St Margaret's Flyer 2023

Principal: Ros Curtis

Editor: Wendy Johnston

Writers: Pru Reed, Wendy Johnston, Lara Pickering Photography: Victoria Nikolova, Mitch Hollywood, Samara Sutton-Baker, Michael Marston, Just Photography

From the Principal

Like many industries, education is currently in a phase of disruption.

COVID-19 and the subsequent development of online learning fast-tracked teachers in developing their capabilities in this area, both technically and in developing learning experiences suitable for the online platform. Although the preference is always face-to-face teaching, positive remnants from the COVID era are still impacting on and changing curriculum delivery.

The current human resource shortage has impacted schools too, in the recruitment of both teaching and support staff. School staff are sometimes being forced to do more with less support as jobs are advertised and readvertised. In some teaching areas, it is almost impossible to find qualified staff. And now, ChatGPT has arrived, threatening the current suite of assessment and the uncertainty of students’ authorship. Artificial intelligence has infiltrated schools and universities and is here to stay. At St Margaret’s, we are not afraid of it, and we will embrace this change as we have done for the past 128 years.

Learning content or producing content is a very narrow demonstration of an education. Those in fear of things like ChatGPT are those who still believe that the school system remains very much like the factory model of schooling of the late 18th, and the 19th and 20th centuries. No one from that era would really relate to a modern classroom. Certainly, some elements will be recognised, such as desks and students. However, I believe they would be very much in awe of the following:

• the quality student/teacher relationships

• the use of technology

• the emphasis on collaborative processes and skill development over content

• the value placed on creativity and critical thinking

• the variety of learning experiences that reveal the facts but do not require retention of all the facts

• the diversity of the student body who want to know how to access the information that they need to navigate the world (rather than trying to learn it all)

• the range of extra-curricular activities.

The days of the store (rote learning of facts and content) and pour (teacher exposition at the front of the classroom) approach to teaching and learning are long gone. The days of regurgitating the so-called facts and the one-sided view of the content in essays are also gone. A teacher’s role is to facilitate and develop a student’s ability and willingness to be thoughtful and critical about the information they read; this includes anything downloaded from ChatGPT.

Artificial Intelligence will revolutionise teaching and assist learning. Instead of being fearful, we will, instead, maintain our focus on academic integrity, analysis of the evidence, continual improvement, collaboration, and critical and creative thinking. It is an exciting time to be an educator!

Ros Curtis Principal BA(Hons), DipEd, MLitSt,MEd(Leadership and Management), ASDA, FACE, FACELO, FIML, GAICD

From the Chair

St Margaret’s is halfway through its latest strategic plan, ‘Strategic Priorities 2020 – 2025: A local school with a global outlook’, which is available on the school’s website and clearly and concisely outlines our goals and strategies for this period.

What you won’t see in the document is the work that goes on behind the scenes – the actions and measurable outcomes behind the strategies steering us to success. School Council and the senior leadership team hold themselves highly accountable against these goals that are set in response to both internal and external considerations, now and into the future.

I am pleased to share that we are making great inroads against these goals, and many of the stories in this issue of the Flyer reflect our current strategies in operation.

While there is not space to highlight all our progress, I’ll touch on just one strategy under each of the five goals. It should be noted that many of our goals don’t exist just for the current period – they have existed in some form prior to this iteration, and many will carry over into future plans.

1. Goal: Strengthening the St Margaret’s Experience Strategy: Develop our careers and employability programs for Years 9 – 12 which helps students identify and develop the necessary skills to participate, thrive and lead in a global economy.

Improving and enriching our careers programs has been a focus for some years, and it is now a strong and vibrant program. All elements of this program were brought under the umbrella of a faculty in 2021. Much like elearning, matters of career traverse other faculties; therefore, sitting within this structure allows for important synergies across middle leadership. St Margaret’s Plus is now well developed and maps the employability skills gained through involvement across all extracurricular activities, giving students a formal addendum to their academic achievements. Senior students enjoy Beyond the Panama sessions which provide important life skills that sit outside of the curriculum experience. The Year 10 careers program is rich with opportunities for students to explore diverse career and university options, while the portfolio pathways and diplomas and certificate courses enable students to discover other areas of interest. In 2021, we launched the Aspiring Women’s Network breakfasts to expose students to

successful women in a range of careers, and Years 11 and 12 now have access to a one-on-one Mentoring Program with early career alumni. This program received an Innovation Award in 2022 from The Educator. The same publication named Kerry Daud, Head of Faculty – eLearning, Research, Technology and Design, among Australia’s top educators in their 2022 Hot List awards, recognising her work in pioneering girls’ participation in eSports, the skills gleaned from which open up a multitude of career pathways.

2. Goal: Focusing on Academic Excellence Strategy: Maintain a sharp and narrow focus on academic excellence

Academic excellence is always going to be a focus of any St Margaret’s strategic plan. Our focus in recent years has been preparing teachers and students for the OP to ATAR change and, of course, guiding all students through the pandemic while maintaining the highest standard of academic care and pedagogy. For the third year under the ATAR system, our students have achieved outstanding academic results and you can learn more about those in this magazine. Part of this story is of course attracting the best teachers and offering them purposeful, impactful professional development, which leads us to the next goal of ‘growing our staff’.

3. Goal: Growing our Staff Strategy: Further develop the Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CeTLe) for the benefit of our staff and to enhance St Margaret’s reputation as a leading school.

Sitting under the CeTLe umbrella is a range of initiatives to grow and inspire our staff. The school also invites teachers from other schools to partake in some programs, which include Managing your Career Conference for those teachers transitioning into middle leadership and the Aspirant Senior Leaders Programs for Middle Leaders. Both these programs contribute to successful succession planning and equips those with leadership aspirations with the skills to confidently step up, and this has certainly occurred within the school.

Other CeTLe initiatives include regular Teachmeets, and our long-running Trends in Education series – a forum addressing topical educational issues delivered by an expert in the field.

4. Goal: Leading in Education Strategy: Encourage, through recognition, our staff members as leaders in education.

Time is taken to nominate our programs and dedicated staff members for awards from various bodies as well as our own internal staff awards. Last year, Louise Brown, Head of Faculty – Sociocultural Studies, received a highly prestigious National Excellence in Teaching Award (NEiTA) Apple Award and the Teacher Mentor Award. In all, 21 teachers were nominated for this Australia-wide award which encourages and supports educators through recognising those who are examples of excellence in their profession.

The school has been extraordinarily successful in other national education awards. In 2022 alone, the school was one of the most decorated schools from The Educator magazine, winning two individual awards, an Innovation Award, and an Employer of Choice award. At the Australian Education Awards, the school received four Excellence Awards. Our award winners are highlighted in this issue.

5. Goal: Resourcing our Future Strategy: Plan for the growth of St Margaret’s through attention to effective enrolment strategies.

In 2019, the school surged past the 1000 mark for enrolments – the highest in its history, to finish at 1023. Today we have 1380 students in total. This growth has allowed us to invest in facilities and infrastructure, staff, and programs. An effective enrolment strategy is not just about excellent admissions staff and procedures and impactful marketing. To gain and sustain this outstanding growth, all areas of the school must excel, growing the fine reputation of the school and positive word of mouth, which is the strongest driver of enrolments.

We are all vital cogs in the wheel of an effective enrolment strategy, and there is much good will and great respect for a St Margaret’s education in the immediate and wider community, and everyone can be proud of the contribution they make to this.

The school’s Master Plan will be completed this year, and there are exciting years ahead with significant capital investment in student facilities. This includes two major projects this year: solar panels on the Philip Harris Gym and The Forest Project in Avoca Courtyard.

The following stories in the Flyer speak more to these goals and strategies and others not outlined here. Despite attempted derailments by a global pandemic, I can assure you the school remained on track and is well and truly delivering in all areas of its strategic priorities to the benefit of our students. We are excited about the opportunities that exist for our school community in this environment of rapid change and complexity, and we remain committed to developing leaders who are future-focused, resilient, and agile.

Deb Smith Chair of School Council

Captains Corner

SE YEON KIM

My journey at St Margaret’s began in 2018 as a Year 7 student. Wearing my Panama for the first time, I was nervous and cautiously hopeful – but over the past five years the school has felt like a second home. While I treasure the skills and life lessons I have learned inside classrooms, the Sister Helen Orchestra Room and Philip Harris Gym, I think the crux of my schooling is grounded in the family I found in the school community. From the Year 11 mentors who I looked up to in Year 7 and girls from other cohorts that I sit next to in music rehearsals, to the teachers who encourage growth through mistakes not despite them, these relationships have shown me kindness and formed a steadfast environment for me throughout my adolescent years, encouraging me to always strive to demonstrate kindness in return.

MAGGIE MACLEAN

I began at St Margaret’s in Year 7 as a boarder, and in Year 10, I became a day student. Having experienced both dimensions of the school, I can safely say that St Margaret’s has always uplifted me. I have found this school to be a place where individuality is celebrated. I have always been encouraged to pursue my interests and push myself outside of my

comfort zone, which has helped me forge a sense of identity and resilience. Both in the boarding house and day school, community is central. The persistent support from boarding staff, teachers and academic advisors has instilled in me a sense of confidence. My most pivotal memories, when reflecting on these years, are those where Maggies spirit runs high, on days such as the Ponytail Project and QGSSSA athletics. I feel so grateful to be a part of a community where girls from many walks of life unite towards a common goal and empower each other to succeed in a variety of ways.

2023 THEME

Throughout our time at St Margaret’s, we have found that our most formative and brightest memories flourish from the community and sisterhood present in our school. All girls are encouraged to pursue their personal best in an environment that fosters spirit and inclusivity. The St Margaret’s experience is unique to every student, but we believe that it is defined by growth – an understanding that at the end of the journey, we have grown into ourselves, our capabilities and our relationships. Furthermore, this growth occurs from the collective effort of the entire school community.

SE YEON KIM MAGGIE MCLEAN

Se Yeon Kim and Maggie McLean are the 2023 St Margaret’s School Captains. They share their St Margaret’s journey thus far and their hopes for this year.

As such, the theme for 2023, chosen by the senior cohort, is ‘Ignite and unite in blue, brown and white’.

IGNITE

In 2023, we want all students to ‘ignite’ their individual passions and their spirit and pride in our school community. We believe that each individual has so much to offer – sparks of potential that can grow into a rich and strong bonfire of confidence, compassion, capability. We aim to encourage every student to embrace each opportunity, find that spark within, and fly upwards.

UNITE

Connectivity between students and staff –from a variety of backgrounds, possessing many different skills and perspectives – is what strengthens our community. Through discussions with our cohort, many of our favourite memories arose from moments where school unity was strongest. Whether that was cheering on our peers at sporting events, celebrating each other’s talents through performances on Circular Drive, or working towards a common goal as we do for the Ponytail Project.

We believe that when we ignite our spirit and passions and unite as a school, the blue, brown and white will continue to soar.

Staff Awards

Two longstanding staff members were honoured at the 2022 Speech Night, receiving the annual, peer nominated Staff Awards.

MELISSA

Primary teacher Melissa Garbutt was presented with the Staff Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, presented to a teaching staff member who demonstrates consistent and dedicated service to teaching and learning in the school.

2023 will be Melissa’s 14th year teaching at St Margaret’s. She is known for exemplifying the St Margaret’s values and being a highly supportive colleague, particularly taking new staff members under her wing. She also builds a wonderful rapport with her students, calmly guiding them to be the best they can be and is extremely dedicated to her craft. She is highly respected by the parent body and communicates very effectively with them in building collaborative partnerships for the best interests of her students’ social, emotional, and academic wellbeing. While Melissa has been teaching for a considerable time, she is always improving her teaching practice, evaluating her teaching and self-reflecting on lessons and the students’ performances, and positively contributes at staff meetings. Melissa’s colleagues describe her as kind, thoughtful, humble, and encouraging, always going the extra mile.

The Staff Award for Service to the School Community is peer nominated and presented to either a teaching or support staff member who offers sustained and significant contribution to the school’s mission. In 2022, this award went to longserving Facilities team member and now team leader Andrew Cameron. Andrew has been with St Margaret’s since 2011. Nothing is ever too much trouble for Andrew; he is extremely generous with his time. He is known for his approachable, courteous, unflappable, and kind manner and incredible work ethic. He leads him team from behind – getting in and doing the work alongside the team and supporting them all when the going gets extremely busy, which it most often is. He is a trouble shooter extraordinaire and any major event at the school and beyond will have Andrew’s stamp on it. Andrew is a servant leader, doing all that he can to support the staff and students at the school.

We offer our sincere congratulations to Melissa and Andrew on this well-deserved recognition.

GARBUTT Primary Teacher

ANDREW CAMERON Facilities Team Leader

‘Snaps’ for St Margaret’s

Each year, St Margaret’s enters its innovative programs and outstanding staff members into various awards open to the education sector.

The school is committed to leading education practice, and these awards, entered my many respected schools across the country, provide a degree of external validation, as well as recognising the achievements of individual staff members that can assist in building their careers. Many in our community will have read of these successes throughout the year; however, the following summary tells an impressive story.

THE EDUCATOR AWARDS

As ‘Australia’s only magazine and news website for the most senior educational professionals and decision makers’, The Educator Magazine runs number of awards throughout the year. In 2022, St Margaret’s was successful across four categories.

The 5-Star Employer of Choice Award recognises schools that stand out for their employee initiatives, such as remuneration, training and professional development, career progression, diversity and inclusion, access to technology and resources, leadership, work- life balance, health and wellbeing, reward and recognition, and recruitment.

In our award submission, we were able to highlight our staff survey results, in particular, the Net Promoter Score which asked, ‘How likely is it that you would recommend St Margaret’s as an employer to a friend or colleague’, which scored +71. MMG, the educational consultancy who conducts the staff survey, rates anything above +23 as ‘Very High’.

2022 was the second consecutive year the school received the 5-Star Employer of Choice Award.

The Most Influential Educator Award highlights education professionals who have had the most impact in creating a reformative learning culture for students and the society in the past 18 months. In 2022, Principal Ros Curtis received this award. The award submission asked for a reference, which was provided by our Deputy Principal, Karen Gorrie. These words are worth sharing with our community, as they succinctly summarise why our Principal is more than worthy of this recognition.

‘As Ros Curtis’ deputy principal, I have watched her navigate the past difficult 18 months and bring the school to possibly the best position it has ever been in, within the worst climate in which it has needed to operate. This is firstly because of the solid programs, practices, people and culture that Ros has developed since her tenure began at the school in 2011. With these elements firmly in place, her leadership has supported not only the school and the individuals within it (both staff and students), but she has been among the leaders in the wider educational community in successfully navigating the pandemic. Ros is generous with her experience and sits on the boards of several

Ros Curtis Principal

organisations. In doing so, St Margaret’s has a seat at the table of some of the most experienced educators in the country. She walks the talk as a lifelong learner and brings the benefit of the brightest minds back to the school (and they, too, benefit from her experience). She also seeks out the best practices from here and overseas and implements them within a St Margaret’s context, which has seen many highly successful innovations that have advanced the school and, most importantly, the education of its students.’ In winning the award, Ros said the accolade comes from seeking out the wisdom of other influential educators and industry leaders, both in Australia and around the world. She told The Educator: ‘A strong education institution and industry are built in collaboration with others, and if I can, in turn, pass on the wisdom gained from others and from my many years’ experience, I am humbled and happy to be in the position to do that.’

In 2022, St Margaret’s was recognised as a 5-Star Innovative School. This was the fourth time the school has received this award, which recognises schools across Australia that are leading change in education. Last year, the Mentoring Program was submitted for this award. While only in its first year of operation, it had already been receiving outstanding feedback from both our alumni mentors and their Years 11 and 12 mentees. Read more about this program on page 18.

Each year, The Educator’s Hot List highlights some of the most influential educators over the previous 12 months. In 2022, Kerry Daud, Head of Faculty –eLearning, Research, Technology and Design, was named on this list, primarily for her work in eSports. Kerry introduced the first Queensland interschool all girls gaming invitational last year, with 45 students from schools around Brisbane taking part.

Kerry has been instrumental in the establishment of esports alongside St Margaret’s traditional sports, as well as initiating the construction of a digital lab at the school for training and competitions. This year, she has acquired a next-level car simulation machine for both esports enthusiasts and students who are learning to drive.

•••

At the end of 2023, The Educator produced a Best in Education list which ‘provides a definitive annual collection of those who have delivered outstanding results, introduced new initiatives, refined existing working practices and also acted as a source of inspiration for colleagues’.

