St Margaret’s
Issue 21 Spring/Summer 2020
Flyer Issue 21 Spring/Summer 2020 Principal: Ros Curtis
Contents
Editor:
Wendy Johnston
Journalists:
Pru Reed Wendy Johnston Sophia Taylor
From the Principal 03 Past Chair Alison Quinn 04 Introducing Debbie Smith, Chair of St Margaret’s School Council 05 Prestigious Science Award to Head of Faculty 06 Finalist in three categories in prestigious awards 06 National Recognition for Head of Boarding 07 Championing female leadership 08 On the cutting edge of educational excellence 08 A prayerful reflection 09 Sports Precinct Unveiled 10 St Margaret’s Sports Precinct 12 Inspired to give 14 Thank you to our Capital Campaign donors! 15 Term 3 Sports Snapshot 18 Andrews Cup 20 Carnival christens new pool 21 125 years of leadership 22 Captains’ Corner 25 2021 School Leaders 26 St Margaret’s celebrates Science Week 28 How Could This Happen: lessons learnt from history 29 Four generations of St Margaret’s women 30 Gidhal: A collection of stories from our First Nations’ people 32 A playground rich in learning 34 Sustainability in the primary school 35 A celebration of the arts 36 Holiday Offers for St Margaret’s families 37 Spectacular in the round 38 Classics in the Cathedral 39 Honouring our past students 40 Supporting female education 42 Old Girls inspire at Professional Women’s Network 43
Graphic Designer: Pam Smiles Photography:
Sophia Taylor Victoria Nikolova Miranda Everett Michael Marston Wendy Johnston Lucas Muro
Printing:
Allclear Print & Signs
From the Principal
However, it would be remiss not to mention the achievements of our staff who have played an enormous role in shaping the St Margaret’s experience. We have a lot to celebrate in this area.
As you are reading this edition of the Flyer, our Year 12 students have just completed their External Exams. There is no more talk of an OP and the Queensland Core Skills Test; these have given way to external exams and the ATAR. The final term of the school year in 2020 looked very different to any of the previous 30 years or so. We are in uncharted territory; it is both exciting and unsettling, particularly given the COVID 19 context. However, over the last 125 years, St Margaret’s has faced unsettled times steadfastly and with conviction and, in each case, emerged stronger thanks to the resilience and commitment of students and staff. In a year in which we are celebrating our 125th anniversary, it is time to pause and think about what it is that we are really celebrating. What is St Margaret’s? We are not celebrating the facilities and buildings here, as they are just brick and mortar and have no heart. Having said that, they perform a very important role as the backdrop for all the activities, energies, and passions of the teachers, staff, parents and students.
For example, just this year alone, we have seen the school as finalists for three Australian Educator Awards, the results of which we will not know until late November. Our Year 6 Teacher and Literacy Coach, Kimberley Bachman, was named as one of 12 Queensland teachers recognised by The Educator Australia for outstanding work in delivering the highest quality educational experiences to all students. Chris Dunn, our Head of Faculty – Science and Technology, was recognised in the Peter Doherty Awards as an outstanding STEM Teacher, and our Head of Boarding, Lesa Fowler, was awarded the Australian Boarding Schools Association’s 2020 Premier Leadership Award. In addition to this, 22 teachers across our primary and secondary school received nominations for the National Excellence in Teaching Awards. During our signature Ponytail Project event, five teachers were excellent role models, joining our students in the fundraising efforts by cutting their hair for support of Cancer Council Queensland and the Amanda Minotti Trust. We also had Angela Drysdale, our Head of Primary, raise funds for vaccine research through her own personal walkathon, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Along with many other quieter and behind the scenes achievers, these members of staff further the school’s mission and reflect the values of the school. We are celebrating these achievements and actions as they contribute to the fabric of the school. What is St Margaret’s? They, along with other active parents and students and staff, are the St Margaret’s we are celebrating during our Quasquicentennial. Ros Curtis Principal BA(Hons), DipEd, MLitSt,MEd(Leadership and Management), ASDA, FACE, FACEL, FIML, GAICD
The 125th year, therefore, is really a celebration of all the people who have gone before us and not just what they achieved here but how they went out to live the school’s mission and values in their professional and personal lives. As part of our 125th anniversary, we have published the profiles of 125 women and their achievements. We refer to these past students as our ‘notables.’ Their achievements reflect our mission – to help develop confident, compassionate and capable women contributing to a society in a variety of ways. I have written elsewhere about these inspirational past students, and I encourage you to read some, if not all, of the profiles, on the school’s website.
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Past Chair Alison Quinn In September, I stepped down as Chair of the School Council at St Margaret’s. I first joined the School Council in 2011 and have been Chair for the past six years. My association with the School Council has extended to a period which is longer than my actual attendance as a student at the school. St Margaret’s has been a part of my life in some shape or form since my very first day in 1978, and some of my dearest friends remain those whom I met while a student at the school. My daughter is a current student and I often reflect on the knowledge that she too is establishing similar lifelong friendships. The past nine years’ involvement with School Council have included some of the most fulfilling, rewarding, and, at times, difficult professional challenges one can face in any role, let alone a non-executive voluntary position. But I would not change them for a moment. Being involved in the governance of a school, any school, is critical. Education is the pathway to independence, and in today’s environment, education can be a bridge to building and strengthening individual relationships and personal resilience – touchstones critical for the mental wellbeing of our youth. Schools should be a place of solace, a source of inspiration, and a safe environment, where young people can be free to develop their own personal being, engage their minds and strengthen their resilience and character. I leave the Council in the year the school celebrates 125 years of educating young women. Enrolment levels are at their highest ever level; there is a tangible focus on developing every student’s academic potential; and for every teacher and support team member a priority is the stability and mental wellbeing of students.
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Over one third of the school campus has been recently redeveloped, and the school has fiscal stability, progressively growing its cash reserves so as to invest in projects which enhance the learning environment for students. The reality I have learned about schools is that success is never reached. Milestones are passed and new milestones appear, enticing you to strive further. A school is an evolving environment, and participants such as me are merely stewards for a period. Governance and leadership of a school are far bigger than any individual. I wish to formally acknowledge the support and guidance of my fellow Council Directors, as well as the leadership team of the school. Principal Ros Curtis has walked beside me these past nine years, and it is a journey that we have shared together, supporting, advising, and enabling each other along the way. I know the pathway of the school is in capable hands and am delighted to pass the baton of Chair to Mrs Debbie Smith so the current journey can continue. Fundamentally, I now know that a great education starts and finishes with great educators, great teachers, and these are the individuals who should be recognised. Educators are the people in whom we should invest, reward, and whose success we should acknowledge. To every teacher in every school I say thank you for the important role that you have. To those teachers at St Margaret’s, you have my ongoing appreciation and regard. Our future owes a debt to you all. Alison Quinn
Introducing Debbie Smith, Chair of St Margaret’s School Council St Margaret’s warmly welcomes Debbie Smith to the position of Chair of School Council, which she took up on 17 September this year. Mother to Charlotte in Year 8, Debbie has been a Director of School Council since 2014 and sits on the Finance and Risk Management Committee (and was previously Chair) and Nominations and Remunerations Committee.
While academic excellence has always been a focus since its establishment, in recent years, the school has endeavoured to sharpen this focus and to strengthen the academic rigour of the school. I believe, too, that we have built the capacity of our staff through professional development and have enhanced our reputation in the wider educational community and are attracting the highest calibre of staff available.
Debbie is Managing Partner of PwC Brisbane where she leads the strategic direction of the office which comprises more than 850 people who dedicate themselves to identifying and solving important problems and realising the opportunities that are critical to our business and social communities.
I also believe our sense of community has never been stronger. Our parent body are involved and connected; our alumni are very engaged; and we have broadened our reach to the corporate community through such events as the PWN breakfasts, and the school is reaping the rewards of this ‘extended village’ contributing to the education of our students.
Debbie is a member of the Institute of Company Directors, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Australian National University. The Flyer asked Debbie for some of her insights into St Margaret’s. Q. For families new to the school and its governance structure, can you give us some insight into the role of a school council and its chair? A. The School Council works judicially behind the scenes to provide the school with vision and strategic guidance, and to direct resources and finance for its operations and development. Importantly, council members are chosen for their substantial experience across a broad base of skill sets which provides the school with an overarching layer of expertise in fields relevant to a school’s operation. In the current school council, we have expertise in fields such as law, accounting, information technology, philanthropy, property and infrastructure, faith and theology, corporate strategy and communications, financial management and corporate governance. All directors have extensive senior experience in their careers. We are most grateful for their commitment to the school which is an entirely voluntary position but an important contribution to make through investing time and energy into our future workforce and leaders. Q. What have been the most exciting changes in the time you have been connected with the school? A. Certainly, the built environment in the time Ros Curtis has been at the helm of the school has improved immeasurably. The greening of the grounds and creation of spaces such as the Barley Sugar Garden, Toorak Gardens and Ms Café have contributed to the students’ wellbeing by providing shaded areas for learning and recreation and gathering spaces to enhance connectedness. There has also been continual refurbishment of teaching spaces to provide more contemporary classrooms such as the Year 7 precinct, Atelier space, and the Loft – our state-of-the-art lecture theatre. Now with the sports precinct, the girls have access to the most fantastic large, flat spaces – quite a feat for a small school on a high hill.
Q. What are the most challenging things on the horizon for schools / education? A. The education debate is an ongoing global conversation. We have only just implemented ATAR, and we are now hearing murmurings that some think it should be abandoned. To some degree we are at the mercy of this ongoing debate and regular changes to curriculum which can be very wearing on both staff and students.
The focus on student wellbeing is becoming more heightened, with the many challenges our young people are required to navigate because of the online world we inhabit. With all its marvellous advantages there comes very serious challenges. This is where a strong partnership between the school and home has never been more important.
Q. What do you believe St Margaret’s does really well? A. The school never loses sight of its mission to educate the whole child, and to prepare confident, compassionate, capable women able to contribute to a global community. It actively lives it mission and its values every day – they are not merely slogans or words on a banner.
It embraces its diverse student population, making it one of its greatest strengths.
I think the care and attention shown to each child through its personalised approach to education sets the school apart and will always be embedded in its culture.
The school is not afraid to innovate. The Academic Advising Program and the St Margaret’s Plus Program have been hugely successful, and some truly innovative thinking (and a lot of hard work) were behind both those concepts.
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Finalist in three categories in prestigious awards St Margaret’s has been named a finalist in three categories in this year’s Australian Education Awards. Principal Ms Ros Curtis has been named a finalist for Principal of the Year (non-government) for the second consecutive year and is one of only eight chosen nationwide. Having won Boarding School of the Year in 2019, the school has again been named a finalist in the same category in 2020 as well as securing a finalist berth for Best STEM program. “It’s a testament to the school that St Margaret’s is represented in three categories – a reflection on the depth of leadership and the teams and the community that sit behind them,” Ms Curtis said. “Personally, it’s an honour to be recognised, but in saying that not one person leads a school – it’s the strength and quality of our staff and strong leadership team that contributes to our overall success.” Ms Curtis said the school remained as committed to educating boarders today as our founders did in 1895.
Prestigious Science Award to Head of Faculty
“We combine solid leadership with a deep sense of nurturing and care for our boarders who are from a variety of backgrounds and geographic locations and focus on instilling a global outlook and building connections,” she said. Chris Dunn, Head of Faculty - Science and Technology, said being named a finalist for Best STEM Program was a wonderful endorsement. “We have incredibly dedicated and talented STEM teaching staff for whom this nomination provides welldeserved recognition. “We also have aspirations of being the leading Australian girls school in Science, Technology and STEM education, so to be named as a finalist for Best STEM Program validates our hard work and will inspire us to continue innovating and developing our practices,” Mr Dunn said. Winners will be announced via an online ceremony on Thursday 26 November.
Announced by the Minister for Education on 11 September 2020, Chris was one of only five teachers across the state awarded Outstanding Teacher of STEM. Successful applicants were required to fulfil the following criteria: • Demonstrates consistently outstanding science or technology or engineering or mathematics teaching practices leading to improved student achievement • Develops highly innovative programs that foster students’ curiosity, imagination and enthusiasm leading to increased student engagement and participation in STEM • Exhibits a deep commitment to building teacher capability through the sharing of best practice in science or technology or engineering or mathematics education.
