St Margaret's Flyer 2022 by St Margaret's Anglican Girls School

St Margaret’s Issue 23 2022

FLYER

Issue 23 2022

Principal: Editor: Writers: Photography: Printing:

Ros Curtis Wendy Johnston Pru Reed, Wendy Johnston, Lara Pickering Victoria Nikolova, Sophia Taylor, Miranda Everett, Michael Marston, Ryan Calais, Just Photography Allclear Print & Signs

Contents

From the Principal From the Chair Captains Corner Vale Mother Eunice Welcome to Chaplain Jazz Dow and Lloyd Knight Farewell to PE Stalwart Des Upton Continual Improvement: What the parent survey told us Staff Awards NAPLAN Results Class of 2021 Academic Results ATAR Results Taking learning outdoors Shaping future-focused skills Maggies Podcast: a local news program with a global outlook Leading in careers education Encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset Science Week eSports: more than gaming Taking steps towards sustainability Love, life and Luna Maggies moments Promoting reconciliation Exercising ethical intellect The Arts 2021 Sports wrap Primary Highlights Ticking all the boxes Giving the gift of light A hair-raising fundraising record Connecting Community Reunions St Margaret’s Old Girls pivot during the pandemic 2022 mark your calendar MAYO Long Lunch DONOR IMPACT REPORT A day for Every Girl Every Opportunity Thank you to our donors Philanthropy transforming the school landscape Bursary The business community empowers women through education

03 04 05 06 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 16 18 20 23 26 28 29 30 32 34 37 40 41 44 45 46 48 49 50 52 54 56 58 59 60 61 64 66 67

Issue 23

From the Principal When I was young, I heard stories from my grandparents and parents about the amazing people who lived through the Great Depression. They were a resilient bunch, with almost super-human responses in the stories I heard of incredible deprivation and survival. Many of you know the stories. I am in awe of their fortitude. Were they just made of sterner stuff or were they just like us? I would like to think they were just like us, and they just lived in a time where they had to apply different skills. Stories I have heard centre around being resourceful and reliant on the support of family and friends. Perhaps nothing has changed, and in this pandemic, I have seen many examples of resourcefulness and resilience in our students and staff. We are now into our third year of the pandemic and there have been fundamental shifts at St Margaret’s. Teaching and learning online is second nature to our students and staff, and although not the ideal choice, it is still one which we are able to do effectively and with success. Live streaming of events and information nights is a viable alternative, and individually packaged catering portions at our events are commonplace. We know that those who lived through the Depression were forever shaped by it, and, even to this day, we joke about ‘Depression mentality’. I wonder what pandemic mentality will be. How have the constraints of the past few years shaped us forever?

It is difficult to say while we are still experiencing it, but what I do know, and I believe the content of this Flyer represents, is that St Margaret’s just ‘got on with it’ and have approached our calendar of events, our care of students, and our teaching and learning processes with a very positive pandemic mentality, in all cases guided by the philosophy of the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent. The Sisters’ objectives for each of their schools is outlined in this philosophy, and at St Margaret’s, we ensure all activities and decisions are within the spirit and aims of these objectives. This means we do not waiver from our focus on the whole child, by ensuring that every opportunity has been still offered or reimagined in some way, and we will continue the focus on academic endeavour by avoiding compromise of the learning and teaching program. We continued our commitment to the liturgical life of the school and tried to inculcate courtesy towards and respect for each other. In other words, staying true to our Sisters’ philosophy has steered us through the past few years and will continue to do so. After all, we have 127 years of the Sisters’ influence in our DNA.

I think that is something St Margaret’s is quite good at. So, this year, as we did last year, we are hanging onto the lyrics of that 1944 song by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters – Ac-Cent, Tchu- Ate The Positive. The first four lines might be familiar to you and are a good reminder for the current times. You’ve got to accentuate the positive Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don’t mess with Mister In-Between The next two lines of this song relate well to the theme ‘Embracing Joy’. You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum Bring gloom down to the minimum You will see this approach alive and well in this edition of the Flyer. Thank you, Bing Crosby! Ros Curtis Principal BA(Hons), DipEd, MLitSt,MEd(Leadership and Management), ASDA, FACE, FACEL, FIML, GAICD

The Archbishop of Brisbane, the Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall, prepares an annual message for students and staff in Anglican schools. Over the past few years, he has focused on community with the theme ‘Being Together’. Each year has a sub-theme. In 2022, it is ‘Embracing Joy’.

From the Chair Whether it’s the new normal or possibly the great unknown, we stand together ready to embrace another year of educating young women and connecting our community.

The St Margaret’s community continues to grow. We started 2022 with just under 900 students in the secondary school and just over 400 students in the primary school. I extend a very warm welcome to all our families and, in particular, our new families beginning their St Margaret’s journey. The association with St Margaret’s and the friends you and they will make can truly shape your life now and beyond the school gates. When I think of the St Margaret’s community, the one word that consistently comes to mind is goodwill. There are many good reasons the school has come through the past two years so well; one key reason I believe is the amount of goodwill our community members have for and show towards one another. Whether it’s between staff, between students, staff and parents, staff and students, the school and the community, this positive goodwill is one of the cornerstones from which our good work is done. The challenges during the pandemic, while at times trying, have also seen us flourish. All of us on a personal level and as a community have had to dig deep – and I think we should all be very proud of how those challenges have been, and will continue to be, met. For example, when the Queensland Premier announced changes to the start of the school term this year, St Margaret’s leadership team was quick to galvanise. They strategised as to how to continue to deliver our educational program to the same high standard and to keep our community as safe as possible. As a result, we started the term as scheduled and were excited to finally welcome everyone on campus in Week 3. Plans such as these rely on the goodwill of all in our community. Decisions are made ‘on balance’; that is, they may not suit everyone, but as a community, we endeavour always to be and do our best under the prevailing circumstances, which are sometimes not even within the school’s control. Sadly, we have perhaps, in recent history, never seen our communities, cities, states and country more divided, but the St Margaret’s community – through whatever it has taken (be that hard work, mental and physical gymnastics, perseverance and resilience) – has not just survived, it has thrived, and I believe that goodwill has been a key feature in all of this.

And we will thrive into the future as we have in the past. At the end of the school year, we were thrilled to learn of the strong results of our graduating cohort. They are presented elsewhere in the Flyer, but I would like to congratulate the class of 2021, their teachers and their parents on these achievements. Over the past year, the school has been exploring an updated Master Plan. It’s an exciting time – St Margaret’s is in a strong position and it’s very gratifying to be planning its best next steps by considering how an optimal Master Plan can ensure our students flourish – which is, after all, our raison d’etre. Over the holidays, the school has been very busy building and updating new facilities, including two new classrooms on Circular Drive, a new science lab, new bathroom facilities, a learning support centre and more. Presently, the master planning committee is working in a number of streams, looking into the future of education and how students will learn. We are considering all facets, such as education, extra-curricular, traffic, environment, boarding, all, of course, underpinned by the ethos of the Sisters. While the end result will be a master plan developed by architects, every element of our plan will serve a well-considered, well-researched multi-pronged strategy that will orchestrate the school’s resources in a way that truly supports each student and their family during their journey at St Margaret’s. One key focus of the plan is the next major building project. We look forward to bringing you the completed Master Plan towards the end of this year. I wish you all a prosperous and productive year of learning and living at St Margaret’s. Debbie Smith Chair of School Council

Issue 23

Captains Corner

Holly Marchant and Ruby Greenup are the 2022 St Margaret’s School Captains. They share their St Margaret’s journey thus far and their hopes for this year. Holly: I began my St Margaret’s journey in 2010 as a Prep student. Reflecting on my past 12 years as a proud Maggies girl, my most vivid memories centre around community. The mentoring programs within our school exemplify the network of support that has guided me through the years. From the advice given to me by Year 11 students on my first day of Year 7, to the constant words of encouragement from my academic advisor, this support has helped me to develop confidence and resilience. Having the opportunity to be a Year 11 mentor to the Year 7 students last year was a full circle moment for me. I am so grateful for the friendships I have made with them and have enjoyed trying to keep up with their dance moves during form class. Ruby: Boarding since Year 7, I have always enjoyed the close group of 180 sisters and staff that St Margaret’s provides within the boarding house. When I was in Year 9, we met the new Year 7s and instantly bonded over our love of singing and dancing. This progressed into many dance offs with Year 9s competing against Year 7s in our common rooms after school. Although we generally initiate our relationships with younger students through fun interactions like this, they always develop into more meaningful connections that allow us to help the girls negotiate the tougher parts of boarding. Through this, I have learnt that you can make valuable relationships with people of any age and background, especially when you share an experience as unique and exciting as boarding.

RUBY GREENUP

HOLLY MARCHANT

2022 THEME We have discovered that at the foundation of our most valued memories is the connectedness within our school’s culture. In 2022, we hope to continue to strengthen the St Margaret’s sisterhood. The relationships between and across all year levels, the boarding and day school, and the primary and secondary school, contribute to the strength of our community. This support system guides us at St Margaret’s and allows each Maggies student to ‘fly upwards’. As such, our theme for 2022 is ‘Soar Together, Stronger than Ever’.

‘Soar Together’ In our initial brainstorming within the prefect group, we discussed the culture, relationships and spirit that have defined our St Margaret’s experiences. Throughout this discussion, the word that continued to emerge was ‘unity’. This, then, became our core focus for the year.

‘Stronger than Ever’ To us, this reflects not only the strength of our community, but the strength of each individual. With the courage and integrity of each student united, as a collective, we soar. This year, we are focused on the unity of the school to foster an environment where each student is supported in their personal growth to fulfil their aspirations. As a prefect body, we are developing initiatives within the school for 2022 that seek to develop networks within the wider St Margaret’s community. Through the class of 2022’s collective vision, we hope that as graduating St Margaret’s students we will step out into the world supported by a unified sisterhood. So, this year, ‘Let’s soar together, stronger than ever.’

Vale Mother Eunice

The St Margaret’s and St Aidan’s school communities sadly lost an outstanding woman last year when Mother Eunice SSA passed away peacefully on 14 June. Mother Eunice spent eight months in care at Symes Grove before she passed, and across that time Sisters Sandra and Gillian visited her every day. Mother Eunice touched the lives of many people and this was reflected in the number of people who came from far and wide, despite COVID restrictions, to pay their respects at her funeral at St John’s Cathedral on 24 June, 2021. The service was also livestreamed for anyone who could not make it to the Cathedral. Mother Eunice led a remarkable life of faith and service, making an indelible contribution to the Society of the Sacred Advent (SSA), their schools and beyond. She was a compassionate, caring, friendly, humble and unassuming woman, who dedicated much of her life to the SSA. Born in 1936, Mother Eunice grew up in Mitchelton in Brisbane’s north. She attended Mitchelton State School for her early years of schooling. Her family home was high set with the lower level the venue for her Parish’s weekly Sunday School program. From very early on, Mother Eunice was drawn to the education and religious development of young children, a theme that remained constant throughout her life. Mother Eunice sat for Sunday School examinations and developed a keen interest in teaching scripture to pre-school children. When she was seventeen, she was invited to take charge of the very popular Sunday School at her local church, St Matthew’s Anglican Church, Grovely.

Mother Eunice worked at department store JCPenneys in Queen Street, Brisbane, and at women’s fashion store Rockmans, training staff. However, her early experiences teaching children led her to apply for a position at the School of the Hearing Impaired at Yeronga. After completing twelve months of training, Mother Eunice began teaching hearingimpaired kindergarten children at the school. After a year of teaching at Yeronga, Mother Eunice took a role at the Florence Kindergarten in Margate where she taught for several years. Mother Eunice recalled that while she enjoyed this service she felt a calling to do something else. She went to Sydney to commence her religious life, training at the Anglican Board of Mission’s (ABM) House of Epiphany. It was here she met many people who would become lifelong friends. She worked at the Lockhart River Mission Station in North Queensland and at the St Paul’s Mission on Moa Island in the Torres Strait. She returned to Brisbane and after much consideration joined the religious order, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent, in 1965, testing her vocation to religious life over the following two years, and making her Profession on 21 August 1967. During this time, she undertook a course of studies with Canon Sharwood at the end of which she received an Associate Degree in Theology (Th.A.).

The Sisters’ schools of St Catharine’s in Warwick and St Anne’s in Townsville were home to Mother Eunice before she returned to Community House at Albion and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School at the end of 1978. Mother Eunice was in charge of the Wafer Room at Community House for some years, where the motto of the workers was ‘Patience, Perseverance and Perfection’. At its peak, they were sending out 8.5 million wafers per year to parishes throughout Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Well known to many generations of students at both St Aidan’s and St Margaret’s, in 1982, she was elected Mother Superior of the Society of the Sacred Advent, serving on both School Councils, numerous committees and the Sisters’ Trust over the past 30 years. The Eunice Science and Resource Centre at St Margaret’s was opened in 2012, named aptly in recognition of Mother Eunice’s significant contribution and influence within the St Margaret’s community. At St Aidan’s, Eunice Plaza in The Link was named in her honour in 2017. For some years prior to her passing, Mother Eunice ensured the philosophy and legacy of the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent would endure and their living tradition would forever continue for future generations. The Trust, established in 2003, ensures this. Mother Eunice will forever remain an exceptional example of the Sisters’ philosophy, ‘to prepare a place for God in our hearts and minds, in our school community and in the world in which we live’.

Issue 23

Lloyd Knight This year, we welcomed Lloyd Knight as St Margaret’s new Director of Sport.

Welcome to Chaplain Jazz Dow In what is her first school ministry, The Reverend Jazz Dow has taken up the reins as School Chaplain while Rev’d Susan enjoys long service leave prior to retirement. After her ordination 13 years ago, Rev’d Jazz completed two curacies in Grafton and Ballina, before moving to Melbourne to work at the Trinity College Theological School. In 2018, she joined the Diocese of Brisbane, becoming Mission Chaplain of Community of The Way at St Francis College, Milton where she was responsible for facilitating the building of an intentional Christian community of young people ages 18 – 30. Rev’d Jazz’ first encounter with St Margaret’s was as a guest presenter at an RVE Masterclass where she sat on a Q&A panel answering the often curly questions students posed about faith. She says being a part of the St Margaret’s community has some resonance with her time spent at Trinity College, where the flow of the academic year, boarding environment and being a part of a wider educational community was something she enjoyed immensely. Being a Mum of two young girls also drew Rev’d Jazz to St Margaret’s with its mission to empower young women and she is greatly inspired by the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent. Last year, Rev’d Jazz particularly enjoyed learning more about prayer spaces from Rev’d Susan, who is the recognised ‘prayer space’ guru in Australia. Rev’d Jazz says she is very much looking forward to building relationships across the St Margaret’s community, with staff, students, and families.

