St Margaret's Flyer 2024

Principal: Ros Curtis

Editor: Wendy Johnston

Writers: Pru Reed, Wendy Johnston

Graphic

Pamela Smiles

Mitch Hollywood, Samara Sutton-Baker, Michael Marston

The St Margaret’s community acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which we gather each day. We pay our respects to the Elders past and present, for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the nation.

From the Principal

In 2023, our school theme was flourishing, and in 2024, it is striving.

Both themes are complementary; all of us, including students, need to strive to flourish. Both striving and flourishing are essential for a positive student experience. In the book Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools, by Lynn E Swaner and Andy Wolfe (2021), the authors write in the context of flourishing students:

A student’s understanding or concept of what the next steps hold is fundamental to their present flourishing. The joy of the present leads to the pursuit of the future – whether the future is known or unknown.

The authors go on to evocatively make the connection between striving and flourishing, acknowledging that we all rarely follow a distinctly linear path in life.

The reality of most roads in life is that one cannot see far down a path that is not straight. There are inclines to ascend and descend, obstacles to go around, false summits to overcome, pitfalls to be avoided, sights not to be missed, and a horizon to give perspective. There are changes in terrain, weather, light, and heat, and even different modes of transport to use. The different elements of the journey build wisdom for the next stage, and overcoming the challenging parts of the path gives the energy for that which is to come. Flourishing students are excited about the journey itself and recognise the necessary twists and turns it may take. Flourishing provides the momentum that enables putting down the left foot, then the right, even when a student can’t see everything that is to come.

That last sentence beautifully describes the journey we are all on when we are striving; that is, taking the time and completing deliberate actions to achieve a goal. Deliberate actions are necessary when one is focused on some aspect of growth.

The other book which helps to illustrate our theme for 2024 is Strive: embracing the gift of struggle, by Dr Adam Fraser (2020). His research supports the view that there is much satisfaction in dealing with challenge and discomfort and that struggle is worthwhile as it helps one be more engaged and motivated at school and in life.

Of course, he is not referring to the struggle associated with sadness and loss; he is referring to normal and desirable struggle called growth-centric struggle. This is the struggle that comes from the discomfort you feel when you face challenge. This type of struggle gives us the opportunity to grow and evolve and become a better version of ourselves.

It should be noted that it is not just students who are striving in our school but also our staff, who not only direct their ambition to their own personal and professional growth but also to St Margaret’s. We are all striving to achieve both our goals in our school’s strategic plan and our new master plan. We are striving to ensure a wonderful experience for our students as they travel through to the end of the Year 12. That is not to say the path will always be smooth and that there will not be a struggle or two along the way; it would be counterproductive to student growth if that was indeed the case.

The Flyer is a publication that celebrates the fruits of the struggle and the striving of all our stakeholders and of the subsequent growth. May 2024 be a year of growth and much satisfaction for all our families, staff, and students.

Ros Curtis

Principal

BA(Hons), DipEd, MLitSt, MEd(Leadership and Management), ASDA, FACELQ, FIML, GAICD

References

Fraser, A. (2020). Strive: embracing the gift of struggle John Wiley & Sons Australia.

Swaner, L.E., Wolfe, A. (2021). Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

From the Chair

This year marks St Margaret’s 129th year. The school has a rich history and an exciting future, one that marries the valued traditions of the past with innovative programs and projects that will carry it forward, ensuring it retains its place as one of Queensland’s leading schools.

I am thrilled to finally introduce to our community the school’s new master plan, a plan that has had a longer incubation than was anticipated, but one the School Council took great care to ensure was the optimal plan for the school’s future. The master plan extends beyond the next decade and is a bold, exciting and strategic plan that honours our past and will deliver on our envisioned future of innovation with a global outlook.

At this stage, the plan is in its draft phase, as it undergoes a process (part of which involves community consultation) to seek an amendment to its existing, approved master plan, to allow for the development of the St Margaret’s Arts Precinct (SMAP) and new classrooms south of Petrie Street.

The SMAP is an important investment, providing state-of-theart music performance, rehearsal and teaching venues. Subject to Ministerial approval and capital capacity, the Blight Raynerdesigned building will be built in two stages: a recital hall, theatre and classrooms will be built adjacent to the library first (with construction slated to begin in February 2025), followed by an auditorium and foyer on the school’s Lapraik Street boundary.

The plan will also deliver more onsite parking for staff and visitors, taking pressure off the surrounding residential streets.

Proposed Performing Arts Building

and represent development over a period of time, of which only some of us will bear witness to. However, the first of the projects will be delivered in stages and will benefit most of those students currently at the school and those joining us in the near future. We are part-way through the construction of The Forest and Canopy Café, and if the weather is kind, the Forest will open in the first half of the year.

Beyond that, we will also be restoring heritage listed Community House, which has been underutilised since 2016. The building will be given new life and purpose when it is reimagined as a hub for a St Margaret’s wellbeing centre. We are very much looking forward to its renewal, for it forms such an important part of the school’s history. When the Sisters purchased the house in 1910, Community House was the first building on the Ascot campus and housed the entire school – the Sisters, boarders dormitories, and classrooms. It was from these foundations that the school flourished. Once restored, the Society of the Sacred Advent (SSA) will, most appropriately, once again have a space within the house as a tribute to their legacy.

Last December, the SSA celebrated another milestone in its rich history, ensuring this incredible institution endures into the future. Continuing its transformational journey, the Order embraced two new members who wish to commit to taking life vows in its service. Rev’d Gillian Moses (Chaplain of St Aidan’s) and Rev’d Jan Crombie (Co-Deputy Chair of St Margaret’s School Council) professed their vows to the Society of the Sacred Advent in a very special ceremony in the Sisters’ Chapel and are now joint leaders of the new Chapter of the SSA with Sister Gillian.

We wish Rev’d Sister Gillian Moses and Rev’d Sister Jan Crombie every blessing as they embark upon this new journey, which helps to ensure the long and remarkable journey and good works of the SSA continue.

Deb Smith Chair of School Council

The vows of Vowed Members of the Society of the Sacred Advent

Simplicity of Life

While we may maintain our own homes, we remain first and foremost generous with our possessions, sharing with those who are in need, according to our means. Simplicity of life requires the careful and prayerful use of our property, contentment with what we have in living simply for our needs, and generosity with time as well as possessions.

Fidelity to Vowed Relationships

Members honour their other relationships as partners, parents and children, friends and family members. Our commitment to the common life of the Society means that we seek to love Christ in one another, showing respect, love and care for each other.

Obedience to Christ’s Call to Serve the World

Obedience is both duty and joy and is rendered to God. Obedience requires true humility, which is the genuine knowing of self before God. We are called to respond to Christ’s call to serve him in the world, through our own work, and through works of service.

Staff Awards

While Fiona Spooner, the winner of the Staff Award for Service to the Community, has been working at St Margaret’s for just under a decade, her association with the school spans generations.

Fiona’s mother is a past student, boarding in the 1950s; Fiona and her two sisters attended as day girls in the 1980s; and her nieces and daughters graduated in 2016, 2018 and 2022.