St Margaret’s Head of Faculty – Science and Technology, Chris Dunn, has won a 2020 Peter Doherty Award for Excellence in STEM Education. Named after Professor Peter Doherty, a Brisbane-born Nobel Prize-winning scientist, these awards recognise students, teachers, support officers, schools and education partners (volunteers, mentors and organisations) who demonstrate an outstanding and innovative contribution to STEM education in Queensland. 06
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In the relatively short time since Chris joined St Margaret’s as Head of Faculty in 2018, he has instigated and run three highly successful Science Weeks during National Science Week, helping to raise the profile of science and technology within the school. The school now enjoys its highest ever level of students enrolled in senior science subjects. Chris has extended the opportunities for enrichment activities such as national competitions and camps, university-led STEM internships and interactive workshops held
at the school. He was the driving force for the school to install a STEM makerlab in 2019, which includes a laser cutter, 3D printer, soldering irons, and Arduino programming kits. He also instigated and planned a STEM tour to the USA and a Women in Science Lecture series, both set to kick off in 2020, until COVID came to our shores. He has overseen the implementation of the new QCAA Senior Syllabuses and developed a new assessment and academic plan for junior science to best prepare students for the rigours of the new senior syllabuses. Within his faculty, Chris has fostered a highly collaborative and collegial approach to promote the sharing of pedagogical practices. Principal Ros Curtis said the award was welldeserved. “Chris has worked hard to really bring STEM alive for the students and he is a wonderful advocate for STEM education for girls. “His passion for STEM, his professional approach to pedagogy and his leadership of highly dedicated faculty members are really moving the school forward in this important area in which many of our graduates will find their careers,” Ms Curtis said. The award includes $5,000 to be used for professional development activities.
National Recognition for Head of Boarding We congratulate Head of Boarding Lesa Fowler on winning a prestigious national boarding award – the 2020 Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA) Premier Leadership Award. Lesa has made boarding her life’s vocation, working in numerous boarding schools within Queensland and Victoria, before heading up St Margaret’s boarding for the past 13 years. She has a complete understanding of the needs of all boarders, domestic (rural, city, Indigenous) and international, and is a consummate professional in her dealings with key stakeholders. As a member of the school’s leadership team, she advocates for boarders and their families. Lesa has earned a wonderful reputation with the St Margaret’s boarding community, by being balanced, thoughtful and just. She is an ethical leader who understands that leadership is not a 9 to 5 job, but is one where visibility and approachability are attributes for success in a boarding context. She is a hands-on leader who walks alongside her staff. Boarding is at capacity at the school and Lesa has been instrumental in growing boarding enrolments. The boarding house has at least 13 different nationalities present and, under her leadership, it is a co-operative and harmonious house. Recognising this and the need to nurture cultural understanding and tolerance, Lesa was instrumental in the creation of an annual “See my Difference, See my Worth” weekend long diversity festival, held on a Closed Weekend. While managing the overall boarding house and its staff, Lesa is also actively engaged in directly overseeing the academic and emotional welfare of the boarders. Continuous Reporting allows her to read every student’s results as they are posted, facilitating constant academic monitoring. She is involved in all SET plan interviews for the Year 10 boarders which gives her the opportunity to understand the path the girls wish to pursue in Years 11 and 12, and can keep them on track during their senior years. Lesa oversees our partnership
with Yalari and our 18 Indigenous students in boarding. She has demonstrated absolute commitment to ensuring strong academic or vocational outcomes for our Indigenous students. Lesa has contributed to the national boarding community through membership on the ABSA Board and through helping plan conferences and seminars for boarding staff. She has become an expert in the area of risk in boarding, so much so that she has been asked to be a guest speaker at ABSA events and has written and published papers on this topic. As a result of Lesa’s longstanding leadership of the St Margaret’s boarding house, the school was awarded Boarding School of the Year in the 2019 Australian Educator Awards and is a finalist in the 2020 awards in the same category. Upon learning of her win, Lesa said she was very surprised but honoured she was recognised. “It’s not something you do for the recognition, but I was especially happy for the boarding house, as you can’t do this job in isolation. “I have a wonderful team who all make an invaluable contribution to the house,” Lesa said. Principal Ros Curtis says she was thrilled that Lesa had been recognised through this prestigious national award. “Lesa’s knowledge of and commitment and dedication to boarding is unparalleled, and the school, the boarders and their families are very fortunate to have her lead the house. “This recognition is richly deserved,” Ms Curtis said.
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Championing female leadership This year, St Margaret’s Head of Faculty – Arts and Design, Annette Box, was awarded a National Council of Women Queensland (NCWQ) Bursary. Each year, these bursaries are awarded to the successful Queensland female applicants under various categories. Annette was awarded one of two Office for Women (Leadership) Bursaries. The criteria for these bursaries reflect one of the priorities of the Queensland Women’s Strategy. In recognition of the under-representation of women in the higher levels of management and as board members, the focus of this bursary is to assist females to increase the development of their leadership skills through working with a mentor and undertaking planned professional development activities. Apart from her teaching hat, Annette has been very involved in the Australian drama scene for many years. She is a recent past President of Drama Queensland and one of five Co-Directors of Brisbane theatre collective MYTHS MADE HERE, whose award-winning debut production Cinderella played at QPAC in 2019 to sold-out audiences. Annette’s advocacy for arts education has led to appointments with Queensland Theatre, La Boite, Brisbane and Sydney Festival, Dead Puppet Society, The Good Room, Queensland Ballet, Playlab, QCAA and ACU, and she has presented at Drama Education conferences both nationally and internationally. Currently studying a Master of Education at QUT, Annette expects to complete her major in Leadership and Management in 2022. Working alongside her mentor Dr Kate McLay (Lecturer, School of Education, UQ), Annette intends to pursue a program of in-school shadowing through which she will observe outstanding education leaders across the state and country to advance her development as a leader in her field. Annette said she intends to use the funds to pursue a range of leadership courses and programs offered both face-to-face and online to complement and extend the learning she is undertaking through her post-graduate studies, the Aspiring Senior Leaders Course facilitated by St Margaret’s, and her work with her mentor, Dr McLay, in order to gain a rounded, diverse and broad perspective of effective educational leadership in the 21st century.
On the cutting edge of educational excellence The Educator’s annual prestigious Hot List, now in its fifth year, recognises and celebrates professionals who represent the cutting edge of educational excellence in Australia. St Margaret’s primary school teacher Kimberley Bachmann was among the 75 winners from across the nation to be named on the 2020 Hot List. Kimberley is in her third year at St Margaret’s, currently teaching Year 6. She is a talented and dedicated teacher with an extensive knowledge of all curriculum areas with expertise in literacy and digital technologies. In 2020, Kimberley took the lead in the delivery of online learning, particularly in her year level. She developed collaborative work patterns that supported the school’s professional learning community, created instruction videos for students and staff, and developed a writing page on the POD. Kimberley is a leader in teaching writing and draws on the knowledge she acquired while completing her Masters’ thesis in 2019 which focused on writing. She uses this expert knowledge in her combined role of writing coach and upper primary classroom teacher, working collaboratively with staff in all year levels and supporting them in creative and explicit ways to teach writing. She is passionate about students sharing her love of writing and so offers a writing club for budding student writers of which students aspire to become a member. Kimberley’s winning nomination also recognised her work on an action research project she developed after receiving one of the school’s annual school-based innovation awards. The project is assessing Brightpath – a innovative assessment tool for writing – to evaluate its effectiveness to facilitate moderation conversations. Kimberley has supported and developed her year level teaching team to become outstanding practitioners of the tool. Positive comments flooded the social media post announcing Kimberley’s inclusion on the 2020 Hot List. This comes as no surprise to me! ... Your enthusiasm and humour and ‘coolness’ totally knocked the girls out. Congratulations, your passion for teaching is wonderful Huge congratulations Kimberley. You’re such an inspiration … You should be super proud. No surprises here - such a passionate and committed mentor … Another great Maggies teacher Kimberley is in good company with Principal Ros Curtis making the 2018 Hot List.
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A prayerful reflection St Margaret’s fosters spirituality in students, giving them opportunities and the tools to explore faith and the myriad of life questions that are raised as students develop and grow. This philosophy has endured for 125 years since the school’s founders, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent, based their educational philosophy on religious principles and sought to educate “the whole personality, physical, mental and spiritual that the girls may live to their fullest capacity”.
Here are just some of the pr ayers shared Today I pray by the studen for…. ts. “the people in Victoria” “Corona not coming to sc hool” “essential wor kers during C OVID” “the safety of others” “a Corona fr ee life” “those who ha ve suffered” “COVID-19 pandemic wor kers” “my family, an d COVID-19 to go away an d never com e back”
In schools, and even at home, prayer spaces are one opportunity provided to students that enables them to explore spirituality and faith in a creative and interactive way. According to St Margaret’s Chaplain The Reverend Susan Crothers-Robertson, prayer is about slowing down, centring the self and knowing there is something much more significant than ourselves. “With the many distractions and demands made on students, making a Prayer Space accessible to them has the potential to help the students with these daily demands. It is a place where they can draw breath and connect in a safe non-threatening way,” she said. In late July, both primary and secondary students at St Margaret’s were invited to participate in Prayer SpacesDadirri during morning tea and lunch breaks, which were setup outside due to COVID-19 restrictions. Two engaging stations were established, Peg a Prayer and Bubble Prayers, which were managed by St Margaret’s Year 8 students, the sacristans and the school’s Duke of Edinburgh students. The Peg a Prayer space encouraged students to write a prayer or their thoughts for themselves, the community, the world or anything that was on their minds. Wandering through the avenue of prayers it was clear that the COVID-19 pandemic weighed heavily on students’ minds. Despite their own concerns, the prayers also revealed the students were thinking of others. “It felt like the school community was praying and thinking about not only themselves but also our nation and the rest of the globe,” Rev’d Susan said.
The Bubble Prayer space was an opportunity for students to let go of their worries inspired by 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your worries onto God because God cares for you.” Students were encouraged to think about something they were worried about and invited to ‘blow their problems away’ as they blew a stream of bubbles into the air. “One of the primary students commented that she was actually popping her worries away as she popped the bubbles,” Rev’d Susan said. While the students engaged equally with both stations, the Bubble Prayer space was a firm favourite, revealing you are never too old to blow bubbles. “Students from Pre-Prep to Year 12 enjoyed taking the time to blow their worries away,” Rev’d Susan said. The Prayer Spaces provided an ideal platform for students to express and explore their feelings, concerns and wonders as well as consider others during what has been an extraordinary year for everyone around the world.
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Sports Precinct Unveiled The opening of the St Margaret’s Sports Precinct, on Wednesday 26 August 2020, was an historic occasion in a historic year, in more ways than one. While serendipitous, it was fitting that the redevelopment of one third of the campus, resulting in a magnificent sports and wellbeing facility, was completed and open for use in St Margaret’s 125th anniversary year. We were honoured to have the precinct opened by The Governor of Queensland, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, and dedicated by The Right Reverend Archbishop Phillip Aspinall. Other special guests included Sisters Gillian, Eunice and Sandra, then Chair of School Council Alison Quinn, Tim Nicholls MP, community members who generously donated to the project, and St Margaret’s Patron Philip Harris, after whom both the former sports centre and new gym are named. Official proceedings concluded with students and guests christening the pool by throwing in over 1000 rubber ducks sporting the St Margaret’s logo, which they later took home as a memento of the occasion.
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This world class facility incorporates a water polo sized heated swimming pool with two 50m lanes, tennis courts with lights, gymnasium with an oak sprung floor, a strength and conditioning gym, an indoor climbing wall featuring seven belay stations and 76m2 of climbing, a dedicated ergometer room to support rowing and modern health and physical education classrooms. Award-winning architects Blight Rayner designed the precinct to promote a sense of connection with moveable walls, and an indoor/outdoor flow afforded by an enormous 22m panel lift wall (the largest of its kind in the state) which connects the indoor gymnasium to the outdoor tennis courts. The entire precinct represents the largest flat space the school has ever had. By the start of Term 4, all areas of the precinct were ‘open for business’ and were being thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by staff and students alike.