Lloyd is no stranger to school sport having most recently served as Head of Sport Programs and Coaching at Xavier College, as well as Head of Sport at St Catherine’s School in Melbourne. In addition to school sport experience, he has also worked extensively within sport coaching, having coached numerous Australian representatives in the sport of Track and Field and is currently a serving member of the Program Advisory Committee for the Faculty of Sport Science at Victoria University. Lloyd is excited to be working in Brisbane and being able to inspire the Olympic dream as it unfolds across the next ten years. He is passionate about athlete development and excited to work within the Queensland schools sport pathway as he feels it provides an outstanding opportunity for students to experience and excel in sport at all levels. Most importantly, sport is for everyone, and Lloyd sees his role as developing and instilling the fundamentals of sport in all students and to ‘spark enjoyment’ for sport and physical activity for life at school and beyond. Lloyd looks out at the new sports precinct from his office and marvels at the backdrop he has to implement the sporting program. “The infrastructure and facilities here just unleash so much opportunity to develop and implement the already outstanding programs across the different sports. Coupled with experienced and passionate staff and coaches, some of whom have coached Olympians to glory, I couldn’t be more excited to be on board,” Lloyd said.

Issue 23

Farewell to PE Stalwart Des Upton Desley also casually mentions she won two awards, visiting Government House to receive them, but is too modest to even remember the details. Further investigations revealed the Royal Life Saving Society Commonwealth Council awarded Desley a Service Medal in 2005 and a Bar to Service Medal in 2010, both for recognition for valuable services rendered to the society.

In December 1988, Desley Upton went to her letterbox and discovered an envelope addressed to her from St Margaret’s then principal Miss Heath. Thinking it was a polite rejection letter, as it was very difficult to secure a physical education position in a private school in the late 1980s, she was delighted to discover it was a letter of offer for a position as a secondary PE teacher at St Margaret’s. ‘I was very humbled to have been given the opportunity and very proud,’ Desley said, ‘and I have loved coming to work and teaching here every day since.’ Desley enjoyed her very sporty school days at Clayfield College, excelling in softball, netball, ballgames and athletics. She graduated from Kelvin Grove Teachers College, which she maintains was, back then, the best place for an HPE undergraduate degree because students were very involved in both practical and theoretical aspects of the discipline. ‘I even did pole vaulting and hammer throwing,’ she laughs, revealing her second major was drama – useful when performing in front of a class every day. After stints in Rockhampton, Laidley and Ipswich, Desley started the St Margaret’s position in 1989. Desley echoed the sentiments of recently retired Mary Surtees when she said in those days ‘you did everything’. ‘We were coaching before and after school and at lunch, as well as teaching physical education.’ There have been many changes in the make-up of health and physical education offerings over the years as both core and elective subjects, and Desley has been heavily involved in its development throughout her career, as the HOF for Health and Physical Education at St Margaret’s for 25 years, as well as at state level for Health Education.

Desley is a passionate advocate of the benefits of health and physical education, saying that it encourages participation and a lifelong enjoyment of physical activity no matter what an individual’s level of proficiency. It promotes a healthy lifestyle and also provides opportunities students may not necessarily pursue beyond school but at least they have had exposure to a wide variety of games, sport and activities. Principal Ros Curtis said Desley had been an institution at St Margaret’s, with many past students sharing their fond memories of her classes. ‘She has been a great advocate for both Health and Physical Education and is well-respected by her peers,’ Ms Curtis said. When asked about the new sports precinct, Desley exclaims: ‘I’ve died and gone to heaven!’ ‘It’s made a massive difference, just being able to accommodate so many classes in each of the spaces across the gym and courts, as well as up to four classes in the pool at any one time if necessary. ‘Having all the sports and HPE staff centrally located and in the heart of the precinct also makes life a lot easier, movement between lessons more efficient, and collaboration across the primary and secondary sports and HPE staff seamless.’ Retirement plans reveal an altogether different side of this passionate sportswoman: a talent for art and writing. The closing chapters of a young adult fiction novel ‘Tails from Princess Jellybean’s Backyard’, inspired by her father’s corgi, await their final touches, and when she is not penning words onto blank pages, she will be letting her artistic inspiration take shape on blank canvasses. This will all take place on the idyllic Sunshine Coast, which like for many of us, was a favoured holiday destination for Desley and her family. We wish Desley all the best in retirement and can’t wait to get acquainted with that rascally corgi, Princess Jellybean.

Continual Improvement: What the parent survey told us

St Margaret’s is a school committed to continuous improvement. To do that well, it’s important to know what needs to be improved, not just from the perspective of school leadership, but through

83% 86% 86%

gathering feedback from a wide variety of stakeholders. Each year, the school conducts extensive surveys across staff, students, parents and wider stakeholder groups, including a

87% 2021 St Margaret’s Parents

to Year 12 is undertaken. In 2018 and 2021, the school elected

86%

to conduct this survey using MMG education consultants. Among the many advantages of this approach is the capacity to

87%

84%

85%

dedicated exit survey for Year 12 students and parents. Every three years, a comprehensive parent survey across Prep

88%

86%

81%

80% 78%

benchmark our results against other very similar schools across Australia, as well as our own results across time. The 2021 survey was very affirming of the school’s offerings and direction. Fifty-five percent of parents responded, and we thank those for taking the time to complete what was a very extensive questionnaire. MMG benchmarks overall levels of satisfaction/agreement as

Another pleasing measure the survey revealed was a ‘Very High’ Net Promotor Score (NPS). MMG regards a NPS of +43 as ‘Very High’. In 2021, parents gave the school a score of +53, an increase of 16 points over 2018, when St Margaret’s rated +37 (rated as ‘High’).

Very High (80% plus) and High (70 – 80%). Overwhelmingly,

SCHOOL VALUES

St Margaret’s fell into the ‘Very High’ category. Across 12 key

Those parents who responded to last year’s parent

areas, averaged across all respondents, 11 were rated as ‘Very High’ and one was rated as ‘High’ (at 78%). The average was 84% across all areas. When benchmarked against other schools, St Margaret’s is on average 4% above other benchmarked schools (which encompasses a total of 148 school projects including 16,264 respondents from other all girls’ schools). While these averaged scores are most heartening, there are minor variations across various measures and some individual commentary upon which school leadership will reflect, further investigate and implement improvement strategies where appropriate. Strategies for continual improvement are also about ensuring our offerings continue to be rated as ‘Very High’ and this requires ongoing diligence and response to both our educational offerings and practices, as well as gauging what is happening in the world at large and how this may impact our students now and into the future. A ‘Very High’ measure is by no means an invitation to rest on our laurels.

survey may remember being asked a question about the school values. The school’s six values – integrity, respect, passion, courage, spirit and faith – have served the school well for many years. Now into the second decade of the 21st century, it was decided to ask parents if these expressed values are the same ones the school should take forward into the future. Parents were invited to consider other values that had been put forward in a staff consultation process as possible alternatives. It appears, however, that the community largely still regards these values as in alignment with the St Margaret’s community. The top three choices for values were our current ones of integrity, respect and passion. Consultation with current students occurred at the end of 2021 and yielded another important value – inclusivity. The next step in this process is to report in full to the community on the overall outcome of these broad stakeholder consultations.

Issue 23

AILSA CROCKETT

Primary Learning Enhancement Educator

Staff Awards Each year at the Speech Night and Awards Giving Ceremony, two staff members are acknowledge for their professional achievements. In 2021, Primary Learning Enhancement educator Ailsa Crockett received the

Events Coordinator

for Service to the School Community. As the school’s Functions and Events

and Learning. As a learning enhancement

Coordinator, Kari demonstrated incredible

educator, Ailsa supports students with

flexibility during challenging COVID

diverse learning needs, ensuring their needs

times, coordinating and delivering an

are met, while also equipping classroom

extensive functions and events calendar

teachers with the tools and relevant

that enhanced community participation

knowledge to support their students.

and school spirit. Kari stayed abreast of

Her expertise lies in her ability to review

restriction requirements and ensured

student data, identify student needs, and

the school community was compliant,

devise appropriate learning plans. Ailsa is

conducted risk assessments, and acted

a wonderful support to all teachers, not

in a way that kept all school community

only because of her extensive knowledge

members safe and healthy.

and understanding of all areas of child

We congratulate Ailsa and Kari on this

professionally share and support her peers,

Functions and

Kari Potts received the Staff Award

Staff Award for Excellence in Teaching

development, but for her willingness to

KARI POTTS

well-deserved recognition.

as well as parents and families.

NAPLAN Results After a hiatus across Australia of NAPLAN testing in 2020 due to COVID, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 resumed participation in the nationwide standardised test last year. The test is designed to measure students in literacy and numeracy and track progress. All of St Margaret’s results across all years tested and across all measures (i.e. Writing, Reading, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation and Numeracy) were once again well above state and national averages. Whilst we do not have comparative data to report against, our consistently good results appear commensurate with previous years where we have ranked in the top 15 schools in Queensland across all categories (as we did from 2017 to 2019). St Margaret’s maintains a strong focus on literacy and numeracy as the foundation of all good learning and these results reflect the school’s commitment to ensuring all students have the best opportunities to develop these skills.

Ms Curtis said the data gathered through NAPLAN is used both individually and collectively to inform student learning. ‘Individually, the results provide important insights to a student’s progress, strengths and areas requiring further development, while collectively, the results ensure we are meeting our commitment to developing strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills and are used to further inform curriculum programs and delivery throughout the school,’ she said. ‘These results are but one measure among many that contribute to the well-rounded education St Margaret’s seeks to provide to the wonderfully multi-faceted individuals we have the joy to teach. ‘All students, as well as the staff and parents who support them, are to be commended on their efforts and dedication,’ Ms Curtis said.

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Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)

100% of our students received a QCE.

Class of 2021 Academic Results St Margaret’s graduating class of 2021 displayed great focus and adaptability as they completed their senior years in the midst of a global pandemic. Despite the challenges, their resilience was rewarded with outstanding academic results. Over 63% of the 2021 Year 12 cohort achieved an ATAR of 90 or above, which ranked them in the top 10% of the State. The median ATAR for the school

26 students studied the Portfolio Pathway

Portfolio Pathway – Diplomas and Certificate Qualifications

15 12 26

completed a DIPLOMA OF BUSINESS completed a DIPLOMA OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT completed either a CERTIFICATE II OR III across a range of courses

was 92.25.

ATAR Results Two students received

100/100

95.3%

across three subjects

One student achieved

99.95

received an ATAR of 80 or above

ZARA CAMPBELL

OLIVIA DONOGHUE

8.2%

received an ATAR of 99 or above

63.5% received an ATAR of 90 or above

MEDIAN ATAR 92.25

40%

received an ATAR of 95 or above

Zara Campbell, 2021 co-school captain and recipient of the Raymond Rees Award for Dux (internal), received an ATAR of 99.95, the highest possible ATAR score and has commenced studying Medical Science at Griffith University. She follows in the footsteps of her older sister Eva (’20), who is currently into her

of the Year 12 cohort achieved an ATAR of 99 or above

of the Year 12 cohort achieved an ATAR of 95 or above

of the Year 12 cohort achieved an ATAR of 90 or above

At St Margaret’s, Zara enjoyed learning about the human anatomy

of the Year 12 cohort achieved an ATAR of 80 or above

Co-school captain Olivia Donoghue was one of seven

students received As in all their subjects studied

Hailing from the small town of Bollon in South West Queensland,

second year of the same degree. While Zara is not entirely sure what her future in medicine holds, she is confident she wants to specialise and is interested in plastic and reconstructive surgery so that she can improve the quality of life of those affected by burns or disease. and found chemistry fascinating. She said these passions, nurtured at school, inspired her to study medicine. St Margaret’s students who achieved an ATAR of 99 or higher, placing her among the top one per cent of the State. Olivia is thrilled to be studying medicine at James Cook University this year, which offers a specific emphasis on rural, remote and tropical healthcare. ‘I was drawn to medicine for a combination of reasons. Firstly, I have always enjoyed science, particularly biology and chemistry in my senior years at St Margaret’s. Secondly, having grown up in a small town, I am eager to address the issue of limited access to and use of health care services in rural areas,’ Olivia said.

Issue 23

Sophia Wightman, who received an ATAR of 92.25, plans to follow her passion for maths and science, studying biomedical engineering at Sydney University. Aspiring to pursue a career in prosthetics, Sophia is drawn to the impact she can make through designing and developing medical aids that will ultimately improve the health and quality of life for others. Having studied Specialist Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, Physics, Biology and English, Sophia says she was influenced by her teachers and several other opportunities at school that helped open her eyes to the wide-ranging fields of engineering and the endless career possibilities. While at St Margaret’s, Sophia balanced her academic studies with her passion for rowing as a member of St Margaret’s rowing shed and the winning First VIII crew, in addition to the Queensland and Australian rowing teams. She will continue to pursue her sporting goal to one day row at the Olympics by joining the Sydney University Rowing Club (like several alumni before her).

ON THE JOB EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS Tahlia Paino achieved an ATAR of 91.4, placing her among the top 10% of the State, and is currently studying a dual degree of economics and commerce at The University of Queensland. Alongside her university studies, Tahlia is working part-time with St Margaret’s corporate partner Adrians. Tahlia applied for the Adrians Business Scholarship last year and while only one scholarship was awarded, she interviewed so well she was given an opportunity to work at the chartered accounting firm along with classmate and scholarship recipient Edwina McLachlan. ‘I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity to get my foot in the door and gain a taste of working in the accounting industry, not to mention to have been working full time straight out of school,’ Tahlia said. Tahlia and Edwina have joined St Margaret’s Old Girl Harriet Warby at Adrians, who was the inaugural recipient of the Adrians Business Scholarship in 2020. Now in her second year of a Bachelor of Advanced Business at The University of Queensland, Harriet has found the

SCHOLARS INSPIRE In April this year, the success of our top ATAR performing students from the Class of 2021 will be celebrated at a special Scholars’ Assembly. This annual tradition is an opportunity to honour each scholar for their achievements and to award the QCE Subject Prizes for those students who achieved the highest overall subject result. It is also an opportunity to encourage and inspire the current cohort of Years 11 and 12 students, with each scholar sharing advice and wisdom with the current students.

opportunity to connect her studies with the world of work an invaluable experience. ‘Working at Adrians, I have been able to practise, apply and hone the knowledge I’ve learnt at uni, gaining hands-on experience in my role as an undergraduate accountant. I have worked on bookkeeping, including preparing quarterly GST reports, superannuation, individual tax returns and, more recently, preparing tax returns for companies, trusts and partnerships. I have now decided to major in accounting and finance as part of my business degree. ‘It has been hugely beneficial to have a mentor to guide and assist me, and it’s been wonderful to work with so many St Margaret’s Old Girls. Being surrounded by familiar faces and those who share a mutual connection is comforting and has made settling in to work much easier,’ Harriet said.