Fiona commenced employment at St Margaret’s in March 2015, working in boarding for six years, most recently as Head of Junior House (Boarding), before taking on the role of Head of Admissions in March 2021.

Fiona said it meant the world to her to win the award.

‘I am very grateful to work at a wonderful place surrounded by people who work hard and have the best interests of students and their families at their heart. The culture at St Margaret’s is a positive one, and I was humbled to have been peer nominated for this award,’ Fiona said.

As Head of Admissions, Fiona’s long-standing connection to and love for the school shines through. She brings insight, care, compassion and perspective to her role and goes above and beyond to assist students and their families and staff.

‘I love meeting new families who have chosen or are considering St Margaret’s for their child’s education. It is a pleasure and a privilege to show them around the beautiful campus and meet our current students who are always bubbling with positivity and happiness, making those families feel very welcome.’

Winner of the Staff Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Alina Layton has been at St Margaret’s for almost a decade – all of those as Head of Faculty – English.

Alina is an outstanding teacher and leader. Her practice and leadership are underpinned by a wholly authentic commitment to the service of others, and it is this selflessness and compassion that allow her students and the staff within her faculty to flourish, knowing they are respected and cared for by an expert professional and inspirational human.

She continually champions the professional aspirations of staff within her faculty and is always open to hearing new ideas and innovations.

Alina said she was incredibly surprised and felt very humbled at not only winning but being nominated in the first place.

‘I feel very honoured to have my teaching recognised by the school, especially given I am in the company of so many passionate, dedicated educators,’ she said.

For Alina, it’s all about people and balancing academics and pastoral wellbeing.

‘Helping young minds to learn regardless of ability or background and to see their own unique potential is such a privilege, and I never cease to be invigorated by them.

‘My students help maintain my energy and drive for teaching and leading after all these years.

‘Equally so are my colleagues; I love that they love what they do, and I am inspired every day by their creativity, dedication and good humour, so I always strive to be of service to them and help them reach their potential.’

Nurturing exceptional staff

For the third consecutive year, St Margaret’s received an Employer of Choice award from The Educator magazine in 2023.

The methodology differed a little from previous years, with a two-phase process involving an initial successful submission, followed by a staff survey conducted by The Educator, which required a minimum number of responses (proportionate to school size) and an average satisfaction rating of 80% or greater to be eligible for the award.

Given the school’s always outstanding annual Staff Surveys conducted by MMG Education, we were confident the staff would respond similarly, and were delighted when it was announced we had once again been successful.

Principal Ros Curtis says the consistency of attaining an award recognising the school as an employer of choice three years in a row is a great external indicator to potential high-quality staff that we are an institution which takes very seriously the calibre of our staff and their ongoing wellbeing and professional development.

The annual staff survey conducted later in the year by MMG Education returned very similar and pleasing results.

Across the seven key areas staff were surveyed for School Aspects – Overall Satisfaction, Academic Program, Student Wellbeing, Communications, Boarding, Management and Leadership, and Affinity (Loyalty) – the overall score was ‘very high’(80% and above) at 90%, which is 13% above the MMG Benchmarking Database average.

Across the seven key areas staff were surveyed for Staff Aspects – Climate and Culture, Staff Wellbeing, Staff Attitude, Leadership Support, Goal Congruence and Professional Development – the overall score was ‘very high’ (80% and above) at 87%, which is 14% above the MMG Benchmarking Database average.

The percentage of staff who noted their expectations have been met or exceeded in relation to key aspects of the school’s performance was ‘very high’ (97%), which is 15% above the MMG Database average.

Principal Ros Curtis says that quality teaching and support staff members are absolutely essential to the provision of a quality education.

‘Growing our staff is one of the main goals in our current strategic plan, and our staff survey is a key indicator of our success and progress in this regard, while flagging any areas to which we may need to pay additional attention.

‘We have a wonderful staff culture and community, which flows down to our families, and it is something to be proud of, to nurture and to protect.’

89% Staff Wellbeing Leadership Support

89%

2023 St Margaret’s Staff (Staff Aspects) Goal Congruence

90% Climate and Culture

82%

91%

82%

87% Staff PD

Staff Awards

AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION AWARDS

The annual Australian Education Awards is the leading independent awards event in the K–12 education sector, showcasing the nation’s top-performing schools and educators. In 2023, St Margaret’s was an Excellence Awardee in the following categories:

2023

AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION AWARDS

At St Margaret’s, we are proud to be leading in the education of young women and girls. Being recognised as awardwinners or even finalists in a prestigious award category is a great honour and a testament to the St Margaret’s community including the strength and quality of our staff and the strong leadership team that contributes to the overall school’s success.

Secondary School of the Year –Non-government

Primary School Teacher of the Year –Non-government Rising Star of the Year

Sarah Singleton was the recipient of the Primary School Teacher of the Year Excellence Award for her innovation in literacy development. Passionate about supporting student learning, not just in her own classroom, but through supporting her colleagues to do the same, Sarah assumes the role of Literacy Coordinator/Coach PP-2 at St Margaret’s in addition to teaching in the early years.

She has made a significant impact in this area by leading the planning, development and implementation of a custom Systematic Synthetics Phonics program for the school. The unique program embodies the most recent research and the most effective elements from a range of approaches to and theories of early literacy instruction.

Georgi Eadie, also a primary school teacher, received the Excellence Award in the Rising Star of the Year category. Prior to that, she was named among The Educator magazine’s 2023 Rising Stars, which highlights exceptional educators under 35, who, in the early stages of their careers, have earnt recognition for their outstanding contributions to the field of education in Australia.

Since commencing her teaching career at St Margaret’s in 2020, Georgi has taught Prep and Year 1 and has taken a particular interest in the impact of the classroom environment on student outcomes. Georgi creates learning centres that include dramatic play, art, a library, loose parts and tinkering, writing and communication, and numeracy and science investigations. Each learning centre has multiple links to the general capabilities of the Australian Curriculum. Georgi has shared her passion and advanced knowledge in this area with the wider education community through presenting at the 2022 Early Childhood Teachers’ Association conference and being published on this theme in the Early Childhood Teachers’ Association journal.

Beyond the classroom, Georgi has steered the school’s Under Eights Week for the past three years and leads Maggies Podcast, guiding primary and secondary students to hone their written and verbal communication skills.

St Margaret’s secondary school received an Excellence Award for the third consecutive year for its consistently high standards of teaching and learning and demonstrated commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, which in turn have seen enrolments grow to new historical highs.

AUSTRALIAN

AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION AWARDS

2023

RECOGNITION FOR ARCHITECT OF UNIQUE RECONCILIATION PROJECT

In 2023, secondary English teacher Margot Shave was awarded the Alliance of Girls’ School Australasia Roslyn Otzen Award for Exceptional Teaching, which recognises outstanding women and men who have made a significant contribution to teaching in a girls’ school.