St Margaret’s featured in this list, having been recognised in the above four awards.

AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION AWARDS

The annual Australian Education Awards are the leading independent awards event in the K-12 education sector and showcase the nation’s top-performing schools. In 2022, St Margaret’s were Excellence Awardees in the following categories:

School Principal of the YearNon-government

Secondary School of the YearNon-government

Boarding School of the Year Best Remote Learning Program

Australian Boarding Schools Association and IEBA Excellence in Indigenous Boarding Award

In 2022, St Margaret’s Boarding House was awarded the ABSA and IEBA Excellence in Indigenous Boarding Award. You can read more about the activities and programs in place in the boarding house, which led to this recognition, on page 24.

NATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD (NEITA)

These awards are one of the most prestigious for teachers in Australia, and St Margaret’s teachers have enjoyed recent success in 2020 (Lucardia Moulton) and 2022 (Louise Brown). In 2022, just 20 winners were selected from over 2000 nominations nationwide.

Louise Brown, Head of Faculty –Sociocultural Studies, has been an educator for over 20 years and is passionate about the power of education to transform people’s lives. Louise joined St Margaret’s in 2018 as a history teacher, but was soon promoted to leadership positions, including Assistant Head of Faculty and Acting Head of Faculty - Sociocultural Studies before her current appointment. As an educator and a leader, Louise says she wants to inspire and motivate others – both staff and students – to be the best version of themselves.

Louise also serves on the management committee of the Queensland History Teachers Association and every term facilitates a popular online History Teachmeet, which connects the history community offering support, sharing practices, advice, and ideas, and ultimately, strengthening that community for the benefit of the students.

Mentoring Program Kerry Daud (esports)

Seven perfect subject scores 100/100 from five students

2023 Academic Results

89% received an ATAR of 80 or above

TWO STUDENTS ACHIEVED 99.95

MEDIAN ATAR

62.4% received an ATAR of 90 or above

ATAR RESULTS

10.1% received an ATAR of 99 or above

94.05 45.9% received an ATAR of 95 or above

The graduates of 2022 negotiated some of the most important years of their schooling during a global pandemic, including starting their senior year in lockdown and learning online. Their outstanding academic results are testament to their hard work and resilience, supported by their parents and the dedicated teachers who throughout the past three years did everything they could to continue to provide an excellent standard of academic care and wellbeing to steward the students through this challenging period.

Two graduates – Ella Woods and Jessica Norvill – received the highest ATAR Award, having gained the maximum ATAR possible of 99.95. Only 33 students throughout all of Queensland received this top score. Ella Woods also received the

QCE Dux of the School award, while Jessica Norvill and Christy Mou were awarded joint QCE Proxime Accessit Duces.

Over ten per cent (10.1%) of graduates received an ATAR of 99 and above (11 students), 45.9% received an ATAR of 95 and above (50 graduates) and an outstanding 67 students received an ATAR of 90 and above (62.4%).

These 67 students were invited to the Scholars Assembly early in 2023 to recognise and celebrate their academic success. We asked all our scholars to provide some advice regarding their schooling, which was compiled into a booklet and made available to students.

ELLA WOODS JESSICA NORVILL

Some of the main recurring themes in all the advice offered included:

• find out early the way you learn and study best

• take advantage of all the assistance at your disposal – tutorials and study groups, academic advising, your peers, and, above all, your teachers

• stress less and enjoy more; don’t be too hard on yourself

• don’t give up your extracurriculars

• look after yourself – more sleep, less Netflix, try to achieve balance

• back yourself more – you’ve got this!

Our 2022 scholars are pursuing a whole range of interesting careers at a wide selection of tertiary institutions from Brisbane to Tasmania and across the oceans to the USA. The disciplines include science, engineering, veterinary science, medicine, nursing and midwifery, education, allied health (physiotherapy, speech pathology) commerce, business, politics, law, philosophy, economics, politics, mathematics, design, architecture and more, with one graduate entering the Royal Australian Navy.

PORTFOLIO PATHWAYS

Our 28 students following a Portfolio Pathway had access to a range of opportunities from two diplomas –Business and Project Management – to certificate courses across wide ranging disciplines, including Allied Health, Health Support Services, Design Fundamentals, Applied Fashion Design and Tech, Early Childhood Education, Hospitality, Library Services, Telecommunication and Information Technology, Real Estate, and Sport and Recreation.

The overwhelming majority of our students received their first preference offers and many are going on to study in fields related to their pathways studies. For example, a student with a Cert II in Telecommunication Technology and Information Technology is studying a Diploma of Screen and Media (Animation, Gaming and Visual Effects)/Bachelor of Digital Design (Game Design); studies in Applied Fashion Design and Tech have led to a Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Design (Fashion); while a Cert II in Health and Cert III in Allied Health will give the student accepted into Bachelor of Nursing

a flying start, as will the student who gained a Cert II in Design Fundamentals and is studying a Bachelor of Design (Interior Architecture) at QUT.

Congratulations to all our 2022 graduates. Fly upwards and we will be keen to see your trajectories and hope to see you all again in the not too distant future. Per Volar Sunata.

NAPLAN RESULTS

In 2022, NAPLAN testing transitioned to online. Pleasingly, again, across all domains (Writing, Reading, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation, and Numeracy) and all tested year levels (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9), St Margaret’s results were, again, well above state and national averages. While there is no longer comparative data to report against, we believe our consistently strong results are commensurate with previous years, where St Margaret’s ranked amongst the top-performing schools in Queensland. The full results are tabled on our website under ‘Academic Results’.

Differentiation: creating high impact for all learners

From Pre-Prep to Year 12, teachers use differentiated teaching as a strategy to ensure all students experience challenge, success and improved learning.

The primary Core Plus Cluster program is a manifestation of this commitment to differentiation and comprises two components: the Core program, taught to students in their particular year level, and the Cluster program, where students learn within vertical groups based on like abilities and needs. These flexible groupings are clustered in Prep to Year 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6.

While all students have the same learning goal, the teaching process is differentiated according to their unique abilities.

St Margaret’s is committed to the professional development of its staff, and primary staff recently engaged with world renowned expert Bronwyn McLeod to further develop their skills in curriculum differentiation.

Head of Primary Angela Drysdale said Bronwyn’s expertise and guidance is empowering primary staff with the latest research and theories to inform their pedagogical practice.

Each student’s learning journey at St Margaret’s is supported by teachers who identify what success might look like for each individual, where their strengths lie, and what is needed to help them realise their goals.

‘Staff are reviewing and revising the curriculum models that support best practice in differentiation and are currently redeveloping the curriculum to ensure we reach everyone in class,’ Angela said.

Critically, differentiation benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning challenges to those who are considered high ability, and knowing where students sit is fundamental to its success.

Last year, the primary school introduced the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), which measures students’ cognitive development

across three batteries associated with academic learning: verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal reasoning skills.

According to Assistant Head of Primary –Curriculum Kate Frewin, it is this analysis that allows teachers to dig deeper into each student’s abilities to improve their learning.

‘Assessments like CogAT allow us to gain a richer insight into a student’s academic performance by comparing their ability and achievement. Sometimes there is a dichotomy between a student’s ability results, or what they are capable of, and where they are achieving, so teachers can explore factors contributing to why this is the case and then plan to ensure that every student is reaching their full potential,’ Kate said.

The ongoing professional learning in curriculum differentiation coupled with data analysis is facilitating a much richer, personalised approach to evidence-based teaching and learning in the primary school, which Angela says is ensuring we can ‘reach and teach all learners’, in particular those who are high potential and gifted.

In the secondary school, similar work is being undertaken to further develop the focus on differentiation for gifted and talented students. While differentiation has always been a part of the pillars of the St Margaret’s Quality Teaching and Learning Framework, and academically gifted students have been given extension opportunities through avenues such as the Flyers Program, a more structured approach is being developed to firstly identify gifted, talented and high achievers and then provide more regular and enriched extension opportunities across all curriculum and co-curricular areas. Spearheading the program is English teacher and Masters student in Gifted Education Kate Wiedemann.

Kate says the first key step is to fine tune the identification of gifted and talented students, which may not be immediately obvious through academic performance.

‘Gifted girls, in particular, can be perfectionists, which sometimes translates into not trying if they are not going be 100 per cent correct, or they may mask their abilities for social reasons,’ Kate says.

‘Our aim is to identify those with ability and potentiality faster and then develop a personal plan to activate and nurture those students to transform their passions and potential into talent.’

Last year laid the groundwork in scoping, auditing and researching ways to implement and monitor such a program, including staff professional development and the process of identification, and preplanning to trial several strategies in 2023. Such strategies include telescoping advanced Maths (Year 9) content to Year 8 class clusters as indicated academically, clustering students according to ability in Years 7 - 9 Maths and English classes, and differentiating content within the curriculum: for example, in English, providing differentiated novels and depth and complexity opportunities according to ability.

Outside of the curriculum, the school continues to provide opportunities for students to extend themselves through external activities and competitions such as the Maths Team Challenge, Ethics Olympiads, Churchie Literature Challenge and the like.

‘The development of a gifted and talented program is a natural extension of the work St Margaret’s has always pursued –providing a personalised approach to each child’s learning,’ Kate said.

‘As lifelong learners ourselves, we are continually researching ways to advance our pedagogy in this space, and formalising and embedding a more strategic approach to gifted and talented learners will ensure we are best placed to provide them with all the tools they need to truly flourish.’

Teaching enterprising skills

Not all our students are destined to become captains of industry; however, engaging them in entrepreneurship now will arm them with a set of highly transferrable skills they will be able to deploy in the future no matter what their paths.

Equipped with the skills of teamwork, problem solving, financial and digital literacy, creative and critical thinking, and communication, they will be ready to innovate, collaborate and deploy a solutions-focused mindset to any task or problem in their careers and life generally.

At St Margaret’s, entrepreneurship in the classroom is largely project-based, with a key focus on providing authentic opportunities for students to engage in real-world learning experiences.

MARKET DAY

An inaugural Market Day for Year 10 Economics and Entrepreneurial students resulted in a packed Eton Hall, sold out stalls, and over $4,000 raised for charity. Tasked with developing a not-for-profit business from the ground up, students came up with ideas such as dog leashes, cosmetic products, crazy socks, candles, beeswax paper, handmade gift cards, jewellery, key chains, baked goods, and even the adoption of plants.

The student-led project challenges students’ creativity, champions innovation, and inspires student entrepreneurship.

The ‘$20 Boss’ project helped turn their ideas into reality, giving students a $20 capital investment into their business

enterprise, which they then developed into an operating business ready to trade.

The project required students to pitch an idea, consider the mission of the business, and develop design, pricing, and promotional strategies, all with the aim of raising as much profit as possible for chosen charity Make-a-Wish Foundation. Secondary teacher Georgia Nankivell said Market Day was introduced to allow the students to have experience in the practical application of the skills and theory covered in class.

‘It required them to develop and present an elevator pitch to secure their initial capital investment, allowed them to build digital technology skills to construct their marketing campaigns and collect market feedback, and enhanced their excel spreadsheet skills to calculate unit costs and profit margins.

‘Simultaneously, they developed skills such as creative thinking, problem solving and initiative,’ Georgia said.

Market Day demonstrated to students in entrepreneurship that not everything always goes to plan and, in turn, gave them the opportunity to develop skills of reflection and analysis to improve their business ideas and make as much profit for a good cause as possible.

SHARK TANK

Year 9 entrepreneurial students collaborate on an enterprising project before pitching their ideas to a panel of real-world business minds, in a ‘SharkTank’-like setting.

Through their projects, students work practically to solve real-world problems and hone their ability to articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively with the aim of influencing the sharks to ‘buy-in’ to their proposition. Real-life entrepreneurs must develop a ‘pitch perfect’ proposition for potential investors, and this project gives students the ideal forum to practise these skills in a safe and supportive environment.

In 2022, our generous ‘sharks’ included Peter and Penny Wolff (Wolff Coffee Roasters), Julia Spicer OAM (Queenslands’ Chief Entrepreneur), Darren Crombie (E3 Advisory), Diane O’Reilly (Founder and Director of Marketing, OMG Decadent Donuts), Kellie Haeusler (QUT lecturer in entrepreneurialism), Natasha Nankivell (Founder of Global Alternative Funds), Steven Sorbello (Managing Partner, BDO Australia), and Matt Lyons (Business Manager, Macquarie Bank).

Students pitched a variety of innovative product ideas, including a pen designed for time-poor people that converts handwritten notes to electronic type; an app that connects teenagers to parttime jobs throughout Brisbane; and a sustainably made gift card solution aimed at eliminating single use plastic gift cards.

Secondary teacher Jon Grant says the Shark Tank project requires students to think like an entrepreneur by identifying a problem impacting society and devising an innovative product idea to solve it.

‘The students need to develop a creative solution to a real-world problem and conduct the research to back up their business proposition. As part of the pitch process, they are required to identify their target market and competitive advantage, and present their profitability calculations to the ‘sharks’, who, in turn, provide valuable feedback and recommendations,’ Jon said.

Getting the inside story on careers

For some people it’s very clear, while for others they can be uncertain what career path will confer them the meaning and satisfaction we all hope our working lives will bring.

A strong school careers program aims to help crystallise this decision for students – matching their passion, talents and aspirations to the opportunities in the work world.

In 2022, the school added another element to its matrix of career guidance, launching its Mentoring Program for Years 11 and 12 students.

The voluntary program matches Years 11 and 12 students with appropriate early to mid-careers mentors from an outstanding pool of St Margaret’s alumni in the student’s area of interest. The mentees meet with their mentors virtually four times a year. After each session, students are supported by specialist school staff to reflect on their conversations, discuss what they learned, and prepare for the next session, ensuring the time spent with their mentor is optimised.

In the first year, more than a quarter of students across Years 11 and 12 signed up to be matched with a mentor.

The response from our alumni was very positive, with many finding the program resonating with them as a way to give back to their school and steward future industry colleagues.

In 2023, 51 Year 12s have expressed interest in the program –some of these have already had their first sessions as Year 11s and will have a second session in Term 1. Current Year 11s will be approached in Term 2. There are 78 mentors signed up for the program across a good cross section of industries and in various stages of their careers.

Relationships and Mentoring Manager Danielle Guinea, who runs the program, says the process can powerfully identify the many different pathways within an industry or profession where, for example, being a lawyer can lead to many different types of careers.

‘Equally, it has also uncovered that some careers were nothing like the student had imagined, giving them food for thought and the chance to reconsider their options,’ Ms Guinea said.

In 2022, the Mentoring Program received an Innovation Award from The Educator magazine.

Principal Ros Curtis said the program is very well-developed and resourced, which is not common to have in one school.

‘It has justifiably met with much acclaim throughout the school community – from students, parents, and Old Girls, who love the concept and are very pleased to be involved.

‘It has also helped us reconnect with more of our alumni and certainly further cemented that our Old Girls are out in the community engaged in truly inspirational pursuits.’

What you want to be when you grow up can be the easiest of choices or one of the hardest of decisions to make.

Mentoring Program

The Flyer asked three 2022 graduates who participated in the Mentoring Program about their experience.

Year 12 QCE and Internal Dux Ella Woods, who is studying law and medicine, was mentored by Dr Mikaela Seymour (’09), who works in Papua New Guinea and founded the Bush Dokta Subcommittee (Project Yumi Charity), connecting PNG and Australian remote health care workers and supporting grassroots health projects in Papua New Guinea.

Ells said the Mentoring Program had given her real insight into the experience of studying and practising medicine.

‘I have now realised that there is a much broader range of career paths available after studying medicine.

‘Speaking with Mikaela has given me a unique and in-depth knowledge of rural medicine, the challenges of becoming and working as a doctor, and medicine in disadvantaged countries, which was invaluable in medical interviews and will set me up well for my studies and future career.

‘Most of all, Mikaela’s successes have encouraged me to think laterally, to have courage to pursue opportunities that really inspire me, and to have faith in myself and my abilities,’ Ella said.

Ella said she would highly recommend all students to join the Mentoring Program.

‘It is a unique and very valuable experience offered by St Margaret’s, and it was one of the most rewarding opportunities I have had so far.

‘You may at first feel uncomfortable or nervous, but I would encourage you to really embrace the opportunity and be authentic – let your mentor know what your passions are and what scares you. It is rare to be given this one-on-one opportunity to connect with someone who is invested in you and your success in this way.’

and said it’s a great opportunity to take a break from studying but also gain more life experience.’