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St Margaret’s Sports Precinct
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Inspired to give
One of the first donors to contribute to the Going for Bold Campaign was the Burdon family. Isabella Burdon attended the school from 2014 to 2017. Below, Isabella and her mother Rachel share their stories and why they were inspired to contribute so generously to the campaign to build the St Margaret’s Sports Precinct and what St Margaret’s means to them. Isabella Burdon (’17)
Rachel Burdon (Mother)
At fifteen my family was on the move south, from the Sunny Coast to the Gold Coast, and so it came time for me to choose a new school. I had recently met a Maggies girl, Lucinda Crouch, at national athletics in Townsville and, as if catalysed by the blistering summer heat, we became fast friends. She spoke so highly of her school community and upon hearing about the athletics and netball programs, I was hooked. As a student at St Margaret’s, I soon learned just how unique and special the experience of being a Maggies girl is. As Maggies girls we are all on the same team, working to bring out the best in one another. Here, I felt truly valued for my differences and not judged because of them. It is exactly this culture – so carefully cultivated by the leadership of Ms Curtis and permeated by the kind and engaging staff – which fosters excellence and frees young girls from the pressure to conform which is so pervasive at this age. This is the culture that drove our Maggies team to win world school’s cross-country and the spirit that motivated me throughout my final year of study to finish as proxime accessit to the dux. In my final year, I also had the great pleasure of representing our school spirit as Sports Co-captain with Lucinda. Sport brought me to St Margaret’s, the strong school community supported me throughout my education and, upon graduation, I felt a strong desire to give back to a school that has afforded me so much joy and many incredible opportunities. Fortunately, my graduation coincided with the inauguration of the Going for Bold campaign. I am so excited that my family is playing a part in helping future Maggies girls foster a love of sport and that many generations of students will enjoy these inspiring new spaces where they can be active, competitive and courageous.
The final few weeks of school life generate a combination of feelings for students and parents alike. There is joy, relief, pride and trepidation. At the forefront, Andrew and I felt an overriding sense of immense parental gratitude for the pivotal role that St Margaret’s had played in shaping Issy as she embarked on her future quest to receive an offer to study Medicine. At the completion of Year 12, 2017, we arranged to meet Ros Curtis to offer scholarship funds to ensure another young woman could thrive and have their horizons expanded as Issy had experienced. However, there was a more ambitious concept to launch, the Going for Bold campaign. The enthusiastic invitation to contribute to the Sports Precinct was infectious. This monumental proposal would create a legacy for multiple generations of St Margaret’s students, visitors and families. The state of the art features would enable a lifelong connection to health, wellbeing and pursuits of excellence. Ros’s passion, her attention to functional detail and tireless drive to plan big, bold and beautiful filled us with excitement. In less than three years we now see this multi-modality space literally expanding the heart of St Margaret’s infrastructure, education capabilities and our community.
Thanks to St Margaret’s, my love of sport has stayed with me and exercising is my favourite way to break up big days of study as I approach my end of third year medical exams at the University of Adelaide (MBBS).
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The professional and collaborative approach behind this vision was innovative with regular updates and opportunities to attend key events, such as the Turning of the Soil, Hard Hat Tours, the naming wall video links and the Opening Ceremony. This hands on inclusive approach has enabled us to celebrate each milestone and enjoy the many ways that this investment will benefit and enrich so many young multitalented women of the future. We have derived much pleasure in supporting the completion of these incredible facilities that will continue to create capable, compassionate and confident young women who aspire to contribute innovatively and enable our modern world to develop solutions for sustainable progress. Congratulations to the entire St Margaret’s community and partners.
Thank you
Thank you to our Capital Campaign donors! On behalf of St Margaret’s, the Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generous philanthropic support of our donors who have contributed a total of $1.3m to this most exciting and significant project in St Margaret's 125 year history. In 2018, St Margaret’s launched the 'Going for Bold' Capital Campaign which has supported a major reimagining of St Margaret’s sports precinct. The campaign has now concluded and the sports precinct is open for business! Scott and Sacha Flynn P&F Association The Bothwell Family Gabrielle and Hannah Butcher The Solomon Family Anonymous The Biddulph Family Arnika Di Bella and Family St Margaret’s Kendall House The Malouf Family The McWilliam Family The Miers Family Susan (‘78) and Jane (‘82) Pendlebury Jayne and Peter Smith Mr PJ Wolff and Mrs PJ Wolff (‘92) The Aralar Family Issy Burdon St Margaret’s Chaucer House Ros Curtis The Everson Family A and K Flynn Beverley S Green (‘53) Brooke, Alexandra and Gabriella Henzell The Lamprecht-Simpson Family St Margaret’s Lawson House The Lisle Family In honour of Pamela Lusby The McKie Family St Margaret’s Milton House Alison and Robert Quinn Anonymous The Becker Family Ashleigh and Emily Carrick The Cooke Family Keri Craig-Lee OAM Denice Foley Brooke and Patrick George Brad and Mary Jamieson The Leggett Family The McDonnell Family Old Girls’ Association The Rice Family The Sorbello Family St Margaret’s Spenser House St Margaret’s Tennyson House The Tsien Family
The Alford Family Shirley Bale St Margaret’s Bede House Zoe Connolly Charlotte and Sophie Cosgrove The Cronin Family The Crouch Family Ruby and Lucy Dee The Earnshaw Family Evesham Farming Pty Ltd Ron and Margot Finney St Margaret’s Herrick House The Hudson Family The Kendall Family The Lane Family Peter John Lauder MC Josie McPhee (‘21) and Family Lou and Emily Millar Jane Ann Phillips Sally Quayle The Reinhardt Family Milla Roberts The Robson Family Isobel and Megan Roe The Sheehan-Birrell Foundation The Traves Family Greg, Susannne and Stella Willims Katerina Alexander The Baldwin Family The Batstone Family Diana Cameron Hannah and Lillian Campbell The Caro Family Sally and Emma Chester Katelyn Cooper Anna and Bruce Davidson The Day Family The Dines Muntaner Family Gabrielle and Lucinda Geldard In memory of Sally Greenup In memory of Loren Hansen (Swim Capt. ‘83) Isabel Haqqani (‘18) and Dani O’Neill Charlotte and Genevieve Heather The Heffernan Family The Hellen Family Brian E E Hirschfeld Charlotte Jackson Lily and Sienna Jagers
$100k + $50k - $99,000 $25k - $49,999 $15k - 24,999 $10k - $14,999 $5k - $9,999 $2k - $4,999 $1k - $1,999 $500 - $999 $2 - $499
Wendy and Warwick King Stephanie Licina The Licina Family The Livingstone Family The Loughrey Family The Mills Family The Peacock and Adam Families St Margaret’s Primary School 2019 The Reddacliff Family Eloise Ruby Shewan The Sorensen Family Georgina Stevenson (nee Ommensen) The Sweeney Family James Walsh and Sarah Curtis The Webb Family The Webster Family Arabella Wilson and Family Lisa Worner Glen and Juliette Wright Anonymous x 3 The Allen Family Teneille and Carmen Allen The Alward Family The Astill Family Libby Black Madi and Susie Brady nee Keir (Swim Capts. ‘18 and ‘83) Stephen and Barbara Briggs Rose Brown Glen Cameron Stella Carlson The Cartledge Family Charlotte and Alexandra Cattanach Elia Chen Michaela Chong Jessica Clarke Anne V Clarke Melissa Aglio Clarke Matilda and Zara Connolly In memory of Kay Cowlishaw Portia Creevey The Dew Family The Drysdale Family Anna Dunning Elizabeth Dunning Sarah Dunning Georgia and Julia Elks Anastasia Esler and Family Mackenzie and Esther Evans
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Annabel Ferrier Eliza Ferrier Sarah Ferrier Coco and Suki Fidler The Ganim Family The Goodrick Family Addison Grant-Taylor Asher Grant-Taylor The Gutteridge Family Annabel Hansen Lucy Hansen The Harris Family Isabella and Anna Harte The Hawton Family Noela, Delma and Sandra Helton Catherine (CJ) and Pamela Hendry Charlotte Hoey Annika, Emma, Felicity and Verity House Ruby and Olivia Howard Elke and Greta Howes The Hughes Family Georgia Hurwood Valletta and Nina Hutchins Lily Annabel Jackson Wendy and Nikki Johnston Kesree Jones The Jorgensen Family The Kearns Family Min Su Kim Grace and Bronte Kinloch The Krook Family The Laherty Family Andrew and Lesley Langley Harper Leary Ivy Love Margot Love The Lyons Family Jane Maclean The MacPherson Family Annabel and Gina McGagh Hannah McMaster In memory of Amanda Minotti, Teacher The Mitchell-Cho Family The Mort Family The Mouland Family Ebony Okonkwo The Parker Family The Peat Family The Perrett Family Lara and John Pickering The Piggott Family Adam Pulitano Dr Patricia Quayle The Richardson Family The Roberts Family The Rombola Family
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The Selwa Family Sofia and Lidia Serafini Robynne Siemon (‘59) The Simpson Family Scott and Suzie Smith Emily and Olivia Smith Bella and Bridgette Smith Madison Smith The Steinberg Family Mary Steven (‘42), Robertson and Winks Family Mary Surtees The Swan Family Simone Timchur Sienna Timms Joe, Karen and Rosabelle Tully The Tydd Family The Uhlmann Family Lillian Wallace Emma and Laura Walley Rachel Ware The Wehl Family Genevieve Whitehead The Willersdorf Family Chris and Dimity Williams Toni Williams The Woods Family (nee McIntyre) Anonymous x 4 Eliza and Matt Baxby Lee Beanland Judith Day Annie Dunning Anthony Edwards Vanessa Edwards The Ellis Family Sandra Esposito McBride Family Jim and Robyn Ferguson Prue Galley Ashley Garner Susie and Andrew Gladman Gollan Racing Karen Gorrie The Haeusler Family Sandra Humphries Barbara Just Zara and Vivienne Lyons Nan Noble The Pitt Family Frank and Sylvana Pugliese Dr Sue Ryerson (‘62) The Segal Family Margaret Somerset The Stobie Family Thousand Tribes Michelle Weber
Anonymous x 59 Harriet Adcock Caroline Aldridge Abby Anderson Greg Anderson Angelini Family Ascot Plumbing Josephine Atkinson Kevin Barden Akila Barkus Sasha and Pippa Beikoff Louise Birnzwejg Libby Bligh The Boland Family The Borthwick Family Jessica Bridger Ann Brown Wendy Buddle The Burgess Family Busse Family Meredith Butler Mel Buttle Lindsey Callway Ben Cameron Sarah Campbell and Jerome Batten Sergio Capelli Toby Caro Rebecca Castley Sai Man Chan Tsung hui Chen Margaret Christiansen (‘64) The Christofferson Family Everil Clark (‘58) Clear Insurance Sophia and Naomi Colledge James Comino Pam Conde The Connor Family Mark Conroy The Coote Family Joan Cowie (‘55) Cathy Cox The Crombie Family Barbara Crosby Gillespie Susan Crothers-Robertson The Crowe Family Paul Crowley Geoff Cunningham Mark Damman Helen Danalis Lionel Desmond The Devereaux Family Nicole Devlin Annie Ding Millie Douglas Jenny Duncan Tarnya Dunning
Marilyn Dunning Susan Earnshaw Scott Elliott Sophie Evans Tamara and Jack Fahy Ash Faithfull Tao Feng Elizabeth Fordyce Lesa Fowler Frawley Family Kate Frewin Emma Friebe Kim Futcher Jacqueline George The Geritz Family Mia Gibson Jemima Given Annabelle Gould Elizabeth Graham Anne Green The Gustafsson Family Margaret Hamilton Sonya Hardcastle Dr MA and Mrs LM Harvey Janice Hewitt Thong Hoang Elizabeth Hook Sherie Houston Margaret Hunt (‘75) Alyssa and Yolanda Hunt Ashleigh Hutchinson Helen James Belle Jia Desmond Jiang Anne Jobbins (‘53) Nikki Johnston (‘11) Lindsay Johnston Julia Joseph Margaret Joyce Kim Joyce Angella Kaushik Allison Kay Kedron Vet Clinic Alice Kenny Geoff and Pom Kernick Melissa Kerr Bill and Kara Kettle Kidd Grazing Hong Le James and Philippa Lee The Leggatt Family Fiona Lillicrap Andrew Little David Little Helen Lobegeiger The Lordi Family Xanthe Lowe-Brown
Kym Macfarlane Doreen MacGowan Manly Family The Marshall Family Elise, Olivia and Paris Martin Kelli Martin Craig and Amanda McCabe Kylie McDonald Heather McGrath Abby McLaughlin The McMillan Family Carolyn McMullen Amelia McNally Margot McNee Jill Millroy (‘52) The Moller Family Janice Moody Beverley Mort The Mullan Family NT Paula Neilsen Susan O’Hare Petra O’Meara Josephine Orgill Alice O’Toole The Pearson Family The Pickering Family Cindy Pieterse Dairneen Pilton Kari Potts Dawn Powell (‘50) Lola Priddle (‘53) Russell Proctor The Qiu Family The Quinell Family Carl and Louise Rackemann Pett Rayner (nee Francis) Lisa Rayner Patricia Reeve Grace anad Chloe Reilly The Renwick Family Heather and Sascha Rhoades The Rhode Family Margot Roberts Debra Robinson John Robinson Emily Rogers SA Grazing Ken Sawers Robin Scott Bernadette Seery Loretta Serafini Amelia Shaw Malcolm Shepherd Suzanne Simpson (Macrae) Bronwyn Small Jade Smith Macey Smith
Tina Smith-Roberts Janette Snewin Speedy Electrical Mathew Stein Vicki Strid The Stringer Family Sean Tavener Mackenzie Thompson Colleen Thomson Jessica Thomson Andrea Tighe Michael Toal Nikki Townsend and Charlotte Kropp Charlotte Traves Betty Tsang Norma Tucker Twomey Family Lorraine Ungerer Robyn F Wallace Hui Wang Hui Wang Weaver Family Robyn E Wilson Jody Wright Hao Yang Kasey Young Baoli Yue Alison Zappala Zara Zeller Chris Zhang Mingyu and Meiyu Zhang
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.