MOST INFLUENTIAL EDUCATOR

2023 was a busy year for St Margaret’s Head of Faculty – Sociocultural Studies, Louise Brown. On the back of receiving a prestigious 2022 National Excellence in Teaching Award, completing her Master of Education, commencing a blog, wrapping up her participation in the 18-month Aspirant Senior Leaders Program, starting work on a history textbook, and being appointed Vice President of the Queensland History Teachers’ Association, Louise was nominated for and received a ‘Most Influential Educator’ award from The Educator magazine for her stewardship of termly history Teachmeet forums.

History teachers from Brisbane and beyond have been gathering since 2018 to discuss all things history, whether sharing resources or discussing the finer points of history pedagogy. Firstly held in person, the teachmeets moved online during COVID -19 and stayed online, opening up the forum to even more teachers and proving more convenient without losing any of its impact.

Margot received the award for her sustained innovation and excellence in the area of celebrating First Nations culture within the school, which, across the course of five years, has seen the publication of two First Nations-authored anthologies, with a third now in development to be published during NAIDOC Week celebrations this year. She was also shortlisted for the Dr Joe McCorley OAM Outstanding Contribution to School Community Award, a Queensland College of Teachers TeachX award, for this same body of work.

Margot says she is honoured to have received a teaching award so early in her eight-year teaching career, having previously been a journalist for The Australian newspaper.

Louise says it was ‘amazing’ to be nominated for the award by the Queensland History Teachers’ Association.

‘They have fully supported the idea from the start, and it’s very gratifying that they think I am making a difference.

‘I have been humbled to be embraced by this professional community, and the award was a nice celebration of what we have all been trying to achieve.

‘To connect with other history teachers is extremely rewarding, and we share many and varied ideas, whether it’s a great resource or assessment approach, different ways to explain concepts, teaching tips and so on.

‘The idea of coming together is that we can all get better for the benefit of our students and make a real difference.’

You can read Louise’s blog ‘Secondary Source: Teaching, from Bradford to Brisbane’ at https://secondarysource.com.au

‘It has been a lovely acknowledgement of the energy that’s been dedicated to these projects and the huge joy that I’ve had in pulling these magazines together.’

Margot received her award at the 2023 Alliance of Girls’ School Australasia (AGSA) conference.

‘Having the opportunity to present at the conference as well as having the story of the anthologies published on the AGSA website, which is now merged into the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools, has been a great vehicle to hopefully inspire other educators to explore what’s possible in this sphere,’ she said.

Most rewarding, she says, has been the impact on the students at an individual level.

‘Our First Nations students can see and feel the benefits of the process, not just for them, but for their families and the St Margaret’s community.

‘They also hope others are inspired by this shared storytelling as part of the reconciliation journey we are all on together,’ Margot said.

Vale Miss Rees (3/10/1926 – 28/11/2023)

In November last year, we lost a true St Margaret’s legend. Our beloved Dawn Jones (’44, nee Rees) – past student, past staff member, past parent, school patron and volunteer –passed away, aged a remarkable 97 years.

Dawn has been continually associated with St Margaret’s since 1932, starting in Prep as a student right up until 2023 when she attended the Reunion weekend (which, over the years, she attended as many as she could).

As a student, Dawn was a true role model and a great all-rounder enjoying music, the Art of Speech, sport and languages. In 1943, she was appointed Prefect, Athletics Captain and Netball Captain, and in 1944 was again Athletics Captain and Netball Captain and was also named School Captain and Prefect. At Speech Night (or ‘Day’ as it was then and celebrated on the old netball courts), she was awarded Dux and the OGA Prize, as well as receiving a Senior Form Prize, and prizes for French Oral, German Oral, Art of Speech, Physical Education, AMEB Music Grade 1 – Honours, and AMEB Art of Speech Grade 1 – Honours.

After graduating senior in 1944, Dawn studied Arts with Honours in English and French at The University of Queensland, and after her final exams was contacted by Sister Mary offering her a position at St Margaret’s teaching French. She taught French throughout the whole school initially and later German and some English.

Many Old Girls will remember Dawn for her involvement in school musicals, which she co-produced with Mary Raymond over a long period. Dawn remembered her greatest coup as St Margaret’s being the first amateur dramatic group to be award acting rights for The Sound of Music. Merrie England was the first musical she produced in 1950, which she had appeared in as one of the May Queen’s attendants as a student in 1935. She also played the role of Queen Elizabeth in the later production.

Dawn herself loved acting and was a member of Twelfth Night Theatre where she also taught drama to some teenage groups. Many Old Girls will recall her high standards and expertise, her legacy undoubtedly impacting the professional productions that St Margaret’s puts on to this day.

As well as teaching, Dawn was appointed with Miss Raymond as joint Senior Mistress and in 1982 was Year 12 supervisor. Dawn spent her entire teaching career at the school before retiring in 1990 – a period of 42 years. But her association did not end there.

From 1991 to 1996 Dawn was a Member of School Council; she commenced volunteering at St Margaret’s in 2006, which she did up until 2022; and was named St Margaret’s Patron in 2007.

In 1974, the school named the Speech Night Dux prize the ‘Raymond-Rees Award’, acknowledging the incredible contributions of these two teachers and remains a fitting tribute to their wonderful legacy.

A much-loved wife, mother and grandmother, Dawn married in 1965 and had two children, Graeme (who now lives in Canada) and Carolyn (who was one of the 1985 St Margaret’s School Captains). There are two entries in Speech Night Reports that perhaps best sum up Dawn’s contribution as a student and teacher:

In the 1944 Speech Night Report, the Principal, Sister Mary, wrote: ‘…in her 13 years here, Dawn has excelled in general studies, in sports, in music, in art of speech and above all has set a remarkably fine example to her fellow students.’

In the 1990 Speech Night Report, the Principal, Miss Heath, wrote: ‘Dawn Rees joined St Margaret’s as a pupil at the age of six and received all her education here. Her entire teaching career has been at the school. It is impossible to assess the impact of such a life. I can only say that she has always upheld the highest standards in her teaching of French, has given inspiration and enjoyment to hundreds of girls in producing Gilbert and Sullivan and musical concerts, and has been a sensitive, kindly, and helpful supervisor of Year 12 girls. She has been a respected and just administrator.’

Many Old Girls left loving and grateful tributes to Miss Rees on social media, which further highlighted the indelible impact she had on St Margaret’s students.

Valerie Horgan (nee Hansen, ’63) posted: ‘Miss Rees has certainly left an indelible footprint, and I will always be grateful to her for encouraging me with singing. May God grant her weary body rest and her soul, Everlasting Peace. (Chaucer House).’

Jill Crane (nee Scott, ’66) said: ‘I loved you, Miss Rees! You were my inspiration! Top 10 for French in 1964. You were my House Teacher when I was joint House Captain with dear Kim Browne for Chaucer in 1966. You were always my inspiration when I became a teacher and in other jobs, using your example, as my role model. Rest in peace, amazing, much-loved lady.’

Old Girl Susan Dunn-Rachleff (’81), an Australian soprano and St Margaret’s Notable, left this tribute on Facebook: ‘Ms Rees was a jewel – a fine lady and a spectacular teacher. May her memory be a blessing and may she rest in peace. Ms Rees directed our performance of Trial by Jury. She was pure inspiration … and gave me the opportunity to play the Judge and that wonderful experience inspired me to pursue my career in the performing arts.’

