Year 9 students about the selection of 10.1 or 10.2 Maths for next year. All students have been asked to select either 10.1 or 10.2. In my talk to the Year 9 girls I explained to them the importance of this decision as it does have an effect on which maths they can choose in Year 11 and 12. Students who elect 10.1 Maths can only choose General Maths for Year 11 and 12, whereas a student who selects 10.2 can choose General Maths, Mathematical Methods, Specialist Maths or a combination of these in Year 11 and 12. All students have been sent an email to make this selection and we will be sending home a confirmation slip for parents to confirm the selection. If you have any questions about this subject selection, please email Vicki Strid, Head of Faculty - Mathematics: vstrid@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Nicole Devlin

Bookings for all sessions for the term can be made via FlexiSchools on the school website. While the study session is free of charge, if you would like your daughter to have dinner, this can be purchased for $10 at the time of booking. Bookings are essential and should be made before 9am on the day of each session.

Year 7 Orientation Day

On Friday 23 October we will be welcoming our new Year 7 students to St Margaret’s. Students will have an opportunity to learn more about the school and start making friends, ready for 2021. Students will also be completing AAS Testing in the morning, before enjoying a pizza lunch.

Tom McCormick

Teens are often unaware that their words, and or photos, can sometimes find their way to an unexpected audience with undesirable consequences. The key is not to fear technology, but to embrace it. Parents can learn how to keep their children safe on our Parent Page in the POD; Parent Resources, School TV, Cyber safety series.

Last week we celebrated the Year 12 students’ Valedictory Week. I would like to congratulate the graduating class of 2020. The girls enjoyed a fabulous week full of thank-yous and farewells. I wish the girls every success in their upcoming external exams and future endeavours.

As part of our final Year 12 Graduation and Special Awards Ceremony held last week, it was an honour to announce the 2020 recipients of the Australian Defence Force Long Tan Awards, Leadership and Team Award; Rebecca Lauder (Year 12) and Amelia Butler-Wood (Year 10) and Future Innovators Award; Emily Pitt (Year 12) and Jessica Norvill (Year 10). The ADF Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Award recognises students who demonstrate leadership and teamwork within both the school and the broader community and who display strong values, such as doing one’s best, respect for others and ‘mateship’, that are integral to Australian society.

While the ‘ADF Future Innovators Award’ recognises students’, science and mathematics abilities while highlighting the value the Navy, Army and Air Force place on STEM skills and STEM career opportunities within the Defence.

The establishment of the ADF Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Awards is an important initiative by the Australian Government designed to encourage senior students, who are tomorrow’s leaders, to actively participate in the life of their schools and their local communities.

Nikki Townsend

Last Friday, the Year 3 girls arrived with suitcases (almost as big as themselves) and headed to the North Coast. This camp offered learning experiences, such as exploring the animals at Australia Zoo, the beach and creating art masterpieces with clay and the natural environment. Each girl stepped outside her comfort zone by sleeping away from home, being responsible for self and own belongings and collaborating with peers beyond the school gate. The staff, Nicole Jonathan, Morgan Rowe, Kate Jones and I were very proud of each girl’s emotional growth. Thank you also to Kate for her camp preparation.

2021 Planning

2021 planning is well underway, with a major focus being new classes and teachers. The process we use for planning classes is outlined in the Primary Parent Handbook (page 36) and on the POD. This includes a sociogram where students identify friends who they can work with in a classroom setting. If you would like to provide information about your child that you believe would be valuable for teachers when creating classes, please complete the attached form (PDF 61KB) and return it to the Primary Office by Wednesday 28 October. Unfortunately, no late forms can be accepted beyond this date, as teachers will create new class lists at the end of term and changes will impact on all class arrangements.

Please note, the submission of an application provides no guarantee that requests will be granted.