Taking learning outdoors A group of three girls are making ‘fruit salad’ with a collection of leaves, sticks, flowers, dirt and water in a saucepan. Another group of children, donning a glittering array of mismatched dress-up costumes and accessories, are weaving in and out of the ‘fairy tale forest’ located among the leafy embankment and dry rock beds. A little girl, sporting safety goggles, is hammering nails into timber while three children nearby roll Matchbox cars down a makeshift ramp. This group of happy, bubbly children embody the pure joy and imagination of playing outdoors. It’s just a typical Friday in St Margaret’s Pre-Prep where, rain or shine, the four- and five-year-old girls and boys can be found learning in the natural environment surrounding their indoor classroom, developing positive relationships with the environment through their interactions with the natural world. According to Pre-Prep Teacher Belinda Knowles, engaging and enchanting students in the outdoors promotes many developmental benefits for the curious and adventurous little learners. ‘Time spent outdoors benefits children’s cognitive, social and physical development. Our Outdoor Classroom Day is play based

and largely unstructured, which allows the children to spend long periods engrossed in outdoor play, all the while developing lifelong skills including social skills, creativity, resilience, problem solving and teamwork. ‘There are health and physical benefits, too. The children learn about making healthy and safe choices. We encourage bare feet to foster a connection with the natural environment, and, through this, they become aware of the environment, the leaves, rocks, mud, and sticks. It grounds them while also allowing them to strengthen their feet and leg muscles and stimulate their proprioceptors,’ Belinda says. ‘They employ the use of all of their senses to explore, too. They will look and listen to observe what is happening around them, touch what they can reach, smell the fresh scents of nature, and occasionally taste when given permission.’ A fundamental aspect of the outdoor classroom is developing students’ connection to the natural world and their environmental awareness to instil a lifelong sense of environmental stewardship.

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Sustainable practices form part of the curriculum including a plastic bag and nude food recycling program, a worm farm, gardening, harvesting, cooking, and a real beehive setup in the garden. Food scraps are used in the worm farm, which is in turn utilised on the herb and vegetable garden beds that the children plant themselves. The Outdoor Classroom Day also provides opportunity for many incursions. Recently, for example, a beekeeper visited Pre-Prep to teach the students about bees and the beehive. ‘We were able to collect the natural honey from our beehive, strain it and then provide it to our Pre-Prep families,’ Belinda says. ‘Using nature to teach concepts such as, in this instance, science, is a highly effective way to engage students in learning while also promoting the need to show respect for environments.

You can view the video of St Margaret’s Pre-Prep outdoor play by clicking the QR code. ‘We are also allowing them to connect with country and aim to embed the Aboriginal perspective that we are all the custodians of this land and need to look after it,’ Belinda says. While the intent of the program is to be unstructured to allow for longer periods of outdoor play and student-led learning, Belinda does take cues from the children, setting up activities based on their interests or as extensions to classroom learning during the week. ‘We make sure that the children have space to explore the intentional teaching that’s been done between Monday to Thursday. Our Outdoor Classroom is the day for them to embrace it and demonstrate what they have understood during the week. It’s really about facilitating them to have the space to represent their understanding and knowledge.

‘We have been learning about transport and buildings and the measurement of these. Now the children are putting this into action, rolling cars down a makeshift ramp and measuring the distance with chalk. They are exploring their interests while also putting their knowledge of numeracy concepts into action.’ Just as outdoor play allows the children to apply their knowledge learnt during intentional teaching in the classroom, it can also steer the direction for intentional teaching. ‘We closely observe the children’s interests and inquiry so that we can build on their experiences and own observations outdoors back in the classroom with intentional teaching practices. It is an approach inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy that the classroom environment acts as the third teacher,’ Belinda says. The Outdoor Classroom Day is an integral facet of the Pre-Prep curriculum that focuses on nurturing the joy, connections and curiosity of our youngest minds while equipping them with the skills they need for life.

‘The mud kitchen, for example, provides an opportunity for the children to expand and apply their scientific and mathematical knowledge learnt during the week in cooking as they measure and pour. It also has cognitive benefits as they develop their problem solving, communication and teamwork skills and social benefits such as taking turns. In addition, they are developing their fine and gross motor skills with all of the mixing, measuring, pouring, carrying and adding of loose natural parts to their concoctions,’ Belinda says. ‘When we take the learning outside the classroom, we are able to engage and excite the children in different ways while also facilitating the development of literacy and numeracy skills. It increases creativity and provokes thinking outside the box.

Shaping future-focused skills St Margaret’s current Year 4 students will be the 2030 Year 12 graduates.

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‘M-Spired is an approach to teaching and learning that was developed to allow greater opportunity for our girls to develop as thinkers, to foster greater student agency, and for the girls to apply their learning beyond the context of the unit,’ Kate said. Students in Prep to Year 4 participate in five M-Spired lessons per week with the focus on four broad concepts: Community, Discovery, Change and Sustainability.

an entrepreneurial mindset due to having less management (down 26 per cent), less organisational coordination (down 16 per cent) and less teaching (down 10 per cent)’. In a bid to prepare and equip students for this predicted future, a new approach to teaching and learning has been introduced in the primary school, focused on developing the skills and capabilities they will need to navigate their journey through the 21st century – a journey that will be delineated by change, problem solving, communication and collaboration. According to Assistant Head of Primary – Curriculum (PP-6) Kate Frewin, a skillsbased curriculum is equally as important as knowledge retention.

Research from the Foundation for Young Australians (2017) has found that by 2030 it is predicted that the workforce will, on average, ‘spend 30 per cent more time per week learning skills on the job; spend double the time at work solving problems; spend 41 per cent more time on critical thinking and judgment; 77 per cent more time using science and mathematics skills; utilise verbal communication and interpersonal skills for seven hours a week each (up 17 per cent); and develop

‘It is no longer enough for students to be taught facts and knowledge alone. Students require a combination of dispositions, skills and values to be successful lifelong learners. ‘It is our responsibility as teachers to strategically shape learning environments to ensure students have opportunities to develop transferable skills, such as adaptability, communication and collaboration, that will support them to thrive in their futures.

Interdisciplinary in its approach, M-Spired combines science, humanities and design technology in a conceptual and inquirybased framework allowing students the chance to make authentic connections, construct their own meaning and transfer their learning to real-world applications. The integrated approach allows students to see how ideas are connected while the inquiry methodology provides opportunities for students to question, be curious and be self-directed. In turn, students are immersed in a learning environment that fosters opportunities to solve real-world problems, to question, to harness and develop their creativity, and to develop their abilities as clear and effective communicators and collaborators. ‘The development of these critical, futurefocused skills is fundamental to nurturing St Margaret’s students’ journeys as lifelong learners and their transition to future study and career pathways, transitions they may make multiple times throughout their career and across several industries,’ Kate said. Reference: Foundation for Young Australians 2017, The New Work Smarts, Thriving in the New Work Order, viewed 7 October 2021, https://www. fya.org.au/app/uploads/2021/09/FYA_ TheNewWorkSmarts_July2017.pdf

According to the 2020 Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions study by Deloitte, more than 1.6 million Australians are now downloading podcast content, an increase of 70 per cent from 2015.

podcast

Maggies Podcast: a local news program with a global outlook

In 2021, Maggies Podcast was launched featuring local primary and secondary school news celebrating school sport, culture, events, achievements, feature stories and interviews, as well as broader global news and current affairs. Across the primary and secondary schools, a team of budding student journalists, producers, and a post-production crew work fortnightly to pitch, research, write and record news stories, with technical producers editing and assembling the program with music, sound effects and secondary audio tracks, including interviews and sound bites. Primary teacher and initiator of Maggies Podcast Lucardia Moulton said the platform is equipping students with handson, technical experience as well as relevant 21st century skills. ‘The initiative is allowing students to cultivate enterprising skills as they investigate, create and communicate with a range of technologies, as well as

strengthening students’ communication skills, fostering their critical, creative and ethical thinking, and providing students with an opportunity to form their own opinions and find their voice. It contributes to developing students’ ability to think broadly and deeply as they engage and respond to world events and social issues at a local and global scale,’ Ms Moulton said. For Ella Gouldthorp in Year 12, participating in the podcast has had many benefits, including helping to improve her writing skills, something she had wanted to better in her last year at school. Ella wrote and recorded an article for the first podcast episode stating: ‘I learnt how to properly structure a clear, concise article to engage the audience as well as how to use the recording equipment. It was a great experience to be able to have a voice that reaches so many people.’ Year 10 student Isabella Bluett was also keen to use the Maggies Podcast as an opportunity to enhance her writing. ‘I wanted to practise my writing skills, which will definitely pay off in English classes, and to write about topics that I am passionate about, providing a voice to social

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issues that otherwise might never have a chance to be discussed in a classroom setting,’ she said. Luci Sprott in Year 8 said she has learnt several different skills through her participation. ‘Podcasting has allowed me to develop many skills across different areas. Not only have I been able to hone my writing skills, but I have also improved my public speaking skills. In addition, I have learnt resilience, articulation, resourcefulness and developed technical skills. I’ve also had the chance to develop my teamwork skills working with other brilliant Maggies girls to produce something we are all proud of. The skills I have developed will place me in good stead for future career opportunities but are also so transferable they will be beneficial across many areas of life.’ For our primary students, the experience has been equally rewarding. Year 7 students India McConnell and Talia Segal are both passionate about sharing news from around the school. Both girls have learnt to refine their broadcast communication skills with India stating: ‘I’ve learnt how to find, research and write news stories’ while Talia said ‘I’ve learnt to speak slowly and clearly on recordings.’ Ava Melia in Year 5 is hoping to share ‘how we need to work harder to save our planet’ through her podcast stories. With the rise of digital media consumption and the popularity of podcasts as a news medium, St Margaret’s students have embraced this platform as a means of having their voices heard, reaching an

engaged audience and delivering exciting, pertinent content including school events, sports, art and culture, world news and a fortnightly feature piece that allows students to deep dive into topics they are passionate about or that are topical at the time of release. The podcast platform is also intended to showcase career pathways in the diverse and ever-evolving industry of media and journalism. For Isabella, it has had exactly that affect. She enjoyed the experience so much she is now seriously investigating a possible career in journalism. So far, Maggies Podcast has featured stories on the life and legacy of Eddie Jaku (holocaust survivor and the author of the One School One Book selection The Happiest Man on Earth), in-depth interviews with esteemed staff who are approaching retirement, and student stories – reflections on Year 12 and the final year at St Margaret’s. There are plans to expand the Maggies Podcast with a platform that caters exclusively to the interests of secondary students, the potential for vodcasting episodes, welcoming special guests and continuing to connect with listeners in new and exciting ways. One of the most thrilling prospects for the future of Maggies Podcast is that students will drive the direction and vision. Maggies Podcast is available to download via the POD and the school eNews page each fortnight. It can be listened to anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

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Leading in careers education A key focus of St Margaret’s latest strategic plan is further developing careers and employability programs for students in Years 9 to 12 to help them identify and develop the necessary skills to participate, thrive and lead in a global economy.

To this end, St Margaret’s has introduced a new faculty integrating careers and learning support called ‘Student

Futures and Pathways’. Naomi Holley, former Director of Careers and Portfolio Pathways at St Margaret’s for the past three years, was appointed as Head of Faculty and Stephanie Cowie, former Acting Head of Learning

Enhancement, was appointed as Assistant Head of Faculty. The Career Industry Council of Australia stated that: ‘Australia is approaching the biggest intergenerational employment transition ever and what is needed for students about to commence further study or work, in addition to the world’s best education, is the world’s best careers advice.’ Ms Holley said: ‘The new faculty strengthens the relationship between student pathways and futures, including employability programs for students. In Term 4 last year, we introduced a careers education program for our Year 7 students, which is delivered in the Science of Learning lessons each week, and we intend to expand this program to Years 8 and 9 within form class and academic advising lessons. ‘The introduction of a careers education program will capitalise on our already excellent Year 10 Careers Program which includes our Career Avenues Profiling, Broadening Horizons Conference and our SET Plan interviews.’

SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK New research indicates that young people will need a portfolio of ‘portable’ skills and capabilities to navigate the world of work. The Foundation for Young Australians, in a 2016 New Work Mindset report, identified seven job clusters to assist young people in navigating the world of work. These clusters group occupations that involve similar skills, day to day tasks and work environments. In response to this, St Margaret’s has introduced several new certificates for the Year 10 cohort in 2022. These include Certificate II Sport and Recreation, Certificate II in Health Support Services, Certificate II in Community Service and Certificate II in Hospitality. Completion of a certificate II will provide each participant with four QCE (Queensland Certificate of Education) points. Ms Holley said: ‘These courses have been specifically chosen to ‘skill up’ our Year 10s for the future of work. We see the provision of these entry level certificates providing our students with skills and capabilities that are portable and in demand, equipping them for the future of work more effectively. Research shows that we have a more dynamic future of work ahead of us where linear careers will be far less common and where young people will need a portfolio of skills and capabilities. These qualifications fit the brief perfectly.’

NURTURING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GRAZIERS Throughout St Margaret’s history, the school has educated the daughters

Broadening HORIZONS C O N F E R E N C E

AYWN Aspiring Young Women’s Network

of rural and regional families across Queensland, NSW, the Northern Territory and even Western Australia. To meet the need for these students to develop the skills necessary to one day return to work on their family farms, St Margaret’s has also introduced a Certificate II in Rural Operations for Year 10 students. Students will spend one afternoon a week on theoretical studies with practical work to be completed on weekends on nearby properties.

Naomi said the conference ensures students are well prepared for life beyond school. ‘We want to model for students the variety of career pathways and opportunities by hearing from a range of experts, recent school leavers and tertiary institutions to raise their aspirations, broaden their horizons and highlight the changing nature of work and its impact on Australians.’ The conference is positioned within the Year 10 curriculum to intentionally inform students about future opportunities in preparation for their senior subject selection. It also supports the Careers Program which is designed to assist and encourage students to engage in lifelong learning and make connections from the classroom to life. The program consists of keynote speaker presentations, smaller presentations from industry, and a Careers Expo where students have the opportunity to engage with tertiary organisations about available courses and career pathways.

INSPIRING ASPIRATIONS A new innovation that will enhance the school’s careers and employability program is the introduction of the Aspiring Young Women’s Network

LINKING THE WORLD OF SCHOOL WITH THE WORLD OF WORK The annual Broadening Horizons Conference for Year 10s is a key component of the new faculty’s remit. This year will be the fourth year of

BEYOND the Panama

the conference, which has continually expanded and evolved, assisting students to make informed decisions about their study and work options beyond school.

Breakfasts series with the first event to be held this year. St Margaret’s Head of Faculty Student Futures and Pathways Naomi Holley said: ‘We want to develop students’ awareness of the variety of career pathways and opportunities by giving them the chance to hear firsthand from alumni who have recently transitioned to university or their chosen career.

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‘The Aspiring Young Women’s Network

St Margaret’s secondary teacher

events will profile female role models

Hetal Raniga spearheaded the Beyond

across a range of industries and

the Panama program in 2021 and

provide study and career insights to

Ysabella Dawson is taking up the reins

inform, inspire and provide ideas to

in 2022.

our students for their own futures.

‘I have found Beyond the Panama to be really rewarding in learning basic life skills needed outside of school. It is an especially helpful program to ensure confidence in my abilities to be selfsufficient beyond school,’ said Year 12

‘The events will also provide a

student Mary Kinross.

platform to initiate connections

2021 Old Girl Harriet Couchman-

Frame said: ‘Beyond the Panama is a very

between our students and industry, opening doors to work experience

resourceful program which taught me

placements, internships and mentoring

a lot about financial planning. I enjoyed

opportunities.

practising making budgets and learning

‘We have an incredible community

about writing resumes, and how to cut down on costs when I am older. The skills I

of Old Girls who are so willing to

learnt in this program will set me up to be

support our current generation of St

proficient in managing my finances when I

Margaret’s students by helping them to make informed decisions about their

leave school.’

futures and giving them a head start,’

Amelia McDonald, also a 2021

Naomi said.

alumni, said: Beyond the Panama was an

The events will cater to students in

Financial literacy is a big part of the

Years 9 and 10 who are preparing

program because this is an area where

for their senior subject selection

there is a gap in the girls’ knowledge.

and students in Years 11 and 12

It is an opportunity to teach our

considering their tertiary pathways and future opportunities.