Dawn’s funeral, held at St Margaret’s Chapel on Thursday 7 December 2023, was very well attended by Old Girls spanning a number of decades and was also livestreamed to a wider audience.

Rest in Peace, Miss Rees.

Fond Farewells

In 2023, three of our most longstanding staff members retired: Trish Kirkpatrick (Chemistry, Biology and Science) after 24 years of service, Marilyn Ivers (English, French, Humanities, Primary) after 15 years, and our primary art teacher and wearable art expert Kerry Rider (25 years). All were truly wonderful staff members, and we recognise them for their commitment to and support of St Margaret’s and wish them well.

There is not a primary school student who has come through the school in the past 25 years who has not had the benefit of the incredible talents and dedicated care of primary art teacher Kerry Rider.

Kerry inspired each student to become the best artist they could be, and the primary arts classroom was always brimming with colour and creativity. Indeed, when prospective primary families toured the school, the primary art room often ‘clinched the deal’, as they were so impressed with the creative arts on display and wanted their child to enjoy the same experience.

Kerry’s greatest legacy will no doubt be the wearable art productions she created. The event started 22 years ago as Showcase of the Arts, then the Primary Spectacular, and is now known as the Arts Spectacular.

Each year, Kerry would decide on a theme and then spend many hours thinking, planning, and creating ways in which each student could achieve greatness through their creation. This amazing event has left a huge impact on each girl, and the Arts Spectacular is often cited as one of the favourite primary school experiences.

Many primary parents will forever treasure the creations Kerry stewarded for the primary Mother’s and Father’s Day celebrations. From creative ties to colourful jewellery, these lovingly made pieces became ‘collectors’ items’ and many a primary mother would turn up at her final primary breakfast adorned with jewellery made across the years.

At Kerry’s farewell assembly last year, students spoke of her kindness, constant smiles and her ability to make everyone feel included and inspired to create.

Year 6 student Lana said: ‘As a Year 5 student last year, the first ‘big project’ that I got to create was bin chickens. Mrs Rider was with us every step of the way, giving us tips, and teaching us. This is when I knew the art room was my safe space. However, it wasn’t about the finished product of our wearable art pieces, it was the memories that were created, the skills learnt, and the bonding with our peers. Mrs Rider helped this happen. Mrs Rider can make anything happen.’

Trish Kirkpatrick joined St Margaret’s in 2002. Trish said she had always been passionate about education for girls, particularly science education, and it had been fulfilling to be able to teach at an all-girls school for so many years of her career.

‘I have always really enjoyed helping girls to understand science, particularly when I get the chance to help them one on one.

‘To see some of my students go on to future careers in science, whether it be in a health-related field or engineering, has always been rewarding,’ Trish said.

Trish also acknowledged the friendly and supportive staff, saying she had been very fortunate to have worked with some wonderful people over the years, particularly in the science faculty.

‘It has been the people I’ve worked with over the years that I will remember most fondly,” Trish said.

During her time at the school, Trish also helped with debating, basketball, swimming, artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics.

The most dramatic changes for Trish in her time at the school were the physical aspects of the school – particularly the science laboratories, first mostly teaching in what once was a rather dark and dingy lab in the bottom level of the primary school with an old chalk board on a trolly and timber lab benches. This thankfully has become the bright and colourful maker space for the primary students, and since 2012, science has enjoyed its new home in the Eunice Centre. Trish was quick to stress, however, that while the facilities may have been dated, they always had fantastic lab staff and everything they needed to make science engaging for the students.

Marilyn Ivers started at St Margaret’s in 2009 as a primary teacher of Year 7 but also taught Year 9 French and some Primary French. When Year 7 moved to the secondary school, she moved with her Year 7s and became part of the then English and Humanities faculties. Marilyn has also been a form teacher and has taught and coordinated RVE. With the introduction of the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD), Marilyn was asked to coordinate the secondary area of Learning Enhancement.

Marilyn said she had enjoyed the opportunity to work in many different areas of the school and with many different teachers and students.

‘Teachers don’t stop learning; we learn from each other and there have been many wonderful teachers I have worked with here.’

Being a sports teacher in a previous life, Marilyn said she had always been involved in sports coaching, and had coached netball and basketball at St Margaret’s.

Of the many changes during her time, most notable for Marilyn was the absence of the Sisters on campus.

‘They were such a gentle presence amongst us.’

Marilyn has many fond memories, recalling having taught Annabelle Traves and attended her performances to now following her global career. The school’s many wonderful musical performances will always remain among her fond memories. She enjoyed a number of tours with the school: accompanying the French students to Aix-en-Provence and Paris; a humanities trip to Gallopilli, Italy, Belgium and France; and, of course, the many Year 6 Canberra trips.

Celebrating our 2023 Scholars

At the start of the school year, we welcomed 63 of the 71 2023 graduates who attained an ATAR of 90 and above to celebrate them as the Scholars of 2023. The assembly also recognised the 2023 QCE Subject Prizes winners and celebrated the external Proxime Accessit to the Dux and the Dux.

These high achieving academic students have gained entry into a broad range of degrees across multiple universities in Australia and overseas – from neuroscience in Chicago, Biomedical Science at Notre Dame Sydney, to Mechanical Engineering at the University of New South Wales. Many will be studying at The University of Queensland (UQ) and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), with health sciences, law and business, and engineering among the most common courses to be pursued by this group.

The Scholars Assembly provides the opportunity to not only recognise these students’ outstanding achievements but also to inspire the current students through sage advice presented to the students on the assembly and available in a booklet accessible to the student body.

Dux and 2023 school captain Se Yeon Kim who will be studying a Bachelor of Science at UQ with provisional entry into Medicine, and who was one of only 34 students throughout Queensland to receive an

ATAR of 99.95, said she had followed her mother’s advice: ‘Don’t regret it.’

This means aligning your choices with your goals and priorities and when presented with two options asking yourself ‘will I regret it later?’.

Se Yeon finished by saying that by following this advice you will not be hindered by the ‘what’s ifs’ and ‘could haves’ throughout your life.

Our scholars have set a fine example for our students to follow, and their refreshing honesty about what they did when things didn’t go to plan, as well as everything that went well, was also very valuable.

Matisse Fennessy who will be studying Bachelor of Humanities/Laws (Honours) at UQ said she learnt her lesson after receiving an ’horrendous’ mark as the result pulling an all-nighter. She then resolved to prioritise sleep over study and never studied past 9.30pm again, bringing her study forward so there was never again a need to study too late into the evening. Similarly, Lucy Williams who is headed to live and study at Sydney’s Notre Dame while pursuing Biomedical Science said study hard but schedule study breaks.

‘Do something to fill your bucket’, she advised. ‘Ensure there is something enjoyable to look forward to.’

One of the most common pieces of advice that scholars provide is to take up all the opportunities available in terms of assistance offered by the dedicated teaching staff at St Margaret’s.

‘Listen to your teachers’, said Sienna Crockett, who will study a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at UQ.

‘They really do give some of the best advice.’