Joint school captain Ruby Greenup is enjoying a gap year working on her family’s property before studying veterinary science. Ruby was mentored by Eliza Gray (‘16) who works in the agricultural industry.

Ruby said Eliza was a great sounding board for her ideas after high school and gave her ideas of ways that she could network within the industry and gain more experience.

‘She also made me feel like choosing to take a gap year was the right thing to do because she wished she had taken one

Grace Reilly is pursuing a Bachelor of Pharmacy and was mentored by Dr Emma Smith (‘11) who, after graduating from St Margaret’s, completed a Bachelor of Pharmacy and then worked as a hospital pharmacist. She then completed a medical degree and is now working as a doctor in Melbourne.

Grace said the program gave her more insight into working as a pharmacist.

‘It showed me that there are many pathways and places that a pharmacy degree can take you, and after speaking with Emma, it confirmed my passion to be a pharmacist in a hospital instead of a community pharmacist.

‘I really enjoyed my meetings with Emma and hearing about the pharmacy degree and what it is like working as a pharmacist in the hospital system.

‘Emma also gave me very helpful study tips, including how to memorise the large amounts of biology and chemistry,’ Emma said.

Grace said she would definitely recommend the Mentoring Program as it helped to confirm that she was heading in the right career direction post school and that pharmacy was a field of study that she could really enjoy and be passionate about.

Imagine your future... St Margaret’s at

Imagine Your Future Campaign

In 2021, St Margaret’s launched the ‘Imagine Your Future’ campaign showcasing the journeys of seven Old Girls to inspire future students as well as the school’s current cohort.

Last year, a further eight remarkable Old Girls joined the campaign, to share their inspirational journeys, inviting our current and future students to imagine what their future might look like with the benefit of a St Margaret’s education.

Here is a brief snapshot about each of our newest Imagine Your Future faces.

For more on their journeys, scan the QR code to view their video stories.

MEL BUTTLE (’99)

Comedian, writer, and television and radio presenter, Mel is co-host of Foxtel’s The Great Australian Bake Off alongside Matt Moran, Maggie Beer and fellow comedian Claire Hooper. She also writes a weekly column for The Courier Mail in the QWeekend Magazine. Mel says one of the best pieces of advice she has received in her career journey is to be a lifelong learner and to continue to develop a diverse set of skills.

Mel Buttle (’99) Comedian/ TV and Radio Presenter

ISOBEL ROE (’08)

Journalist Isobel Roe is one of the youngest reporters for the ABC’s flagship radio news and current affairs programs. She has been at the ABC for most of her career, starting in radio and television reporting in the ABC’s regional Queensland bureaus, before moving to a television reporting role in Brisbane and then to radio current affairs in Sydney, where she now lives. Isobel says that St Margaret’s taught her loyalty, commitment, hard work and the value of strong female mentors.

SHEA MORRISON (’96)

Shea started her career working in radio advertising for Southern Cross Austereo and Nova. After the birth of her first child and feeling the effects of sleep deprivation, Shea co-founded The Goodnight Co., with a mission to help others create better days with better sleep. Shea is also the host of successful podcast ‘Sleep with Shea’, which is now in its eighth season. She also runs a full-service marketing agency, Collaborative Media Group.

TALITHA DOWDS (‘01)

Talitha is currently the Program and Project Management Advisor for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Mali Unit, in Bamako, Mali, in West Africa. She works in support of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) within the UN’s Mali peacekeeping operation called MINUSMA. Prior to Talitha’s posting in Mali, she worked for the UN in New York, Geneva and Lima. It was at St Margaret’s that Talitha first discovered her interest in international relations.

FIONA KERR (’05)

Fiona is a data scientist, leading the product analytics team at Atlassian, an Australian global software company. After graduating from St Margaret’s, Fiona studied finance and maths at university. She says that St Margaret’s was a place where she first discovered her interest in

maths and where she was encouraged to find her voice and make a difference.

ASHLEY MCCARTHY-GRIFFITHS (’12)

Ashley is a Site Improvement Engineer at BHP, leading the strategic performance of a mine site to deliver against safety, production, cost and culture commitments. She works closely with executive leadership teams and front-line staff to identify and understand their current challenges and strategic priorities. She strives to be a role model and raise the profile of STEM by breaking down the associated stereotypes to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to consider a career in STEM. Ashley says St Margaret’s nurtured her passion for solving complex problems, something she calls on day to day in her role.

ALICE LITZOW (’11)

Alice runs her own stretch wear manufacturing business and fashion label called AlcieMay, creating gymnastics, dance and activewear garments. Alice first discovered her love for fashion while at St Margaret’s and commenced her TAFE studies in fashion and design while she was in Year 11. Today, the St Margaret’s rowing shed proudly wear zooties designed by Alice.

SUZIE GOLLEDGE (’11)

Suzie is a lead animator, running her own animation business, Tugboat Studio. It was at St Margaret’s that Suzie first discovered animation as a potential career. The aspiring artist was encouraged to pursue her love of drawing and creating flipbooks in combination with her fascination with human movement and went on to study a Bachelor of Animation after graduating from school.

As this Flyer goes to print, we have just wrapped on filming the third instalment of this campaign. Stay tuned for the journeys of another group of inspirational St Margaret’s women.

Exploring life through faith

Many a Friday afternoon, the joyous strains of little voices singing their favourite hymn will ring out from the school chapel, bringing a smile to the face of any fortunate passer-by.

School Chaplain Reverend Jazz Dow, who presides over the regular house and whole primary chapel services, says the primary children just love chapel.

‘It is a highlight of my week to hear the authenticity and passion of children singing and leading chapel.’

The primary school also joins the secondary school to celebrate the larger religious observations, including Ash Wednesday, Easter, Advent and Christmas, as well the school’s special days such as St Margaret’s Day.

‘As a school of the Society of the Sacred Advent, we are inspired by the Sisters’ vision of compassionate and wholistic education and the example they set through their lives of faith and service to the community and commitment to educating the WHOLE child. ‘As such, worship and spiritual development are integral to the educational journey at St Margaret’s,’ Rev’d Jazz says.

‘Our values are driven by our Christian faith through our Anglican tradition and are intentionally embedded in all of our chapel programs.’

Importantly, while the school practises the Anglican faith, it is welcoming of all faiths from the diverse communities and walks of life from which our students, staff and parents are drawn.

Religion and Values Education at the school offers a spiralling curriculum from Prep through to Year 12. In the primary school, RVE is delivered by class teachers, while in the secondary school it comes under the umbrella of the Sociocultural Studies Faculty. Content is drawn from the Anglican Schools Commission Religious Education curriculum and helps students explore their own values and beliefs by learning how others see the world. Students learn about Christianity and other world religions and how people of faith respond to the challenges, joys and questions of everyday life.

In Years 11 and 12, RVE is not part of the regular weekly curriculum; rather, students enjoy a masterclass once a term which explores such topics as body positivity, the value of relationships, the way we use our voices for the common good, and their vocations and preparing for the next stage in their journeys.

The opportunity to explore faith at St Margaret’s is not limited to religious services and RVE lessons.

Each term, themed Prayer Spaces in the chapel invite both primary and secondary students to explore spirituality and life’s big questions in a safe, creative and interactive way.

Within a Prayer Space session there are several interactive stations, which provide an invitational space for students to decide how they wish to explore the theme.

Rev’d Jazz says the themes are chosen to be tangible and accessible, rather than global or abstract.

‘This allows students to reflect on how the theme impacts their daily lives. They can explore the spaces with purpose and meaning but freely and without required outcomes.

‘Busy lives sometimes leave little space for reflection, and the feedback from students always includes the valuing of silence and space, and that after a visit, they feel much calmer.’

In 2022, the Prayer Space themes included the school values, Easter and Lent, Reconciliation and Hope.

In addition to offering baptism and confirmation to our students, many in our wider community – Old Girls, parents and staff, and others closely connected to the school – choose the school chapel for baptisms, weddings, and funerals, such is their fond and enduring connection to the school.

Rev’d Jazz is also available to offer pastoral care to students, staff, and their families.

THE FUTURE OF THE SSA

Times are changing for the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent, with just two professed Sisters remaining in the Order – Sisters Gillian and Sandra. However, the SSA will endure, with suitable amendments made to the SSA constitution which allow women who feel called to a life of commitment and service to become vowed members of the SSA while continuing with their current lifestyles.

The first two women to commence this journey –The Rev’d Gillian Moses (the chaplain of St Aidan’s) and The Rev’d Jan Crombie (who is Rector of Kenmore Anglican parish and co-deputy chair of St Margaret’s School Council) – just happen to be ordained ministers, although this is by no means a prerequisite.

As vowed members of the SSA, women commit themselves to certain patterns of daily prayer and to being involved in other pastoral activities and ministering to people in need.

The SSA this year celebrates 131 years since its inception. It is comforting to know the Society which has achieved so much for so many women and girls will prevail.

Typically, these students make the transition to St Margaret’s in Year 7, coinciding with their move to high school. This means not only are they coping with living away from family and the contrast from wide open spaces to urban living, but they are also navigating the transition to high school and an increased academic load. In the St Margaret’s boarding house, a large network of experienced staff cares for our boarders, and an intentional transition program supports our country students in their move to living and studying in the city. Each new Year 7 boarder participates in a transition program that commences the year before they start at St Margaret’s and continues until the end of their first year in boarding. The program starts with a care package delivered to each new

The transition from the bush to the city

Making the transition to boarding life in the city is a significant adjustment for our rural students who come from all over Australia and from vastly different environments and learning backgrounds.

boarder’s home, comprising letters from a current student and their boarding big sister, a piece of navy ribbon, a poem and a Maggies boarder sticker. This signals the start of their connection to the school and the commencement of a relationship with their boarding big sister, a peer ‘go to’ for any questions or concerns they might have leading up to starting at the school. The boarding big sisters continue to play an important role throughout a boarder’s time at St Margaret’s, providing another avenue of support alongside boarding staff. New boarders will then attend a sleepover where they get to meet their peers and their boarding big sister in person and familiarise themselves with the school and the boarding house. At the start of the new

school year, new boarders arrive one day earlier than returning boarders, giving them the opportunity to settle into their dedicated Year 7 dorms, with the boarding house and staff exclusively to themselves. They are also taken on an orientation of the local neighbourhood.

According to Student Wellbeing Coordinator – Boarding Hannah Calcino, place identity has been identified as a key factor in a student’s transition to boarding school.

‘Boarding school transitions for rural students are most successful when they are able to form a positive place identity with their new environment. Place identity is how you, as an individual, fit within a community and how you find value in the community.

‘We are quick to encourage our boarders to embrace the sporting and extracurricular life at St Margaret’s to enrich their learning, extend their friendships, and help them establish their place identity and settle in,’ Hannah said.

Fostering a sense of community is vital to supporting the wellbeing of all boarders. A steady stream of events, dinners, activities and closed weekends aid in building the tight-knit boarding community while encouraging relationships with day girls helps to expand boarders’ connections outside of boarding. These relationships are fostered through boarder/day girl sleepovers and the annual boarder/day girl long weekend.

Boarders come to St Margaret’s not just from a wide variety of geographical backgrounds but from a wide range of educational experiences, including School of the Air, one-teacher primary schools or distance education. All boarders are supported in their academic transition in a number of ways.

A significant advantage is that St Margaret’s teaching staff, as opposed to academic tutors, work in the boarding house each evening to assist students with their homework, study and assignments. This process is valuable not just for boarders but for the teachers who gain a deeper perspective of each boarder’s background.

Communication between teaching and boarding house staff is also key to monitoring each student’s wellbeing and academic progress. St Margaret’s educators are also highly skilled at deploying differentiated teaching strategies, which greatly assist boarders transitioning from varied learning experiences.

As cliché as it sounds, the boarding house is a ‘home away from home’ for boarders, and staff endeavour to establish routines and practices that replicate home wherever possible. Friday night popcorn and movie nights, going for walks and family dinners are the norm. Many boarders will want to eventually return to their rural roots, so St Margaret’s recently introduced a Certificate III in Agriculture in response to those expressing a desire to develop their agricultural skills and knowledge to contribute to their local communities, work on their family properties, or go on to further industry study.

While there is no doubt transitioning to boarding school in the city is a huge leap for our rural students, St Margaret’s boarding staff ensure the transition is as smooth as possible through fostering a strong sense of place identity and community.

ST MARGARET’S REGIONAL TOURS 2023

Inclusivity in action

Last year, St Margaret’s adopted ‘inclusivity’ as one of our six expressed values. It was no surprise that through community consultation it shone through as an important value, as it was already such a big part of who we are, no more so than in the boarding house, where we welcome many students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

We have been blessed at St Margaret’s to have welcomed many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to the school over the years. As we embrace Reconciliation, there have been many more events and activities which have brought a greater understanding of our First Nations people to the entire community.

In 2022, the school was recognised for its work in this area when it won the ABSA/ IEBA* Excellence in Indigenous Boarding award. (*Australian Boarding Schools Association/Indigenous Education and Boarding Australia).

Some of the key actions and activities that take place in the boarding house and school wide to further Indigenous education include:

SEE MY DIFFERENCE

SEE MY WORTH FESTIVAL

This annual two-day event features a program of rich experiences celebrating the uniqueness of our boarding community. From our rural boarders to our international and First Nations boarders, the weekend features culturally specific activities, where each group share their practices and way of life throughout the festival.

RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN COMMITTEE

In 2019, the school formed a Reconciliation Action Plan Committee of which First Nations students and Old Girls are members. Their feedback is integral to the plan’s development, and through this,

they have found a sense of fulfilment and ownership for being able to be heard and contribute to the plan.

Gidhal and Mulu Maguydan

The impetus for these two anthologies was to harness the enormous potential of our First Nations students to share their stories with the St Margaret’s community. You can read more about these projects on page 27 and also view the publications on the school’s website.

SHARING CULTURAL PRACTICES WITH THE PRIMARY SCHOOL

First Nations boarders visit the primary school and talk about their culture and teach traditional dances, a mutually beneficial activity that teaches our youngest students while giving our First Nations students the chance to experience discussing their culture to larger groups and using their voice for advocacy.

RECONCILIATION AND NAIDOC WEEKS

St Margaret’s Reconciliation and NAIDOC weeks include events and activities that highlight First Nations culture and involve the whole school. Events such as Sorry Day, Mabo Day and Floral Friday focus on cultivating a shared appreciation for First Nations culture for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and nonIndigenous people.

Our First Nations students extend a hand and invite non-Indigenous students to experience their rich culture and partake in significant rituals. These experiences allow our non-indigenous students to listen and learn about the longest living culture and partake in rituals and practices they would not typically have access to. It also allows our First Nations students to advocate for change, use their voice for empowerment of themselves and their people, and have the courage to share part of their life that is so valuable to them.

Mulu Maguydan

Mulu Maguydan (pronounced moo-loo moog-eye-dun), which means Story Stone, was the culmination of 18 months of the students exploring their own families’ stories, interviewing, making drafts, refining and learning how to access the art of storytelling through incursions and excursions.

As a former journalist, English teacher Margot Shave truly knows the impact of storytelling and saw it as a powerful medium through which First Nations students could access and author their own and their families’ stories to enhance both their student experience and their sense of belonging at St Margaret’s, while also enriching the lives of everyone in the community.

Margot says the families were not in the least reticent to share their stories – they were so pleased to be asked and were abundantly willing to share their lives and those of their Elders’ who speak openly about both the good times and the troubled times and their hopes for the future.

Last year the school was proud to launch a second anthology of stories authored by our First Nations students – this time with a focus on the stories of their Elders. continue over

Sharing culture through storytelling: triumphs, tragedies and hopes for the future

Meaning Story Stone

Pronounced moo-loo moog-eye-dun

From the Jandai/Guwar/Yagara languages which is spoken by the Nunagal, Goenbal and Ngugi peoples from Quandamooka Country.

Both volumes of these anthologies have unearthed incredible stories, both tragic and triumphant, as well as gifted artistry in the form of poetry, prose, and visual arts.

The newly refurbished St Margaret’s staffroom in Toorak now boasts two beautiful pieces of artwork gifted to the school by Joey Laifoo, the father of Indira Laifoo (’19), following the publication of the first anthology Ghidal.

Joey is an internationally recognised Australian artist with works in the Queensland and National Art galleries, so it is a great honour for the school to be able to showcase two of his pieces.