FINANCIAL FUTURES

students the importance of managing their finances so that they can be independent young women in control

St Margaret’s recognises that students

of their lives.

need to be armed with a lot more than an

Delving into financial literacy at a

ATAR score for life beyond the school gates. Successful ‘adulting’ also requires financial literacy. From applying for a tax file number and

young age ensures that, by the time our students enter the workforce and start earning, they are equipped with the knowledge and capability to

money management skills, including

manage their finances with confidence.

opening a bank account, to superannuation,

The program is delivered for three

tips on renting and how to vote, the Beyond the Panama program aims to provide students in Years 10 to 12 with a breadth of practical knowledge and important life skills.

years, commencing in Year 10, and progressively builds on each topic. The response from the students has been positive, recognising what they are learning now will help them later in life.

insightful opportunity to be granted at school. It definitely highlighted the importance of budgeting and dealing with income in a responsible way, as well as the savvy tips for writing a resume which will be key to successfully adjusting to life beyond the St Margaret’s gates. The topics covered also include interview tips, how to create budgets and financial goals, bank accounts and credit cards, tax, superannuation, nutrition, effective communication, consumer rights, establishing financial goals and mindfulness. The program is delivered by a combination of St Margaret’s teaching staff and real-world experts brought in to share their knowledge and industry expertise. For Year 10 students, the program is run fortnightly during lunchtimes, while Years 11 and 12 students engage in these sessions as part of their Pastoral Care Program.

Encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset St Margaret’s has partnered with start-up group the Academy for Enterprising Girls, a program dedicated to solving real-world problems and developing girls’ enterprising skills, including problem solving, creativity and resilience One lunchtime a week, students participating in the academy work through online modules learning about entrepreneurship, design, coding and starting their own business and hear from young female entrepreneurs and some of Australia’s most successful businesswomen via videos. Head of Faculty eLearning, Research, Technology and Design Kerry Daud said the academy appeals to girls’ innate aptitude for problem solving. ‘Girls are fantastic problem solvers and find a real joy if that solution can make a difference in the lives of others. The academy helps the girls to understand that they are change makers and can make a tangible difference to their community. This sense of purpose and the potential to work towards a more socially just future really motivates the girls.

‘The program is so well structured that it provides the girls with the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the design thinking process, to build empathy for others, and to think deeply and creatively about problems, solutions, and innovation. The girls have access to female industry mentors, feedback and experts who are academic leaders in the fields of science, technology, innovation, and the creative industries,’ Ms Daud said. It is intended the academy will open students’ eyes to the career opportunities possible in STEAM, from app design, coding and data analysis to design features, user experience and functionality, while also inspiring them to see how they can make a difference in the world.

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‘We are equipping our students with the skills they will need to succeed in their future careers. Entrepreneurs apply knowledge creatively and resourcefully, and these are among the employable skills that will make our students agile and capable of thriving across industries, job roles and careers, not just locally but in a global economy as well.’ Ms Curtis, Principal.

‘Through the academy process, it is my goal that the students will feel empowered to embrace challenges as opportunities and know that there is a huge world of opportunities that they can pursue,’ Ms Daud said.

SHARK TANK

Among last year’s group of participants were several exciting enterprises in the early stages of ideation. Ideas in the pipeline included the environmental impact of fast fashion and how technology can help people reuse and upcycle in the circular economy; an app that would bring together a range of support networks for the homeless and challenge misconceptions around homeless people; and an app that would enable people to select restaurants and food outlets based on their ethical and sustainability ratings.

In 2021, students concieved a number of enterprising ideas from a time management solution, healthy food truck, Gift Guide app and a packaging service solution that changes colour to let people know if a product is out of date.

Year 8 student Jessica Krook participated in the academy last year and said she valued the entrepreneurial and business skills she had developed through the program. ‘I have developed skills for ideating (brainstorming ideas), finding a gap in the market, creating and marketing a successful product, and using other people’s feedback to improve my own ideas. ‘Developing these skills has been so beneficial since I am considering a degree and career in business and economics when I finish school as well as creating my own start-up business,’ Jessica said.

In Year 9, students studying entrepreneurial studies collaborate on an enterprising project before pitching and presenting their ideas to a panel of experts in a Shark Tank style approach.

Now in its fourth year, the Shark Tank project allows students to demonstrate their entrepreneurial thinking through a breadth of skills including problem solving, communication skills, critical thinking skills, confidence, money management skills, teamwork and leadership, customer service and marketing skills, as well as learning to pivot and change direction quickly when they encounter problems. While it is hoped that some students might receive funding for their innovative business ideas, more broadly, entrepreneurial studies foster a way of thinking in our students, empowering them to use the tools of critical and creative thinking to ideate solutions that will solve the world’s most complex and challenging problems. It is critical students develop these skills to both survive and thrive in the future workforce.

Science Week

Coinciding with Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology, National Science Week, St Margaret’s hosts a weeklong science festival each year with a range of engaging events and activities aimed at inspiring and involving students in science.

Then Head of Faculty – Science (now Dean of Studies) and recipient of an Outstanding Teacher of STEM award Chris Dunn said the aim of the festival was to provide opportunities for students to immerse themselves in the fields of science and technology and to enhance their love of learning. ‘Science Week exposes girls to opportunities and experiences that they wouldn’t ordinarily have in the normal classroom. In the past few years, since we started the weeklong ‘festival’, I have been heartened when I hear students’ gratitude for experiences that they never thought they’d do at school. ‘It is these experiences that are often the catalyst that ignite a passion for science within them and if we can facilitate that then we have achieved our goal,’ Chris said. From Einstein’s theory of general relativity to bungee jumping barbies and augmented reality, the 2021 Science Week provided fun and engaging ways for students to immerse themselves in STEM learning. ‘Students come into the workshops during Science Week with eagerness and an inquisitive mindset, and the hands-on experiences teach them skills and scientific knowledge that can be the catalyst for them to delve deeper into these fields and continue to learn,’ Chris said. In the primary school, students participated in the inaugural Science Spectacular facilitated by the Year 5 and 6 students and

featuring engaging experiments, robotics demonstrations and a showcase of M-Spired and STEM project work. The 2021 Science Week also saw the launch of the Women in Science Lecture Series. The first of its kind in Queensland, the Women in Science Lecture Series is aimed at celebrating the incredible work female scientists are achieving in their careers, in the hope that it inspires a new generation of young women to take up STEM subjects in school and progress into STEM-related careers themselves. Students from several schools tuned in virtually along with St Margaret’s girls to hear from Dr Larisa Labszin and Dr Kirsty Short who both work in areas of research that have been particularly influential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Feedback was positive with a Head of Department from another school attesting: ‘It was truly inspirational to our students. After the webinar had finished, a number of Year 9 and 10 students asked me how they could go about changing their elective choices next year to more science subjects!’ It is hoped the event series might open doors to industry for our students. St Margaret’s has also established a partnership with the UQ Women in Engineering group and QIMR Berghofer to enable the school to regularly provide girls with opportunities to interact with industry groups and learn more about potential STEM career paths.

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eSports: more than gaming Did you know that an international

for a while if they prefer to see what it’s

are picking up valuable skills they are

viewers than the American Superbowl

‘Everyone has your back and girls from

Students in Years 9 to 12 competed in the

As captains, the girls are keen to grow

pitting their strategic gaming skills

promote the fun and safe environment

Queensland, playing Rocket League,

balance this with bringing a focused

while the QUT Tiger Academy

competition environment.

competition rounds, rotating across

esports competition will attract more and that universities are now offering scholarships in esports or that in the

future those with the skills that esports develops will be able to get a job faster than anyone can say ‘metaverse’?

You might be a Mario Cart marvel in Year 5 but the strategic, computational, and high cognition problem-solving skills

that esports will develop can lead to jobs with the government in cybersecurity,

online forensics, even ASIO, and a whole host of careers not yet fully crystallised.

Even within the industry itself, there are jobs for graphic designers, animators, voice over artists, coders, music

producers … the list goes on. Some

predict that by 2024, the eSports market revenue worldwide could be 1.62 billion US dollars.

In 2022, eSports enters its third year as a St Margaret’s sport, complete

with inugural captains Eleanor Jewell,

all about.

many different year levels come along.’

against nine other schools across

in which the sport is played, and

Overwatch and League of Legends,

mindset and skills improvement to the

competition involved two full-day

Jessica said one of the key skills learned is communication.

‘Teamwork is an important part of the

game, so you have the chance to practise and hone your communications skills,

which is a really transferable attribute to

all aspects of your learning and your life.’ The girls agreed the other fun thing

about esports was that it’s a great game

to play with your friends at school and remotely.

In 2021, St Margaret’s Dragons esports

teams competed in three competitions. The younger students from Year 5

enthusiasm for it grows.

focuses on the Nintendo Switch platform,

The captains encourage girls to come along and give it a go.

Eleanor said: ‘Some girls think it’s a bit

scary and they have to be experts to join,

but it’s a really chilled environment, a lot of fun, and girls can just observe

Anglican Schools’ eSports competition,

the sport across the different games,

Elizabeth Hancock and Jessica Roberts, who will steer the sport as interest and

probably not even aware of.

competed in the FUSE Cup, which playing games such as Mario Cart,

Super Smash Brothers, Rocket League and Just Dance. ESports coordinator Kerry Daud says this level is a whole

the three gaming platforms.

Ms Daud says that as players mature

in their gaming, the ability to problem solve at a high level is probably the

most profound skill esports enthusiasts develop. She also notes a long list of

production skills they gain, such as sports commentary and hosting; multimedia, lighting, sound, and broadcasting

production; livestream moderation

and social media; officiating esports

events – standards, competition styles

and reporting; and wellbeing and online safety skills.

‘Research has also shown that esports is associated with higher intellectual functioning, increased academic

achievement and a lower prevalence of peer relationship problems,’ Ms Daud said.

lot of fun, students enjoy playing in a team, it’s very user friendly, and they

Taking steps towards sustainability Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not! – Dr Seuss Promoting positive and sustainable environmental change is a key tenant of a St Margaret’s education. Right from Pre-Prep to the secondary years, the school aims to develop students’ awareness and knowledge of sustainability issues and to foster a passion for protecting the environment and taking steps towards a more sustainable future. In Pre-Prep, students are very engaged with the natural environment through their outdoor classroom experiences and through this are taught the importance of caring for our natural world. The food gardens, compost bins and worm farm support their learning about the nutrient cycle while the recycling program and native beehive assist them to understand the impact of human actions on the environment. In the primary school, the Sustainability Club, led by the Year 6 Sustainability Leaders, is responsible for the maintenance of Maggies Garden and for driving other sustainability initiatives in

the primary school. The students tend to the garden, weeding, composting, watering and planting. The garden has become the source of much classroom learning not just from a sustainability point of view but also bringing alive maths and science concepts for students. On National Tree Day last year, students planted Maggies Garden as well as trees around the school, and before long they were enjoying the fruits of their labour, harvesting the garden for ‘Paddock to Plate’ cooking in the classroom. Through the garden, students are taught about composting and nature’s way of recycling. The girls are encouraged to place their lunch food waste in compost bins while vege scraps are collected from the tuckshop and coffee grounds from M’s Café, which are in turn used on the school garden. There is also a native beehive. Rubbish recycling is also encouraged through the ‘Containers for Change’ initiative with the proceeds put back into sustainability resources. The Prep to Year 6 Sustainability Club and the Year 6

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Sustainability Leaders are responsible for the maintenance of Maggies Garden and for driving other sustainability initiatives in the primary school.

in our community and the world. Climate change is a pressing world-wide issue, so adopting sustainable practices is another facet of the school’s global outlook.’

In Term 4 last year, the students spearheaded a Trash and Treasure Stall, encouraging the primary school community to ‘spring clean’ at home and bring in old toys or household items to be sold at the stall. All proceeds raised will support future sustainability initiatives in the primary school.

The school has attempted to reduce its impact on the environment through sustainable waste practices including:

In the secondary school, the Enviro Committee promotes student-facilitated action. The group of students in Years 10 to 12 aim to provide the school community with an awareness of the significance of their actions and to promote a cleaner, greener and more sustainable lifestyle for all. Over the past two years, the Enviro Committee has worked to reduce St Margaret’s contribution to landfill, through the promotion of sustainable waste practices and by encouraging all St Margaret’s students and staff to bring their own cup at Ms Café. Paper recycling bins have been installed in classrooms and, in Term 4 last year, new recycling bins were installed across the school campus and fitted with posters detailing how to separate rubbish into general waste and the Containers for Change bins. Two students also represented the school in the Lord Mayor’s Young Environmental Leadership Network. 2021 Enviro Committee prefect Paige Bastian said: ‘St Margaret’s focuses on building women of the future, who are equipped and ready to make a difference

•

the use of recyclable water bottles at the school’s Open Day and Open Morning events

•

the collection of coffee grounds from Ms Café and lunch waste to create compost for the school’s gardens

•

the switch of packaging, cutlery and clear plastic used by the school’s catering team to biodegradable alternatives.

This year, the school has introduced new leadership positions – Environmental Captains – with the vision of further engaging and empowering students to take steps towards sustainability, now and into the future. Inaugural captain Grace Reilly is passionate about the environment and hopes to inspire students and staff to make a difference. ‘We need to ensure that the needs of future generations are met so we must take steps towards more sustainable living now. If the world keeps going the way it has been, our natural resources will be depleted, and future generations will have to deal with the consequences. We must protect our environment now so we don’t further deplete resources that we cannot renew. Everyone can be involved, and everyone can make a difference,’ Grace said.

Grace says she hopes to build on the hard work, dedication and initiative shown by the Enviro Committee so far. ‘Last year, the Year 10 representatives came up with the idea of a clothing drive to address the issue of ‘fast fashion’ which I would really like to assist getting up and running,’ she said. Co-captain Imogen Elliott has big goals for the committee this year, wanting to explore the possibility of introducing green energy to St Margaret’s through solar panels and evaluating e-waste processes. Imogen believes it is important for the school and students to manage environmental issues within the school community. ‘As a school we often forget that our actions also play a role in managing societal environmental issues. However, we also have a role in contributing to the solution, too. Teaching the student body about the climate crisis and the Earth’s current environmental state is vital as it provides opportunities for students to engage in and create solutions to real-world issues. We contribute to the problem and, therefore, we must contribute to the solution. We must understand that we have the influence to control particular issues that arise as a result of our actions and this is exactly what St Margaret’s is doing.’ St Margaret’s is in the process of developing a Sustainability Plan that will acknowledge all the good work already being done and formalise priorities and targets for action to ensure every effort is being made to reduce the school’s ecological footprint.