Similarly, Lucy Edwards, who will be studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Science at the University of Sydney, advised: ‘Don’t be scared to talk to your teachers and ask for their opinions; they want you to succeed and will not judge your work as they are there to help you.’

We also congratulate the external Proxime Accessit to the Dux, Elizabeth Sloman, who was unable to attend the assembly.

We wish all our 2023 graduates every success as they embark on life beyond the school gates. We hope they will stay connected through the Old Girls’ Association, and we look forward to hearing from them and welcoming them back to St Margaret’s in the future.

CLASS OF 2023: OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

We congratulate the graduates of 2023 on their final academic results.

The St Margaret’s student body represents a diverse community of learners who can explore a range of pathways that cater for their interests and passions as they discover their strengths and aspirations. The infographic opposite outlines some of the more significant markers representing both our ATAR and Portfolio Pathway Students.

St Margaret’s is a non-selective school that consistently achieves above state and national averages across the key academic markers. The graduates of 2023 are no exception and have achieved outstanding academic results.

Under the ATAR system, students have the option to withhold their results from the school. Therefore, the statistics opposite represent 117 of our 118 ATAR eligible students.

ATAR Results

10 perfect subject scores 100/100 from eight students

1 student achieved 99.95

Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)

100% of our students received a QCE.

34 students received As in all their subjects studied

5.1%

36.8%

61.5% 84.6% received an ATAR of 99 or above received an ATAR of 95 or above received an ATAR of 90 or above received an ATAR of 80 or above MEDIAN ATAR

6

91.8 Students Students Students Students

42

71 99

29 students studied the Portfolio Pathway

16 completed a DIPLOMA OF BUSINESS

13 completed a DIPLOMA OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

21 completed either a Certificate II or III across a range of courses

Captains’ Corner

Imogen Simpson and Grace Marchant are the 2024 St Margaret’s School Captains.

They share their St Margaret’s journey thus far and their hopes for this year.

IMOGEN SIMPSON

I began at St Margaret’s in 2016 as a Year 4 student, walking through the school gates with my older sister, one of the ‘intimidating’ seniors. However, it did not take long for this attitude to change as I was quickly introduced to the sisterhood of St Margaret’s: a community of unique individuals coming together in support of one another. Some of my most vivid memories centre around the spirit that is deeply intertwined throughout the school environment. Whether the Ponytail Project, the Soaring Upwards Festival or staff vs student matches, the community never fails to make their supportive and energetic cheers heard from the sidelines. This is not just limited to the students either. The staff and teachers have always provided enduring support and encouragement and have instilled a deep sense of persistence and gratitude within me. I believe it is this sisterhood and sense of community that has truly allowed me to develop into the student I am.

GRACE MARCHANT

My journey at St Margaret’s began in 2011 as a Pre-Prep student. From the moment I walked through the school gates, an overwhelming sense of belonging and support surrounded me as I was welcomed into our sisterhood. Upon reflecting on my memorable moments throughout my time here, the majority focus around two key aspects within our school life – community and spirit. From QGSSSA events and the Ponytail Project to the school musicals, I have always felt supported. I am also grateful for the appreciation of diversity and emphasis of inclusion within our school community, which create an environment of empathy, kindness, and encouragement for all students. I feel so grateful to have always attended a school that empowers each student to not only feel included but truly capable of succeeding.

2024 THEME

Over our years at St Margaret’s, we have discovered that our fondest memories emerge from the community, passion and support that makes up our St Margaret’s sisterhood. In 2024, we hope to continue to foster and strengthen this culture, one in which every student is uplifted to achieve their individual aspirations, enabling each girl to truly ‘fly upwards’. Further, as introduced by Ms Curtis at the beginning of the school year, the 2024 St Margaret’s theme is ‘Striving’. This inspired us to incorporate the school theme into our personal legacy for the year.

As such, the theme selected by the senior cohort of 2024 is ‘Strive to roar in 2024’.

STRIVE

To strive is to give your personal best in all aspects of life. At St Margaret’s, we recognise that this will look different for each student, as each strives for unique goals. As the leading student body, we aim to foster an environment where every student feels supported in their individual aspirations. Yet, striving is not about the final destination, but rather the journey it takes to get there, and the growth experienced along the way. Striving should not be an easy task; in fact, it’s all about embracing the gift of the struggle. In 2024, one key focus the seniors will have is to inspire every member of our community to truly strive.

ROAR

Another area of focus within our initial brainstorming sessions was the prevalence of the strong Maggies spirit. In 2024, we aim to continue to fan the flame of our school pride and culture, igniting an inferno of compassionate, confident, and capable young women. Inspired by our Maggies dragon, we want to hear the united ‘Roar’ of the student body, supporting and uplifting one another to strive. Through this, we believe the class of 2024’s enthusiasm and ambitious visions for the school community will leave a lasting legacy.

So, this year let’s ‘Strive to roar in 2024.’

St Margaret’s: A Lighthouse School

St Margaret’s vision is ‘to always be an outstanding day and boarding school for girls’.

To remain so, necessitates an agenda of continual improvement and reflection, an agenda that St Margaret’s vigorously pursues through both internal and external instruments.

In 2017, the school self-selected to use a tool called the National School Improvement Tool, which was developed by the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER) and is available to all Australian schools for use in their school improvement planning. The ultimate goal of school improvement is to improve outcomes for students, including levels of achievement and wellbeing. A number of recommendations were made and implemented following the 2017 review, and the school once again elected to repeat the process in 2023.

What this second report revealed was that the school had very diligently followed through with the first report’s recommendations, so much so, that the reviewers, in subsequent feedback to the Senior Leadership Team, said that

St Margaret’s should be considered a ‘lighthouse’ school, and that the results were of a standard they rarely saw.

The tool measures across nine interrelated domains.

• An explicit improvement agenda

• Analysis and discussion of data

• A culture than promotes learning

• Targeted use of school resources

• An expert teaching team

• Systematic curriculum delivery

• Differentiated teaching and learning

• Effective pedagogical practices

• School-community partnerships

Four highly experienced educators from ACER led the review through a process of evidence collection and consultation with school staff, which involved extensive interviews with both teaching and support staff. In the tool, each domain is given a rating – low, medium, high, or outstanding – and within each domain there are a number of benchmarks that must be met to score at that level.

St Margaret’s Pre-Prep exceeding national quality benchmarks

St Margaret’s was rated as outstanding across six of the nine domains and high in the remaining three. Of those rated ‘high’, all had between 50 – 75% of the benchmarks rated as ‘outstanding’; however, all benchmarks must be fully enacted to be scored as ‘outstanding’.

Principal Ros Curtis said the tool is extremely rigorous, but she was immensely pleased that such a good report card was a true reflection of the calibre and hard work of school staff, the school leadership, and the valued oversight provided by the School Council.

‘We also welcomed the insights and recommendations the report provided and have already implemented or are in the process of implementing these.

‘Importantly, as the tool states, its ultimate goal is to improve outcomes for students, which is why we come to work every day,’ Ros said.

Last year, St Margaret’s Pre-Prep was rated Exceeding National Quality Standard (NQS) under the National Quality Framework (NQF). The National Quality Standard sets a high national benchmark for early childhood education and care services in Australia, and services are assessed and rated by their regulatory authority against the NQS and given a rating in seven quality areas and an overall rating based on these results.