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Term 3 Sports Snapshot The winter sports teams were thrilled to be able to take to the water, courts and fields again with the lifting of some COVID-restrictions. Like many things, the seasons were reimagined in terms of spectators and some behaviours (no sporting handshakes!) but all the athletes made the most of their respective competitions.
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Hockey
Netball
Volleyball
Hockey saw fantastic participation numbers for Junior and Opens teams this season. Having this depth of players and experience meant that St Margaret’s was competitive in all QGSSSA fixtures. Both Open and Junior teams secured three and four wins respectively and finished fifth overall in their respective competitions. The standard of coaching was exceptional this season, with the Opens team guided by the returning Pretsel Morar and the Juniors benefitting from the talent and experience of Jade Smith. The top scorer in the Junior team was Year 7 student Bronte Lahy. In the Opens matches, the goals were shared amongst many squad members, with Lily-Kate Charles and Lilly Campbell particularly prolific in front of goal. A highlight of the short but successful season was the cohesion between the two squads. Hockey Captains Rebecca Lauder and Lily-Kate Charles, and senior player Isobel Barry, led by example and were integral in making 2020 one of the most inclusive and successful seasons yet.
Every challenge creates opportunity and the St Margaret’s netball community grabbed every opportunity the 2020 netball season provided with both hands and the occasional elbow. Over 220 girls nominated to play QGSSSA Netball and sixteen teams took to the courts. With no spectators, the players created their own atmosphere. Both the 9B and 9C teams achieved an undefeated top of the table season, while 7C came second and the Opens finished third. Alice O’Driscoll was named in the Queensland Under 17s squad. Darcy Bichel, Lauren Packer and Emily Millar were selected for Metropolitan North trials with Emily going on to represent Metropolitan North at the state titles in Brisbane. In addition, two teams qualified to compete in the Vicki Wilson Tournament.
The QGSSSA volleyball season was extremely short this year; however, the school fielded Years 7, 8, 9, Senior A and Open teams. The Year 7, Senior A and Open teams were very excited to be the first group to use the Philip Harris Gym for their final training session. The girls had a wonderful season, developing their volleyball skills each week and always being competitive during their games. The Year 7 and Year 9 teams showed a great deal of potential and it is hoped they continue to play over the coming years. Both the Senior A and Open teams worked very hard during trainings under the watchful eye of coach Ingrid Rodini. St Margaret’s was also very privileged to have Caitlin Bettenay join the coaching team. She is a member of the Australian National Indoor Volleyball team and competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualification Tournament.
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Rowing
Tennis
Athletics
In a year of uncertainty and challenges, the St Margaret’s rowing team certainly stepped up to the plate with a memorable regatta season and Head of the River. The regatta livestream coverage allowed everyone to witness the medal tally mounting throughout the morning’s races, to see St Margaret’s ultimately crowned Aggregate Cup winners. Of the 18 events on offer, St Margaret’s achieved podium finishes in 13, placing second in the Year 9 age group and winning the Year 10 and Senior age groups. An unforgettable send-off the day before Head of River was truly electrifying and helped the rowers hold onto the Maggies spirit out at the eerily quiet spectator-less Lake Wyaralong. Another season highlight was watching the Year 8s in their first rowing season take to the water and achieve so much in such a short space of time.
The tennis season saw great improvement of players across the board. The Senior C team was undefeated across all games played and every team saw an improvement in the ladder placings with the following results:
The St Margaret’s athletics team put in some amazing individual achievements and plenty of personal bests on championship day, which saw the team place third in the Percentage Cup and fifth overall, just eighteen points behind fourth place. Highlights of the day included the following girls securing first place in their events:
Open – 7th Senior A – 6th Senior B – 3rd Senior C – 2nd Junior A – 4th Junior B – 5th Junior C – 5th The St Margaret’s Cup was played in Term 3 with the following players crowned the winners: Senior - Isabel Vittone-Taylor Intermediate – Jane Haeusler Junior – Ember Tomlinson.
Charli Spies (12 Years) – 800m B Division Ebony Okonkwo (13 Years) Long Jump A Division Milla Roberts (13 Years) – 400m; 800m B Division Daisy Brown (14 Years) – Discus B Division Brogan Tomich (14 Years) – 90m Hurdles Lucinda Bourke (15 Years) – Javelin A Division Isabella Harte (15 Years) – Open 3000m Gabrielle Geldard (17 Years) – 100m B Division
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Andrews Cup
The St Margaret’s Primary School has topped and tailed a tumultuous year with victories in Andrews Cup sport. As reported in the last Flyer, the school took home the Aggregate Cup for champion school at the Andrews Cup Swimming in March. Then in the last two Andrews Cup events for 2020, both on 5 November, our athletes showed their sporting prowess in gymnastics and basketball. 2020 is the inaugural year for Andrews Cup Basketball. Our players were among the first to train for their matches on the new sport precinct courts and their hard work was rewarded with two podium places, with the C1 team placing second and the A team coming first. Given the sport is new to Andrews Cup, so, too, is the trophy and our girls were thrilled to have the honour of St Margaret’s being the first school to be engraved on the A Grade Trophy. Across town our gymnasts had all the moves, performing well rehearsed routines on the floor, beam and bar and leaping over the vault. The D1 team placed third while the C2 team placed second. Congratulations to our young athletes – a great way to round out a year of Andrews Cup sport.
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Carnival christens new pool The new swimming pool was ablaze with colour as the 2020
The primary interhouse swimming carnival became the first official event to be held in the new pool. The March On and War Cries were held on the new tennis courts, before the girls took to the pool to swim for their house. Herrick House, decked out in tangerine, took honours in the March On, while Milton House hollered loudest to win the war cry. Bede House won the overall carnival while Kendall swam to victory in the coveted Surtees Cup, the final race for the day – a 4 x 50m freestyle relay with any four girls from each house. In the all-important staff v student relay, the adults were no competition and the students reigned supreme. The day was a great celebration of sport, house spirit and a wonderful testament to the design and flexibility of the spaces in the sports precinct.
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125 years of leadership
St Margaret’s has had a total of just 16 Principals since its establishment in 1895. The first two Headmistresses appointed were lay Headmistresses – Miss Isabella Caine and Miss Juliet Lyon. When Miss Lyon resigned in 1917, she was the last lay Headmistress until Mrs Margaret Kugelman’s appointment in 1978. Each Headmistress and Principal leaves a legacy – whether through programs implemented, the development that is stewarded, or sometimes even the fundraising undertaken to keep the school afloat, particularly in the early years. In the 120th anniversary edition of the Flyer, we featured Sister Elizabeth (1926 – 36) and the longest serving Principal Sister Mary (1940 – 64). In this edition we shine a light on other significant heads in the history of the school.
Miss Isabella Caine (1895 – 1907)
St Margaret’s first headmistress – Isabella Moreton Caine – was born on the ship “S.S. Great Victoria” on 1 January 1866, in Moreton Bay. Born of educators, Isabella attended Brisbane Girls Grammar School and obtained her Senior Certificate through the University of Sydney. At St Margaret’s, Miss Caine oversaw a curriculum at Eton High which included English, Mathematics, History, Geography, Geology, Botany, French, German, Latin, Music, Divinity, Drawing and Drill. 22
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Miss Juliet Lyon
Sister Teresa
Miss Lyon was born in Australia but received most of her education in Scotland (University of St Andrews) and England (University of Oxford). She received her Diploma of Education First Class Honours and was admitted to the London register of Secondary Teachers. She taught at Oxford Secondary School and was Assistant Mistress at Toorak College Melbourne for 18 months.
Born Nora Winifred Collison in England in 1885, her family emigrated to Tasmania where she was educated at the Collegiate School. Her early teaching career was in and around Melbourne and Victoria. When she moved to Queensland, she experienced a profound religious conviction and joined the Sisters, taking the name Sister Teresa. In 1918, she was the first Sister to be appointed as Headmistress. In 1919, the school moved to Mooloomburram (then known as Avoca). The Great War ended but the Spanish Flu began. “Everyone had to wear a mask and had to keep five feet away from everyone else,” reported the 1919 Link.
(1907 – 1917)
Miss Lyon was a keen oarswoman and introduced rowing to St Margaret’s in 1907, coaching the girls herself. Tennis, swimming and basketball were also played and, in 1908, St Margaret’s was one of the three founding schools of the QGSSSA of which Miss Lyon was President in 1911. In 1910, the school had moved to Community House (then ‘Donatello’) and by 1914 numbers had swelled to 140. When The University of Queensland opened in 1911, two former St Margaret’s students were among its first undergraduates. In 1912, Miss Lyon introduced the Dramatic Society, the start of a commitment to theatre and performance which continues to this day. Also in 1912, typewriting, shorthand, and bookkeeping were introduced as subjects to equip girls for employment and provide more independence upon leaving school. Miss Lyon steered the school through World War I in which, tragically, her brother was killed. Miss Lyon introduced two lasting legacies which have defined the school for generations – the Middy uniform and school motto – Per Volar Sunata.
(1918 – 1925)
Sister Teresa was a great innovator and, under her, many structures we recognise today were created, such as the House system, a Student School Council and the school Flower Show which lasted until the 1980s. In 1922, Sister Teresa introduced a modified version of the Dalton Plan – quite radical for its time. “This method of education encouraged students to take responsibility for their own progress,” (Per Volar Sunata 1895 – 1996) sounding very much like the philosophy of today’s Academic Advising Program.
Sister Jean-Marie
Mrs Vicki Waters
Ms Ros Curtis
[Miss Jean May Myers M.B.E.]
When Vicki Waters departed St Margaret’s in 2006 to take up the Principalship of Pymble Ladies’ College in Sydney, she was described by then Chair of Council Les McGrath as having given the school “a decade of absolutely inspirational leadership”.
Now in her 10th year at St Margaret’s, Ros Curtis has stewarded the school to the highest level of enrolments in its history. She has greened the campus and developed beautiful sanctuaries in the Barley Sugar Garden, Toorak Gardens and Ms Café. The transition to Year 7 in 2014 prompted the development of the Year 7 precinct in the old Toorak library and separate boarding dormitory for the Year 7s in West Wing. Dated classrooms in the Jackson Wing were transformed into a state-of-the-art collaborative lecture theatre and an Atelier maker space was developed in the old Dalhousie science lab. One third of the campus has been transformed into a modern sports precinct in a multimillion-dollar redevelopment.
(1965 – 70)
The period between 1960 and 1971 was one of the school’s greatest growth periods. Sister Jean-Marie came to St Margaret’s as Sister-in-Charge in 1965 after postings in North Queensland including Head of St Mary’s in Herberton. In her time the first Olympic size school pool in Brisbane was opened in 1969, achieved by gouging out one side of the old quarry. Netball courts were also built on what is now the lower level of the Arts Centre. The third wing of Dalhousie was completed in 1967, containing science and language laboratories, and in 1968 Eton Hall was extended along with a new boarding dormitory – Winston – above it. In 1970, the school’s 75th anniversary year, Toorak was opened, which at the time consisted of the library, two science labs and a staff room. In 1965 two new Houses – Herrick and Lawson – were added and the school undertook its first overseas tour to Europe in 1969. In 1986, having left the order and retired from teaching, Miss Myers was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year’s Honours List, for her services to education. She passed away in 2006 aged 86.
(1997 – 2006)
During Vicki’s tenure, the school acquired Windsor Park as a sporting venue and the rowing shed at Breakfast Creek was completed. The school’s signature program – the Global Exchange Program – was established as was the St Margaret’s Foundation – vital for the stewardship of school philanthropy to further develop the school. Events such as St Margaret’s Day, the St Margaret’s Run, Classics in the Cathedral and Race Day were established in her time, which all became favoured school traditions. She also instigated the school values and implemented Key Learning Areas. Mrs Waters retired from Pymble Ladies’ College in June 2019.