Love, life and Luna We’ve all seen the YouTube videos – someone is delivered a surprise puppy as a gift and the connection, affection and adoration (from both sides) can be immediate and very emotional. The benefits of caring for an animal and receiving in return unconditional love, comfort and companionship cannot be underestimated. So, when Luna Peggy Fowler made her appearance at St Margaret’s early in 2021 as a young eight-week-old pup, it was love at first sight for over 1000 students!

‘It’s been shown that the presence of a dog in an educational setting can support concentration, attention, motivation, and relaxation.

Luna is a toy cavoodle, a cross between a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a toy poodle. And while she is officially the school dog, she plays a very important role in the boarding house and has captured the hearts of all its residents.

‘This can help reduce some of the inevitable stress of everyday life, which can impact effective learning and performance,’ Ms Fowler said.

Head of Boarding Lesa Fowler says that while the benefits of having a school dog is evident for all to see, it is backed by research.

Ms Fowler added that when the boarders help care for Luna, it teaches them responsibility in a way that is different from classroom learning. Year 8 boarder Phoebe Webb from Longreach explains that whenever Luna comes to the boarding house, she goes to one year level at time.

Issue 23

2022 REGIONAL TOURS

DARWIN July 13

✈

KATHERINE Katherine Show July 15 - 16

Boarders in that year level will take turns to walk her, and she also joins them after dinner and before prep, where girls meet in the common room to play with her.

MT ISA Boarding Schools Expo October 14 - 15

‘For me, as I live a long way away and unable to see my pets or animals during the term, Luna helps make up for the loss of my own dogs’ presence.

ROCKHAMPTON June 26

‘I have loved having Luna in the boarding house and can’t wait to see her when I arrive back at school at the beginning of each term.’

BLACKALL ICPA Conference June 8 - 9

SOUTH BURNETT ROMA Roma Race Day March 26

Phoebe added that Luna was an extremely playful character and loved everybody. ‘She is very friendly and happy to do whatever. She does have a streak of mischief in her nature, so we are careful not to leave things lying in the corridor. She jumps around the whole time she is with us, but by the end of her visit, she can be very tired. She loves to snuggle in your arms once the night is over.’ Lily Shan, a Year 12 boarder from Pasha, says that having Luna in the boarding house has been a great way to make the boarding house feel even more like a home. ‘She’s brought a lot of joy, especially on the days when we are missing home,’ Lily said. Lily concurs that Luna is very friendly and playful. ‘Since she was a puppy, she has never been shy or overwhelmed when there’s lots of girls around!’ Bridget Smith, a Year 8 boarder from a property near Mt Isa, said Luna really helped her settle in to the boarding house when she arrived last year.

EMERALD AGGROW June 23 - 25

MILES DALBY CHINCHILLA

MOREE Boarding Schools Expo July 21

‘Going from having lots of dogs and animals around to none was a big change for me, but having Luna definitely brought a different light to the boarding house, which has made us all feel happier and comfier in the boarding house environment,’ Bridget said. She agreed that Luna was ‘always full of energy and up for a play’, which seems to be a recurring theme when boarders affectionately talk about Luna who is full of personality. Ms Fowler said that while the girls are loving Luna’s company, they are learning important skills, probably without realising it. ‘Caring for an animal is excellent training for building and sustaining caring relationships in humans.

TOOWOOMBA Farmfest June 7 - 9 GOONDIWINDI July 19

GUNNEDAH AGQUIP August 16 - 18

‘It helps teach empathy, an important life skill, more so in the boarding house where the ability to share and understand another’s perspective and feelings is especially important. ‘Empathy also involves the ability to read nonverbal cues – facial expressions, body language and gestures. As Luna offers nothing but nonverbal cues, it’s important that amidst all the fun and excitement of having her around, the girls learn to appreciate when she is tired or not feeling especially social,’ Ms Fowler said. Luna will turn one this year; for all the love she has shared and troubles she has halved, she will no doubt enjoy a special celebration!

Maggies moments

Issue 23

Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and, importantly, as a nation. St Margaret’s is committed to reconciliation within our school ensuring our students and staff play a part in collectively building relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, histories, cultures and futures.

After two years of planning, the St Margaret’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) began to be enacted in 2021. The RAP is a framework that will drive important change in the classroom, around the school and within the community, based on the simple model of relationships, respect and opportunities. The plan outlines our vision for reconciliation within the school and the initiatives, actions and overall approach we will take to enact this vision.

At St Margaret’s, our reconciliation journey has started. We fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags next to Mooloomburram demonstrating our recognition of First Nation peoples and our community’s commitment towards reconciliation. At the commencement of each significant school gathering, we acknowledge the country on which we stand. We celebrate National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week and our

Issue 23

PROMOTING RECONCILIATION St Margaret’s Vision for Reconciliation

‘Our vision for reconciliation is an Australia that embraces unity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians, and a national culture that represents equality and equity, historical acceptance of our shared history and removal of negative race relations. By establishing a better understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, we will support reconciliation and develop an enriched appreciation of Australia’s cultural heritage and move towards the maturity of our community and Australia as a nation based on mutual respect and trust.’

students support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation during Book Week. Part of St Margaret’s celebration of National Reconciliation Week includes Floral Day – a themed free dress day – which sees students dressing in bright floral colours and our Indigenous students leading the school through traditional dance on Circular Drive. Each year, our students participate in Prayer Space – Dadirri. ‘Dadirri’, an Aboriginal word meaning ‘inner deep

listening and quiet still awareness and waiting’, is the guiding principle of our Prayer Space experiences. Practising the Aboriginal meditative ritual ‘Dadirri’, students have the opportunity to contemplate, think, reflect and pray in a quiet and still way. During National Reconciliation Week in 2021, Pre-Prep to Year 6 students participated in a Reconciliation themed Prayer Space Dadirri, which gave them the chance to gain greater awareness of and connect

deeply with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history. St Margaret’s is also a partner school of Yalari, and together we are dedicated to creating a brighter future for Indigenous children through education. We currently have 19 Yalari students from regional, rural and remote communities on boarding scholarships, and over the 11 years we have been associated with Yalari, 20 Indigenous students have graduated from St Margaret’s.

Additionally, we have launched an original publication titled Gidhal – a collection of stories and artworks from St Margaret’s First Nations families and communities. The project was spearheaded by English teachers Margot Shave and Noel Peinke in 2019, after they received an Innovation Award at the school to help fund the project. After a year’s work, the magazine was launched late 2020 and was the recipient of an Educator Award for Innovation and Excellence in Education. Since its release, it has been incorporated into the school curriculum in the primary school and throughout Year 10 Religious and Values Education (RVE). Local Aboriginal Elder Lesley Williams was invited to the school during NAIDOC Week to work with the Pre-Preps, sharing Aboriginal stories. She also ran a workshop with Year 10 History students, involving a yarning circle, focused on her book, Not just Black and White, the story of growing up on the Cherbourg Aboriginal Mission.

A second project is now underway – Elder Stories – which follows a similar goal to Gidhal. It aims to represent the diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, communities and culture of our 20 First Nations students by leaning into the stories of the girls’ elders. Elders in all communities, but particularly those of First Nations families, can be the repository of unique stories, experiences and insights into the history and connection to country. As part of the project, the students worked with Aboriginal artist Nikita Jarmin during NAIDOC Week in 2021 to celebrate the role of art in storytelling. In the threehour workshop, the girls learnt about Ms Jarmin’s experiences as an artist and were encouraged to reflect on a time when they were on country with family for their own artwork. In addition to this incursion, the girls also attended an excursion to the Queensland Museum and State Library to learn ways to research family history and visit the

Deadly Threads exhibit within Kuril Dhagun, the Aboriginal Education Centre in the State Library. The visit to the Museum saw the St Margaret’s Torres Strait Islander girls incorporated in a new exhibit, Torres Strait Island – What lies ahead for Zenadth Kes? After working with exhibit curator Rhianna Patrick on Gidhal, these nine students were invited to answer a question, ‘How are you fulfilling the hopes and dreams that your Akas and Athes (Grandfathers and Grandmothers) have for you?’ The girls all wrote their response earlier in the term and these were replicated on a wall of the exhibit with their names. Year 9 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student Charli Jones said, ’I am very grateful for being a part of the Zenadth Kes art exhibition as it represents my home and will help educate my people as well as nonIndigenous Australians.’

Issue 23

Students are now preparing their submissions for Elder Stories by interviewing family members and seeking permission to reproduce artworks ahead of the magazine’s publication for this year’s Reconciliation Week at the end of May. Our boarding community celebrates cultural identities and the annual ‘See my difference, See my worth’ festival pays homage to the vibrant cultural diversity of the boarding house. Through the sharing of cuisine, music, dance, stories and other cultural traditions, this festival provides an opportunity for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boarding students to cultivate a shared pride for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures, contributions, identities and histories within our residential community. In the classroom, St Margaret’s is committed to integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures into the curriculum. Curriculum documents have been or are being audited to assess the extent to which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions have been embedded and we will strive to identify opportunities that will allow for stronger representation of this content in our curriculum.

The RAP committee is chaired by Dean of Academics Caitlin McCluskey and includes local Aboriginal Elder Lesley Williams, Old Girl Jaz DeBusch (‘15), St Margaret’s staff Sue Trevor, Margot Shave, Lesa Fowler, Rev’d Jazz Dow, Belinda Knowles and Kylie Briggs, and student representatives. Sofia Nona, a student member of the RAP committee, said: ‘I am truly honoured to be part of the St Margaret’s Reconciliation Action Plan. As a young Indigenous girl, I am so proud to be able to educate people about my culture and learn about others as well.’ McCluskey said: ‘The journey of reconciliation and the school’s Reconciliation Action Plan are far from complete; however, through the school’s Reconciliation Action Plan and the RAP committee, we will continue to take action to increase our community’s knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures and strengthen relationships with our local Indigenous communities. ‘Our vision and its underpinning commitments are our guiding principles to unite and energise our school community to have reconciliation live in the hearts, minds and actions as we move forward, creating a school community strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.’ 39

Exercising ethical intellect A redeveloped RVE curriculum, which

if you are affected by climate change

‘It wasn’t adversarial. It was good

delves deeper into ethics and real-world

(for example, if your house ends up

training not to have to take the opposite

issues, spawned the idea, last year,

underwater)’.

perspective, but to have an honest

for students to be given the chance to

Louise Brown, Head of the Sociocultural

discussion about the issues.’

Studies Faculty, said the activity gave

‘I liked the approach of the judges. Their

students the chance to draw on various

way of thinking was deep, and their

aspects of their learning across a range of

questions made me really use my brain!’

subject areas and apply those learnings to

‘It was great to have a different lens

participate in an ‘Ethics Olympiad’ for the first time. Expressions of interests were invited from students in Years 8 and 10, which eventually led to two Year 10 teams and one Year 8 team becoming involved in the pandemic-induced online event. The Olympiad demands the same intellectual rigour as a debate but does not take the same format. Students work as a team to apply ethical theories to real-life case studies and respond to questions while building and critiquing their own and others’ arguments. St Margaret’s teams discussed such topics as ‘do we have a responsibility to know how a charity spends our donated money’; ‘at what point in a relationship do you disclose you’ve been in gaol’; ‘does the government have a responsibility to compensate you

new situations.

[through which] to think about issues.

‘This process is an excellent example of

Now whenever I hear something [ethics

deep learning and knowledge transference,

based] on the radio I can often relate it

which is a key learning goal of our

to what we learnt and engage with it in a

academic framework.

deeper way.’

‘It also gives students the chance to engage

‘I loved learning about the ethical theories

in and understand civil discourse, and the

– Deontology and Consequentialism.

importance of showing respect to the other

The training session we had before the

team members and alternative views.’

competition was really helpful – there were

The Year 10 St Margaret’s blue team won

all these theories we’d not come across

the Silver Medal for the Queensland

before and we were then able to use them

heats and went on to compete in the

in our own presentation.’

international event.

The resounding consensus of students was

We asked the students to comment on

to continue to compete this year.

their experience:

Issue 23

The Arts

CLASSICS IN THE CATHEDRAL Beneath the lofty ceilings and towering columns of St John’s Cathedral, the audience at last June’s Classics in the Cathedral concert enjoyed student orchestral, ensemble and vocal performances from composers ranging from Mozart to Chopin. Head of Performance Brad King said this much-loved annual event broadened students’ performance experiences, giving them the opportunity to learn classical repertoire and perform within the spectacular setting of St John’s Cathedral. ‘One of the joys of performing in the cathedral is the ability to explore the unique properties of the acoustics within the space. St John’s has one of the longest reverb times for a cathedral in the southern hemisphere, with delays in sound of approximately seven seconds. The acoustic, therefore, can be both exciting and challenging for musicians. The soundscape created is certainly something that is unique and special for our students to experience,’ Mr King said. Performances ranged from the triumphant To Dance Among the Stars, the moody Days of Beauty, a dazzling strings rendition of Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky to a performance of Mozart’s Divertimento in F Major. Each year, an Old Girl is invited to perform. In 2021, the school was honoured to welcome mezzo soprano

Xenia Puskarz-Thomas (’13) prior to

All student performers combined for

her leaving Australian shores to resume

the evening’s finale performance of

her studies in person at Julliard’s in New

Tintinnabulum by Welsh composer

York. Xenia gave a magical performance of

Karl Jenkins.

Morgen! by Richard Strauss, accompanied

When participating in the school’s music

by Jonny Ng on piano with music extension student Ashleigh Witenden on violin. She also performed the classic operatic aria O mio babbino caro from Gianna Schicchi.

program, students do more than make music. They develop their creativity, teamwork and critical thinking skills, which transfer into other areas of schooling and life.

OPEN MIC SESSIONS A new and popular innovation to come out of the music

VISUAL ARTS The Queensland Government’s Creative Generation

Excellence Awards in Visual Art recognise and promote excellence in senior visual art education throughout

Queensland state and non-state schools. Congratulations to 2021 alumni Grace Nankivell and Isabella Shepherd

sessions held during lunchtimes in the Barley Sugar Garden. Initiated by Head of Music Brad King and driven by the

Music Captains, three Open Mic events were held throughout the year for secondary students to perform cover songs or original compositions.

who were each awarded a Commendation for their

The Open Mic sessions had the Barley Sugar Garden buzzing

500 artwork submissions were received.

Mr King said: ‘These sessions are a fantastic casual opportunity

artworks – an extraordinary achievement given

with hundreds of students in attendance at each session.

The 2021 Senior Visual Art Showcase was an opportunity

for students who might want to try out a piece of music they have

in Years 11 and 12 for the second consecutive year. It was

others without the pressures that sometimes exist in a formal

of these students and exhibiting their creations in the

this year, expanding to at least one event per term.’

to showcase the work of our Senior Visual Art students

written or share a performance they feel would connect with

a wonderful evening of celebrating the accomplishments

performance environment. We are hoping to grow the initiative

Arts Centre gallery.