The end of the year also brings changes to staff. This year, we farewell Kate Jones as Lauren Richards will return from maternity leave. Mrs Harle will not return next year as she is returning to St Paul’s School. Sadly, we will farewell these staff members at the final assembly. We thank them both for the contribution they have made to our school. We will welcome three new staff members next year, as there will be an additional Prep class. More information about these staff members will be shared in the upcoming weeks. There will also be some movement of staff between year levels, including Louise Sands who will be moving back to Learning Enhancement. The staffing is as follows:

Pre-Prep: Belinda Knowles

Prep: Georgie Eadie, Camille Pourpardin

Year 1: Lucardia Moulton

Year 2: Sophie Cameron, Olivia Peach

Year 3: Nicole Jonathan, Kate Porter

Year 4: Melissa Garbutt, Briar Bracey

Year 5: Evan Chia, Kylie Briggs, Georgina Stevenson, Scott Barnsdale

Year 6: Karen Andrews-Close, Kimberley Bachmann, Danielle Patterson

Angela Drysdale

2021 Secondary Music Ensembles will then commence from Week 5 of Term 4. Primary ensembles will remain as they are for the remainder of the year. If a Primary student is accepted into a Secondary Ensemble (e.g. Stradivari Strings), they will have the option of attending their new ensemble whilst still participating in their current ensemble. Please note that Elevarsi, Volare and Encorah will not recommence rehearsals until the start of Term 2 2021 due to musical rehearsals.

Year 10 Lunch Music Performances

Congratulations to the Year 10 students who provided performances at the recent Year 10 Lunch. These performances were all arranged and rehearsed by the students and were very much enjoyed and appreciated by all in attendance. Well done to all involved!

Music Suppport Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be the Annual General Meeting and will be held on Tuesday 10 November 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

My thanks must go to the following who make St Margaret’s Sport: Teacher coordinators, Teacher assistants, coaches, parents, support groups and the girls who triumphed over adversity this year.

Congratulations to the winners of the special awards:

• Summer Team of the Year: U16C Water Polo Team
• Winter Team of the Year: 9B QGSSSA Netball Team
• Captains of the Year: Gabrielle Geldard and Shanelle Flute
• Coach of the Year: Preteesh Morar (Open Hockey)
• Contribution and Service to St Margaret’s Sport: Mr Tom Smithers

Water Polo

All teams are heading into the third round of the Brisbane Water Polo competition and for some it will only be their third game of Water Polo ever! Despite this, our girls have been steadily improving from week to week with the U12B, 13B, 14B and U18C teams winning and the U12C and U13C teams drawing their game 3-3 and 7-7 respectively in Round 2.

A reminder that all Water Polo players must attend their skill training sessions and the Thursday morning Water Polo specific swimming session.

Access to the playing schedule for Saturday 24 October, can be found by visiting the Water Polo POD page or by clicking here (PDF 141.6KB).

Badminton

The final day of competition for QGSSSA Badminton was held on Saturday 17 October. Our Years 7, 8 and 9 teams were in action all over Brisbane and Ipswich. It was great to see our teams enjoying the competition and having fun. Thank you to all staff, coaches and students who made this season possible.

QGSSSA Touch Football Carnival

QGSSSA will be hosting a supplementary competition for the previously cancelled season in Term 1. This competition will be a carnival style tournament to be held on Saturday 31 October for girls in the A and B teams from Terms 1 and 2. The venue for this competition will be White’s Hill Fields, Camp Hill and Southport. Further information will be released when available.

Cricket pre-season training

St Margaret’s Sport, in partnership with Wilston-Norths Cricket Club, will be holding a 6-week training clinic for all girls interested in learning and developing their Cricket skills in readiness for the QGSSSA season in Term 1 2021. Information on the weekly training sessions can be found on the Cricket POD page.

Soccer pre-season training

Training will be underway for any girls wishing to develop their Soccer skills from Years 6-11 at Windsor Park, under the guidance of Brisbane City Football Club. This opportunity commences on Thursday 29 October and will run for a total of 4 weeks. All girls are asked to register their attendance by clicking here.

QCNA Netball

Term 4 has started off with the introduction of Summer Netball for the first time. St Margaret’s has entered 14 teams from ages 9-18 years into the QCNA Summer Netball season played at Downey Park. This will now allow players to enjoy their Netball here at St Margaret’s all year round if they wish. With training being held at the recently opened Philip Harris Sports Precinct here on school grounds, players and coaches are relishing in their new environment and the atmosphere is electric.