(2011 - )
However, Ms Curtis tenure has not just been punctuated by physical development. Award winning innovations such as Academic Advising and St Margaret’s Plus have been implemented and bespoke education frameworks have been executed to guide the school’s academic and wellbeing programs. In 2019 the school was named Boarding School of the Year. The Flyer asked Ms Curtis about the delights and challenges of principalship.
1969 Opening of the 50 metre Swimming Pool
What do you see as the role of a principal? The principal is first and foremost the educational leader of the school. Everything the principal should focus on is the quality of the student experience and within that the teaching and learning program. That’s very broad which means the principal has a finger in every pie of the school, overseeing
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everything from the quality of facilities, staff and food in the boarding house through to the effectiveness of programs. In one sense it’s simple: It’s the student experience and ensuring the right outcomes; however, many things feed into that making it a very complex operation. Has the role changed over time? The role has definitely changed. I think some people have a very 1970s/80s view of principalship, whereas today it is more like a CEO role where there’s oversight of all operations. Because of the wide-ranging nature of that responsibility, principals are often not as visible as they once were, out and about doing grounds duty etc, although I do try and get out of the office at least once a day to connect with the students – often at M’s Café which has proven to be a wonderful central gathering place. How do you deal with the enormous responsibility of the role? I don’t think of it a responsibility; rather, as a real joy. Teachers have a very linear progression, with each role having a greater influence on the outcomes of students. In my view who would not aspire to have the role that has the greatest influence on student outcomes, because their success brings the greatest joy. Teachers play that very important role in the classroom, while my job is to direct the teaching and learning and social and emotional wellbeing programs by choosing the teachers to facilitate the programs, and ensuring we have the resourcing to effectively facilitate that work. Teachers have one of the biggest direct influences on student outcomes, but if you don’t get the step above right, it can all fall apart. It’s an indirect influence on student outcomes but it’s still a very significant one because you work through teachers and other staff to achieve that success. Did you always aspire to be a principal? No, I don’t even recall the time when I thought I would put my hand up for principalship. What I put my hand up for was greater influence and say and that just happened to be principalship. When I started my career, I never saw myself necessarily as principal but never
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saw myself as not being principal. Every time I was in a role and saw the people above me like my line managers who were doing the job really well, I would think “I could do that” or “I’d like to do that” and so I always aspired to the next level. What are the biggest challenges for school principals right now? Handling the anxiety of young people, because everything stems from that. Even some parents have difficulty in knowing how to deal with their child’s anxiety and look to the school for guidance and it can be very tricky. I believe there is too much systemic and societal pressure on young people to perform at a very high level; but it also can come from parental expectations as well, and it’s having a huge effect on young people. The other is building resilience in the students (which has a close relationship to anxiety). We teach our students about it – they know all the theory, but they need to be able to build that resilience through practice. Too often they are rescued before they get the chance to flex their resilience muscles and, just like flexing your physical muscles, if you can’t move them, they won’t grow – or worse, they will wither. It’s the same with resilience. You need to endure some discomfort and demonstrate resilience to build it. What is the biggest challenge at St Margaret’s? One of the biggest challenges is trying to achieve greatness with limited resources. Very few girls’ schools have the financial support that boys’ schools can garner from their old boys’ network. My wish list is very long and there are many things I would like to be able to do and achieve in a much shorter timeframe but there are not the resources to do it all. Can you name the proudest moment of your tenure? There have been many highlights and proud moments but one thing I have really enjoyed is the acknowledgement we have received through the Innovative Schools Awards, in 2018 (for Academic Advising), 2019 (St Margaret’s Plus) and 2020 (Gidhal project).
Many of these ideas have been the result of my going on sabbatical overseas and bringing back ideas based on some of the most successful educational institutions from across the globe. These have included an enrolment management plan, Academic Advising, and St Margaret’s Plus. Also, we were one of the leading schools with continuous reporting, which everyone is now doing; in fact, many schools looked to us for advice and guidance. Being innovative, inspiring staff to come on that journey with me and then seeing the benefits of those innovations to the school and student outcomes is exciting for me, and that goes back to being able to have that level of influence to be able to inspire and innovate. Where do you want to take the school in the future? I’d like to do more work in the careers space; we are overdue for more Arts spaces for music and performance; and we need to refurbish some of our older stock of classrooms. A longer term project is seeing more flexibility in the school day. Last word I think you would hear lots of staff in schools express this but working in a school environment does bring a lot of joy. At St Margaret’s there is a tremendous amount of student energy; by and large the students are happy, calm and engaged in what they are doing. It gives us all a younger outlook. The other thing I would say is that as an educator, you never know when the seeds you plant come to fruition. I often think that we are educating the 28 year old – they’ve studied, learned more about themselves and you see that St Margaret’s influence kicking in. That’s very satisfying in that you see the foundations for life and learning that you aspired to instil in them serving them well as they build their lives.
Captains’ Corner This year’s school captains have had a long association with St Margaret’s with Isobel Barry attending since Year 5 and Alice O’Driscoll first attending in Pre-Prep and Year 1, before returning to the school in Year 4. The Flyer asked them about their St Margaret’s experience. Q: What things about the school have you enjoyed the most? Isobel: The broad nature of all the opportunities offered; there’s everything from A to Z – music, sport, cultural activities, exchange, leadership conferences, SRC student leadership. There are such a diverse range of activities so everyone has a place and it’s very special to have that place where everyone can belong. Alice: Something we talk about a lot is the community and it’s one of my favourite reasons about being at St Margaret’s. Just recently, for example, the student music performances at the Soaring Upwards Festival where everyone came together to support each other. Isobel: Yes, and the spontaneous war cry at the end where you could really feel the school spirit – it’s powerful and really beautiful, especially those spontaneous moments where everyone is coming together – it’s really special. Q: How has the school helped you find your passion, and supported and developed that passion? Isobel: One of my greatest passions has always been drama and theatre and that was a big passion of mine before I came to St Margaret’s. Mrs Drysdale asked me where I would be in 20 years and I said something like “I’m going to win an Oscar”! My passion for drama and theatre has always been recognised and supported at St Margaret’s. Alice: Sport has always been a very big part of my life. I started playing netball here in Year 1 – as part of the Net Set Go program and have always played netball here. Being a part of the Flyers Program has allowed me to push it even further, making state teams and having those experiences while still supporting my academic work. My other passions are science and maths which have always been super supported – I have been able to take STEM in Year 10, and always had access to a range of opportunities. Q: Will you use those passions in your future as part of your career? Isobel: My work in speech and drama has allowed me to become more confident and also just a better public speaker and I think that’s one of the things that empowers you most as a leader – my ability to get up and speak in front of people and express my opinions. I will always credit speech and drama with helping me to be who I am.
Alice: I want to go into medicine or some kind of maths/ science degree and I feel like my Maths and Science subjects will help me get there. I definitely want to continue playing team sports – there is so much you can take from them in terms of teamwork, leadership and communication which are really important. Q: Favourite Memory? Alice: When we were both announced school captain, we were especially excited to do it with each other and I remember that moment so clearly. Last year’s netball grand final was another special memory – so many girls came out to support us, many who didn’t even play netball. Even the rowing coaches came out and that was great to see. Isobel: Global Exchange. My exchange wasn’t perfect and amazing the whole time, but it was integral to my development at that time. I turned 16 in New York City and just felt like I grew up so much. It was so different and parts of it were really unexpected, but I learned to be resilient and learned a lot about myself. Sony Camp was eye opening and inspiring – I loved seeing all the boys and girls having a common goal and working together in this caring atmosphere learning to help others – it was really special. Q: What have you learned about leadership in your time at St Margaret’s. Isobel: I have learnt that as a leader you need to be able to understand a whole range of different perspectives from your position. You also need to be able to show others how to understand those perspectives. I think it’s important to both convey and understand different perspectives. Alice: The importance of recognising when it’s your time to step up and lead or when you need to step back and let others say their piece. We have large prefect group of 19 people and it can be hard for everyone to have their voice heard and I feel like it’s really important as leaders that everyone has that opportunity to say something. Q: What would you say to your younger self starting out at school? Isobel: Don’t ever stop being your confident self. When I first came to St Margaret’s I was shy and it took me a little bit to find my groove. Once I did, this school has done so much for me and I would say just take advantage of every opportunity with confidence and courage and maintain your passions. Alice: Treasure every moment and be so grateful for the time you’ve had – I was able to make such a strong group of friends from Pre-Prep who I am still friends with now. Seize every day and be happy you get to come to a school like St Margaret’s and be grateful.
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2021 School Leaders 2021 Level 3 Captain Positions School Captains
Zara Campbell Olivia Donoghue
2021 Level Two Captaincy Positions Boarder Captains
Primrose Carrigan Georgina Winter
Gabrielle Agnew Paige Bastian Zara Campbell Estella Caro Primrose Carrigan Olivia Donoghue Julia Elks Georgie Gaspar Hanna Gustafsson Prefects Charlotte Hood Lucy Howard Akari Komoto Ashleigh Pomeroy Celia Quinn Meleia Richardson Charlotte Russell Rosie Turnbull Ashleigh Witenden Georgina Winter Sacristans
Georgia Ditchfield, Yolanda Hunt, Taliah-Rose Paino, Eliza Quayle
Sports Captains Julia Elks, Lucy Howard
Music Captains Akari Komoto, Ashleigh Witenden
House Captains Bede Charlotte Brown, Matilda Owen
Chaucer Priscilla Russell, Amelia McDonald Herrick Isobella Macfarlane, Ellen Tracey
Kendall Emma Arnott, Casandra Mantis
Lawson Lucinda MacPherson, Holly Watts Milton Rachel Sands, Sophia Wightman
Spenser Ella Bacon, Abigail Ramsay
Tennyson Isabel Byrne, Hannah Campbell
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2021 Level Three Captaincy Positions Jahna Day Emilyana Di Meco (Queena) Yuhui Jiang Elizabeth Kettle Isobella Macfarlane Boarder Prefects Eva Moller Phillipa Murray Arabella O’Neill Holly Watts Adisha Yanda Alexandra Butterfield Emilyana Di Meco Milla Dwyer Ruby Eastwood Taylah Hansen Makayla Healy Anna Martin Philanthropy Group Members Edwina McLachlan Ada McKie Taylah Murphy Arabella O’Neill Stella Pampellonne Piper Rutherford Morgan Wright Éva Young Sports Captains Artistic Gymnastics Priscilla Russell, Halle Scriven
Athletics Ryanne Coe, Samantha Cooper
Badminton Greta Kasprowicz, Emily Rice
Basketball Samantha Cooper, Amelia McDonald Cricket Meg Mettam, Grace Nankivell
Cross Country Alice Boughey, Chloe Fenwicke Hockey Ella Blanck, Isabella Shepherd
Lifesaving Hayley Forster, Lauren Walker
Netball Georgia Ditchfield, Charlotte Heather
Rowing Primrose Carrigan, Rosie Turnbull
Rhythmic Gymnastics Sofia Bell, Ashley Garner
Soccer Jemilla Halliday, Sophia Henebery
Swimming Abigail Shearer-Smith, Chloe Ziegenfuss Tennis Zara Campbell, Charlotte Hood
Touch Olivia Donoghue, Lucinda MacPherson
Volleyball Isabel Crockett, Adisha Yanda
Water Polo Teneille Allen, Chloe Ziegenfuss Music Captains Choral Paige Bastian, Meleia Richardson Band Charlotte Aralar, Tara Boone
Strings Akari Komoto, Ashleigh Witenden Cultural & Community Captains Debating Hanna Gustafsson, Celia Quinn TOC H Yolanda Hunt, Eliza Quayle
International (Ariel) Lok To Cheung, Naomi Pang Visual Art Lily Carey, Gio Kim
Drama Estella Caro, Harriet Couchman-Frame
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St Margaret’s celebrates Science Week
National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology held each year in August. This year, St Margaret’s secondary students celebrated the science all around us and in everything we do with a weeklong series of workshops, science-based competitions, lunchtime drop-in sessions and after school events held between 17 and 21 August. During the week, Years 11 and 12 students participated in a Rocket Competition on Circular Drive launching their rocket – a plastic bottle filled with a 2:1 ratio of oxygen and methane – by igniting the mixture with a lit splint to the neck of the bottle. Targets were setup and students were given the chance to adjust the height of the rocket launcher. The rockets took off with a loud bang and flew for several metres with the farthest rocket taking out the competition. “That was so exciting,” said School Captain Alice O’Driscoll after completing the challenge. The physics, biology and chemistry student said: “We’ve looked at this chemical reaction in Chemistry but we’ve never seen it in practice, so it has been very cool to see that today.” Among other activities during the week was a physics investigation about energy transfers, where students were required to simulate a bungee jump using a barbie doll and rubber bands. The Bungee Jumping Barbies Challenge required girls in Years 10 to 12 to work together in groups to make a bungee cord for their barbie by stringing together rubber bands in a chain. Teams had to estimate how many
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rubber bands they would need to give barbie a thrilling bungee jump from the top level of Avoca building, through the ring of fire (or in this case, a hoop decorated in red and orange crepe paper) and just touching the target of a bowl of jelly below. Year 11 students Zara Campbell and Ashleigh Pomeroy said the challenge involved a lot of trial and error to work out how many rubber bands would be needed. “We had to try and figure out how much barbie would rebound up, so we did a few tests beforehand. “We also had to consider the gravitational energy because as barbie fell, she gained speed,” Zara said. Head of Faculty – Science and Technology, Mr Chris Dunn, said St Margaret’s Science Week celebration was aimed at increasing science engagement levels. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the amazing outcomes achievable in these fields and the opportunities possible in the girls’ futures. “At the moment, Australia is suffering an alarming shortage of tertiary graduates in STEM-related fields, and the figures for female graduates are worse still. Our Faculty sees events as such as Science Week as perfect opportunities for us to engage and inspire our students with activities in Science, Technology and STEM-related fields. It forms a vital part of the Science and Technology co-curricular offerings at St Margaret’s, which are intended to develop our girls’ interest and confidence in STEM subjects. “It seems to be yielding excellent results. Since 2018, St Margaret’s has seen a significant increase in the enrolments of students across Senior Science and Technology subjects: Biology (increase of 21%); Chemistry (increase of 11%); Physics (increase of 27%); Digital Solutions (increase of 52%). “There are currently more students studying Science and Technology than any other time in St Margaret’s history. In 2021, this upward trend continues,” Mr Dunn said.