SOARING UPWARDS MUSIC FESTIVAL Last year’s 2021 Soaring Upwards Musical Festival – an event created in response to 2020 COVID restrictions – was, somewhat ironically, unable to proceed as a result of a snap lockdown on the morning of the original performance date. However, like so many events over the past two years, the school has found ways for the show to go on and, in Term 4, the festival was reimagined to become a performance to the primary and secondary school student community. In an uplifting afternoon of musical celebration, students enjoyed this chance to showcase their talents in front of a most appreciative and enthusiastic audience.

department in 2021 was the introduction of Open Mic

Issue 23

ARTS SPECTACULAR The Years 5 and 6 Arts Spectacular is often nominated as the favourite event in a St Margaret’s primary

school student’s journey. Reimagined

once more to deal with restrictions in

October last year, it became an outdoor theatre-in-the-round performance.

As the sun went down, goblins, space

walkers, steam punkers and angels took their places on Circular Drive and on a specially erected stage, donning their spellbinding wearable art creations,

depicting the ‘Other Worlds’ theme.

They gave two performances, enabling all parents in Years 5 and 6 to enjoy

the event while seated on their socially distanced rugs on the lawn.

Head of Primary Mrs Angela Drysdale said: ‘Arts Spectacular is a culmination of cultural learning experiences with

the students sharing their artistic and musical talents.’

2021 Sports wrap High levels of both participation and performance characterised the St Margaret’s sports program across both the primary and secondary schools in 2021. The secondary school program continued to build partnerships with sporting clubs and professionals, whereby highly skilled coaches, professionals and officials provide their services to design and develop programs that deliver sequential technical and tactical programs to strengthen performance. Below, are just some of the highlights from some of the 19 sports offered at the school. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, not all sports were able to play out their seasons to a final result; however, all athletes adopted a positive mindset and made the most of the games they could play. The swimming program kicked off the year, with the team placing third in the QGSSSA Swimming Championships. A nail-bitingly close competition saw St Margaret’s finish just 1.5 points behind second place. Still in the pool, the water polo program experienced its most successful year to date, with six of the eleven teams securing semi-finals berths, four of those making it through to the grand finals and the 16Bs taking out the championship. Lockdown postponed the artistic gymnastics competition from March to

June, but it was certainly worth the wait with the teams winning four out of eight premierships, including the prestigious Open grade competition. Like the water polo program, artistic gymnastics enjoyed its most successful season in the school’s history. Touch football attracts a huge contingent of players each year with 235 students participating in the 2021 season. Nine out of the sixteen teams placed third or better, with three teams securing premierships in their respective divisions. Likewise, rowing attracts large numbers, with 164 rowers taking to the water for a stellar season, one of the most successful in St Margaret’s rowing history. At the pinnacle event – the BRSA Head of the River – 82% of crews had podium finishes with 90% finishing in the top four placings. The Year 8s, 9s and Seniors won their age group pennants, the Year 10s came a close second, and the senior division Third and First VIIIs won their races. At the end of the day, St Margaret’s had not only secured the Head of the River trophy, but also brought home the aggregate cup 181 points ahead of its closest competitor, showing the depth of the shed and overall strength of the program.

The netball program, which includes Club Netball with the Downey Park Netball Association and the QGSSSA competition, also enjoyed great success in 2021. Cub Netball fielded a record 23 teams. This represented 230 players, who played in 350 competition games and attended over 400 training sessions. Five teams earned themselves the opportunity to play in the grand final with four teams coming away with premierships. The QGSSSA competition had a COVID-disrupted season, and despite no final results, several teams came through the season undefeated. After COVID cancelled the 2020 lifesaving competition, the team was able to contest the 2021 Royal Lifesaving Secondary Schools State Championships and the St Margaret’s team once again was victorious, becoming female champion school for the 23rd time. Fifty-two girls competed in the skilled and graceful rhythmic gymnastics competition, with podium finishes for the Year 8.3 hoop team (third), the Year 7.1 ball and Year 8.2 and 8.1 hoop teams (second) and the Year 7.3 teams placing first. The Opens performed very well to place fourth.

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Cross country is a challenging but rewarding sport as the girls discover more about themselves and the amazing feats they are capable of. A muddy May course saw our athletes running through ankledeep sludge. Not to be deterred, the runners showed great perseverance to place third in the 13- and 16-years age groups and first in the 14 years, which led to an overall third placing in the Joan Benson Percentage Cup and fourth in the aggregate cup.

Meanwhile, the athletics team showed amazing commitment and determination across the training season to be rewarded with St Margaret’s best result in a decade, placing third overall and second in the percentage cup. Tennis is the only sport played all year round at the school. While the competition could not be finished, the Senior A and B teams remained undefeated throughout the season. The hockey teams accomplished significant milestones this year. Three teams were fielded, with the Opens finishing in the top five, the Senior A placing second, only two points behind first, and the Junior A tied for third place. Badminton finishes off the sporting year and 63 junior players and 77 senior players

took to the courts for the competition across the first two weekends of Term 4. The short season rarely clashes with other sports, providing a unique opportunity for girls of all ages and sporting backgrounds to wield a racquet in a fun and friendly environment. St Margaret’s athletes are also very competitive in representative sport. Thirtyfour girls were selected across a variety of sports to represent Metropolitan North at the Queensland Secondary School Sport Championships and four students were selected to compete for Queensland at National Championships. Outside of the school sport association, we have had Australian representatives in futsal, football, artistic gymnastics, water polo and rowing.

Primary Highlights Like many things for the past two years, Andrews Cup sport in the primary school experienced challenges and triumphs throughout the sporting year. If it wasn’t COVID restrictions spoiling the party, wet weather took its turn raining on the parade. Despite this, good humour, resilience and a healthy sense of perspective still made for a happy sporting year. The primary school participated in 10 sports in 2021, with swimming the most successful team sport. For the second consecutive year, St Margaret’s bought home the aggregate trophy and, for the first time, combined it with the Springfield Cup. Three new sports were added to the roster in 2021 – cricket and soccer as official Andrews Cup sports, together with a gala AFL competition in Term 4. The cricket competition was jointly hosted by St Margaret’s and St Aidan’s and the girls were excited to play in six matches across the day, complete with white picket fence, under glorious blue skies. The primary players enjoyed great success in the inaugural Andrews Cup soccer competition. They returned from the Toowoombabased carnival with a first place in the Junior As and third place in the Senior As. The official Andrews Cup touch football competition was rained out twice, but the players eventually played in a friendly carnival showing off their skills learned in training. Likewise, heavy rains postponed the Andrews Cup tennis competition from Term 1 to

Term 2. Eventually played in April, the girls enjoyed good successes across the teams. The school fielded four teams in Andrews Cup Basketball with the Division D team gaining first place and Division C placing second. St Margaret’s cross country tied for third place in the aggregate cup with the 10- and 11-years age groups also gaining third place on the podium. St Margaret’s girls love their netball which is always contested with great enthusiasm. Ten primary school teams competed in club netball for the Downey Park Netball Association, with one of the 11 years team making it all the way to the grand final to be eventual runners-up. A COVID-delayed athletic competition didn’t dampen the girls’ enthusiasm when they finally took to the track and field. While not placing overall, many girls achieved personal bests and all enjoyed a great day out. The end of the year was a highlight with girls in Years 4 to 6 participating in an AFL gala day in Term 4 to finish off the sporting year, with plans for a repeat in 2022. Congratulations to all the primary sportswomen for a wellcontested sporting year. A special thanks to all the staff and coaches, who, despite myriad schedule disruptions, fashioned then refashioned complex arrangements to ensure the girls were given match experience.

SECONDARY HPE TEACHER: SARAH HARRE The new Sports Precinct has proven to be a valuable asset to the delivery of the Health and Physical Education curriculum. The precinct provides students with the opportunity to experience an array of contemporary learning experiences, acquiring movement skills on the land, in the water and even in the air.

T icking all the boxes Opened for use in Term 4 2020, the Sports Precinct has changed the shape of the HPE curriculum, sports program, and assemblies and events, as well as providing the boarders with an incredible new backyard. We asked the HPE and sports staff what it has meant to have this versatile facility at their disposal for their practices and programs.

new learning space is the multitude of sports, games and physical activities that can be undertaken within the precinct. From scaling the rock-climbing wall to rowing purpose-built boats in the pool, the new facilities provide an engaging, challenging and modern learning space. Providing the girls with opportunities to develop and transfer skills in a variety of authentic contexts is largely beneficial to ensure the girls can competently,

2022 HEAD OF FACULTY – HPE (PP-12): HELEN LOBEGEIGER

HEAD OF ROWING: JARED BIDWELL

The Sports Precinct has energised the

The newly developed sports precinct

The more activities we can expose the

sporting program and has been a hive

has helped to launch St Margarets Sports

girls to, the more likely they are to find

of activity. It is a space where multiple

into the stratosphere! From a rowing

something they enjoy and develop a

learning and training opportunities can

perspective, the ability to have multiple

lifelong appreciation of physical activity.

occur simultaneously. This enables more

year levels training in the one location

girls to be active in a whole range of

has been invaluable for bringing the

Another strength of the new precinct is

different environments that previously did

shed together. With numerous options

not exist. The precinct allows for all girls to

of training and confidence-building

play, train and compete which ultimately

activities at our fingertips, we have been

culminates in girls feeling empowered. The

able to bring out the best in every student.

precinct has incredible flow, enabling a

The Sports Precinct with a designated

sense of community between the different

aquatics area has allowed us to incorporate

environments, sports and activities.

recovery sessions in our program,

This flow also allows for staff to stand at

optimising athletic performance.

different points within the precinct and view all the activity that is occurring at any one time for supervision purposes. 46

Perhaps one of the greatest assets of this

confidently and creatively participate in physical activity beyond the classroom.

the central design with health classrooms located in close proximity to the pool, gym and multi-purpose courts. Accordingly, the girls can easily transition to learning about movement in the theory space, to learning in and through movement in the practical spaces. With movement being such a powerful medium through which learning can be achieved, the new precinct plays a key role in the development of the well-rounded St Margaret’s student.

Issue 23

HEAD OF NETBALL: GAYLE COUTTS Having the Philip Harris Gym (PHG) which has a purpose-built netball flooring that is the same as what the Firebirds play on at the Nissan Arena is a great asset for the players, especially senior players who are playing from four to six times a week. The flooring provides a superior surface for the girls and helps prevents injuries such as shin splints. We started 2021 off with our first ever indoor club netball trials. This was great for everyone,

CORE SPORTS COORDINATOR (SECONDARY SWIMMING, CROSS COUNTRY AND ATHLETICS): SUSAN UHLMANN

WATER POLO COORDINATOR AND SECONDARY HPE TEACHER: TALIA O’CALLAGHAN

At St Margaret’s we focus on educating the

community with exceptional facilities

whole child, and an excellent educational offering includes the emotional and physical wellbeing of our students. The St Margaret’s Sports Precinct enables us to provide programs and facilities that are central to our holistic education. Physical activity is vital to improvements in students’ self-esteem, energy levels and

especially parents new to the school. It

their ability to concentrate in class.

also allowed coaches to work indoors

The new Sports Precinct is a happy hub

instead of spending up to eight hours in the sun and there was no chance of wet weather cancellations. Combining the PHG with the multi-purpose courts provides a huge area where we can coach six teams at a time. Throughout the year, we have been able to run our training sessions for Years 2 to 6 club netball, taking away the cost and time delay of getting the girls on the bus to Windsor Park and again avoiding wet weather cancellations. We also used these spaces for all the senior and open QGSSSA teams to train. In Term 4, we also used the PHG for our Magnettes program (Prep to Year 2) and our New to Netty program. The space has also allowed us to run lunchtime shooting sessions for our goalies, which has improved our teams’ overall shooting statistics considerably.

of activity from 6am through to 6pm, and we have seen improvements in our engagement and results across the core sports since the precinct opened. We are able to run activities with a large volume of students, and host competitions with other schools seamlessly. Importantly, we are also able to offer world class strength and conditioning classes, and injury rehabilitation offerings with our new gym and equipment, and are seeing a lower injury rate due to the improved strength and agility of our students. St Margaret’s is one of the strongest competitors in the QGSSSA, with incredibly high participation rates, and our new precinct matches our students’ abilities and potential and will see them thrive for years to come.

The new pool has provided the water polo and resources. As a training venue, the pool caters for multiple teams to work with experienced coaches in the pool, on deck and in the strength and conditioning room. The retractable shade roof reduces player exposure to the sun, and the pool lights have been fantastic for our early evening training sessions. The St Margaret’s pool offers a personalised experience for players, officials, and spectators during competition. The water polo playing field offers an Olympic-sized field or two junior playing fields, and the balcony on level 2 overlooks the playing area to provide an excellent vantage point to live stream or video approved training sessions and games. The precinct offers a global community experience and has been well received by parents and guests. Within the pool area, players and parents have access to the parent support group barbeque and there are multiple spectator areas, including seating along the southern and western sides of the pool. The ability to watch from multiple locations around the playing field increases game-day excitement, exposing players to a positive crowd atmosphere. The program at St Margaret’s is benefitting greatly and club participation numbers have increased with the inclusion of three additional teams in 2021/22 season.

Giving the gift of light On International Day of the Girl Child, held last October, St Margaret’s primary students played their part in assisting the 789 million people around the world living in extreme energy poverty.

Through Australian charity SolarBuddy and in partnership with Amazon Web Services, Trend Micro and Mantel Group, students assembled solar powered lights that will enable children living in Tanzania to read and study long after the sun goes down. Once construction was complete, the students paused to reflect on the lives of their counterparts in developing countries and wrote messages to each SolarBuddy recipient.

Head of Primary Angela Drysdale said the program combined STEM learning with global citizenship.

Without these lights, communities are forced to rely on fossil fuel sources like kerosene and diesel which are toxic, expensive and damaging to the environment. SolarBuddies are a safe and reliable solar light solution for children living in remote, off-grid communities, which are helping to make their futures much brighter.

‘The activity also gave students the chance to learn about solar technology and to consider how innovative design solutions can solve some of the world’s most complex problems and transform lives,’ Angela said.

‘The process highlighted to students how others around the world live, while also giving them the opportunity to make a global contribution. Providing the gift of light will positively impact lives by increasing study hours after dark, offsetting carbon emissions and reducing kerosene expenditure.

Issue 23

The 2021 St Margaret’s Ponytail Project broke new records with 137 ponytails donated to Real Fringe Hairbands and $121,155 raised for Cancer Council Queensland and the Minotti Trust.

A hair-raising fundraising record

For the second consecutive year, a group of teachers joined the students in cutting their ponytails and fundraising for the cause. Since its inception in 2015, this entirely student-led initiative has raised almost half a million dollars for Queenslanders affected by cancer. In fact, so significant has been the impact of the Ponytail Project, in 2019 the Cancer Council Queensland adopted the campaign encouraging schools across the state to involve their students in the cause. Principal Ros Curtis said the Ponytail Project is a powerful display of how empowering students to give back leads to an extraordinary outcome. ‘Each year, we see the girls motivated to give back and inspired to actively contribute in this most significant way.