Congratulations to the Netball awardees who were presented with their awards at the Sports Awards Evening last Friday night. Special mention to the Rising Star, Elle Gordon (Year 9), St Margaret’s Spirit recipient, Rose Couper (Year 12) and The Sparkes Cup awardee (awarded since 1962), Darcy Bichel.

Knowles Cup Tennis

The Knowles Cup Tennis teams are currently halfway through the round matches and we look forward to this Saturday of Rounds 5 and 6 matches against Somerville House and Stuartholme School.

At the end of Round 4, the teams are performing well with our Open A and Open B currently sitting in the top three places. With 4 rounds still to be played, there is potential for our Intermediate and Junior teams to move further up the ladder.

We look forward to the possibility of St Margaret’s teams playing in the finals, scheduled for Saturday 7 November. Wishing the girls the best of luck and continued great performances for the remaining two weekends of rounds.

Swimming Support Group Meeting

The Swimming Support Group will be holding its Annual General Meeting, followed by a General Meeting on Thursday 22 October at 6:00pm in M’s Café. All interested parents are invited to attend.

Congratulations…

Eadie McWilliam (Year 7) and Piper O’Brien (Year 8) for participating in the QLD Endurance Horse Riding State Championships on 3-5 October. This event is held over 160km at Sterling’s Crossing, Imbil. Due to the challenging conditions of being dry and rocky, only 55% of all riders completed the course. Piper was forced to withdraw at the 85km mark due to her horse, ‘Envious te’ acquiring an injury. Eadie preserved throughout the entire 160km course, riding for 10hrs and 50mins to secure 2nd place in the Junior Division and 5th overall. Well done to both Piper and Eadie for their dedication, hard work and endurance in this gruelling sport.

Helen Lobegeiger

Date: Monday 26 October 2020

Time: 6:30pm start

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

Speech Night took place last week and whilst it was a much smaller event than we are used to, it was a wonderful night and was livestreamed so the entire St Margaret’s community could feel involved in the proceedings. I would like to make a special mention of Paige Bastian who was the deserving winner of the Foundation Prize. Established in 2009, the St Margaret’s Foundation Prize is awarded to a Year 11 student who has, amongst other things, made a real and identifiable commitment to supporting and furthering philanthropic endeavours within the school.

Paige will donate a sum of money to her charity of her choice in 2021. We are so proud of the philanthropic activities that Paige has undertaken, and the vein of philanthropy that runs through the St Margaret’s community and student body. This year has certainly shown us the power of what can be achieved when we work together towards a common goal.

Lindsay Khushal

Griffith University GUESTS applications for Trimester 3 are closing soon

Year 11 students who wish to study in Trimester 1 next year (Mar 2021), are encouraged to apply by 13 November. For further information on admission criteria and available courses, visit

University of Sydney

Current school leavers

Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics Ext 1, Physics - these 5-7 day courses are ideal for students wanting to enter a University degree that requires assumed science knowledge that they did not complete in the HSC. Please note: bridging courses do not satisfy the mathematics prerequisite. For relevant advice please see the heading,

Free TAFE for Year 12 graduates

The Queensland Government offers free TAFE in high priority areas. Eligible Year 12 graduates must enrol and start training within 12 months of finishing school.

RMIT

Some important information:

• and important information for 2021 applicants;
• and activities for the rest of 2020

UQ College is offering an intensive short course over 4 weeks for students to obtain a prerequisite in Mathematical Methods, Biology or Chemistry.

QUT Year 12 Early Offer Scheme

The scheme applies to courses in the areas of business, creative industries, IT, justice, public health, and science.

Durack College

Applications for Durack College are now open for 2020. Durack College offers a boutique residential experience, with a personalised focus on educational success. We work hard to create a culture and environment based on academic excellence. The small but vibrant community of female learners is offered a tailored living environment, making the transition to new routines easier and more rewarding. There are only 25 residency places, allowing Durack College to be both a private sanctuary and a busy and exciting community.  Discover more

Elizabeth Johnston