St Margaret’s Pre-Prep program was recognised for strengths including educational practice that enhances children’s learning and growth, its social and emotional wellbeing program, and the respectful relationships between children and educators. The program was also recognised for the depth of the context and concepts within the curriculum and its personalised approach to teaching and learning, as well as the children’s access to the big school’s facilities and specialist teachers, offerings quite unique to St Margaret’s Pre-Prep program.

St Margaret’s Patron

Mary Surtees: an honour she never dreamed of and her dream job.

Little did former Assistant Head of Primary School Mary Surtees know when she retired in July 2021 that she would be back so soon – after just six months in fact – to take up the role of school archivist, following the retirement of Bronwyn Perry.

However, after a 42-year association with and dedicated service to St Margaret’s, Mary says, for this time in her life, she is in her dream job, which combines her lifelong passion for history and absolute love for the school where she has spent her entire career as an educator.

Those who know Mary recognise she is rarely lost for words, but early in 2023, when Principal Ros Curtis asked her would she accept the role of St Margaret’s Patron for the 23/24 year, she admits she was rendered speechless.

‘It was such an honour, which once I found my voice, I was delighted to accept,’ Mary laughs.

Mary said she was so humbled to have received many congratulatory cards and emails, particularly from Old Girls. As archivist, one of Mary’s missions has been to solve some key mysteries; she has solved all but one – the missing statue on Circular Drive – but says there could be many more.

‘I am reading through all the Links from 1910 and the minutes of the Sports Committee Meetings from 1920.

‘There are so many threads to pull from snippets revealed in these publications, and one never knows where it might lead.

‘It is, all at once, both an unravelling of threads and a knitting together of stories, just as archives is about both gathering information and artefacts as well as disseminating discovered stories and resolved mysteries,’ Mary said.

Mary has been busily doing both in her time as archivist.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS STATUE?

‘Every fortnight, I email an interesting snippet from the archives to our staff and often receive feedback by those surprised by facets of our history, from both new and veteran staff.

‘We belong to a wonderful school with a rich history, and I hope by telling some of our stories that they very much feel a part of the story and are continuing to write its history,’ she said.

Mary has also been calling for clues into unsolved St Margaret’s mysteries via the Old Girls termly eNews.

She is currently unearthing more details about honours pockets for sport and academics in the form of a laurel wreath and recently received confirmation about another mystery – the existence or otherwise of tunnels beneath Mooloomburram.

‘It has long been thought there may have been tunnels underneath Mooloomburram thought to be in relation to the world wars, but recently I had a conversation with an Old Girl in her late 80s who was a boarder from Dalby who did not get to go home on the weekends, but rather, before the days of organised activities, roamed the underbelly of Mooloomburram for something to do.

‘She confirmed the existence of a tunnel that she thought had been used for delivering supplies between the drays that would come up Comus Avenue from the river to the house, but she dare not venture through it, given the stern warnings from the boarding mistresses.’

Other recent chats with Old Girls revealed more about war times at the school where trench practices took place every afternoon, some recalling having gas masks at the ready and others camouflage cloaks to hide the white collar, which would have served as beacons in the event of an air raid.

These Old Girls, now in their 90s, said they used to enjoy watching the planes practise bombing runs up and down the Brisbane River after school.

Another Old Girl recalled a teacher of French kicking up her heels and doing a jig on Circular Drive when the war was over.

‘These are just such precious and beautiful memories that I am keen to capture before they are lost,’ Mary said.

Mary also loves to, where possible, restore some memories for people – often relatives of those who have passed – through finding photos and writings of both past students and staff.

‘It’s not always possible to find much, but when I do, it’s a lovely thing to be able to do.’

Mary recently acquired a sub-prefect’s badge, which was missing from the badge collection, after a shout out in the Old Girls’ newsletter.

She urges our community members who are downsizing or clearing out cupboards to not discard something that they think may have no value but just might be a missing link to a St Margaret’s mystery or another piece of the jigsaw of our past.

Mary’s most recent projects include mapping the historical footprint of the school and tending to the Sisters Archives, as well as enjoying the honour of being Patron for the 23/24 year.

People can contact Mary at msurtees@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or call (07) 3862 0816 if they have memories or items they wish to share.

An authentic journey of reconciliation

One only need witness our current Year 12 First Nations students confidently present and communicate their culture to the school body and look back to when they were in Year 7, in 2019, and attending the launch of what would become Gidhal, the first of the school’s First Nations anthologies, to understand the impact of the reconciliation journey at St Margaret’s over the past six years.

English teacher Margot Shave, who has stewarded the release of two anthologies and, together with Natalie Grant (also in the English faculty), is in the process of preparing a third for publication, said, as Year 7s, the First Nations students were quite shy and perhaps a little daunted about the prospect of writing for publication.

‘But to see their growth over the past six years through the process of now three anthologies, as well as the launch the of school’s Reconciliation Action Plan and the many reconciliation activities in which they now confidently participate and lead, is so gratifying,’ Margot said.

Leading the implementation of the RAP at St Margaret’s is the Dean of Academics Caitlin McCluskey, together with co-chair Rev’d Jazz Dow.

Reflecting on the school’s 2023 win in the Premier’s Queensland Reconciliation Award in the Education category, Caitlin said she feels it was definitely the student voice aspect to the school’s RAP efforts, through the publication of the First Nation’s anthologies, which won the award for the school.

‘There are many ways to promote and enact reconciliation, such as creating a space or special programs for First Nations students; however, I feel St Margaret’s point of difference is that our programs are targeted at our whole school community and driven by our Indigenous students, so it’s a platform of sharing, and within that, we are also ensuring they are supported in their space in other ways.

‘Our Years 12s who have experienced that whole journey since arriving at the school in Year 7 say they have seen a real change in the way they hold space in the community and can contribute to it.

‘The First Nations students commencing at the school today can see there is a platform that already exists, and it’s quite clear to them that their culture is something we really value, prioritise and care about,’ Caitlin said.

The RAP journey has spawned wonderful opportunities for the girls to be leaders, not just of the group of the First Nation students but of the whole school community.

As Year 11s last year, four First Nations students ran a two-hour Year 11 Masterclass about what their culture meant to them.

‘The entire cohort was enthralled and really loved it,’ Caitlin said, ‘and for them to have built the confidence to be able to conduct this session was incredible.’

In 2024, our regular and traditional First Nations activities around NAIDOC and Reconciliation weeks will feature some exciting additional celebrations with the launch of the third anthology (during NAIDOC week), and the hosting of the Traditional Aboriginal Games during Reconciliation Week.

In addition, a Kai Kai will be held each term where our First Nations students will share their culture through food, conducting cooking demonstrations for staff and students, the first of which was trialled last year.

Harnessing AI

Educators must always be looking ahead to prepare students for the workforce of the future and to equip them with the skills and aptitudes to adapt to future careers that are not yet on our horizons.