It is very empowering for them to experience how their contribution can make a real difference. The act of cutting their own hair is tangible and enhances the girls’ gratitude. The project also helps to develop students’ philanthropic mindset and inspires the girls to continue to give back to the communities in which they live and will one day work,’ Ros said. For 2021 School Captain Zara Campbell, last year was her fourth year participating in the Ponytail Project and she said philanthropic opportunities are ingrained in St Margaret’s philosophy and throughout its history. ‘Since St Margaret’s began, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent have always highlighted the importance of service to the community through their educational and social endeavours. Indeed, these values still strongly underpin the St Margaret’s community to this day, and, through acts of service like the Ponytail Project, students are able to realise that we can not only have a massive impact on society, but we are also continuing the Sisters’ legacy,’ Zara said.

Connecting Community While some much-loved P&F events fell victim to lockdowns and restrictions once more in 2021, some firm favourites remained on the calendar and attracted scores of community members, keener than ever to connect during challenging times.

Issue 23

The Mothers’ Lunch and Fathers’ Dinner were all well-supported with 500 and 200 parents in attendance at each event, and we thank community members and sponsors for supporting these events. Thanks to the support of our sponsors and school community, these events combined raised over $60,000 of which the majority will be strategically invested to support the school with one significant project by donating to the Foundation Building Fund. Sadly, the Father Daughter Breakfast, Primary and Secondary High Tea events and the school’s first ever Polo Day were cancelled but hopefully 2022 will see the return of the full contingent of events that are bigger and better than ever. For companies looking for exposure to the niche St Margaret’s audience, a sponsorship proposal is available from Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement Lara Pickering on (07) 3862 0884 or email P&F@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Reunions

Issue 23

St Margaret’s Pa st Student Aw ards celebrate the di verse achievem ents of our past stud ents. Nominations ar e now open fo r the 2022 Past Stud ent Awards an d close on Friday 25 Mar ch 2022. Visit www.stm argarets.qld.edu .au for more inform ation and to do wnload the nominatio n form.

St Margaret’s Old Girls pivot during the pandemic In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. Sun Tzu, The Art of War

‘Like so many people, I had to drastically shift my career pathway due to COVID. In 2020 when the pandemic began, people were spending more and more time online and engaging with social media platforms more than ever before. I was working incredibly long hours creating interesting and relevant content for each of my VRD Media clients that would add value to their followers’ day. ‘As the pandemic progressed it became clear to me that the social media industry was changing. Businesses were understanding how important and powerful their social media platforms were and subsequently the role of social media manager was moving in-house. I realised it would be a short-sighted endeavour to attempt to further scale VRD Media,’ Victoria said. At the same time, Victoria and her business partner were seeing first-hand a need for consumers to interact with the businesses they love in a tangible way. As COVID-19 closed borders and imposed lockdowns, the concept of ‘business as usual’ was no longer. We spoke to two St Margaret’s Old Girls, on opposite sides of the globe, about their approach to business during the pandemic and how they have pivoted their businesses to adapt. London-based Old Girl Victoria Drysdale (’11), founder of businesses VRD Media, a boutique social media management and content creation agency, and the newly launched branded merchandise company Brand Stamp, moved swiftly to adapt in response to the rapidly changing social media landscape.

‘People were growing tired of simply scrolling and were wanting something more. So, in February last year, we came up with the idea for Brand Stamp; a covetable, clever and conscious branded merchandise company. ‘Our goal was to work with businesses to make the merch that people actually want and use and to create marketing experiences that go beyond the screen,’ said Victoria. Four days after coming up with the idea for Brand Stamp, Victoria and her cofounder incorporated the company and launched two months later. So far, Brand Stamp has worked with about 30 different clients creating more than 200,000 products.

Issue 23

Through Penny’s Wolff Coffee Roasters business, she has experienced change also, mostly as a result of lifestyle changes with more people now working from home.

Closer to home, local coffee entrepreneur Penny Wolff (’92) has certainly experienced first-hand the impacts of COVID across her wholesale, retail, online and education businesses.

‘We have witnessed the rise again of the suburban cafes supplying delicious roasted beans to all necks of the woods as the wider Brisbane community works from home and still enjoys their daily cup of coffee, predominantly take-away now, of course. Sadly, it’s been the reverse for the city locations who have experienced terrible lows. Witnessing many, including hospitality veterans, close their doors during this period has been heartbreaking.

For Penny, the first biggest disruption began when she had to temporarily close her new café Dandelion & Driftwood at the Brisbane International Airport in February 2020.

‘The supply and demand of specialty coffee green beans is also becoming more challenging worldwide, and I am predicting that an increase in coffee prices is set to bring incremental increases to the consumer through their regular cup of coffee,’ Penny said.

‘No one imagined at the time that it would end up being a two-to-three-year closure.

Penny says that continuing to innovate has been key throughout COVID.

‘We wanted to ensure the brand could continue to trade during this period. A cafe space presented not long after, which allowed us to relocate back to Hendra (the suburb where it all began). Intuitively, we acted fast on this opportunity. We’ve been trading now for just over a year in this location, living through five lockdowns and enduring the yo-yo of ‘stay at home’, vaccination mandates for the team and now dine-in customers.

At Dandelion & Driftwood, she has introduced convenient Boxed High Teas for customers to enjoy from the comfort of their homes. Delivery is even available within a 5km radius to support those among the local community in isolation with COVID. Customers can also preorder, pay and pickup curb side, and the introduction of a ‘D&D Pantry’ means that consumers can shop online to purchase many of their favourite products with convenience.

‘The mandates have been difficult – having brought segregation to our community and forcing operators to follow mandates that imply we are discriminating. I’ve personally received threats and messages both written and verbal suggesting I am a ‘disgusting low-life repulsive human being’ because I didn’t allow non vaccinated people into our hospitality businesses. It is quite simply the position we find ourselves in – we did not write the mandates, we simply have to follow them,’ Penny said.

The Wolff Coffee Roasters business has had to pivot too with an influx of online sales leading to a redeployment of staff to handle the increase. ‘A large portion of our human resource has been deployed into increased online sales for roasted beans, espresso and filter for home, specialty instant coffee, coffee brewing equipment, coffee subscriptions and craft your own custom blends for special occasions.

‘We have also introduced new product ranges including Cold Brew Casks Concentrate, Ready to Drink and Cold Wolff Cans to meet demand for ease, convenience and at home consumption,’ Penny said. Despite all of the changes faced throughout COVID, Penny says there have been countless lessons for entrepreneurs, many of which she shares with students she mentors at the Queensland University of Technology. ‘Always put your energy into moving forward, don’t dwell, use your gut instinct. Approach every interaction with kindness and understanding and lead by being proactive rather than reactive,’ Penny says. Through all the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic over the past two years, these women have embodied the qualities of a St Margaret’s girl – resilience, agility and optimism – and even in the midst in chaos, they have proven there is always opportunity.

Open Day

Tuesday 15 March

Professional Women’s Network Breakfast #1

Thursday 31 March

Father Daughter Breakfast

Saturday 23 April

OGA Past Student Awards

2022

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Saturday 5 March

Friday 29 April

Day/Boarder Long Weekend

Friday 6 May

Primary Breakfast for Mother’s Day

Friday 6 MAY

Mothers’ Luncheon

Wednesday 11 May

Professional Women’s Network Breakfast #2

Friday 13 May

Fathers’ Dinner

Saturday 14 May

Cocktails on the Creek

Wednesday 25 May

Giving Day

Friday 27 May

Classics in the Cathedral

Thursday 16 June

Grandparents Day (Primary)

Issue 23

Saturday 23 July

Decade Reunions

Sunday 24 July

Old Girls Day – Chapel Service and morning tea VIP 60+ Reunion

Friday 29 July

Soaring Upwards Festival MAYO Cocktail Party

Saturday 30 July

Mayo Festival

Thursday 11 August

Open Morning

Thursday 18 August

Professional Women’s Network Breakfast #3

Saturday 20 August

Netball Support Group Trivia Night

Friday 26 August

Primary Arts Spectacular

Friday 1 September

Primary Breakfast for Father’s Day

Saturday 3 September

Polo Day

Tuesday 11 October

Speech Night

Wednesday 19 October

Professional Women’s Network Breakfast #4

Sunday 30 October

Whole School Mother Daughter High Tea

Trivia Night RAFFLE St Margaret’s P&F Association Netball Support Group

Drawn: 9.30pm, Saturday 31 July 2021

You do not need to be in attendance to win.

MAYO Long Lunch The biennial MAYO Long Lunch was held in October last year with 100 guests attending the event which was themed ‘The Artist’s Lunch’. Each guest was invited to bring an artwork from their collection to be exhibited in the Arts Centre Foyer and appreciated by guests over pre-lunch drinks. St Margaret’s Head Chef Scott Johnson prepared a four-course lunch menu which was as artistically presented as the works exhibited. Friends of MAYO and St Margaret’s thank Quality Food Services, Hillman Meat Company, Spiro’s Fresh, Richards Brothers Seafoods, Maleny Dairies and Stone & Wood, who so generously donated products towards this event. Proceeds from the event go to the Friends of MAYO who raise funds to purchase artworks to foster students’ aesthetic education.

Donor Impact Report

EVERY GIRL EVERY OPPORTUNITY

GIVING DAY

A day for Every Girl Every Opportunity

DAY

THURS

AY 202M 021

In 1895, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent established St Margaret’s to give girls the opportunity to be educated – to give them an empowered future that could contribute to the common good of society. Their work continues to this day and is reflected in our mission statement to prepare girls to become ‘confident, compassionate, capable women able to contribute to a global community’. St Margaret’s new ‘Every Girl Every Opportunity’ appeal,

GIVING DAY MATCHERS

launched on Giving Day reflected this ambition.

Anonymous (2)

Giving every girl every opportunity takes a village and the

The Burdon Family

St Margaret’s village certainly rose to the challenge on our second

The Dunning Family

annual Giving Day held on Thursday 20 May.

Brooke and Patrick George

485 members of our community donated on the day to help us to

The Lamprecht-Simpson Family

give ‘Every Girl Every Opportunity’ while she is at St Margaret’s

The Lisle Family

and to become all she can be beyond the school gates. A record

The McDonnell Family

$254,954 was raised in 24 hours!

The McKie Family

Thanks to our generous matching donors, donations on the day

The Middlemis Family

were once again doubled to ensure our facilities can continue

Red Oak

to help deliver the best education and to support needs-based

Ros Curtis

bursaries which will give some girls opportunities they never

Jayne and Peter Smith

thought they could have.

The Sorbello Family

House pride was on the line again this year with Tennyson taking

St Margaret’s Foundation

the lead on funds raised and donor participation.

St Margaret’s Old Girls’ Association

Thank you to all who donated on the day. Special thanks to our

St Margaret’s School Council

students for their wonderful efforts and our matching donors for their generosity.

TENNYSON

CHAUCER

KENDALL

LAWSON

HERRICK

SPENSER

BEDE

MILTON

Total Funds

Donors

$56207 53

HOUSE TEAM RESULTS

$30081 42

$23306 46

$21501 35

$17445 44

$15536 52

$14411 47

$12301 43

Issue 23

Thank you to our donors St Margaret’s with the Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of those who have donated in 2021 to support our students.

The Comiskey Family Margot and Ron Finney Anonymous The Hudson Family The Beard Family Programmed Property Services H and R Campbell The Reddacliff Family The Crommelin Family Darci Rutherford (‘18) The Hon and Piper Rutherford (‘21) Mrs Ashley Dawson-Damer AM Lisa Worner The Dunning Family Prue Galley (‘61) AMBASSADOR Helene Jones Foundation Trust $1,000 - $2,499 Abigail Kho Family St Margaret’s Old Girls’ Alford Family Association Anonymous (4) Charm Arnott VISIONARY Terrie Barakat Diana Cameron $5,000 - $9,999 The Caro Family Anonymous (1) The Cassady Family The Burdon Family Raquel Cobb Ros Curtis Zoe Connolly The Everson Family Charlotte and Sophie Cosgrove Stuart & Genevieve Fraser The Cowley Family Brooke and Patrick George Evesham Farming Pty Ltd Brooke, Alexandra Coco & Suki Fidler and Gabriella Henzell The Lamprecht-Simpson Family Andrew & Loretta Gatenby Charlotte Jackson The Lisle Family R J King The McDonnell Family The Lane Family The McKay Family Margot Love (‘63) The McKie Family Doune Macdonald The Middlemis Family The Mitchell-Cho Family Jayne and Peter Smith Dani O’Neill The Sorbello Family and Isabel Haqqani (‘18) Mary Surtees Brian E E Hirschfeld The Rice Family CHAMPION The Richardson Family $2,500 - $4,999 Jim & Robyn Ferguson Shirley Bale Cheeky Hopper The Cronin Family The Selwa Family The Campbell Family The Sweeney Family (Hannah and Lillian) The Traves Family The Carrick Family Letitia Vitale The Chang Family The Webster Family

LUMINARY $10K+

The Wedderburn Family Arabella Wilson and Family

ADVOCATE $500 - $999

Anonymous (13) Josephine Atkinson The Bastian-Jordan Family Libby Black (‘68) Terry and Andrea Bridge Margaret Bunce Elia Chen Anne V Clarke Cookie Cutters The Cooke Family The Cooke Family Keri Craig-Lee OAM Helen Danalis Sarah Derrington The Dollar Family Lucy Dunning Susan Earnshaw Enzo Esposito Alice Finlayson Kaye and Anthony Flynn The Fu Family The Gaspar Family Rick & Alice Greenup The Hansen Family Jill Hewitt The Hutchins Family Wendy Johnston Karen Jonsson Barbara Just (‘58) Wenjing Kang Geoff and Kantikar Kernick Bill and Kara Kettle The Loughrey Family Zara and Vivienne Lyons Jason McAulay and Tania Waters Jane Maclean (‘62) Lisa Mitchell

Courtney and Matthew Murray-Rickard Nan Noble Anna Owen The Peat Family The Piggott Family The Pulitano Family Sally Quayle Alison and Robert Quinn William Ramsay The Rees-Smith Family The Robson Family Dr Sue Ryerson (‘62) John Sanday Robynne Siemon (‘59) James and Chloe Smith The Smith-Roberts Family Tennyson House students The Timms Family Michelle Weber Mr Peter J Wolff and Mrs Penny J Wolff The Woods Family

SUPPORTER $2 - $499 Anonymous (142) The Adsett Family Caroline Aldridge Reggie Ali The Allen Family Reverend Karen Allen The Alward Family Abby Anderson Greg Anderson Lucy Angelini The Astill Family The Barber Family The Barclay Family Akila Barkus Lisa Barry Kyara Chelsea Bashforth The Baxby Family continue over 61

Lee Beanland Bede House students Dorothy Begbie Alasdair & Rebecca Begley The Beikoff Family Margot Bekkers (nee Morison) Judith Bell Diane Bender (‘64) Helen Bernays Paul Bertinato Louise Birnzwejg Fiona Boland Eleanor Bolton (Cray) The Bothwell Family Nicky Boynton-Bricknell The Briggs Family Annabel Bright The Brown Family Gay Bruce Kym Buck The Burns Family Abigail and Talia Busse and Family The Butler Family Angela Buys Matthew Byrne Sarah Campbell and Jerome Batten The Campbell Family Rebel Campbell-Carlson Estella Caro Marilyn Carr Shane Cassady Dean Castrisos Paula Castro Matthew Cater Annabelle Chaplain Chaucer House students Jan Chayter Audrey Chen Michaela Chong Margaret Christiansen