Ms Shave says we had not even realised he was an international artist.

‘This has been the magic of the process of producing these two anthologies. We have uncovered so many gems of stories, learned of interesting and fascinating lives, and gained insights into First Nations culture, made all the more accessible, as this has been shared with us by members of our school community.

‘For me, these paintings symbolise what has emerged from this entire process – a growing shared understanding and appreciation of our First Nations people,

which has added to our own reconciliation story and speaks very powerfully to the school’s value of inclusivity,’ Mrs Shave said. The saying ‘if you can see it, you can be it’ guided teachers Ms Shave and Noel Peinke to ensure our First Nations students, in the process of researching and learning how to access and tell their stories, met and engaged with some very successful First Nations women in Brisbane.

Students were invited to become part of the Queensland Museum’s Island Futures exhibition. Curated by freelance journalist and broadcaster Rhianna Patrick and Queensland Museum’s Imelda Miller, the exhibition explored and celebrated contemporary Torres Strait Island identity. Rhianna and Imelda worked with the students to help them respond to the question, ‘How are you fulfilling the hopes and dreams of your Akas and Athes?’, and their answers were then built into the exhibit. The students were incredibly proud to be included in the project. They also participated in a writers’ workshop with Rhianna and poet and writer Ellen van Neerven, and a workshop with artist Nikita Newley, who invited them to explore their connection to country through art. Nikita’s painting ‘Dam’ provided the wonderful cover art for Mulu Maguydan.

All teachers at St Margaret’s have copies of both Ghidal and Mulu Maguydan, which are providing educators with opportunities to explore aspects of the curriculum through this lens.

Charli Jones and Sofia Nona (now in Year 11), veterans of both Ghidal and Mulu Maguydan, say the projects have allowed them to have a greater voice, share their stories and to teach others, not only about who they are themselves but about the history of First Nations people, through their own and their relatives’ stories.

The process of researching the stories has also afforded them the time and space to explore the lives of their relatives, the process bringing them even closer together. This has served to strengthen their ties with their homes when they are so far away geographically and in a very different setting and has also strengthened the bond between the First Nations students at the school. Being given time and space at school to immerse themselves in their culture has also helped to alleviate some of the homesickness and disorientation the students can feel so far from home in a very different world. Charli and Sofia agreed that the projects enabled them to ‘remind us who we are’.

Their relatives were very willing to share their story, in fact sometimes even surprised and shocked that there was interest.

Charli’s story focused on her Aunt, who was of the Stolen Generation and who discovered later in life that she had a sister. Charli said she tried to keep the story as close to the way her Aunt told the yarn, which has truly allowed her Aunt’s emotions to shine through – often circling back to again exclaim her disbelief and delight at the discovery that she had a sister.

Charli says she herself was shocked to learn her Aunty’s full story, saying she didn’t realise how common the practice of removing children from their homes was, and how many of that generation are still trying to find answers, noting the intergenerational trauma that still exists because of those practices.

Sofia says it was very special to learn more about her grandfather who died when she was very young, leaving an incredible legacy of a lifelong advocacy of education in his community, which included donating a large parcel of land upon which to build a school on Badu Island.

One of the barriers to sharing stories is that many non-Indigenous people are not sure they are allowed to ask, thinking there may be cultural barriers. However, the consistent theme throughout both anthologies is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are very happy to share their stories. They so do with grace and are happy that people are open to learning more, and even though some stories are hard to hear, there is not bitterness, rather a want to share for mutual understanding and acknowledgement.

Charli says there is a spirit of forgiveness yet the conviction that the dark history of the past should never be forgotten. There needs to be acceptance and acknowledgement, ensuring that it never happens again.

Both Charli and Sofia have enjoyed being a part of St Margaret’s Reconciliation Plan and look forward to further actions and activities, such as Indigenous sporting rounds, that are integrated into the ‘every day’, in addition to the bigger events that form part of the calendar, such as Reconciliation and NAIDOC weeks.

Recent research by University of Queensland academics published in The Conversation (Nov 9, 2022) explored excellence in Indigenous education. The

article said the most distinct theme to emerge was the need to nurture and affirm culture and identity in students and in doing so, ‘build young people up’.

A school community liaison officer said that once students knew their identity, they excelled.

Another interviewee said that culture and identity play an important role in students believing in themselves and striving to be the best version of themselves.

St Margaret’s is confident that projects such as these two anthologies and other actions and activities outlined in the Reconciliation Action Plan will go a long way to nurturing the culture and identity of our First Nations students, especially as many complete their secondary education far from home. We also look forward to the students ongoing input as together we all share in and are enriched by the reconciliation journey.

Reference:

Shay, M, Armour, D, Miller, J & Hammeed SA 2022, ‘Once students knew their identity, they excelled’: how to talk about excellence in education, The Conversation, 9 November 2022, viewed 15 November 2022, https://theconversation.com/ once-students-knew-their-identity-they-excelledhow-to-talk-about-excellence-in-indigenouseducation-193394

Discussing the big issues

Importantly, then, schools need to provide opportunities for students to not only develop their critical thinking skills to become the future problem solvers, but they also need to empower students to have the confidence to stand up, develop coherent arguments, and use their voice to advocate for change. There are several activities the school offers students to develop these skills outside of the curriculum across both primary and secondary schools.

In 2022, the school participated in the first Dialogues@School, an initiative designed to promote student views and voices to their wider school community on issues that matter to them and which ultimately connect to global issues and events – a fitting concept that articulates well with St Margaret’s identity as a ‘local school with a global outlook’.

Dialogues@School is a significant pedagogic initiative stemming from The Brisbane Dialogues organisation, which works with individual schools to conduct their own dialogue events on a youthfocused topic.

Initiatives like Dialogues@School provide an opportunity to foster students critical thinking capacity, prompting them to engage with important issues in thoughtful, moderate, attentive, and reasoned

ways. Further, the project’s design enables students to develop their interpersonal skills within public communication to articulate complex ideas and hone the art of finding consensus. St Margaret’s students were able to suggest and develop several topics and issues relevant both to their daily lives, as well as the wider, if not global, community.

For the inaugural Dialogues event at St Margaret’s, students Kate Bloomfield, Amelia Butler-Wood, Holly Marchant, Imogen Elliott and Annette Chan took part in a thought-provoking discussion on the nominated topic, ‘What’s wrong with TikTok?’ The students worked with Ms Theodora Le Souquet, managing director of Canaria Technologies and current member of the McKinsey Online Executive Panel, whose expertise as a moderator and extensive career experience allowed for moderation that provoked rich exploration of the question, examining issues from privacy, censorship and cyber-security to misinformation and online-extremism.

The school’s partnership with Brisbane Dialogues continues this year, giving more students the chance to engage with big ideas in a way that centres student voice through meaningful discourse. Another 2022 event which promoted student engagement with the big issues was the Middle School Ethics Olympiad, which provides students with a creative vehicle for developing skills in communication, critical thinking and respectful discourse while

As Einstein said: ‘We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.’

dealing with interesting and contentious ethical issues. Last year, a group of Year 9 students competed in the event, presenting their position on a range of case studies, including how citizenship should be awarded, the use of nuclear energy, and how we might achieve an ethical approach to recycling clothes. St Margaret’s students showcased their critical thinking, understanding of ethical theories and appreciation of diverse perspectives, with one team – Addison Grant-Taylor, Arnika Di Bella and Kate Bateman – taking out the Gold Medal. The team subsequently went on to compete in the 2023 International Ethics Olympiad held online in February against teams from around the world such as New Zealand, Hong Kong, India and Singapore, where, while not placing, they did a fantastic job and had a great experience.

Similarly in the primary school, Years 5 and 6 students participated in the 2022 Optiminds Challenge, which presents those with a passion for learning and

problem solving with the chance to showcase their skills and talents. A team was entered into each category – Social Science and Language Literature. Each team embraced the challenges at the regional level with the Literature and Language team selected for the state finals.

On the first day of the two-day state finals, the team shared (at a market style event), a project they had created, which was an app designed to support mental health. On the second day, within a three-hour timeframe, they created a play based on a scenario, as well as responding to a spontaneous task. Working collaboratively and creatively, the team placed first against teams Queenslandwide. This was an amazing achievement for Allegra Pople, Isabella Goodrick, Lily Tribe, Gigi Bissett, Isobel Stobie, Chloe Nheu and Ally Cowley.

The art of Debating can be traced back to the philosophical and political debates of Ancient Greece. It is a challenging yet highly beneficial art to pursue, and can

lead to, amongst many benefits, improved higher-order and critical thinking skills, cognitive flexibility, increased confidence, and superior team-building skills. In the secondary school, teams across all year levels competed in the Queensland Debating Union Competition in 2022, with two Year 11 teams making the knockout finals.

In the primary school, a precursor to Year 6 debating and part of their primary leadership preparation is a Year 5 public speaking activity. While public speaking is part of classroom learning, girls also can elect to prepare for and participate in two afternoons of competition with sister school St Aidan’s, giving them the chance to finesses their skills in preparing a speech and delivering that speech in front of an audience, as well as learning the art of really listening to others.

This experience gives them more confidence to join the Debating Club in Year 6, of which one third of the cohort elected to do last year, participating in two debates with St Aidan’s. Our Year 11 debaters mentored the students, teaching them how to research arguments, write persuasive speeches, consider rebuttals, and enhance their public speaking skills (read more on page 41). Many of these girls have now taken their new-found love of debating into the secondary school. Due to this interest, for the first time this year, the school has entered a Year 7 team in the Brisbane Girls Debating Association Competition – a short-prep training/debate intensive that enhances in-situ (on-thespot) collaborative critical thinking.

We are confident our students will take all the skills developed through these activities and become the future problems solvers in a world where everyone is voicing an opinion, yet very few are backing it up with intelligent, cohesive dialogue to support their case.

Sent to Brisbane to care and minister for women and girls in the 1800s, it followed that when they founded the school in 1895, it was dedicated to girls. Extensive research has since proven the academic, social and emotional benefits of an all-girls’ education.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Girls’ schools achieve stronger academic results. According to analysis of the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results by the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia: ‘Girls from girls’ schools in Australia and New Zealand outperformed girls from co-educational schools on all academic measures of science, mathematics and literacy.’

The benefits of a girls’ school

An all-girls’ educational environment is dedicated to how girls learn. In the absence of boys, girls are also more inclined to participate freely in discussions and to take risks with their learning.

STEM PARTICIPATION

Participation in STEM subjects is higher at girls’ schools, with girls more confident to pursue these studies when boys are not in the classroom. The Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia found ‘that girls were more likely to study STEM subjects to a higher level and continue with STEM into Years 11 and 12 when there is no implicit expectation of competing with boys’. Although women are still underrepresented in STEM tertiary studies and careers, St Margaret’s is committed to nurturing students’ confidence and self-belief to

challenge this gender bias. Since 2018, there has seen a significant increase in St Margaret’s students taking up Senior Science and Technology subjects: Biology (increase of 33%); Chemistry (increase of 51%); Physics (increase of 176%); Digital Solutions (increase of 91%).

The Sisters who founded St Margaret’s believed that one of the best gifts that we as a society can give a young woman for an empowered future that contributes to the common good is an education.

The annual Science Week is enthusiastically celebrated to develop our girls’ curiosity and confidence in STEM subjects, while the school’s own Women in Science Lecture series brings real-world inspiration and aspiration to our students, highlighting the career opportunities STEM offers and paving the way for students to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology. Students are also connected with STEM learning experiences outside of the classroom through Robotics, STEM Club, the F1 in Schools competition and QUT STEM workshops and programs.

AN ASPIRATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Generally, students from girls’ schools have higher aspirations and ambitions. One of the ways St Margaret’s fosters these aspirations is through a considered focus on careers education. From the primary years, students are exposed to careers education and to strong female role models across a broad range of careers and industries. Research shows that gender stereotyping around career choices starts in early primary school and St Margaret’s primary careers education aims to address this, breaking down barriers and gender biases for our girls.

The careers education program continues in Year 7 and is punctuated by the Broadening Horizons Conference and Careers Expo in Year 10. More recently, the introduction of the Aspiring Young Women’s Network Breakfast series profiles female role models within the school’s Old Girl community across a range of industries, exemplifying what women can achieve beyond school. The award-winning Mentoring Program continues the career preparation for our students in Years 11 and 12, matching them with appropriate alumni mentors who are working in the field they are aspiring to study or enter into when they graduate.

In keeping with the Sisters’ holistic approach to education, students are also engaged in a broad range of workshops, activities and development programs aimed at preparing them for life beyond the school gates. These include the Beyond the Panama program which focuses on arming students with a range of practical knowledge and life skills such as applying for a tax file number, financial literacy, tips on renting and how to vote.

PARTICIPATION IN SPORT

In a girls’ only environment, girls are less self-conscious and feel freer to be themselves resulting in higher participation in sport and physical activity. They are not restricted in their choices on the playing field either, enabling them to broaden their interests and play traditionally maledominated sports, including AFL, touch football, cricket and esports.

LEADERSHIP

Girls’ schools empower students to become bold leaders. Students are exposed to strong female leadership in an all-girls’ environment and there are greater opportunities to experience leadership. Every leadership position is held by a girl, from AFL Captains to School Captains, and these opportunities build students’ team-work skills, their confidence and their self-belief.

WELLBEING

Students in girls’ schools are generally happier and feel a greater sense of belonging. Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that at girls’ schools, student wellbeing comes first and wellbeing programs are specifically designed to cater to girls at their specific developmental stages. Also, a contributing factor is the belonging to a community of likeminded individuals, each sharing in the same experiences.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

While the factors that distinguish girls’ education from single-sex schooling allude to overwhelming opportunities for girls to have the confidence, conviction and self-belief to achieve to their full potential, St Margaret’s recognises there are benefits to providing opportunities to develop social skills within mixed gender contexts. Throughout the year, St Margaret’s girls gather together with Churchie boys to develop their social skills and camaraderie with the opposite sex. These events and activities include Sony Foundation Camp, boarding social events, Netball Challenges, Year 6 Activities Day and the Prep Activities Day.

Within St Margaret’s all-girls’ environment, our girls are inspired to become confident, compassionate and capable women wellprepared to make a significant contribution in a global community.

Maggies moments

Serving the community

Through the many philanthropic endeavours in which the school is involved, students develop their social awareness of current community issues and are encouraged to give in ways that are more than just financial, through the donation of their time, knowledge or goods.

Service Learning is sequential from the primary years through to secondary.

Primary students commence their servicelearning journey by developing their sense of social responsibility through Year Level Service-Learning Projects and through the Year 6 Cornerstone Project, which requires students to plan and conduct a fundraising venture.

In Years 7 and 8, students are supported to complete their community service through activities coordinated by the ServiceLearning Coordinator. In Year 7, students write letters to the elderly, while in Year 8, students participate in the Red Shield

Appeal in addition to serving a faith-based community, whether at St Margaret’s, through Anglicare or their local parish. Last year, Year 8 students were also given the opportunity to make cheese sandwiches and donate snacks to the charity Eat Up Australia, which delivers sandwiches and snacks to schools where children frequently arrive without lunch.

By the time students reach Year 9, they are encouraged to think critically and creatively about how they can make a difference in the wider community. They may choose to become a reading buddy, helping and encouraging disadvantaged children with their reading through The Smith Family’s student2student program, or alternatively, they can seek out their own volunteer opportunities.

In the senior years, students are given full control over the community issues and organisations they choose to support through volunteer work.

School coordinated opportunities include fundraising at the Year 10 Lunch, the Viking Run with Churchie, supporting elderly veterans to access vehicles at the ANZAC Day parade, the Red Shield Appeal in collaboration with Churchie, and caring for children with a disability as part of the Sony Foundation Children’s Holiday Camp.

For students in Years 7 to 9, the Service Learning Passport documents their service in action and the hours devoted to assisting

At St Margaret’s, students are encouraged to look outside of their own communities, finding ways to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

others in the broader community, while for students in Years 10 to 12, voluntary service is documented within St Margaret’s Plus. Each year, Philanthropy Leaders are elected among the Year 12 cohort to galvanise the school community to support various philanthropic endeavours throughout the school year. These students are empowered to demonstrate their agency through recognising and researching issues, causes and charities, taking ownership of their ideas, confidently expressing themselves and taking actions to make a difference. The 2023 Philanthropy Leaders have sought to select just one cause to support, undertaking a considered process to identify community needs, meeting with local charities and casting their vote. All of their annual fundraising efforts will contribute to the one charity.