With AI bursting onto the scene in 2023, this has never been more apt. What AI is capable of could never have been imagined a decade ago and its capabilities will revolutionise the teaching and learning landscape for both our staff and students, just as it will, and is already, revolutionising the workforce.

St Margaret’s will embrace AI as it prepares its students for their best future; however, it will do so with a measured approach as we explore the optimal road forward.

To ensure our community feel supported, safe and ethically versed in considering how and when to use AI, the school has developed a set of AI guidelines designed to guide the responsible and ethical use of generative AI tools in ways that benefit and enhance teaching and learning, while also safeguarding the wellbeing and data privacy of our students and staff. It draws upon the principles outlined in the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools (2023) and three guiding principles form the basis of these guidelines (accessible via The POD), including ethics and bias, privacy and security, and teaching and learning.

Head of Faculty – eLearning, Research, Technology and Design Kerry Daud said the significant leap forward that AI has taken in the digital landscape presents exciting new ways to support teaching and learning.

‘It will absolutely be essential for our students to both ethically understand AI and have the skills required to use it to its fullest potential. With AI’s integration into software programs that are used in all

facets of industry, there will be no sectors that do not use AI extensively across all areas of the workforce.

‘At St Margaret’s, we consider AI a valuable tool that has enormous potential to enhance teaching and learning and ensuring our students are future ready. At the same time, however, we value what makes us, as humans, different from Artificial Intelligence, so we simultaneously continue to focus on nurturing the development of empathy, creativity and connectedness in our students to ensure they retain and promote the essential qualities that make us uniquely human while also harnessing AI,’ Kerry said. While there are many opportunities for St Margaret’s students to cultivate these skills, such as critical thinking, creativity and ethical reasoning, in response to the rapid accessibility of AI, in 2023 the Year 7 Religious and Values Education (RVE) has been renamed to On Being Human. In essence, On Being Human reflects what has long been the intentional focus in RVE: for students to reflect on what it means to be benevolent humans, on their values and ethics, and on their responsibility to each other.

From 2024, RVE as an area of study in all year levels, from primary through to secondary, will be known as On Being Human.

This quote from The New York Times perhaps best sums up how we as a school are embracing AI alongside our humanity: ‘A.I. will force us humans to double down on those talents and skills that only humans possess. The most important thing about A.I. may be that it shows us what it can’t do, and so reveals who we are and what we have to offer.’

References

Brooks, D. (2023, Feb 2). In the age of A.I., Major in Being Human. The New York Times. https:// www.nytimes.com/2023/02/02/opinion/aihuman-education.html

Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s world

STEM education prepares the world for the future and will help to secure the future success of our students.

St Margaret’s places great emphasis on inspiring students’ interest in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and developing the 21st century skillset they will need to thrive in their future careers.

A big, bright and creative maker space in the primary school is helping to nurture an early love of STEM, right from Pre-Prep.

The Atelier is dedicated to food technology, tinkering, design and construction, robotics, environmental studies, media studies, science and materials technology.

Walking into the space invites instant curiosity and sparks the imagination of young minds.

In one corner, there are construction items including cardboard boxes, recycled materials, scissors, tape and glue as well as loose LEGO parts. A large area is devoted to coding and robotics exploration and the space is also equipped with a 3D printer, virtual reality headsets and a kitchen facility for cooking demonstrations and experimentation.

Within the Atelier, students flex their creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they design and build solutions to real world problems. This vibrant and boisterously busy space gives students the freedom to investigate, experiment and explore.

Assistant Head of Primary – Curriculum Kate Frewin said the PP-6 STEM

curriculum at St Margaret’s focuses on promoting interest in STEM learning while also building students’ skills such as flexibility, reasoning, creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, grit and resilience.

‘Our aim is to nurture our learners’ curious minds and evoke a love of the four domains of STEM, while also developing the girls’ STEM knowledge, confidence and practices to help them succeed in their education and future career pathways,’ Mrs Frewin said.

In the early years, STEM is about play, discovery and wonder. As the girls move into the upper primary years, their STEM learning continues to focus on exploration, with a more structured approach to creating solutions to real-world problems.

In Years 5 and 6, STEM is taught by St Margaret’s secondary science teachers, which helps as the girls prepare for their transition to the secondary school.

The attraction and application of LEGO has never lost its appeal over the years, and while students are having fun with some colourful construction, you would never guess they are developing their fine motor skills and essential cognitive abilities such as critical thinking and creativity.

LEGO is just one of the many STEM resources used for hands-on learning in the Atelier. From Pre-Prep, students experiment with the use of LEGO bricks, and as they progress through to the upper primary years, the students begin to use

LEGO Education’s SPIKE Essential and Prime kits, which allow them to design and build while also coding electronic parts.

‘In Year 4, for example, students develop their scientific understanding of energy by using LEGO Education SPIKE Essential to engineer a mini golf game with the aim of ensuring the ball has enough energy to get a hole in one. The girls use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to test their construction and make modifications to improve it,’ Mrs Frewin said.

Coding and design applications and robotics are also resources that are frequently used by all year levels in the Atelier to promote students’ logic and problem-solving skills.

Students in Year 6, for example, use Tinkercad, an app for 3D design, electronics and coding, to design an inclusive play space within the school.

According to Mrs Frewin, the STEM curriculum at St Margaret’s is always evolving.

‘We are constantly looking to incorporate new and innovative technologies to ensure our students are developing their confidence in STEM learning and the skills they need for their futures.’

Introducing primary drama

Drama education teaches students how to communicate, how to listen and how to be empathetic.

Andrew Lloyd Webber

To participate in drama is to learn about ourselves and the world in which we live, including different cultures, different experiences and different perspectives. More than ‘acting’, drama is a discipline that encourages self-expression, nurtures creativity and imagination, and develops socialemotional skills.

While drama is regularly and informally integrated into early years education, commencing this year, students in Prep to Year 4 are participating in a semester of weekly timetabled drama lessons, led by the Assistant Head of Primary – Wellbeing and Operations Annette Box (Prep to Year 3) and Head of Faculty – Arts Rowena Bracken (Year 4).

Ms Box is expertly placed to set the stage for this new drama program with extensive experience working as a drama teacher in K-12 schools in addition to involvement in the arts in Brisbane.

She has always had a passion for drama in the early years and its ability to foster creative play as a method of nurturing imagination and developing unique perspectives of the world.

In their drama lessons, primary students will explore and portray different characters or scenarios by stepping into someone else’s shoes. ‘That’s one thing that drew me to drama in the first place – that opportunity for people to step outside of themselves. It can be a powerful way of teaching empathy because students can view things from different perspectives,’ Ms Box said.

One of the methods of teaching Ms Box likes to use is ‘process drama’.

‘In process drama, the teacher is in role and enrols the students in a range of different characters and groups, and these can change throughout the process. It can be a great method for exploring a moral, unpacking a message or investigating the theme of a picture book or story. At no point is it for an audience; it’s about the demonstration of students’ dramatic skills throughout the process and helps to develop their adaptability.

‘What I have noticed is that when you give younger students the opportunity to reflect or share, they relish in the opportunity and the fact that someone wants to hear their opinion. They love to be able to share their perspectives,’ she said.

