Mary Surtees Assistant Head of Primary School – Wellbeing and Operations As I reflect on my forty-plus years’ association with St Margaret’s, I note that much has changed physically but the very soul of the school remains steadfast. The Sisters’ ethos permeates all that we do; in more than 125 years, their values and beliefs continue to underpin all that we do and all that we are, and it is this strong tradition that is St Margaret’s.
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My first time at St Margaret’s was in 1978 as I began my sixweek final block practice as a pre-service teacher. St Margaret’s already had a formidable reputation at the university, so it was a daunting task to front up for my first day. I was extremely fortunate to have as my mentors Miss Sheena Dyason and Mrs Penny Clarke, who taught me to love teaching and to love the school. In 1979, I returned as a bona fide teacher who had, in the back of her mind, that she would stay five years and then move on to discover the world. That five years became 42.
Looking back,
MOVING FORWARD We were the envy of all schools in Brisbane because we had two pools – the historical 25yard pool (still in use today) and the Olympic sized 50 metre pool. And we had that view from the grandstand! We had ant-bed courts, both netball and tennis, and many a skinned knee was had. Our gym was where the School Supplies Shop is now. It was a stroke of genius to be able to conduct a class of twenty-five girls in there on beam and bars, providing you did not do a back-hip circle on the high bar! Miss Dyason and I coached all the teams, with the exception of tennis. Life was definitely busy but much simpler. The Angelus bell would be rung at midday every day – a gentle reminder of the presence of the Sisters in our lives. The present Pre-Prep Centre (the Advent Centre) was then the Wafer House