The 2022 school charity was Stride (for better mental health), and through activities including free dress days, Valentine’s Day, bake sales and a stall at MAYO, the school collectively raised $8175 towards the prevention and treatment of mental health conditions. In 2023, the school’s chosen charity is Zig Zag, which is a Young Women’s Resource Centre that provides services to young women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness aged 12 and 25.

According to St Margaret’s ServiceLearning Coordinator Katie Flanagan, involving the students in choosing a cause to support has significant impact on their motivation to make a difference.

‘When the students have input and involvement into the decision-making process around the charities we are supporting, they invariably spread their knowledge and passion to the rest of the school. What transpires is greater awareness of and connection to the cause and to volunteer work overall.

‘The leaders “lead by example”, role modelling to the whole school the importance of identifying when there is a need and volunteering to help in order to

make a positive and powerful difference to the lives of those who are not as fortunate as we are,’ Katie said.

By raising the profile of philanthropy among the students at St Margaret’s, we aim to encourage them to begin a life-long commitment to giving through activities that positively impact their communities.

PONYTAIL PROJECT

One of the most significant whole school philanthropic endeavours undertaken at St Margaret’s each year is the Ponytail Project. It combines service in action and fundraising, and last year, almost 100 students and six St Margaret’s teachers volunteered to cut their ponytails, donating their hair to be made into wigs for those suffering from hair loss due to cancer treatment or other medical conditions. Through their actions, they raised just short of $100,000, adding to an eight-year tally that has now exceeded an incredible half a million dollars in financial donations to the Cancer Council Queensland and the Minotti Trust.

The Ponytail Project is a whole school effort, with the primary students showing their support through wearing crazy hairstyles for the day not to mention St Margaret’s school dog, Luna, and Head of Primary Mrs Drysdale’s dog Daisy being clippered and coiffed during the event. Luna raised $700 towards the overall fundraising tally.

St Margaret’s is appreciative of hairdressers Ink for Hair and local groomer CC’s Pampered Pups, who volunteered their time and skills in support of the 2022 Ponytail Project.

A better future

Wellbeing is vitally important whether we are talking about individual people or the wellbeing of the planet. St Margaret’s has made a commitment to wellbeing at all levels through the launch of its ESG Statement earlier this year.

LANDFILL CO-MINGLED RECYCLING PAPER + CARDBOARD

ESG stands for Environment, Social and Governance, and the statement outlines the way in which the school and members of its community can contribute and transition to more sustainable practices (E); it ensures that as an organisation we care for the health and wellbeing of our own community, and those of the planet, by, for example, following a modern slavery policy and addressing inequities (S); and holds us accountable to the highest standards of ethics and integrity as an institution (G).

The statement also outlines the way in which we can contribute to some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Quality Education, Good Health and Wellbeing, Gender Equality, Reduced Inequalities, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Climate Action.

People will recognise that St Margaret’s already focuses on many elements included in the ESG Statement – and has for some years. However, the document brings together all the great work being done in all these areas and viewing it through the one lens. Importantly, in the future, measurable outcomes will be determined against the goals and actions of the document.

Some of the outcomes will be longer term, for example, transitioning to lower carbon options with the future purchase of motor vehicles, while others can more easily be enacted, such as the refining of our waste recycling strategies. Soon, students will see the options for four different types of bins around the campus where they can dispose of various types of rubbish, which will be an educative process in itself.

In 2022, the school’s Environmental Committee enjoyed the enthusiastic participation of almost 60 students across Years 6 to 12, and Environmental Committee Captains were introduced as formal leadership positions. The committee hosted a Clothing

Drive, aimed at reducing the impact of consumerism and fast fashion, organised a coffee scrub workshop, where coffee grounds from M’s Café were repurposed, and implemented the Containers for Change bins to encourage recycling and reduce our landfill waste. Teachers and senior leadership will work closely with the committee to collaborate on the ESG environmental goals to further incorporate the student voice.

Socially, everything we do at the school is underpinned by a commitment to student wellbeing – and this will, of course, continue and, importantly, be ever vigilant and responsive to the pulse of society and new issues that arise as the world changes.

St Margaret’s remains committed to its Reconciliation Action Plan and the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is also committed to understanding potential modern slavery risks to ensure there is no slavery or human trafficking taking place across its operations and/or supply chains. The school will also continue to develop its already well-established culture of philanthropy and social responsibility to address disadvantage in our communities.

The adoption of an ESG Statement articulates with the school mission to prepare confident, compassionate, capable women able to contribute to a global community and aligns with the philosophy of our founders, the Society of the Sacred Advent, to ‘educate young women for an empowered future that contributes to the common good’.

Teamwork makes the dream work

Effective teamwork and collaboration skills are considered essential attributes for students’ future careers.

At St Margaret’s, students are given many opportunities to work collaboratively in groups, developing their team building skills. In the classroom they work towards a common project goal, while on the sporting field, they are required to work together to achieve success as a sporting team, and on the stage, they work in harmony to perform as an ensemble.

Teamwork skills are also developed when students are engaged in extracurricular clubs, and in 2022, the breadth and depth of these activities were expanded to include several new opportunities to further hone students’ teamwork skills.

STEM CLUB

In STEM Club, students in Years 7 and 8 had the opportunity to explore the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through inquiry based, student-led learning while also fostering their teamwork and collaboration skills.

Secondary teacher and club coordinator Colette Anderson said the students’ exploration was hands on and project based.

‘The students worked in groups to construct solar and battery powered cars by following a set of technical instructions.

‘In Term 4, they tested their hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness flying drones through obstacle courses. ‘Through both projects, students fostered their teamwork and collaboration skills, working in self-directed groups to delegate, assign roles and problem solve,’ Colette said.

This year, the club will also welcome students in Years 9 and 10 and will have an engineering focus through a bridge design and construction project.

MINECRAFT CLUB

The Minecraft Club, for students in Years 4 and 5, aims to foster teamwork through coding. In groups, students are challenged to develop design solutions to set ‘build challenges’, such as constructing a treehouse or building the house of their dreams.

Primary teacher and Minecraft Club coordinator Laurie Wilson said although Minecraft can be played individually, it really comes into its own when players work together.

‘In “survival mode”, players have to source their own materials, and protect themselves from attack. This is best done in a team, where players can share resources and work together to achieve common goals. Building can also be time consuming, so working in a team and distributing responsibilities is often the best way to get the job done.

‘Apart from teamwork, Minecraft also fosters other soft skills such as leadership, problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking. As Minecraft is not a game involving levels of play, students have the ability to create their own “game play”, developing creative and critical thinking skills as they play,’ Laurie said. Whenever groups are working together, it is inevitable that problems and conflicts will arise, and Minecraft Club is a supportive environment for students to develop their conflict resolution skills.

‘We often start by discussing group work positives and negatives, and as a group, come up with an agreement for what we want our groups to look like, feel like, and sound like. This gives students agency over their behaviour and can be referred to when things go awry.

‘The great thing about practising these skills while playing Minecraft is that they are so engaged and easily adopt successful problem-solving strategies in order to keep playing and achieve their goals,’ Laurie said.

DEBATING MENTORING PROGRAM

In 2022, a new initiative was adopted for the primary debating program which saw Year 11 students mentor primary debaters. The mentors served as role models, big sisters and advisors to their mentees,

helping them prepare for debates by reading and polishing speeches or giving advice on public speaking.

2022 primary debating coordinator Kimberley Bachmann said the peer coaching was a great example of collaboration with both the mentors and the mentees learning from and finding value in the relationship.

‘The Year 6 students relished in the opportunity to learn new skills from the older students, and it was a great leadership opportunity for the Year 11 students in preparation for their role as school leaders in Year 12,’ Kimberley said.

Year 11 student Olivia Crombie took the initiative to run a rebuttal Master Class after the Year 6s received feedback following their first debate.

‘I found it so rewarding to not only really consider and find ways to communicate the fundamentals of debating to the younger girls but also to observe the students absorb and implement the information, skills and strategies I’d shared. It was a really valuable chance for me to take a step back and really examine what debating is and break it down into fundamental blocks,’ Olivia said. The debating coaching sessions took place weekly with around six Year 11 mentors sharing their knowledge and experience with the 33 Year 6 students.

Developing citizens of the world

Crofton House School

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Shawnigan Lake School

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Pensionnat du Saint-Nom-de-Marie

Montreal, Canada

St Margaret’s is focused on ensuring every girl is prepared to resiliently and responsibly engage in a multicultural and globalising world. One of the ways in which students develop this global citizenship is through the school’s signature Global Exchange Program.

A window to the world, the program offers students in Year 10 the chance to experience life and education in a different country through attending one of eleven affiliate schools located in all four corners of the globe. While taking part in this unique program, students immerse themselves in another culture, often learn new language skills, and discover the way of life of the student communities they join.

Last year saw the first Global Exchange students jet off internationally after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic and border closures.

Georgia Price and Grace Marchant spent Term 3 at St Anne’s Diocesan College in South Africa, and both students said they returned with a newfound sense of independence and lifelong friendships with students on the other side of the world.

Boarding student Georgia said she was a little nervous but mostly excited in the lead up to her departure.

‘It was my first time out of the country, and I was looking forward to a different experience, an opportunity I knew I wouldn’t get to experience again, because even travelling overseas in the future, you wouldn’t get to experience going to a different school or really immersing yourself in the local culture.

‘I developed a greater sense of independence. Obviously, as a boarder, I was already quite independent, but I feel that I have developed another level of independence now which really hit home when I was on the plane travelling to the other side of the world.

‘The highlights of the whole exchange experience for me were shark diving and a four-day game drive, as well as making new connections and friendships,’ Georgia said.

Grace, who has attended St Margaret’s since Pre-Prep, was looking forward to expanding her horizons and stepping outside of her comfort zone while on exchange.

‘I went from being a day student at the same school my whole life and always with my family to a different country, a different school and living in boarding! I definitely became more independent while I was away.

Chatham, Virginia, USA

Augusta Preparatory Day School

Martinez, Georgia, USA

‘One of the main things I learnt is to look at the bigger picture. If I was having one tough day, missing home, I just took the opportunity to stand back and think, actually you don’t want to go home because of this one tough moment in time.

‘The highlight for me was the culture at St Anne’s, which I think is very similar to St Margaret’s – it feels like a big family. While I was there, I made a great lifelong friend with a weekly boarder who invited me out a lot with her family on weekends. I was very lucky because her family was very similar to my family, so it was like having a second family. We still keep in touch and maybe I will get to visit her again one day,’ Grace said.

During Term 4, an additional 21 students set off on their exchange attending schools in Germany, the US and Canada, while at the same time we welcomed reciprocal students from St Anne’s to St Margaret’s. For Lucy Piggott, attending the French speaking Saint-Nom-de-Marie in Montreal, Canada, helped her develop her language skills.

‘I’ve been studying French at St Margaret’s since Year 3, which helped me when I arrived in Montreal. I was able to pick up conversations and follow and understand everything at school. I even got 100% in a maths test!

Chatham Hall

When students travel and explore new environments, they gain a deeper understanding of their place in the world and a greater global perspective.

Ursulinenschule Hersel

Bornheim, Germany

GERMANY

‘My homestay family was bilingual so I could choose whether to speak English or practise my French communication. We decided to have “French” days on Wednesdays and Sundays, which gave me the opportunity to practise, and since being back at St Margaret’s, I’ve noticed that my French skills have definitely improved,’ Lucy said.

Aside from becoming adaptable, Lucy said she also gained greater independence and confidence while on exchange.

For Arabella Harris, attending Ursulinenschule Hersel in Germany, took her out of her comfort zone in more ways than one.

‘I did not know any German, so I quickly had to learn to speak some common phrases and develop my skills in communicating in another cultural environment. After being completely immersed in the language, I started to pick it up though.

SOUTH AFRICA

St Anne’s Diocesan College

Hilton, South Africa

St Mary’s Diocesan School for Girls

Kloof, South Africa

Arabella said it was an amazing experience that gave her the chance to reflect on different cultures, different values and the fact there are many commonalities that connect people globally.

In 2022, Independent Schools Queensland CEO Chris Mountford said: ‘Global Citizenship Education is a crucial component of the Australian Curriculum, and students can only benefit further from understanding the importance of our place in the world, in Asia and the Pacific, about sustainability and the perspectives, history and cultures of our First Nations People.’

At St Margaret’s, developing our students as citizens of the world through international exchange has been a key focus, with 2022 marking the 22nd year the school has offered international exchange.

JAPAN

Konan Girls High School Kobe, Japan

NEW ZEALAND

The affiliate schools each have a very similar ethos and values to those at St Margaret’s, and together, all schools are committed to developing and inspiring citizens of the world through global exchange.

While on exchange, students live like a local, immersed in another culture and interacting with others from diverse backgrounds, all of which helps build their cross-cultural understanding. The reciprocal nature of our exchange program also benefits students at St Margaret’s with students all over the world bringing their unique cultural perspectives to the school community.

It’s also while students are discovering new and exciting environments that they develop important life skills including independence, confidence and improved communication and practical skills.

Nga Tawa Diocesan School

Marton, New Zealand

St Margaret’s College

Christchurch, New Zealand (Rowing Exchange)

Ten independent schools compete in the Andrews Cup primary schools sports competition.

2022 Primary Sport Round Up

Flying in the face of floods and lockdowns, St Margaret’s primary sports got off to a great start with the Andrews Cup swimming team bringing home the aggregate cup for the third consecutive year and combining it with a Springfield Cup relay victory for the second year in a row.

The primary club water polo season traversed Term 4, 2021, and Term 2, 2022, with the 12A team making it to the semi-finals. That same team went on to play in the Queensland States Water Polo Championships over the Easter holidays, placing third.

At the Andrews Cup tennis carnival, both the A and D grades were awarded first place, while the touch footballers enjoyed podium finishes in C grade (first), junior grade (second) and B Grade (third).

In May, the cross country team travelled to Toowoomba, putting in a fantastic effort to place second by just two points in the aggregate cup. They also took out the Noel McBride Open Relay.

Our light-footed and dexterous football players enjoyed great success in June, placing equal first in A grade, equal second in B Grade, and first in the junior grade.

Taking to the netball courts at Downey Park, St Margaret’s was victorious in the Andrews Cup Senior C and Junior B (St Margaret’s 1) divisions, second in the Senior D and Junior B (St Margaret’s 2) divisions, and third in the Senior Bs.

St Margaret’s primary fielded 13 teams in the Club Netball competition with two Year 5 teams competing in the finals with Team 19 claiming victory.

St Margaret’s athletics team travelled to QSAC in August and came away with a fourth placing overall, the best result for some years, with the 10 years age group finishing strongly in third place.

2022 was the second year of the Andrews Cup cricket competition, with the ranks of our junior cricketers growing. The B grade team was victorious and C grade placed fourth. Rounding out the year, our artistic gymnastics squad fielded seven teams on championship day, with podium finishes in the C1, C2 and D2 grades, three fourth places and a fifth place – an outstanding effort across all teams.

On the same day as the gymnasts were being artistic, our basketballers were putting on an athletic display at Coomera, fielding five teams across four grades with similarly impressive results, including a second placing in A grade, third in both B and D (St Margaret’s 2) grades and fourth in C and D (St Margaret’s 2) grades.

St Margaret’s is committed to providing our youngest students with the training, facilities, personnel, and opportunities to cultivate a love of sport and the foundations to excel to the best of their abilities in a fun, safe and supportive environment.

2022 Secondary Sports Wrap

While COVID challenges were fewer in 2022, the weather kept everyone on their collective toes sourcing alternative facilities, rescheduling matches or contending with cancellations. Despite the curveballs, St Margaret’s sport continued to thrive in 2022.

TERM 1

It was a history making year in QGSSSA with the inaugural launch of the AFL season. The Senior (Years 10 -12) season was played in Term 1 and Years 7 to 9 teams took to the fields in Term 4. Although no premierships were awarded in this inaugural season, highlights of the program included our seniors playing an exhibition round at Metricon stadium, home of the Gold Coast Suns, and our Year 8A team having a particularly strong season on the field.

In a fitting tribute to Head Coach Kev Sargent’s final QGSSSA Swimming Championship, St Margaret’s placed second in the aggregate cup – the best result in over a decade. Thanks for the memories, Kev. Your mantra – It’s a beautiful day and it’s great to be alive – will continue to motivate and inspire Maggies swimmers into the future.