How Could This Happen: lessons learnt from history When Jason Steinberg, father of Year 10 history student Ella, learned the class was studying Australia’s involvement in WWII, he offered to install a temporary exhibit in the senior library about the Holocaust. While not part of the formal curriculum, the display enriched the students’ studies about this important time in history and was also visited by RVE classes. The exhibition was developed by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre based in Israel, and produced by the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, of which Mr Steinberg is Vice-President. Head of eLearning and Research and Year 10 history teacher Alison Scott said the students were energised by the different material and powerful visuals of the display. There were three displays in the exhibit. One was an historical overview and asked the question “How was it humanly possible”; a second – Spots of Light: Women in the Holocaust –focused on women’s experience in the holocaust; while a third was a series of suitcases containing iPads which featured videos of survivors who had emigrated to Queensland which brought the experience very close to home for the students. The women’s stories, showing mothers protecting their children, also strongly resonated with the girls. Students were asked to do a creative response – from artwork to poetry and powerpoints – to reflect on what they had seen or learnt. These were then saved on OneNote and a QR code was created and attached to the displays so everyone could access these responses. Ms Scott said: “Being a post-assessment topic, students had the freedom to explore the topic and respond to whatever drew them in.” This display also attracted interest from local politicians who came to view the display and enjoyed engaging with the students and hearing their responses to the exhibits. We thank Tim Nicholls, MP Member for Clayfield, Trevor Evans MP, Federal Member for Brisbane, and the Hon Stirling Hinchliffe MP, the then Minister for Local Government, Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs for visiting the display and speaking with the students.
We would like to sincerely thank Jason Steinberg for organising the display. In addition, Jason, together with Paul Myers, the Queensland Jewish board of Deputies President, and parent Andrew Butcher (whose company SignSite produced the displays) also visited and shared their insights with students and the visiting politicians, and we thank them for their time. Below is one of the powerful responses to the exhibits by Year 10 student Kate Bloomfield, entitled Why.
Why Just like that, sh e was gone. Right before m y eyes, She was gone. The gas took he r life from her, Before it had ev en begun. And took away mine. I didn’t even ne ed the gas to fe el dead. I was already de ad inside and ou t. Only 3 she was , And had an am azing life ahead of her. But no. The gas took he r life from her, She didn’t dese rve it; no one di d. Their pure mot ive was to kill an d kill is what th I thought it was ey did. a shower, but I w as wrong. I should never have believed th em, Why should I? All they did was lie, Lie and more lie s, Just to make us obedient – obed ient of our deat “Work will set h. you free,” they sa id . Lies and more lies, Free from what? From life? From love? But we had no choice. My last wish w as that I got her out earlier, Out of this hell. Why, I ask? Why ? What did we do? Nothing is the answer, but still , The gas took he r life from her, Before it had ev en begun. Kate Bloomfie ld
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Four generations of St Margaret’s women For the Webb family, their St Margaret’s school ties run deep. The family’s connection with the school goes all the way back one hundred years when Margery Webb (married name Adnam) and her sister Cecilie (married name Anderson) were students in the 1920s. Current Year 9 student Georgia Bradshaw is continuing the family’s tradition into the 2020s. “It is a wonderful feeling to be our family’s fourth generation student to attend the school. Following in the footsteps of past generations reminds me we are part of a long history here at St Margaret’s,” Georgia said. Georgia’s adored grandmother and Margery’s daughter, Margaret Joyce (nee Adnam) attended St Margaret’s as a boarder, graduating in 1965, and Margaret’s sister Sally Coffey (nee Adnam) graduated in 1961. Kim Joyce, Georgia’s mother, graduated in 1987. Georgia admits her grandmother loves to share her memories of St Margaret’s, in particular her boarding experience. “When my grandmother was a boarder there were two large dormitories with rows of beds. Two or three girls shared a cubical with a chest of drawers and a small cupboard for each girl. “By comparison, boarders in the boarding house today sleep in year levels and I share a room with just three other girls. “We have amazing food too. Dinners are often a buffet as opposed to during my grandmother’s era when meals were brought to the table. We also have a boarder kitchen which we can use on the weekends,” Georgia said. While these days boarders are encouraged to write letters, letter writing was a compulsory task on Sunday mornings
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for boarders in Georgia’s grandmother’s era and, upon completion, each girl’s letter was inspected by Sister Mary. “Boarding has changed and become more relaxed in its restrictions since my grandmother and even my mother were boarders. “In my grandmother’s day there were no mobile phones and no phone calls were permitted either. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t phone home. “There was also no radios and boarders were never allowed to leave the school grounds. Whereas we always have planned activities on the weekends and are allowed to go running or walking whenever we like, so long as we are with at least two other girls. We can take leave whenever we want; we just need to submit a leave form,” Georgia said. Possibly one of the more significant changes in boarding life at St Margaret’s over years is its cultural diversity. While the school has always been a home away from home for daughters of rural and regional families, it has only been in more recent times overseas students have also called the boarding house home, an aspect that Georgia really appreciates. “St Margaret’s is immersed in so many different cultures and I love that the school brings many cultures from across the world together and everyone just fits together and is happy,” she said. While St Margaret’s may have changed immensely since Georgia’s grandmother and even her mother were boarders, Georgia says she wouldn’t change a thing about her experience so far. “I love the atmosphere and I love the sisterhood!” she said.
1965 Prefects
Margaret Adnam (circled)
1987 Senior Boarders Kim Joyce (circled)
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Gidhal A collection of stories from our First Nations’ people
A collection of stories from our First Nations’ people St Margaret’s has launched an original publication titled Gidhal: A collection of stories from our First Nations’ people, authored by the school’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Pronounced “Gi-darl”, the publication’s namesake means “stories” in Kala Lagaw Ya, a language from the Torres Strait, spoken by eight St Margaret’s students. The publication is exactly that: a collection of stories and interviews told by St Margaret’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students past and present and their family members. Gidhal pays respect to who we are and where we came from, bringing these stories to life for our entire St Margaret’s community, and is also a wonderful record for our students to access and learn from the stories of First Nations people.
Year 10 student Elyne Tighe said: “My first reaction to seeing Gidhal in print was pride. I was amazed at how professional the magazine looked. It was a wonderful feeling to see all our hard work finally pay off and to know that we created a book which was so beautiful. “I know I am very lucky to have the wonderful heritage which I have and to be able to share this with the community through this publication is very empowering.” Aboriginal dance group Tribal Experiences, led by Shannon Ruska, performed a number of songs and dances from a collection of Aboriginal communities, to the delight of the audience, some of whom even joined in. Gidhal\1
The project was the result of an Innovation Grant awarded to secondary teachers Ms Margot Shave and Mr Noel Peinke in 2019. The impetus for the project was to harness the enormous potential of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to share their stories with the St Margaret’s community. Ms Shave said: “As English teachers, Noel and I firmly believe in the power of story to dispel misconceptions, share experiences and build reconciliation within the broader school community. “As each student explored opportunities to represent their family and communities, we learned more about their remarkable backgrounds and were humbled by the breadth of talent in our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families,” she said. Students in Years 7 to 12 participated in the project, sharing recipes from treasured family cookbooks, photos from home, artworks from family members, personal reflections and profiles of Aboriginal activists. Gidhal was officially launched to the school community on Tuesday 3 November at a dedicated assembly with each of the participating students receiving a certificate and copy of the book. The students were thrilled to see their hard work in print.
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Among the special guests were Aboriginal elder and author Dr Ruth Hegarty and The Reverend Canon Bruce Boase who both spoke at the launch. Other special guests in attendance included Linda Barron from the State Library of Queensland, Aboriginal elder and activist Lesley Williams, Waverley Stanely and Llew Mullins from Yalari, and RoseMarie Kopp, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education at Independent Schools Queensland. It was very fitting that during NAIDOC Week, Gidhal, a collection of stories giving voice to our First Nations’ people at St Margaret’s, was awarded a 2020 Innovation Award from The Educator magazine.
Gidhal
A sense of
place
by Tyeena Moving to Pang, Yea the city was r 12 like waking Looking thro In this mo up from a ment, I hea ugh my win dream. r the birds the lights I of our anc dow I see man chatter and esto rem whispers beautiful twi ember. I strain my hea y lights, not the wind; the rs’ voices as soft as the nkling ligh d to trees dancing trees and win ts real songs as we from my hom find the isin with d in a perfect g they aren sit e, finally duet singing ’t stars. The hou fish and yab on the bank with our ses. y are buildin us No star in bies ready reels in han sight. gs and to dodge our d; the The trees still Our family hooks and sits pots. voices of my dance in the wind but laughing. Wh around the fire tell ing stories not to the ancestors. ile cooking and They move cars and trai hug from the dinner, a war to the breeze ns. fire enwrap m, comfort of smell of din s us and the ing The interna ner teases well anticip l feeling of me. ated disc bubbles insi Laying ben de of me. Thi onnection and isolatio eath the star have been s in our swa twinkling n determined s was a choice I mad ligh gs, beautif e, and I ul from Year There wer We sleep to ts cover the night sky 7 to see it thro e man in the ugh. made me que y challenges and dou in the mornin soothing sounds of every direction. the bush, the bts stion myself through the they are righ g to the gossip of the n wake and my abil faced that birds – like end t ity. Howeve an alarm these struggle less support from trees. These on time, resting high r, my family in great trees s. I overcame conceal the the paperbark shade and Thi s might not protection beautiful oas look like tha . is with many stars When I loo t beautiful or sing the k upon my sweet melodi river, have as country, Wa am surrou amongst the nde es anyi land, desert cou an oas stories and d by family. I have gain of the bush, but I ntry the rainbow laughs from ed serpent who , you can see Boodjam is this new plac so many more gave susten formed the ulla, It has filled anc e. great river me with hop animals. Thi e to the surrounding and e and curiosi Wherever veg s country is ty. life takes me, it adds to my sacred to man etation and plac I have the kno cultural iden y es to guide connection wledge of tity and inte people. For me and strengt futu to land. It both hen me in re endeavour is part of who rnal feeling of and future. my s. This is my country, my I am, both my past home.