Louisa and Brent Christofferson Everil C Clark The Colledge Family John and Sandra Colley Dr Jean Collie (‘61) Gia, Anika and Paloma Comino Markelos and Kirsty Conias Peter Connor Mark and Victoria Conroy Ruby Considine Felicity Cooper The Cordingley Family Desiree Coroneo Toni Couper Joan Cowie (‘55) Leonie Crawford Alex and Penny Crawford Rev’d Susan Crothers-Robertson The Crowley Family The Cunningham Family Marcus and Shelley Curr Guangyuan D The Dahl Family Kerry Daud The David Family Charlotte Davis Nicole Devlin The Dew Family Libby and Bruce Douglas The Drysdale Family Sarah Dulley Jenny Duncan (‘64) Kylie Dunn Billy Dunning Elizabeth Dunning Sarah Dunning Anna Dunning Annie Dunning (‘91) Noela Edwards Georgia and Julia Elks Kylie and Andrew Esler Sophie Evans, David

and Alice Sutherland Judith Evans The Fahy Family Robert Fitzgerald The Fitzgerald Family Scott & Sacha Flynn Craig & Julie Forster Laurel Fraser The Frewin Family Loretta Fua Brett Fuller Sophie Fuller Louize Fulton Kim Futcher Brad & Bianca Ganim Raymond Geise Danielle George Jacinda Geritz Barbara Gillespie Gemima Given Karen Gorrie Peggy Greenup The Griffiths Family Jordan Groeneveld The Gustafsson Family Margaret Hamilton Judy and John Hanly Rebecca and Josh Hann Sonya Hardcastle The Hatcher Family The Hebron Family The Heffernan Family Louise Hefter The Henzell Family Herrick House students Janice Hewitt Gayle Horn Melanie Hourigan Kendall House students Sherie Houston Alayna Howells Sandra Humphries (‘52)

Olivia Hunter Shannon Hunter The Huxley Family Palika Ilangamage Nicki Irvine Lily Jackson Helen James Fraer-Ann and Kirby Jamieson Brad and Mary Jamieson Susan Jarmer Sonja Jarrett Belle Jia Anne Jobbins (‘53) Sandra Fay Jones Nikki Johnston (‘11) Margie Joyce L M Kee Nicole Kennedy Alice Kenny Melissa Kerr Lindsay Khushal The Kidd Family Peter King The Klaassen Family Maddie and Jess Krook Cameron Krook Charlotte Kropp Kathryn Lambert The Langley Family Alex Lannon Aurora Lannon Susan Lawrance Lawson House students Taneale Lawton The Lee Family The Leggatt Family Chunmei Li Bianca Licina June Lobegeiger The Love Family Margot Love Anita Lowe

Issue 23

Xanthe Lowe-Brown Maggie Lu Yana Lu Jenni MacIvor The Manly Family The Marchant Family Kelli Martin Paris, Olivia and Elise Martin Amanda and Craig McCabe Caitlin McCluskey The McDonald Family Annabel & Gina McGagh Lucy McGuire Roslyn McLay Fiona McMahon Hannah McMaster Andrew and Natalie McMaster The McMillan Family Carolyn and Gary McMullen Jackie Mcnally Margot McNee The McWilliam Family The Mills Family Milton House students Kate Moller Leila and Jasmine Moody Janice Moody The Mouland Family Move Recruitment Solutions The Mullan Family Annie Murray (on behalf of Manon Brown) The Kay Murray Family Stuart and Belinda Nankivell Joseph Nguyen C & P Noonan Lily Noorli Ziggi Norris Lara, Noemi and Sophie North Elizabeth Norvill Susan O’Hare Petra O’Meara The O’Sullivan Family Kate Pearson The Peck Family Antonella Perez Ken and Chrissie Perrett Ella Perry Lara and John Pickering The Pieterse Family Mark Pitman The Pitt Family Dawn Powell Libby and Andrew Price Lola Priddle

The Proctor Family The Proper Family Anna Quin Lisa Rayner Pett Rayner Kim Rayner Patricia Reeve (‘60) Katherine Reinhardt Amanda Rhode Kathryn Ritchie Tina Roberts Jenny M Robertson John Robinson Helen Rose Marianne Rossiter Delyse Ryan Kate Ryan Raquel Sartor Marilyn Savage Robin Scott The Segal Family Dario & Elizabeth Serafini The Serafini Family Andrea Severa Min Shan Kelly Shann Roz Shannon Pearl Shen and Tim Renwick Mal & Rina Shepherd Eloise Shewan Da Si The Sloman Family Emily and Lucy Smith Robert and Tracey Smith Janette Snewin Sophie Sarah Sorensen Spenser House students Karolina Spiez Max Spooner St Margaret’s Pre-Prep students The Steinberg Family Dawn Stevenson Emilia Stewart Jennifer Stiller (‘61) Stella, Lucy and Alice Stuart The Stringer Family Charlotte Sutton Tanni Tan Kate Taylor The Thompson Family The Thornton Family Fay Thorogood (‘53) Allison Thorpe Andrea Tighe The Timchur Family

Toc H Australia Northern Region Nikki Townsend Kerrie Trimble Betty Tsang Norma Tucker Tarabay, Spooner and Ungerer The Lodge Family Delna Venter The Wake Family Kathryn Wark Genevieve Whitehead Melita Williams Toni Williams Dr. Robyn Wilson Meredith Wilson (‘90) S Wilson Jacqueline Wilson-Smith (‘90) Lauren K Winks

David and Mardi Winter Glen & Juliette Wright Margaret Wyman (‘51) Carrie Xiao Melissa Xu Leo Yang Bona Yasi Charlotte and Genevieve Zahnow Vanessa Zann Zara Zeller The Zhong and Zhao Family Xingwu Zhou

St Margaret’s is fortunate to receive significant support each year from our school partners, Adrians, Yalari and the Cancer Council. Their support assists us in delivering a number of initiatives that provide access to a St Margaret’s education and enrich the curricular experience for our students. We thank them for their involvement in our school and community. ST MARGARET’S ETON SOCIETY We would also like to acknowledge and sincerely thank members of our Eton Society who have decided to give the ultimate gift by making a bequest to the St Margaret’s Foundation in their Will. Joining the Eton Society is about the spirit of intention, and about participation to help build a program which will honour the legacy of the Sisters and contribute to the education of girls for many years to come.

Please note, donations acknowledged in this list were received from 1 January – 14 December 2021. While much care and consideration is taken in preparing this list, occasionally there may be an error or omission. To discuss giving to St Margaret’s, or to advise of an error or omission, please contact the Development and Community Office by email to foundation@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or telephone +61 7 3862 0884.

Philanthropy transforming the school landscape In 2021, donations once again helped to transform the physical landscape of the campus, creating several new spaces that enhance the learning environment for every St Margaret’s girl. Philanthropy has and will continue to play a crucial role in creating innovative and inviting collaborative learning facilities. St Margaret’s new ‘Every Girl Every Opportunity’ appeal encompasses several exciting, planned developments and refurbishment projects which continue our focus on advancing school facilities to benefit all students. Highlights include a Senior Study Centre, new classroom buildings, and amenity upgrades. Further development of the Arts Precinct will be the focus of the school’s next Capital Campaign. Thanks to your support, we have been able to complete two major projects this year.

complete with all the essentials including a toasty machine needed to help get through the day,’ said Chloe Fenwicke. Ashleigh Witenden said that ‘the new study centre has been amazing in providing a quiet space for Year 12s to study all throughout the school day, from morning to night. In the centre there are two study rooms, one for individual work and one for group work, which has been great as it accommodates everyone’s study preferences. We also have a kitchen and dining space which has been very useful for spares and lunchtimes as we can make tea, coffee and even toasties in our very own space. Boarders are also allowed to use it during Prep time, which is great for study as it is quiet space that is also separate from our rooms which I find helps me work more efficiently during prep.’

NEW CLASSROOMS ON CIRCULAR DRIVE

SENIOR STUDY CENTRE In 2021, the new Senior Study Centre was opened. This state-of-the-art flexible learning space is available exclusively for Year 12 students as they navigate the academic requirements of the ATAR system. Situated in the first-floor annexe of Community House and with easy access to the Eunice Science and Resource Centre through the Piazza, the facility is designed to allow students to engage in both independent and collaborative work. Our Class of 2021 were thrilled to be able to access this new dedicated space in the second half of last year. ‘For me a space must feel comfortable, spacious and have an aesthetic appeal to make it a welcoming study environment, and the new SSC ticks all those boxes! The two rooms accommodating individual and group study mean our cohort can share and make use of the space without disrupting each other. I am especially excited about the fact that as a boarder I can use the space after hours for individual study. The kitchen facilities are amazing and

In the latter part of 1956, a new gymnasium was built near the original pool at the Petrie Street entrance to the school which made better provision for physical education and ballet dancing. This new gymnasium was in use until the Philip Harris Sports Centre was opened in 1996, upon which the space was used for St Margaret’s visual arts program. More recently, the building became the School Supplies Shop. In 2021, it was time once again to evolve this site and to create something that better serves the teaching and learning needs of our students today. Two secondary classrooms with views of Circular Drive and the city have been built in this space and were ready for the 2022 academic year. Currently, the School Council is developing a new Master Plan for the school and there will be exciting plans for future projects. You can donate to the ‘Every Girl Every Opportunity’ appeal now online, by calling Lara Pickering, Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement, on (07) 3862 0884, or by returning the Giving Envelope enclosed with this magazine.

Issue 23

The Olivia Campbell Bursary Head of Year Katie Flanagan recalls that during her time in the secondary school Olivia loved learning and being in class with her peers; in turn, they enjoyed her warmth and her fondness for a joke. ‘We all learnt so much from being in Olivia’s presence. Her impact was so significant that her cohort sought ways to honour her memory right up until the day they graduated at the end of 2019,’ Katie said. In 2019, Olivia’s parents, Hume and Rowan, established The Olivia Campbell Bursary to honour her memory by supporting students affected by financial difficulty and personal hardship to have the benefits of a St Margaret’s education.

Olivia Campbell was a student at St Margaret’s from Prep (2007) to Year 10 (2017). She sadly passed away in 2017 aged 15 years. Olivia was beloved and cherished by all who knew her and is remembered for her equanimity, kindness and gentleness. Olivia had a courageous and accepting nature, and despite significant health challenges during her school years, she remained cheerful and tenacious.

In 2021, the inaugural recipient of The Olivia Campbell Bursary completed Year 12, achieving her Queensland Certificate of Education and receiving a ranking that will enable her to pursue tertiary studies in the future. For this student, the road to completing her studies was extremely challenging due to tumultuous personal circumstances. However, through the receipt of this bursary and the school’s support, she was able to gain a qualification that will give her future options, which may have otherwise slipped from her grasp. We sincerely thank Hume and Rowan for their kindness and generosity as we look to award this bursary to a new recipient in 2022 and support them on their journey. The Olivia Campbell Bursary, valued at up to $22,000 per year, is available for up to 6 years and will be applied to cover the cost of school tuition fees. Any student from Years 5 to 12 who fulfils the criteria is eligible to apply for this bursary. Please visit the St Margaret’s website to download the Application Form. www.stmargarets.qld.edu. au/admissions/scholarships-and-bursaries

Issue 23

The business community empowers women through education The Professional Women’s Network (PWN) series has developed a strong and steady identity among Brisbane’s professional community, at varying stages of their career, as a place where they come to be inspired by guest speakers, make new contacts, and build and develop positive business relationships. Despite COVID restrictions, 2021 was no exception. While we did have to cancel one of our four Professional Women’s Network events, we were fortunate to hear from three fantastic keynote speakers at the networking breakfasts hosted. Members of the business community were privileged to hear from Jenny Stevens (Chief Executive Officer and Clinical Director, Attune Hearing), Nicole Hollows (Non-Executive Director and Chair Audit Risk Committee, Downer EDI Limited; Chair, Jameson Resources Limited; Former Chief Executive Officer, Sunwater and Managing Director/CEO, Macarthur Coal Limited) and Ruth Drinkwater (Chair of Alkira Software Pty Ltd and Mrs Clucks Pty Ltd). Pitcher Partners (Major Sponsor), Programmed Property Services and Wolff Coffee Roasters (Associate Sponsors) and Downer, Clear Insurance, Red Oak, O’Reilly Shaw Lawyers, NAB and Westpac (Supporting Partners) sponsored the series throughout 2021. Thanks to the support of our corporate sponsors and ticket sales, more than $40,000 was raised in 2021 and donated to St Margaret’s Foundation Endowment Fund to assist in supporting needs-based bursaries for regional/rural and Indigenous students at St Margaret’s.

Many of our sponsors have been invested in this series for some time now, helping to connect the business community, create opportunities for attendees to collaborate, and to empower young women through education. Kylie Lamprecht from Pitcher Partners said the company was pleased to continue their sponsorship and support for PWN. ‘Our valued clients, staff and referrers of work really enjoy the connectivity of these events and this year we were pleased to nominate and hear from some of our clients when they featured as guest speakers. ‘For our professionals, the insight provided as part of the PWN series forms an important part of coaching and mentoring opportunities outside of our organisation,’ she said. Connection, collaboration and empowerment are key themes that those who engage benefit from. ‘The series is not just about women supporting women in business; the magic is seeing our male colleagues supporting these initiatives as our collective strengths make the table better. There is an opportunity for those who attend to collaborate and increase their economic contribution to our great state by joining forces,’ Kylie said. Students from Years 10, 11 and 12 are also encouraged to attend the events. Immersing young women in an environment where they can build their networking capacity and be given the opportunity to foster relationships sits at the heart of St Margaret’s value in empowering young women through education.

Imagine your future...

atSt Margaret’s OPEN DAY

Sat 5 March | 9.30am–12.30pm Dr Rebecca Won (’99) Specialist Plastic Surgeon

REGISTER ONLINE www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School 11 Petrie Street Ascot QLD 4007 Australia Telephone: +61 7 3862 0777 Facsimile: +61 7 3862 0701 mail@stmargarets.qld.edu.au www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au St Margaret’s School Council Ltd ABN: 69069684019 CRICOS Code: 00511K A School of the Society of the Sacred Advent Facebook “f ” Logo

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St Margaret's Flyer 2022

Articles inside

Philanthropy transforming the school landscape

Bursary

Thank you to our donors

MAYO Long Lunch

Reunions

Connecting Community

A hair-raising fundraising record

Ticking all the boxes

Giving the gift of light

Primary Highlights

The Arts

2021 Sports wrap

Promoting reconciliation

Love, life and Luna

Exercising ethical intellect

Science Week

Encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset

Taking steps towards sustainability

eSports: more than gaming

Leading in careers education

Taking learning outdoors

ATAR Results

Shaping future-focused skills

Farewell to PE Stalwart Des Upton

From the Principal

Welcome to Chaplain Jazz Dow and Lloyd Knight

From the Chair

Staff Awards

Captains Corner

NAPLAN Results

Vale Mother Eunice