Floods closed Windsor Park in Term 1, so the cricket season got off to a soggy start and a disrupted season; however, the players and coaches of Wilston Norths Junior Cricket Club did all they could to maintain fitness and build their skills, displaying great passion and spirit to enjoy what the season offered.

The St Margaret’s Artistic Gymnastics teams fielded their largest QGSSSA team to date and enjoyed great success in the championships, with all divisions placing in the top four and the Opens, Year 7 and B grade claiming victory.

Secondary water polo fielded 13 teams in the BWPI season in 2022. St Margaret’s introduced two A division teams in the 12s and 13s competition, which finished second and third respectively in the regular season competition. Of the eight teams making the semi-finals, the 16Cs took out the BWPI championship trophy and the 15C Orange team won silver. In the All-Schools’ competition, the 13s team were undefeated, while at the state titles, our 12A team finished top in their division 1 pool to eventually claim bronze.

TERM 2

There were some exciting changes to basketball in 2022, including a partnership with Northside Wizards, which resulted in many new opportunities, including new home courts, high level female coaches, skills clinics, and a clear pathway for club or representative programs outside of school. The players also had the chance to attend NBL1 games and watch their role models conquer the court.

COVID and rain plagued the cross country season; however, on competition day the team of 100 runners achieved outstanding results both individually and as a team. St Margaret’s placed fourth in the both the aggregate and percentage cups, with the 15 years age group and Opens finishing second, and the 14 years age group finishing third.

St Margaret’s has a wonderful tradition of lifesaving – in 2021 they brought home the Sheena Dyson Shield for the 22nd year in a row – but the competition was beyond rescue in 2022, with severe weather cancelling the Royal Lifesaving Society School State Championships in May. The season highlights were the increase in girls wanting to be involved in lifesaving and the improvement in the squad’s skills. Bring on 2023!

Like lifesaving, touch football had a record number of over 200 girls signing up to play. Weather robbed the teams of their home fields and several games, but despite this, the players had a highly successful season with the Senior As, Senior Bs, 10Bs, 9Bs, 8Bs and 7Bs placing in the top three and the 9As taking out the premiership. Soccer (football) suffered a similar fate with a shortest season ever played, yet the teams still achieved some great results. St Margaret’s Football continues to thrive under the partnership arrangement with Brisbane City FC, which has provided amazing grounds and facilities, as well as incredible coaches from whom to learn.

TERM 3

Hockey fielded three teams in 2022 and enjoyed training twice a week on the Burringbar Park turf fields. The Opens team placed fourth, Senior As placed third, and the Junior As finished sixth.

Like the artistic gymnasts, our rhythmic gymnasts secured some of the best results in the history of the school’s participation in the QGSSSA competition. Podium finishes went to the Year 8 Division 1 (first), B Grade Division (second) and Opens (third) – the best result in the Opens division in St Margaret’s history.

Across Club Netball and QGSSSA Netball the teams enjoyed great success. Read more about both competitions in this issue where we talk to Head of Netball Gayle Coutts on page 49. Likewise on page 48, Head of Rowing Jared Bidwell discusses the trials and eventual triumphs of the 2022 rowing season.

Volleyball participation increased in 2022 and we were able to field six teams. Although new to the sport, the Year 7A team were the standouts, and played some punchy volleyball to place third.

At the QGSSSA Track and Field Championships St Margaret’s athletics team placed fifth in the aggregate cup and second in the percentage cup, with the 13-year-olds winning their age group pennant.

TERM 4

In 2022, over 100 players signed up for badminton to represent their school at this special carnival event. St Margaret’s fielded 18 teams across the junior and senior divisions, with the best results coming from our Year 9B team which placed third.

Tennis is played all-year round at St Margaret’s, kicking off with training in Term 1, the St Margaret’s Cup in Term 2, QGSSSA competition in Term 3 and the Knowles Cup in Term 4. The Junior A team placed third in the QG competition.

St Margaret’s fielded a record number of players across many sports in the secondary school, providing outstanding opportunities not only for our most talented athletes but for the many students who just want to enjoy being active and social, learn new skills, and play to the best of their abilities at whatever level.

Heads of Signature sports

Not only is St Margaret’s blessed with excellent sporting facilities, but we are also fortunate to enjoy the expertise of outstanding staff to help coordinate and manage the sporting programs.

However, running a sporting program is so much more than logistics. In this issue of the Flyer, we profile our four full-time Heads of Sports of swimming, netball, rowing and athletics, and reveal their philosophies and goals for St Margaret’s students involved in their programs.

Head of Rowing Jared Bidwell began his rowing career at Churchie. He was part of a winning U15 four in 2002, and he and the other three oarsmen in that four went on to win Head of the River in three consecutive years in the top crew of their age group – the first Churchie oarsmen to achieve that feat.

An Australian representative career followed, taking him to the AIS in Canberra and onto the Australian team in World Champions, to Henley, and as an Olympic reserve. A bout of acute ill-health curtailed Jared’s rowing ambitions, upon which he opted to complete his business management degree, finally going into business banking alongside St Margaret’s rowing veteran and Olympian Sally Kehoe. Business banking, however, failed to float Jared’s boat, so he headed back to Queensland where he became head coach

at Brisbane Grammar School in 2015 before taking up the St Margaret’s role in 2016. In that time, St Margaret’s has enjoyed continued rowing success and the rowing program has flourished, attracting record numbers in 2022 of 230.

Despite a disrupted start to the 2022 season with the new pontoon floating down the river and the subsequent logistics of rowing out of several locations not designed for launching boats – at one point Jared was chopping washed up logs to clear a path to get boats in the water and taking apart motorboat engines compromised from floodwater-contaminated fuel – the shed still prevailed, taking out the First VIII Head of the River and the percentage cup.

‘Embrace the challenge’ was the theme for the season, and probably highlights what Jared loves most about the sport.

‘It’s never about winning,’ he says emphatically. ‘It’s always about the journey and enjoying the ride from pre-season right the way through to the Head of the River.

‘You don’t sacrifice the journey for the outcomes.

He says sometimes when winning is the sole focus, rowers will hang up their oars after a victory as they only had their eyes on a single prize, rather than embracing all the great things the sport can give back. Jared says he tries to make the process of the pre-season very inclusive to ensure all rowers get the maximum amount of time to learn, grow and develop through the sport and reach their potential before its time to select the crews for the season.

‘I have found that this process develops more trust throughout the shed and more bonding between the girls and between rowers and coaches. It creates greater engagement and the sense that as a shed they are working towards something bigger than themselves.

‘Not every rower will enjoy a podium finish, but as much as possible I hope they all feel as a shed they contributed to every win the shed achieves.’

In recent years, Jared has also focused on refining the selection process of the coaches.

‘I will select coaches more on their attitude and philosophy than their credentials, and the merits of that process really shone through this year.

‘In a season that demanded more of everyone, our coaches really stepped up to help ensure the season’s success despite many obstacles, and they proved to be outstanding role models for our rowers.’

‘Rowing,’ Jared insists, ‘is the greatest gift you can give anyone.

‘You can have a life’s worth of tests and challenges in one season; you can learn so much about yourself and about other people; you will make best friends; you will learn all about work ethic, humility and sacrifice; and rowing can take you round the world.

‘There are also opportunities and benefits that will manifest later in life. Rowing brings people together – you will immediately find a kindred spirit in another passionate rower, and you will make connections that will open doors.’

2032 is an exciting prospect for Jared.

‘I would love to see St Margaret’s rowers in the Olympic mix, competing in their home state.

‘It’s definitely within their reach if they want it.’

Head of Netball Gayle Coutts has been with St Margaret’s for five years now, firstly as a part-time coach in 2017 before taking on the role of Margaret’s first ever Head of Netball in 2018. We first introduced Gayle in the 2018 Spring/Summer Flyer issue, which you can read on our website, so we asked Gayle to reflect on the program since she first joined.

Gayle said the program has had significant growth in club netball, with 27 club teams last season and growing. The QGSSSA competition has grown in strength and is always very competitive, coming away with a third place in the Opens and second in the Year 7A and 9B teams in 2022.

As with rowing, a key focus in recent years has been the coaching component of the program.

‘I am proud of the retention of our coaches,’ Gayle says. ‘Of our 25 coaches in 2021, 23 returned for the 2022 season.’

All coaches are fully accredited with a netball specific coaching credentials from Netball Australia.

‘If we expect good attendance and participation in the program, we must field excellent coaches,’ Gayle says.

‘You can’t have one without the other.

‘We also try to find the right niche for our coaches – some will be better with beginner netballers, others with the more experienced players.’

A major shift in 2022 was for Gayle to step back from coaching an individual team, allowing her to focus on running two big competitions concurrently and on growing coach development.

Former Firebirds player Karen Brown works with the senior program while long-time coach Karen Booth heads up the junior program.

Gayle says the netball program is building in consistency, with more netballers and elevating the strength of the players.

While it is a big program, Gayle believes there is something for everyone from beginners to aspiring Firebirds players. Our littlest netball players in Prep to Year 2 can join our Magnettes program for a five-week session in Term 4 each year. New to Netty (Years 3 to 12) invites anyone who is interested in netball but is inexperienced to come along to learn the rules and develop new skills. Then there’s the chance to compete in the prestigious QISSN competition, in which St Margaret’s won Division 4 this year.

‘We are becoming known as a netball school. Girls will enrol at Margaret’s because of our strong netball program.

‘Within the Downey Park Association’s club netball program, where we are considered a big club, we are known as a ‘good club’ – well organised, with well-mannered and talented players, coaches and referees.

‘I am very proud of the profile of our program; all involved represent the school extremely well.’

‘For all this,’ Gayle says, ‘it should be noted that we are teaching so much more than shoulder passes.’

Netball, like most sports, teaches discipline, commitment, teamwork and expands your friendship circle.

‘I always say to girls new to the school, that if they join the netball program, they will have at least 10 instant friends and start to feel a sense of belonging.’

Gayle considers this last point.

‘There have been very few other places where I have witnessed girls to be so accepting of newcomers.

‘I see it everywhere, not just in the netball program. We are already living our new school value of Inclusivity, and we should be very proud of that.’

Serendipitous events sometimes have the most profound impact on people’s lives. So it was for St Margaret’s new Head of Swimming Matt Brown, who as a ten-year-old wanted to surf with a leg rope in Lorne, Victoria, which required him to be a stronger swimmer. That need led him to a swimming club where he discovered a love of competitive swimming, which set him on a path to becoming an Australian representative swimmer and renowned swimming coach.

After hitting the pool so he could surf the waves at Lorne with a leg rope, Matt made his first state final as a 14-year-old, secured a coach, and within 12 months was the second fastest swimmer in Australia. A car accident in 1978 just before the Commonwealth Games slowed his trajectory, but Matt went on to have a stellar swimming career before retiring from competitive swimming in 1987, after a six- year stint as an AIS swim team member in Canberra and competing in national championships, where he excelled in the 400m IM and was national champion from 1981 – 84, won a silver medal at the Pan Pacs, and competed on the world stage at the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the US National championships.

Matt went on to complete a Bachelor of Sports Studies majoring in coaching and realised he wanted to continue his association with swimming as a coach. He coached in Perth from 1987 until 2002, when he was appointed Director of Swimming at St Joseph’s Nudgee College. Matt spent the next 12 years building the number one club program in the country, coaching the likes of Emily Seebohm, Brit Elmslie, and Jack McLaughlin.

Prior to his St Margaret’s appointment in late 2021, Matt was considering retirement after a successful few years coaching members of the Chinese national swimming team; however, the St Margaret’s job offered him an exciting opportunity to work with swimmers at all levels that he found hard to pass up.

Given his experience coaching at elite level, Matt says he will be aiming to give St Margaret’s swimmers at or aspiring to representative level a true pathway at the school. For most students, he will be focusing on encouraging them to develop a passion for swimming and to really enjoy the water and the sport.

St Margaret’s offers Andrew Cup competition in the primary school, the QGSSSA swimming competition in the secondary school, and Club swimming for all ages. Matt hopes to encourage more students to join the club which has programs to cater for all levels of swimmers and inspire improvement through access to more training and competitions all year round within an enjoyable environment.

St Margaret’s is so fortunate to have secured the Matt’s expertise as someone who has both swum and coached at the highest levels of competitive swimming. Paired with great all-year round facilities in the heated pool and strength and conditioning gym, there are exciting times ahead for St Margaret’s swimming.

STOP PRESS: This year, at the QGSSSA Swimming Championships, St Margaret’s swimmers competed magnificently to place second overall and fourth in the Sheena Dyason Percentage, with the 13 years and 12 years and under age groups placing first and third respectively.

St Margaret’s new Head of Athletics and Development Josh Partridge comes to the school with a wealth of experience working with young athletes, having spent the past decade as both a strength and conditioning coach and an athletics coach. After graduating from The University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Sciences (First Class Honours), Josh spent seven years as a performance coach at a private training facility working with young athletes at all stages of their development. This included time with the Brisbane Bullets and Netball Queensland’s Elite Development Program. Josh has also been a sprint coach and spent time at the elite training facility ‘ALTIS’ in the USA, which is internationally renowned for its coach development.

Over the years, Josh has also worked with various schools on a seasonal basis and is excited to now be able to step into a fulltime role in the area about which he is most passionate – developing young athletes.

While Josh will work with the cross country and athletics teams, he will also be developing the strength and conditioning/ athletic development offering across all sports and the wider student body. The initial St Margaret’s Strength and Conditioning Program was launched in early February and is focused on developing the fundamental capabilities for sports and physical activity, catering to all levels of experience and ability. The program is facilitated by Josh, Dane Larsen and Ryan McCure.

The eventual goal is to build out a comprehensive athletic development program that will be individualised and offered to students in all sports. Josh says to call it ‘strength and conditioning’ doesn’t truly capture the benefits of the program.

‘At first it is about developing proprioception, commonly referred to as body awareness, learning where our limbs are in space and improving the control of our bodies in as many ways as possible.

‘As well as physical preparation, it is also about building confidence and coordination, injury prevention and rehabilitation, as well as providing foundations for future physical pursuits – whether it’s joining a local gym, playing social beach volleyball or competing at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics,’ Josh said.

‘Of course, for our athletes, it is also for the express purpose of running faster, jumping higher, and throwing harder for sporting performance.’

Josh is also looking forward to working with Director of Sport Lloyd Knight and other St Margaret’s heads of sports to further develop the Flyers Program for elite athletes, offering each ‘flyer’ a mentor to work with and to tailor a truly individualised approach for each student athlete.

The Arts

Exposure to the arts develops a child’s creative and critical thinking skills, important proficiencies that contribute to their learning in all other fields and also desirable traits for the future workforce. The arts can also encourage and help develop teamwork and collaboration, also critical skills for young minds to develop.

SOARING UPWARDS

The annual Soaring Upwards festival was a unique opportunity for our music and performing arts students to perform to the whole school community, including both primary and secondary students.

The festival gives students the opportunity to develop their performance skills and share those skills with their peers, live on stage to a big and appreciative audience. Students also benefit from the experience of working with a professional sound crew.

The rock bands stole the show last year, giving high energy performances that got the audience up and dancing, while Eva Matyear (’22) gave an impressive rap during Uptown Funk. Congratulations to all music and performing arts students for putting on a successful show.

CLASSICS IN THE CATHEDRAL

It was a wonderful evening of music at the 26th annual Classics in the Cathedral with more than 120 St Margaret’s musicians involved in orchestral, ensemble and vocal performances.

St John’s Cathedral was once again the spectacular backdrop for the event.

‘The students are always overcome with awe when they walk into the cathedral, with the setting providing a real sense of occasion. The acoustics within the cathedral are both exciting and challenging, but it always makes for a very memorable event,’ said Brad King, St Margaret’s Head of Performance.

The program included a mix of classical repertoire alongside more contemporary classical music, such as Oblivion, written by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla. It also featured a tribute to composer Stephen Sondheim who passed away not long before the event. The primary students sang Children Will Listen from Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

It is becoming a tradition that an Old Girl is invited to perform each year and the school was privileged to have Xanthe Lowe-Brown (’18) as the 2022 guest performer. Xanthe performed a classic acoustic guitar piece entitled Anji, written by Davey Graham but made famous by Bert Jansch.

All student performers combined for the evening’s finale performance of O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, a dramatic piece well suited to the cathedral setting where the sound resonated for many seconds, even after the final notes were played.