ies from ion of stor le A collect ions’ peop at N t rs Fi our
1 Gidhal\ 8/Gid hal
o Joey Laifo t’s Alumni, by St Margare ) (’19 Indira Laifoo
My little tow n
in the middl e of nowhe re
By Charlea Smith, Yea r9 In the middle of in Wankangn nowhere sits a town called Bedour urru land. It’s a small as anything ie. It sits bubble and mo These simple bare small but it’s re than just a gas stat and silly mem ion on most ly seen full of people moments I ories are wha maps. It’s knowing alm pro I t makes me, ost every per call family. I grew up and jumping bably would’ve never there, the neighbo grown up and me. If it weren’t for son who live on boiling This small these uring towns trailers and d there or clos the momen realised cutt bub broken car of Birdsville ts that I mis e by in the only plac ble of a town is the plac roofs was silly ing your own hair and s as a child you look craz Boulia. e that felt like e I have the though bec . These mo y. most beloved would be the ause doing home even My dog Osc those things ments are after I left. one ar My favourit memories of and now makes watch old Elvi s I shared with my e memorie Uncie and and cared for was always around whe s s of all Aunt Jackie. n gummy Life Presley performance all I nee crea ded ture My Uncie and him; he was s, befriend always bee tapes on the save ing even cats n alle such a soft I would VHR and eat in a town like rs. We’d sit and wat soul when he’d ch them all was one that rgic to certain anim candies like Bedourie, bein come across als, especia day. When I wasn’t alle creativity and the lly dogs and I was three one. I’ve rgic to. outside thin g three years old and I started draw years old cats, but my having not beloved Unc king. So, I’d ing when I dog Oscar hin ie, playing wanted to was little, wish cards or wat write stories and draw g to do called for the earliest paint and draw ing ching movies and hang out that I have and one day I cou and one day they are som . with my now I know that you ld be an arti I’d spend all see my wor e of my favo These memories are don’t hav st. I artist. My Nan ks displaye my probably rite. d in a living together time with my Uncie and my Aun e to have your works and cousin creating in featured any gallery. But ts were all up until we Lara. Lara your lounge artists, from getting up where to be were seven. and I were roo to mischief. artists. The gallery sho an We’d spend like sisters, ir works mad m. My Aunts Joyce One of my w cases to wanted to be time playing and just most vivid e sma thei Jean hairdressers mak ll bubble of r way from e believe and memories about it and and a town. My canvas to fenc Crombie are the gallery with Lara was house. Dot telling my Nan cut each other’s hair Nan, Mona es and walls when pain . I rememb I recall thes and Uncie around our er Mom bein we her walls and tings and photograph Smith, however, kept e memorie and Aun t Jackie. The s like they wer her art arou s and an old g so mad halls, from y all nd her e yesterday, half-made up, art surr the lounge didgeridoo to the bedroo ounded me and look bac laughed heartily. adorned fully and I k on them ms. It was don’t know fondly. everywher what I’d do e. without it tod Growing ay.
by glyphs used ly carved hiero s The intricate their pyramid Egyptians on to explore the Ancient t Joey Laifoo Islander artis it Stra es for Torr were a catalyst and le. time the peop his knowledge of the stories of had used the something artists there we could do “I saw how the thought that t these in pictures and said. “I wanted to documen captured this rent ” he it, diffe Stra es from e Torr similar in the ges in knowledg the big chan stories and also his early scholarship in generations.” government to Egypt on a E in Cairns. Joey travelled visual art at TAF art, ying stud stories in my twenties after record these said in can he I ” , if ght from learn I thou “At the time a template to ra, graduated g people have daughter, Indi then the youn garet’s as his Mar St at an interview t with artis n ralia ol. ed Aust from scho nally recognis Gallery an internatio ensland Art Today, Joey is Gallery, the Que nsively with his art National Art travelled exte works in the Germany and seas. He has a, over Indi , ries occo an, Mor and in galle shops in Jord and hosted work fic. y Nona, Paci le, Athe, Harr throughout the ests – es from his Unc inspiration com artist who had similar inter es For Joey, his der stori es Strait Islan also draws on Torr us a famo hood in with family. He from his child ng and being ts fishi even ing, and ly hunt about his fami from his Mum the it. h documents the Torres Stra Pearl Diver whic es Strait Islander ed work is the r Torr Joey’s most valu grandfather and 22 othe stories into of his r, he wove their experiences ing each dive an element After interview cate symbol represents pearl divers. le intri peop during artwork. Each of life for his the lino-cut n of the way e or celebratio of knowledg ication, this time. ded in this publ inclu been orks have Two of his artw Drag Net. my the stories of Horn Island and tell we that y important pass down this “To me it’s reall great-grandparents and Joey said. and generation,” grandparents generation to knowledge from for trevally, an es are s men fishing turtl Drag Net – show crocodiles and Mangroves, warning every-day fish. along with the in the artwork, n as alligator fish could represented quarter moo the in fish not to . nets the tear
6/Gidhal
24/Gid hal
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A playground rich in learning Just as classrooms are spatially set up for different aspects of learning, with reading or maths corners, or configurations allowing for individual and collaborative learning, so to St Margaret’s new outdoor playground is a lot more than a space for students to run around in. Each of the new playground structures has a purpose which promotes different aspects of a child’s development, even though they will probably not be aware they are doing anything but having fun. There are the obvious physical benefits and challenges of different equipment, such as the small climbing wall that builds strength, and promotes coordination and cross body movement – important for brain development, particularly in the earlier years. Log stepping-stones develop balance, and, while children are moving across all these different spaces, they are also developing their social and emotional skills as they negotiate aspects of play such as taking turns, leading, problem solving and socialising. The wooden stage and amphitheatre construction lend themselves to outdoor plays or anything the children want to bring to this open-ended space. Similarly, the open log tepee encourages conversation and socialising, or they may choose to engage with the area in ways only limited by their imagination. There is even a water pump, through which students can learn about recycling, as well as engaging in the physical action of pumping the water, thus gaining a greater appreciation for the ways in which water still needs to be collected (often by children their same age) in different parts of the world. Winston is back, so named because the area is called the Churchill Lawn. He’s a little shorter than before to fit the redesigned space, but his spare parts will be redeployed in the Pre-Prep outdoor area and Churchill garden.
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Exciting things are happening in 2021 in the great outdoors at St Margaret’s. The Pre-Preps will have one day a week in nature, to enjoy a day of unstructured outdoor play, while at the other end of the primary school, the Year 6s will be leading a composting project in Maggies Garden. Designed by the Monty Co, Monty is a smart monitoring device, continuously tracking and analysing compost data. Monty uploads compost data, analyses it and lets the user know, through the app, what to do when things go wrong. If the compost is already good, it helps make it even better. This project will combine life learning along with promoting competency with different technologies and should harvest excellent results all round.
Sustainability in the primary school
At St Margaret’s, all students are encouraged to develop an environmental stewardship and to foster the necessary knowledge, skills and values so their actions can contribute to more sustainable ways of living.
However, Maggies Garden offers so much more than just gardening for the students. It also promotes healthy nutrition and the girls have reaped the fruits of their labour sharing their harvest with families at home or in cooking at school.
Right from Pre-Prep, our primary students, are nurtured to harness their innate curiosity of the natural world and all its wonder and to develop agency and responsibility in caring for and protecting the environment. One of the ways in which they do this is through tending to Maggies Garden from planting, maintaining and composting through to harvesting and cooking their produce.
The students have also learnt about caring for the natural environment and the garden through composting. This sustainable practice, along with recycling, were initiatives led by our Year 6 Sustainability Leaders, Rose Joseph, Coco Fidler and Letitia Watson. Practices such as collecting coffee grounds from Ms Café and using lunch waste to create compost for the garden are just some of the ways they have discovered nature’s own recycling method which in turn has led to a flourishing Maggies Garden.
Students in Prep to Year 4 have collaborated on the Maggies Garden project, assisting with planting vegetables in its new location on the Butler Street side of the primary school. Landscaper Jonathon Weinert of JW Concepts visited the school and shared his knowledge with the girls about soil and the introduction of flowers to vegetable gardens as companion plants.
Head of Primary Mrs Angela Drysdale said: “We believe that embedding sustainability into primary learning is fundamental to empowering our students to be environmental change agents, who contribute now and in the future to our world.”
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A celebration of the arts We finally were able to celebrate a reimagined MAYO Festival on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October after its postponement in May due to COVID-19. Although some event restrictions were still in place, it was a fantastic opportunity for our students and some of our community to come together, either virtually or at the school, to celebrate the arts through our Gallery exhibition, creative workshops, dance and music performances. Throughout 2020 there have been very few performance opportunities for our students. Therefore, it was important that MAYO proceed in a format that would afford the students a chance to celebrate all things art, dance and music and to do so with an audience. So, on Friday 9 October, the school came alive with the sound of music with a “Soaring Upwards” festival held on Circular Drive. Students shared orchestra, ensemble, choral and music performances, with the program recorded for families to view later, so that all members of our St Margaret’s community could share in the artistic celebration. The students revelled in the performances and, in a joyous finale to the day, danced and sang along to the Rock Band’s rendition of I did it all in a wonderful display of school spirit.
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The performers sported MAYO t-shirts donning an original print design created by Year 9 student Sophia Connor. The print was a hand carved mandala design based on birds, apt for the students’ “Soaring Upwards” festival. The Gallery exhibition, which was again supported by Australia’s leading design destination Cult, showcased three-dimensional art by 32 Queensland sculptors, jewellers, ceramicists and glass artists. More than 300 pieces were curated for the exhibition which also included a series of stunning lino prints created by our Year 9 students. Observing physical distancing, 90 guests in total were treated to an exclusive preview of the exhibition on the Friday evening, attending across two sessions. The next day, the Gallery exhibition was enjoyed by many who relished the opportunity to browse the artwork on display as well as our community market stalls, while also enjoying a bite to eat, a complimentary coffee, courtesy of Bernborough Ascot Retirement Living, or a cold beverage. Creative workshops, including pottery, resin jewellery making and terrariums, were also held during our celebration of the arts, providing students with the
opportunity to be inspired creatively and learn new skills. Thank you to all that supported this year’s reimagined MAYO, whether through sharing in your daughter’s performance, supporting our artists in the Gallery exhibition or purchasing raffle tickets. The event also had the support of several partners who remained steadfast in their commitment during these uncertain times. Thank you to Adrians, Hinterland House, Ocean Dynamics, Intercontinental Hayman Island Resort, Bernborough Ascot Retirement Living, Cult, Brisbane City Council, The Van That Can, Barambah Organics and Clear Insurance, as well as those businesses that supported our MAYO Raffle including Racecourse Road Dental, Brisbane Racing Club, Archie Bros Cirque Electriq, Keri Craig, Brisbane Safes, Ciao Papi, Athlete’s Foot, The Goodnight Company and Dapple + Waver. We’re incredibly lucky to have shared in a reimagined version of our artistic celebration this year and cannot wait until 2022 when we hope to bring MAYO back in its full glory.
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Spectacular in the round Spectacular, spectacular! The memorable Arts Spectacular was done slightly differently this year due to the neverending anomaly of COVID and its requirements; however, it was no less memorable, and perhaps more so. The overarching theme of this year’s Arts Spectacular was ‘Return to the Future’, chosen to help celebrate the school’s 125th anniversary. The Year 6 girls reflected upon the various fashions of the past, stepping out in style adorned in feathers and pearls of 20s flapper era through to metallic glam of the 70s disco divas. The Year 5 girls imagined future trends and were transformed into visionary builders, weird scientists and futuristic animal doctors. The girls worked studiously in their HPE and Visual Art classes to put on a terrific show with epic choreography (courtesy of HPE teacher Suzy Edwards) and dazzling costumes (courtesy of primary art teacher Kerry Rider and her band of helpers including art aides and parents). Circular Drive provided a reverse theatre in the round, with parents bringing along a rug to enjoy the open-air show. The following day, the students gave an encore performance in front of the rest of the school as part of MAYO’s “Soaring Upwards” festival. The audience went wild and it was evident from the smiles on the performers faces they too were having the time of their lives.
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Classics in the Cathedral Music maestro! Although live performances have become something of a rarity throughout 2020, Classics in the Cathedral turned out to be a spectacular and memorable event despite the circumstances. Only a small number of audience members could attend due to social distancing rules; however, through the power of livestream, members of the community could tune in. Wonderful performances by students included an opening brass flourish of Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, through to a string bowing heard in the closing of Mossorgsky’s Night on the Bald Mountain. St Margaret’s Notable Annabelle Traves treated the audience to exquisite repertoire, which she has performed on numerous stages around the world. Annabelle has continued to follow her passion for music post St Margaret’s, where she was Music Captain in 2014, studying violin in Sydney and now sought after globally. The evening concluded with performances of Jerusalem by Sir Hubert Parry, O Joyful Light and Land of Our Birth, all having a special place in the school’s history. Although reimagined, the event still played a sweet note on everybody’s heart strings and was once again a musical highlight of the 2020 school year.