The theme for the annual Arts Spectacular was ‘Sunshine Dreaming’, chosen for its connection to the Book Week theme ‘Dreaming with eyes open…’ and our Sunshine State.

Under the guidance of Primary Art

Teacher Kerry Rider, Year 6 students spent months researching, experimenting and creating in their weekly art classes to produce extravagant wearable art pieces which they brought to life on the stage through a combination of choregraphed dance and movement. The audience was transfixed by the elaborate headpieces devoted to Queensland icons including cockatoos, mozzies and flies, the Daintree and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the Year 5s bin chicken sculptures hunting for scraps around the performance space.

Specific learning intentions were written into the curriculum giving students clear objectives when it comes to the project, one of which was to embellish their creations using everyday objects and recycled materials including cardboard, spoons, sponges, garbage bags and paper doilies. While they were given guidelines, including a colour palette, students individualised their piece based on how they embellished and adorned them. Many parents lent their assistance behind the scenes whether sewing costumes, fitting headpieces or, in Simon and Sharni Moody’s case, creating a giant sized ‘Big Pineapple’ to add to the evening’s creative display.

MAYO ARTS FESTIVAL

It could not have been a more glorious winter’s day to host St Margaret’s spectacular biennial tradition – the MAYO Arts Festival.

The festival officially launched with a cocktail party providing guests with the first chance to view the three-dimensional work of more than 45 artists and hear from special guest, leading Australian artist Michael Zavros.

The next day, the school campus took on a festival atmosphere. Music students performed in concert bands and percussion ensembles, choirs, string ensembles and rock bands, while there were pop up performances throughout the grounds provided by saxophone, clarinet and flute ensembles and the Beath String Quartet.

The Boarder Island Dance Group performed traditional cultural dances while Years 9 and 10 drama students gave a showcase performance of ‘Wisdom’ in the drama room.

The exhibition continued in the Arts Centre Foyer while the Student Gallery on the ground floor of the Arts Centre displayed projects created by students in Years 7 to 10 in conjunction with artist in residence Glen Skien.

Tantalising smells from the gourmet food trucks wafted across Circular Drive, enticing visitors to sample delicious fare. Petrie Street was abuzz with amusement rides and excited squeals, and Eton Hall and Eton Courtyard were transformed into a shoppers’ haven, filled with the wares of artisan market stalls.

The MAYO Arts Festival brings together both the school and wider community to appreciate and celebrate the arts in its many forms while also giving students an opportunity to develop their artistic or performance skills and share those with a wider audience.

The festival was a resounding success. Thank you to the wonderful

ART CONNECTING CULTURES

At first glance, a new sculpture gracing the Toorak Gardens could be thought to be just a clever – and rather lovely –representation of the universal rock paper scissors game. Created by contemporary Australian artist Michael Eather and featured at last year’s MAYO Arts Festival, the piece is a series of bronze, patina and steel ‘hand-casts’.

Upon closer inspection, these hands are, in fact, moving parts, inviting interactivity from passing students.

However, it’s only when we come closer still and read the sculpture’s accompanying didactic label that we learn the deeper meaning behind this piece – entitled ‘One, two, three’ – and how beautifully it relates to the St Margaret’s community.

Michael says: “At the base, the rock hand is of my middle daughter, Grace, representative of the First Nations through her mother Helen, a Kunnibidji traditional landowner from remote Arnhem Land.

‘In the centre, the paper hand is mine, a seventh generation Australian from my father James’ side. His ancestor, Thomas, arrived in Australia from England in 1790 aboard the Neptune in the tumultuous second fleet.

‘On top, the scissor hand is that of my wife, Danica, a second generation Australian born to Serbian parents (Dusan and Javrorka), representative of the extensive post-World War II migrant stories that have continued to build and diversify Australia.

‘Together this stack of (kinetic) forms acknowledges three symbolic chapters within our Australian national identity: The First Nations; British Coloniser; and Immigrant Wave. All have uniquely and collectively contributed to the Australian story… a story that is still being articulated; the game is still being played,’ Michael said. ‘One, two, three’ symbolises the story of diversity, aligning perfectly with our St Margaret’s diverse community. Its location, adjacent to the boarding house, is of particular significance given the wideranging cultural heritages of our boarding students. The sculpture also represents our school value of Inclusivity, a value which when enacted embraces diversity.

29 July Soaring Upwards Festival (Community)

1 August Soaring Upwards Festival (Students)

15 August Classics in the Cathedral

17 August Open Morning

19 August Netball Support Group Trivia Night

24 August Professional Women’s Network Breakfast #3

25 August Years 5 and 6 Primary Arts Spectacular

29 August Aspiring Young Women’s Breakfast

31 August Father’s Day Breakfast

2 September P&F Sandshoe Ball 10 October Speech Night

18 October Professional Women’s Network Breakfast #4

20 October Aspiring Young Women’s Breakfast

2022 Reunions

The Mighty Pen

The 2022 Past Student Awards celebrated two distinguished past students who have a winning way with words: one as a truth-seeker and award-winning journalist and the other as an award-winning novelist, who cleverly intertwines historical fact with fiction.

Grace Tobin (’05), the 2022 Young Past Student of Distinction, and Christine Wells (‘91), the 2022 Distinguished Past Student, were celebrated at the annual Past Student Awards dinner in April last year.

Grace is an investigative reporter at the ABC’s premier current affairs program Four Corners. She previously worked as a reporter at 7:30 and as a producer at Nine’s 60 Minutes, where she travelled the world extensively on overseas assignments.

Grace is a two-time Walkley Award winner for excellence in journalism. In 2019, she produced a joint investigation with Nine Newspapers on Crown Casino, which sparked two Royal Commissions and the Bergin Inquiry in NSW and triggered a clear-out of the board. In 2017, she was recognised for the 60 Minutes story on the death of Matthew Leveson, subsequently authoring the true crime book Deal with the Devil, a first-hand account of the Leveson family’s ordeal throughout the four-year police reinvestigation of the case.

Grace completed a Bachelor of Journalism (QUT) and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism’s Summer Investigative Reporting course. Her journalism career began in regional Queensland as a crime and court reporter.

Christine is an award-winning, internationally bestselling author of 14 historical novels. Her books have been

published by New York houses Penguin, HarperCollins and Macmillan, as well as Penguin (Australia), with more than 250,000 copies sold worldwide and translations in nine languages. Her new novel, One Woman’s War, A Novel of the Real Miss Moneypenny, was published by HarperCollins (New York) in October 2022, subsequently gaining much acclaim, and her next book, The Royal Windsor Orphan, is due to be published in September this year.

Christine was school captain in her final year at St Margaret’s. She then completed a Bachelor of Laws and became a solicitor specialising in corporate law at a city firm, while writing in her spare time. She was the first Australian to win the American Golden Heart Award for her debut novel, which was published by Penguin (New York).

Christine is also a writing teacher and mentor, helping people achieve their dreams of becoming published authors of commercial fiction.

Members of the wider St Margaret’s community are invited each year to nominate St Margaret’s Old Girls for the Distinguished Past Student (for alumnae who have passed their 20th reunion) and the Young Past Student of Distinction (for alumnae in their 20th reunion year or younger) and to join us at the annual awards dinner to be inspired by the journeys of our past student award winners.

Thank you to our wonderful and generous school community for another year of valued support and participation. Together, we achieved record milestones in 2022, through our Every Girl Every Opportunity Annual Giving Campaign.

Reflecting on my time as Chair, the Foundation’s work has continued to evolve with the incredible support of our community. The relationships built across our community, from the parent and past student bodies through to corporate partnerships, create opportunities for our current students and help shape their future.

In early 2014, I recall being invited to nominate as a Director on the Board of St Margaret’s Foundation. As an Old Girl and St Margaret’s parent, my passion runs deep. Fast forward three terms on the Board and nearly a decade working alongside dedicated members of our school Foundation, School Council, Old Girls’ Association and P&F, it is heart-warming to reflect on the collective impact of giving. All our stakeholder groups are strongly represented as donors, and we work collaboratively to strengthen and support our school community.

As I pass the torch, I’d like to share a few highlights from my tenure.

The three Annual Giving Days (noting online giving was not a trend back in 2014) were incredibly successful. We were very proud to be the first girls’ school in Brisbane

to launch a Giving Day behind a handful of boys’ schools; once again St Margaret’s demonstrated it is confident, capable and an early adopter! This resulted in the fabulous momentum in growth of our donor community – from 157 donors (2014) to over 525 donors (2022). Our students and teachers embracing and playing leadership roles in this special day each year make it even more rewarding.

The increase in donations to the bursary program has been heart-warming. What a joy it’s been to hear of Old Girls supporting current students and members of the parent community assisting fellow St Margaret’s families through donations.

Over the years, one measure of philanthropic growth is seen through changes to our built environment. Our learning spaces have become ‘greener’, with M’s Café and the Toorak and Barley Sugar Gardens, and we have seen the addition of highly valued collaborative spaces like The Loft, the Senior Study Centre and Circular Drive classrooms.

A highlight was the delivery of the Capital Campaign for the Sports Precinct, which crossed the finishing line during a pandemic. This space is integral to health and wellbeing for our young women. Wellness of all community members is a focus for the school and supporting projects fostering a wholistic education is paramount to the Foundation.

Finally, the Endowment Fund, designed to future proof our school, has surpassed $500,000, from its beginnings of a $500 donation in 2012.

2023 will be another exciting year, and I warmly welcome our new Chair, Penny Wolff (’92), Deputy Chair Heidi Cooper and Foundation Director Andy Carrick, who with the remaining Foundation Board will lead our community’s continued enthusiastic participation in the school’s philanthropic priorities.

I’d like to thank Principal Ros Curtis and current, past and founding board members for their collective wisdom and engaging conversations. A very special thank you to Lara Pickering, Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement, and her team, whose energy and passion for philanthropy is admirable.

The Foundation’s work ensures philanthropy becomes part of Every Girl’s DNA, and there is always Every Opportunity for students to challenge themselves and grow into future changemakers. Our community’s kindness and generosity are gifts that keep on giving.

While my time as Chair of Foundation ends, I look forward to continuing to support the school as a donor, parent, and Old Girls’ Association member.

Kylie Lamprecht (’90)

Farewell from Foundation Chair

Kylie Lamprecht (’09)

Look what we achieved together in 2022

DONOR COMMUNITY

525 DONORS of which 106 were Old Girls 100% of St Margaret’s Foundation Directors donated 100% of St Margaret’s Senior Leadership Team donated

BURSARIES

16 students received bursary support to assist with tuition fees to continue their St Margaret’s education

BOARDING BURSARY DONOR CIRCLE

Thanks to the generosity of our Boarding Bursary Donor Circle, along with bursary support for tuition fee assistance, girls in the boarding house received the support they needed to continue their St Margaret’s education and participate in key school activities with dignity.

4 students were given financial assistance to purchase uniforms.

8 students were able to attend important events, such as the Year 10 Lunch, Semi-Formal, Valedictory Dinner, Year 12 Boarder Dinner and Formal, which they otherwise would have missed.

4 students were assisted with transport costs to attend appointments.

11 students were given financial assistance to participate in weekend boarding activities.

22 students received support in acquiring necessary personal items including casual weekend clothing and toiletries.

GIVING DAY

Third annual Giving Day raised $328,977 in 12 hours from 484 donations

BUILDING FUND

$220,000 raised for the creation of The Forest Project – a new cafeteria and adjoining greenspace.

BEQUESTS

Eton Society: 33 members of the community intend to leave a gift to St Margaret’s in their Will.

INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE

The Endowment Fund reached $502,000

Foundation Prize supports Cure Brain Cancer Foundation

In the spirit of philanthropy, $500 from the St Margaret’s Foundation Prize is donated to a charity of the prize-winner’s choice. For 2021 Foundation Prize winner, Ella Woods (’22), the decision was a deeply personal one.

Ella presented the donation to the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation on Assembly in March. The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation raises money to fund brain cancer research, raise awareness and advocate for patients and their carers in Australia. They are working towards improving quality of life for people living with this disease, in addition to supporting those who care for brain cancer patients.

Ella addressed her fellow students on Assembly sharing these words. ‘In partnership with the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research, the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation is bringing a new trial called GBM Agile to Australia, which might offer some hope to people diagnosed with this disease. Glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM, is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer in adults, and there is little hope, with a median survival time of only 15 months from diagnosis, and only 5% of people survive five years post-diagnosis.

‘Traditional clinical trials take several years to evaluate a single treatment option, but this trial is revolutionary, as it accelerates the pace at which new treatments are tested and represents an extremely efficient way to find better treatments for GBM.

‘Many of you will know that my Dad passed away from GBM brain cancer. I have been extremely touched by the support shown to me and my family through this school community. The small actions, the smiles, hugs and kind messages, were all enough. But above that, I’ve received overwhelming support when I’ve participated in the Walk for Brain Cancer, and I hope everyone who contributed knows how much of a difference they made to my experience.

‘I feel so honoured to have been awarded this prize, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to give something back, and hopefully continue to raise funds for this incredibly important charity and the work they do,’ Ella said.

St Margaret’s Foundation proudly established the Foundation Prize in 2009 to recognise the compassionate efforts and dedication of St Margaret’s students to support others in the wider community, beyond what is practised at school or at home. It is awarded each year at the annual Speech Night to a student who has, amongst other criteria, made a real and identifiable commitment to supporting and furthering philanthropic endeavours within the school.

‘Our students are often the first to drive support for charitable causes within the local and global community. It is this quality we celebrate and recognise in our emerging future leaders through the Foundation Prize,’ previous Chair of Foundation Kylie Lamprecht (’90) said.

The 2022 recipient of the Foundation Prize is Ally Walker.

From one St Margaret’s girl to another

In 2022, the nearly $200,000 donated to the Scholarship Fund delivered needs-based bursaries to 16 students.

For students and their families, bursary support means much more than assistance with the school fees for that term, year or years of schooling. The ability to access and complete a St Margaret’s education is an opportunity and a privilege that can and does have an impact on the young women here, their families and their communities for years to come.

Grace (’22) was one of the recipients of donor funded bursary support for her senior years of schooling, thanks to the generosity of past student Ashley DawsonDamer AM (’62).

The Ashley Dawson-Damer AM Boarding Bursary was established through a donation to the Scholarship Fund to support a student in completing her senior studies (Years 10, 11 and 12) at St Margaret’s.

Grace said: ‘The bursary has provided me with the privilege of attending an amazing school and receiving a unique education at St Margaret’s, which would not have been possible for me otherwise.

‘I also had the pleasure of meeting Ms Dawson-Damer, and it really was just an incredible experience to get to know her. I loved telling her about my life and school achievements, and most importantly thanking her for everything she has done for me and my family. She has changed my life and I will be forever grateful for her kindness and passion for helping young girls receive a privileged and special education.’

Grace will spend a gap year working on a cattle station in northern Queensland, after which she will commence an Occupational Therapy degree at university, her first preference for study.

This is only one of 16 stories that our donors helped to write through their giving in 2022.

As we look to 2023, based on the applications for bursary support last year, the need remains within our community. Donations to the Scholarship Fund of all sizes will assist us in reaching our goal of increasing the number of students year on year that we can provide this support to.

The Forest project

The Avoca Courtyard has always been a well-intentioned green space within the school yet has never truly realised its potential – it’s a little awkward and very much underutilised. Over the past decade, we have witnessed similar spaces in the school – the site of the old Tuckshop and original Loft and the tract of bitumen near the Breezeway – transformed into the Barley Sugar Garden and Toorak Gardens respectively. These now beautiful green spaces not only make an amazing difference to the aesthetics of the school’s landscape but provide outdoor learning and social green spaces for our students.

Preliminary Landscape Concept

space is vital to the mental wellbeing, overall health and cognitive development of children and young people.

Thanks to the generosity of the St Margaret’s community in 2022, the wait is over for Avoca Courtyard’s magnificent makeover, with works soon to commence on ‘The Forest’, the first stage of the new cafeteria, to be located in this precinct. More than $220,000 donated to the Building Fund last year will assist with this stunning transformation, which will create a new cafeteria with a more functional green space and for students across both the primary and secondary schools to utilise during their lunch times.

Studies out of Japan spruik the benefits of the practice of shinrin-yoku which means ‘forest bath’. Forest bathing can reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol levels and improve concentration and memory, while phytoncides, a chemical released by trees and plants, boost the immune system. As more research highlighted the benefits of shinrin-yoku, the Japanese government even incorporated the practice into the country’s health program, and it is now emerging in western health practices (Sherwood 2019).

Research aside, we instinctively gravitate towards green space, whether to commune with nature, or to find a quiet and grounded space to journey inwards – to connect with ourselves, or our faith and spirituality.

The Forest project is still in the design and development stage; however, we are excited to share these first concepts of the outdoor component which will be constructed first. The design stage for the internal component of the cafeteria has also commenced and will be an important improvement for our students.

‘One of the greatest benefits of the work we are doing in preparation for a new cafeteria is that this amenity services both primary and secondary students,’ Principal Ros Curtis said.

We thank everyone who donated to the Building Fund in 2022 and welcome contributions to the Building Fund this year to support this significant project.

Reference:

Sherwood H 2019, ‘Getting back to nature: how forest bathing can make us feel better’, The Guardian, 8 June, accessed 12 November 2022 https://www.theguardian.com/ environment/2019/jun/08/forest-bathingjapanese-practice-in-west-wellbeing)

ST MARGARET’S JACKSON COURTYARD

We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our community once again exceeding our Giving Day Bonus Goal!

We raised an extraordinary $328,977 during our 12-hour campaign to continue to deliver an outstanding educational experience to a generation of young women.

Donations to the Scholarship Fund supported our needs-based bursary program to help us provide a St Margaret’s education to some girls who thought such an opportunity would never exist for them. Those who supported the Building Fund will help us to develop The Forest and new cafeteria, which will benefit students in both primary and secondary schools. It truly was a whole community effort, and we thank you all for your wonderful support. It was an inspiring day seeing our whole community come together.

A special thank you to our Matching Donors who matched donations dollar for dollar right through to the completion of our Bonus Round.

Anonymous (2)

The Beard Family

The Burdon Family

Katrina and Andy Carrick

Keri Craig-Lee OAM (‘75)

Ros Curtis

The Dunning Family

Kaye (‘95), Anthony, Ava and Juliet Flynn

Stuart and Genevieve Fraser

The Kho Family

Cartier Lee (‘15)

The Lisle Family

The McDonnell Family

The Middlemis Family

The Sorbello Family

St Margaret’s Foundation Directors

St Margaret’s Old Girls’ Association

St Margaret’s P&F Association

St Margaret’s School Council Directors

Giving Day 2022:

We would also like to acknowledge the amazing efforts of our students who danced off, held coin drives, sausage sizzles, bake sales and manned the phones to help us spread the word about Giving Day far and wide. Our ambitious goal was no match for the St Margaret’s spirit!

Thank you to all of you who donated on the day; we are so grateful for your support.

For every girl in brown, white and blue

SPENSER KENDALL HERRICK MILTON TENNYSON BEDE CHAUCER LAWSON

HOUSE TEAM RESULTS

Thank you to our donors

St Margaret’s with the Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of those who have donated in 2022 in support of our students.

LUMINARY $10K +

Anonymous

The Beard Family

H & R Campbell

Keri Craig-Lee OAM (‘75) and Cartier Lee (‘15)

The Hon Mrs A Dawson-Damer AM

The Dunning Family

Prue Galley (‘61)

Helene Jones Foundation Trust

The Kho Family

Professional Women’s Network

St Margaret’s P&F Association

St Margaret’s Old Girls’ Association

VISIONARY

$5,000 - $9,999

Anonymous (2)

The Burdon Family

Katrina and Andy Carrick

Ros Curtis

Kaye (‘95), Anthony, Ava and Juliet Flynn

Stuart and Genevieve Fraser

The Henzell Family

The House Family

Bassanio Lee

The Lisle Family

The McDonnell Family

The McKay Family

The Middlemis Family

The Sorbello Family

Susanne and Greg Willims

CHAMPION

$2,500 - $4,999

Shirley Bale

The Comiskey Family

Margot (‘56) and Ron Finney

The Lamprecht-Simpson Family

The Reddacliff Family

AMBASSADOR

$1,000 - $2,499

Anonymous (4)

The Alford Family

J & N Atkinson

Libby Black (‘68)

William Brice

Ryan and Karen Brown

Diana Cameron

Ian, Lilly, and Jane Campbell

Graeme Cassady

The Chang Family

Carol Chen

Xin Chen

Katelyn Cooper

Charlotte and Sophie Cosgrove

The Cronin Family

Coco and Suki Fidler

Jordan Groeneveld

Sandra and Jonathan Harris

The Heffernan Family

The Higgins Family

The Hudson Family

Charlotte Jackson

Ray King

The Krook Family

The Lyons Family

Emi McBride (‘22)

Leigh McCready

Kay Murray

The Neilsen Family

The O’Meara Family

The Phillips Family

The Pulitano Family

The Segal Family

The Sweeney Family

The Traves Family

Letitia Vitale

VSON Laser Eye Surgery

The Webster Family

The Wedderburn Family

Mrs Penny Wolff & Mr Peter Wolff

Lisa Worner

ADVOCATE

$500 - $999

Anonymous (12)

Bede Students

The Bothwell Family

Caitlyn Burrows

The Cannon Family

Chaucer Students

Anne V Clarke

The Clarke Family

Raquel Cobb

Dave and Deb Connolly

The Cooke Family

Liam and Julia Copley

Charlotte Davis (‘90)

Dundas Lawyers

The Esposito Family

Alisa and Matthew Evans

Evesham Farming Pty Ltd

Robyn and James Ferguson

Graeme and Sally Finlayson

Julia Fox

The Greenup Family

Trent and Eden Heathcote

The Herrald Family

Herrick Students

Ben and Sherie Houston

Wendy (‘79) and Nikki (‘11) Johnston

Kendall Students

Lawson Students

Hong Giang Le

The Loughrey Family

Anna Madill

Ken Martyr

J McAulay

Rebecca McWilliam

The Millar Family

Milton Students

Galen Mitchell

The Moller Family

The Mula Family

Courtney Murray-Rickard

The Peat Family

The Piggott Family

Anna and Anthony Quin

Will and Kim Ramsay

The Rice Family

Meleia Richardson

Susan Ryerson

The Schwarz Family

Kim Selwa

Amelia Shaw

Spenser Students

Bridget and Andrew Stobie

Tennyson Students

Sienna Timms

The Tydd Family

Luke Uhlmann

Lin Wang

Matt and Shell Weaver

Arabella Wilson

The Zhong and Zhao Family

SUPPORTER

$2 -$499

Anonymous (114)

Georgia Adam

Chris Adams

The Adsett Family

The Allen Chapman Family

The Allen Family

The Alward Family

Abby Anderson

Greg Anderson

Karen Andrews-Close

The Angelini Family

The Baldwin Family

Donna Ballantyne

Anthony Barakat

Elizabeth Barakat

Harry Barakat

Marcelle Barakat

Matthew Barakat

Michael Barakat

Paul Barakat

Rhea and Reg Barber

Rafaella and Arabella Batstone

Mrs N Batty

Matt and Eliza Baxby

The Becker Family

Dorothy Begbie

Rebecca Begley

Kitty and Lulu Behrend

Chillie Bernays

Louise Birnzwejg

Libby Bligh

Eleanor Bolton (Cray)

Sophie Borthwick

Annette Box

Ann Brett

The Briggs Family

Vanessa Browning

Gay Bruce

The Buck Family

Nathan and Melanie Buckley

Abby, Talia, Loren and Ashley Busse

Angela Buys

Dean Campbell

Stella Carlson

Katherine Carnavas

Tim Caro

Annabelle Chaplain AM (‘74)

Annabelle Chapple

Audrey Chen

Jessica Chia

Michaela Chong

Paul and Nicola Clark

Nicki Colledge

John and Sandra Colley

Gia, Anika and Paloma Comino

Philippa Comino (‘72)

Zoe Connolly (‘83)

Susan Cooke

Anna Cooksley

Desiree Coroneo

Bronwyn Crockett

The Crowe Family

The Crowley Family

Kate Curran

Louisa Dahl

The Damman Family

Dang

Andy Dart

Elspeth Darvall

Kerry Daud

Gus David

The de Groot Family

Nicole Devlin (‘90)

The Dew Family

The Dhawan Family

Karen Dickson

Cheryl Diehm

Olivia Dollar (‘22)

Bruce and Libby Douglas

Rev Jazz Dow

The Downs O’Callaghan Family

Claudia Du Buisson

Emma Du

Edwina Duhig

Jenny Duncan

Chris Dunn

Kylie Dunn

Annie Dunning

The Earnshaw Family

Jennifer Edmunds

Alexandria Ellard

Laura Enders

Judith Evans

Claire Farmer

Melissa Festa

Gabriela Finselbach

Catherine Fitzgerald

Rachel Fitzgerald

Lesa Fowler

Scarlett Franklin

Mel Fraser

Tanya and Craig Frawley

Kate Frewin

Ruby Frewin

Brett Fuller

Sophie Fuller

Maria Ganim

Danielle George

The Giorgas Family

Jemima Given

Susie Gladman

Karen Gorrie

Margaret Greenup

Danielle Guinea

The Gustafsson Family

Margaret Hamilton

Judy and John Hanly

Emma Harrison

Louise Hefter

Edward Henderson

Mary Higgins

Elissa Hoey

Leonie Hoey

Jocelyn Houghton

Joleen Howard

Hannah and Kianna Hu

The Hutchins Family

Nicki Irvine

Amy, Chris and Maddie James

Susan Jarmer

George Kafantaris

The Katsanevas Family

The Kennedy Family

Melissa Kerr

A & A Kibble

The Kidd Family

The Klaassen Family

Donna-Lea Krause

Charlotte Kropp

Melinda Kruger

Sam Lahy

Kathryn Lambert

Sam Lange

Winnie Law

Alissa Leahy

L Leftwich

The Leggatt Family

C hun mei Li

Li Li

David Little

Helen Lobegeiger (‘96)

June Lobegeiger

The Love Family

Anita Lowe (‘91)

Xanthe Lowe-Brown (‘19)

Matt Lyons

Jenni MacIvor

Jane Maclean (‘62)

Eugenie MacMillan

The Manly Family

Ella Mayo

Craig and Amanda McCabe

The McConaghy Family

Rachel McDonald

Annabel and Gina McGagh

Samantha McGowan

The McMahon Family

Hannah McMaster

The McMillan Family

Lingnan Meng

Georgia Mitchell

The Moody Family

Wendy Mort

Move Recruitment Solutions

Alisha Mullins

Elicia Muratoglu

Kirsten Murphy

Emily Nagl

Khoi Nguyen

Tessa Nguyen

Emily Nona

Lily Noorli

Sue O’Hare

Natalie Olive

Josephine Orgill

Ann Osborne

Judy Overstead

Philip Parton

Nola Patrick

The Pearson Family

The Peck Family

Marc and Georgina Pennisi

Ken Perrett

Harley Pettirosso

Lara and John Pickering

The Pieterse Family

Alison Quinn (‘83)

Emma Rawlings

Zia Read

Georgie Reddacliff (‘22)

Patsy Reeve

Elaine Reiger

Katie Reinhardt

Betty Robertson

Molly, Annie, Milly and Lulu Robson

Isla Roche

Judith Ross-Smith OAM

The Roy Family

Delyse Ryan

Louise Saporito

Raquel Sartor

Prue Schneider

Robin Scott (‘59)

Therese, Johnny and Mirren Selfridge

Sofia and Lidia Serafini

The Serafini Family

Andrea Severa

Roz Shannon

Michelle Shepherd

Alicia Shrimpton

Da Si

Vanessa Simpson

Sian Sinclair

The Slack Family

The Small Family

Emily and Lucy Smith

James and Chloe Smith

Maddy Smith

Rob and Tracey Smith

Janette Snewin

Belinda Snow

The Sorensen Family

Siena Sos

Pip Spiro

Fiona Spooner (‘87)

The Sprott Family

St Margaret’s Pre-Prep Students

Sara Steen

The Steinberg Family

Sheyne Stewart née Hogan

Amiee Sticklen

Jennifer Stinson

The Stringer Family

Sophie Evans, Alice and David

Sutherland

Charlotte Sutton

Danielle Sutton

The Tan Family

Catherine Tanner

Bronte Tavener

Simone Taylor

Jackson and Heidy Tellis

The Thompson Family

Allison Thorpe

Nikki Townsend (‘86)

The Traill Family

Betty Tsang

Charmaine Twomey

Lorraine and Ray Ungerer

Roselyn Vai

The Valeska-Higgins Family

Lisa and Tristan Van Riel

Heidi Vavasour

Michael Wake

The Walker-Donaldson Family

Robyn F Wallace

Kate Wark

The Watson Family

Isla Wehl

Keitha Whitaker

Hilary Wilde

Mcmillan M Williams

Toni Williams

The Williams Family

Rosemary Williamson

Wendy Winks

Louise Winten

Hannah Woo

The Woods Family

Morgan Wright

Crystal Wu

Silvia Xu

Camelia Yuan

Please note, donations acknowledged in this list were received from 1 January – 31 December 2022.

While much care is taken in preparing this list, occasionally there may be an error or omission. To discuss with St Margaret’s, or advise of an error or omission, please contact the Development and Community Office by emailing foundation@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or telephone +61 7 3862 0884.

Thank you for your support.

THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE SUPPORTERS

St Margaret’s is fortunate to receive significant support each year from School Partners and sponsors. Their support, whether it be as a School Partner, sponsoring our Professional Women’s Network, P&F events or a co-curricular Support Group, assists us in delivering a number of initiatives that provide access to a St Margaret’s education and enrich the curricular experience for our students.

We thank them for their involvement in our school and community.

Our special thanks to our 2022 School Partners, Adrians, Yalari and the Cancer Council. If you are interested in partnership or sponsorship opportunities for 2023, please contact our Development and Community Office via email developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or telephone +61 7 3862 0884.

ST MARGARET’S ETON SOCIETY

We would also like to acknowledge and sincerely thank the 33 members of our Eton Society who have decided to give the ultimate gift by making a bequest to St Margaret’s in their Will.

Joining the Eton Society is about the spirit of intention, and about participation to help build a program that will honour the legacy of the Sisters and contribute to the education of girls for many years to come.

The Professional Women’s Network (PWN) series delivered four sold out breakfast events in 2022, where members of Brisbane’s corporate community were privileged to hear from another line up of exceptional executive female leaders across a diverse range of industries.

Genevieve Gregor (’86), Co-Founding Partner of Colinton Capital Partners, Jane Campbell, Manager and General Counsel, Manana Pastoral and former General Manager and Co-Founder Barambah Organics, and Heidi Cooper, CEO of Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ), joined the series as keynote speakers. At our final breakfast of the year, guest speaker Amanda Johnston-Pell, Chief Digital Officer, Vice President Digital Sales Japan + APAC, IBM, shared her inspiring journey from human movement studies into business leadership in conversation with Sarah Clarke, award-winning journalist and TV presenter.

All speakers candidly shared their career successes and challenges, the skills they called on to effectively lead, what they believe is required to succeed in their industries, and their insights into the future of work for those building their careers. We were fortunate to have the support of the following companies again throughout 2022: Pitcher Partners (Major Sponsor); Programmed Property Services and Wolff Coffee Roasters (Associate Sponsors); and Downer, Clear Insurance, Uniform Link, O’Reilly Shaw Lawyers, Westpac and Move Recruitment Solutions (Supporting Partners).

Thanks to corporate sponsors and ticket sales, more than $60,000 was raised in 2022 and donated to St Margaret’s Foundation Endowment Fund to help create long term support for needs-based bursaries for regional/rural and Indigenous students at St Margaret’s.

Many of our sponsors have been invested in this series for some time now, helping to connect the business community, create opportunities for attendees to collaborate, and to empower young women through education.

Kylie Lamprecht from Pitcher Partners said the company was pleased to continue their sponsorship and support for the PWN breakfast series.

‘Our recent Business Radar survey indicated Queensland’s middle market business sector values networking 52 per cent more than practical tools and resources from professional services firms. We are grateful to sponsor the PWN series and support our clients with their own personal and professional development through hosting them at these events. ‘PWN aligns with our values of making business personal and provides our clients the opportunity to leverage networks, build valuable relationships and personally connect with industry and likeminded professionals,’ Kylie said.

Students from Years 10, 11 and 12 are also encouraged to attend the events. Immersing young women in an environment where they can build their networking capacity and be given the opportunity to foster relationships sits at the heart of an important St Margaret’s aim to empower young women through education.

Corporate supporters continue to empower women through education