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Honouring our past students As we commemorate 125 years of St Margaret’s, it is only fitting we honour the diverse accomplishments of our past students. Late last year we commenced work on our 125 Notable Old Girls project, building on an endeavour initiated by the Old Girls’ Association in 2014 to celebrate St Margaret’s Old Girls. Throughout the course of our anniversary year, we are adding 100 more past students to the esteemed group, celebrating the lives and careers of our alumni who are and always will be inspirational role models to the current and future generations of our St Margaret’s students. Many profiles of our 125 Notable past students have been published on the school’s 125th anniversary website. We have also highlighted a handful of these high-achieving women here with excerpts of their profiles and you can read more about their personal and professional journeys online.
Susan Lorette Dunn - At St Margaret’s 1978 - 1981 BMus, Voice (Performance and Teaching), Graduate Diploma of Music (Opera) Susan Dunn is an Australian soprano and current Artist Teacher of Opera Studies at The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University in Houston, Texas. While maintaining her teaching career, she regularly performs with leading orchestras and at renowned summer music festivals throughout North America and Europe. Since leaving St Margaret’s, Susan graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Voice and a Post Graduate Diploma of Opera. She pursued an opera career, which took her to London, the USA, Israel and throughout Australia, and has worked with companies including Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Queensland and the Queensland Ballet. Susan has been a winner of major grants and musical awards. As a State and Commonwealth winner of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition she had the opportunity to appear with Australia’s major orchestras. She was also the recipient of the prestigious Winston Churchill Fellowship Award, which led her to New York City, where she met her future husband, conductor Larry Rachleff. Susan held positions as Lecturer at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and the Queensland University of Technology, where she also devised programs in music theatre skills. She has premiered Australian vocal works in concert both nationally and internationally. Composers David Heuser, St Margaret’s Old Girl and Notable Betty Beath, Stephen Lalor, David Hush and Paul Keelan have written for her.
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Phoebe Young - At St Margaret’s 1995-1999 BA, LLB, GradDipLegalPrac Phoebe Young (nee Stuart) is a lawyer, writer, keynote speaker and mum of two. She attended St Margaret’s from 1995 and in 1999 became Prefect and Boarding Captain. Following school she spent a year travelling and working in Spain and England, before returning to Brisbane to attend university. During her first semester of tertiary study, Phoebe suffered a rare and near-fatal illness which resulted in the loss of both her legs below the knee, her left hand at the wrist and much of her vision. After multiple surgeries and a gruelling stay in hospital, she determinedly learned to walk on prosthetic legs, navigate the world with low vision, regain her independence and eventually returned to her university studies. Phoebe graduated with degrees in Arts and Laws with Honours, before spending two years as an associate to The Honourable Justice Ann Lyons of the Supreme Court of Queensland. She was admitted as a solicitor to the Legal Profession and has since dedicated her career to working and advocating for our community’s most vulnerable people in not-for-profit legal centres and government departments. She is also an Ambassador to the Queensland Eye Institute.
Jenny Stevens - At St Margaret’s 1969-1973 DipTeach, Bed, BSpEd, Med, DipAud MAudSA (CCP)
Louise McDonald - At St Margaret’s 1919-1922 BSc, DipEd
Jenny Stevens (nee Bowman) is the CEO/Clinical Director at Attune Hearing. Commencing with two to three clinics, Jenny has grown a national organisation with 65+ clinics servicing the medical community across five states. Attune is the largest national, private, full-service hearing and balance company dedicated to delivering the most accurate hearing/ vestibular/cochlear implant evaluations/ services and the most appropriate treatments for all ages. To de-risk Attune for shareholders, and to ensure “true” diagnostic audiological services to the medical community for the future in an increasing hostile retail hearing industry, Jenny was instrumental in the sale of Attune in 2020 for $55 m + +. In guaranteeing Attune’s future, Jenny has accepted the role of Attune Director and will continue Attune’s evolution in servicing the Australian medical community. Jenny has worked as a Clinical Audiologist for over 25 years, holding senior management roles in both the private and public health industry. She was acknowledged for her contribution to the hearing industry and Attune, with a nomination for Telstra Business Woman of the Year in 2013. In 2016, Jenny established a software company Otohub, which gives service accessibility to all patients, especially those in regional and remote areas. In July 2019, Otohub was sold for $10m euro, with Jenny retaining exclusivity in the Australian market for Attune and the Australian medical community. As an advocate for quality improvement, patient care and innovation, she has held and holds representative positions on Clinical Councils for both Audiology Australia and general medical practice and works with the medical community to achieve better outcomes for people with hearing, tinnitus and balance-related disorders. Prior to audiology, Jenny was a physical education teacher. While teaching in high and primary schools she recognised the lack of physical education for children with special needs. Jenny was the pioneer in introducing physical education to Special School children in Queensland, and it was through her forward thinking and significant efforts that a framework was built which is still in existence today. This is a life achievement of which Jenny is immensely proud. Jenny has worked extensively on a number of fundraising committees for children with special needs and was a founding committee member of the Sony Camp Brisbane – Children with Disabilities through the Sony Foundation, Sydney.
Louise McDonald (nee Crooks) was school captain, dux and president of the Literary and Debating Society at St Margaret’s in 1922. After graduating, she studied science at The University of Queensland, a quite remarkable feat as a woman in the mid 1920s. She worked as a student demonstrator in biology at the university. She taught science at St Margaret’s from 1926 to 1938 and at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School in 1939. That same year she studied a Diploma of Education. In 1940 she commenced as a science teacher at Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School before assuming the position of secondmistress and, in 1952, she took on the role of headmistress. During her tenure at Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, Louise also introduced Houses - a new structure for co-curricular competitions. The science laboratories would undergo a major refurbishment in 2003 at which time they were named in her honour. Louise was an active member in the Association of Heads of Independent Girls’ Schools in Australia, serving as treasurer (1955-58) and as president (1969-71). She also served on the council of Women’s College, The University of Queensland, between 1951 and 1971. Retiring in 1970, she was elected a fellow of the Australian College of Education and made a life member of St Margaret’s Old Girls’ Association. Acknowledgements: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ mcdonald-louise-warden-15068 St Margaret’s has a long, proud tradition in the sporting arena and many alumni have enjoyed success with stellar sporting careers as elite, professional athletes including names such as Denise Spencer, Sue Pavish, Bronte Barratt OAM, Sally Kehoe, Emma Jackson and Maddie and Jacinta Edmunds. You can read more about the achievement of these women online also. Throughout the year we have shared the stories of many of these women on our social media platforms which has generated much interest from our community in the diverse pathways our Notables have paved. Anyone wishing to nominate a St Margaret’s Old Girl for the 125 Notable Old Girls project can still do so by emailing the nominees name, alumni year and any other relevant information to 125years@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.
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Supporting female education This year, St Margaret’s welcomed its first cornerstone corporate supporter – chartered accountancy firm Adrians. Adrians has a strong St Margaret’s connection with its Managing Partner, Kimberley Middlemis (‘93), being a proud Old Girl. Adrians is passionate about female education and, through a scholarship and work experience program, wants to help empower the next generation of female business leaders. Established in 1948, Adrians now ranks as one of Australia’s leading Advisory, Tax and Wealth Management firms. Over this long history the firm has specialised in providing tailored advice to generations of successful businesses and individuals. Visit adriansca.com.au to learn more. The Flyer asked Kimberley about her connection to St Margaret’s and own career journey. What was your time like at St Margaret’s? What did you enjoy while you were here and what did you take away from the school? In my seven years at St Margaret’s, the school actively encouraged leadership and community. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the school where friendships were made that have lasted through the decades. The support from the teaching staff, the nurturing environment and strong community provided an important launching pad for me as an individual. I took advantage of the wide range of activities available to students, (academic, sporting, arts, community) and, through various roles I held, I gained invaluable confidence. This confidence and ‘rounding-out’ as an individual has held me in great stead throughout my career, and life more broadly. I believe this confidence St Margaret’s gave me is my most valuable take away. Have you stayed in touch with the St Margaret’s Old Girl network since leaving school? I am currently a member of the Old Girls’ Association Committee and have a strong network of ‘Old Girls’ who I
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Kimberley Middlemis presents the inaugural Adrians Business Scholarship to Harriet Warby (Year 12) at the 2020 Speech Night
class as my closest friends. We continue to support each other through life’s many highs and lows. We regularly catch up and now many of us have daughters attending St Margaret’s as well. We know that we can always rely on each other. On the business front, where possible, we support each other and tap into the network where appropriate. I do though believe on the business front the Old Girl Network could be so much stronger. St Margaret’s Old Girls have done some pretty amazing things across a range of fields and I think we could tighten the network even more. Most importantly, I believe we need to put some structure around how we tap into the Old Girl network to help current students, or recent graduates, with mentoring, guidance, and, where possible, work experience or placements. Often just getting a start is the hardest thing. That is what we are doing at Adrians – we are always looking for high quality graduate accountants and advisers, so where possible, I would like them to be St Margaret’s Old Girls! What has been your own career path since leaving school? Since leaving school, I started as an undergraduate accountant in 1994 in a public accounting firm. Twenty-six years later, I am still in public practice and was recently appointed Managing Partner at Adrians. I am passionate about business advisory for family businesses as effective advice can create a material difference to businesses and families. Adrians was established in 1948 now has 40 staff and has evolved so much over the years. We now also offer Investment Management and Financial Planning, so in recent years building an integrated firm has been a challenging career development, though it’s been very well received by clients.
Why did you choose to send your daughter here and how has her experience been? I wanted Abigail to have a similar experience as myself in an environment that holds strong community values, assists students to strive for academic results while balancing a strong sporting and arts culture. Miss Dyason might not be there to make Abigail walk up the stairs of Eton Hall with a bible on her head, but I feel confident that the school will help prepare Abigail for the world post Year 12. Abigail started in Prep nearly six years ago and she loves the school. There is such a diverse range of activities for the girls to participate in and so many opportunities to thrive. With the amazing support from the primary school teachers, my husband and I have seen Abigail grow from a shy little Preppie to a confident Year 5 student. Why have you chosen to give back to the school in the form of this corporate sponsorship? St Margaret’s provided me with a head start after Year 12 and, as the school continues to grow, I believe the Old Girl community can play a role to ensure that St Margaret’s remains one of the best girls schools in Queensland. Would you urge others to consider the same? Yes absolutely. I have a son at a private boys school and the difference between the corporate and personal support offered to boys schools compared to girls schools has really surprised (and disappointed) me. Adrians has chosen to support the school because we do not believe female education should suffer because families have traditionally supported the institution where dad went to school! There is an amazing network of businesses owned and run by Old Girls or by parents of St Margaret’s girls and I would implore them to also consider supporting female education.
Old Girls inspire at Professional Women’s Network The August and October Professional Women’s Network breakfasts featured St Margaret’s Old Girls as guest speakers, each sharing their inspirational professional journeys since leaving school.
At the October event, lawyer, grazier, volunteer and director Caitlin McConnel (’07) shared how she successfully juggles her career in agriculture alongside her work as a lawyer. Annabelle Chaplain AM (’74), whose global career spans 25 years in investment banking and a wealth of experience in non-executive director roles across a range of industries, including the fintech, education, resources and arts sectors, addressed the August event audience, speaking of the impact of COVID-19, particularly on industry-based career opportunities. Wisely, Annabelle suggested COVID offered a time for calibration and lateral thinking about one’s own value proposition when it comes to career pathways and encouraged the audience to “cultivate transferrable skills that could be put to use in different contexts”. “Invest in yourself. Look for the thing that will allow you to carve out a competitive advantage and add complementary skills that will build a margin of safety,” Annabelle said.
Acknowledging she “wears many hats” Caitlin said: “It has been the extended St Margaret’s community that has been so intertwined with my achievements and experiences to date.” Caitlin spoke about her work as an advocate for mental health and wellness in the bush and touched upon the developments and opportunities happening in the agriculture sector. Both women have this year been recognised for their individual string of achievements, named as Notable St Margaret’s Old Girls as part of the school’s 125th anniversary celebrations. Though the last two Professional Women’s Network breakfasts for the year looked slightly different to the usual format, it was pleasing that an intimate group of 50 guests could attend each event and be inspired by the uplifting journeys of these St Margaret’s women. Thank you to the 2020 Professional Women’s Network corporate sponsors Pitcher Partners, Programmed Property Services and supporting partners Downer, NAB and Clear Insurance for their support throughout the year including at these reimagined events.
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St Margaret's Open Day 9.30am - 12.30pm SATURDAY 6 MARCH 2021 Register online at www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au
For all enrolment enquiries call our Admissions team (07) 3862 0777 or email admissions@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 Facebook “f ” Logo
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