Learning in drama can also be closely aligned to the topics and themes students are studying in another subject, helping to broaden and enrich their learning experiences across the curriculum.

Importantly, drama supports and encourages self-expression and fosters many skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity and communication skills, identified as key for the future of learning and work.

Together we rise

In 2023, Head of Primary Angela Drysdale was selected alongside 17 school principals from across Australia to participate in the 2023 Rising Team for Schools - Pilot Program, a platform designed to boost collective efficacy and strengthen high performing teams in schools. The invitation presented an exciting opportunity for St Margaret’s primary educators to grow their connection and collaborative capacity to positively impact learning outcomes for St Margaret’s students.

Collective efficacy stems from the research of psychologist Professor Albert Bandura, who found that groups who believed in their collective ability to achieve desired outcomes were more successful. His work highlighted the significant influence of beliefs and expectations on behaviour.

According to Eells (2011), when everyone in a school believes that together they can make a difference, the impact on student attainment can be so powerful, it is almost quadrupled.

Mrs Drysdale said the program aligns with the school’s continual focus on leading in education and nurturing professional learning and sharing.

‘While St Margaret’s is well known for its highly collegial and collaborative approach to teaching and learning, being selected for this valuable opportunity gave us the chance to further and deepen our collaborative capacity and provide leadership development within the primary school team.

‘The online platform allowed for our primary educators to work in one of three teams with a leader, either Kate Frewin, Sarah Singleton or myself. Each session contributed to building

collective efficacy by exploring different aspects which contribute to it, including Psychological Safety, Collective Efficacy and School, Conscious Listening, Clear Expectations, Collective Efficacy in Teams, Collective Efficacy and Leadership and Appreciation.

‘Each week, the teams would complete an online module and group discussion, led by the team leader, regarding one of these aspects of collective efficacy. The personal responses allowed each of the teams to get to know each other on a deeper level.

‘Over the past two years, we’ve had several new staff commence in the primary school, so it was also a highly effective way to introduce them to our culture of collaboration and to build their collective understanding of each other,’ Mrs Drysdale said.

At St Margaret’s, collective efficacy is in action through the school’s Quality Teaching and Learning Framework, the Non-Negotiables, school values and St Margaret’s Way. These guiding principles unite educators in their beliefs and expectations. However, through participation in the Rising Teams program, the primary educators were able to deepen this collegiality while also developing and enhancing their individual leadership skills.

St Margaret’s has been invited to participate in the Rising Team for Schools program for a second year.

Reference

Eells, R. (2011). Meta-analysis of the relationship between collective efficacy and student achievement. Unpublished Ph.D., Loyola University of Chicago

Languages: The Competitive Edge

Whether working at home or abroad, having a second language can represent a highly competitive edge in the job market.

As well as the acquisition of actual language skills, learning a second language can enhance many other aspects of learning and brain development, and the younger students are exposed to a language, the easier it is to learn it.

At St Margaret’s, students take compulsory language lessons up to and including Year 8, studying French or Chinese, which are then offered as electives from Year 9.

Even in Pre-Prep, the students are exposed to a second language, which not only brings linguistic benefits, but thanks to their neuroplasticity at this young age, it can also improve core cognitive skills such as reasoning, memory and problem-solving. Additionally, it encourages intercultural development and a curiosity about the world. In recent years, teachers with different language skills have taught German, Italian, and Japanese to our Pre-Preps.

Currently, Assistant Head of Primary Annette Box takes a 45-minute Japanese lesson once a week with the Pre-Preps. Over the course of the year, Ms Box says she witnesses the students developing their memory and communication skills, with the confidence to speak words and phrases in context. Using songs and games increases the students’ ability to recall content, while ensuring that the crucial sense of play is maintained.

For the past six years, students in Prep to Year 2 have participated in the school’s every day language program and every day music program, consisting of one 45-minute lesson four times a week split between the two disciplines. Research has shown that, more than any other factors, time, regularity, and continuity have the biggest impact when learning a language.

This frequent exposure develops students’ brains and cognition, and they quickly pick up the skills, using the language to make meaning, even being able to make jokes. Students take a semester each of French and Chinese. The language lessons pair well with music, which is like another language, learned through rhythm and patterns.

In Years 3 and 4, students take one 45-minute lesson in either French or Chinese, which is scaled up to two lessons a week in Years 5 and 6.

Evidence suggests that it is easier to learn a language early as the brain is still more supple. In addition, younger students are less inhibited to try out pronunciation, mimicking accents and intonation extremely well.

St Margaret’s used the highly successful AIM program to assist students to learn a language. Originally from Canada, this program achieves authentic learning ‘through scaffolding techniques which use storytelling, gestures, active collaboration, and repetition. The use of high-frequency vocabulary, introduced with gestures and contextualized in stories, drama, songs, and dance, allows students to rapidly achieve levels of oral and written proficiency rarely seen with conventional methods’ (AIM 2017).

Year 10 student Lauren Jarrett will pursue languages into the senior school having studied French from Year 7.

Lauren said she believed learning any language provides a person with a plethora of benefits, from increased knowledge and understanding of language and culture to improved memory retention and brain plasticity.

‘The benefits I have enjoyed from studying the French language include developing an increased understanding of French but also of linguistics as a whole – how languages work and are structured – thus allowing me to have an enhanced grasp on the English language and any other similar languages I might wish to learn in the future.

‘I have also gained a better appreciation, understanding, and love for the French culture through the holistic style of the curriculum offered here at St Margaret’s. In the long term, continuing to study and improve my French knowledge and vocabulary will give me broader career prospects and greater ability to explore

diverse cultures and ways of living by being able to properly connect with and understand people in French speaking areas should I choose to visit or live there.’

One of the advantages of studying French at St Margaret’s is that it opens up a student’s eligibility to apply for a French speaking Year 10 exchange to Pensionnat du SaintNom-de-Marie, Montreal, Canada.

Year 12 student Lucy Piggott has been studying French since she commenced at St Margaret’s in Year 3 in 2015. In Year 10 in 2022, Lucy travelled to Montreal for exchange where she said she tested her skills, communicated with a wide variety of people, and made lifelong friends.

In April this year, our French sister school Aix-en-Provence in Paris will visit St Margaret’s, and together with Churchie, families will host the visitors from this coed school for two weeks. St Margaret’s will take a group tour to France in a return visit in December.

Pre-COVID, the school organised two successful China trips in 2017 and 2019 and hopes to resume these trips as soon as possible. In the meantime, the school will organise more activities to help students develop their language skills and cultural understanding through cultural excursions and incursions.

Importantly, students learning a language are not just setting themselves up for a time they may wish travel or live overseas. Australia has more Chinese people per capita than any other country outside Asia, and Chinese is the second most spoken language in Australia, with over five per cent of the population identifying themselves as being of Chinese ancestry. Thus, Chinese will be used in more of our students’ everyday lives and these multi-lingual skills will not only add to their own cultural intelligence but will provide them with the edge in the job market and ensure our country has people with the skills to navigate an increasingly multicultural future.

Annabelle Robson (Year 10), who has been studied Mandarin from Year 4, believes that learning language is to learn communication skills and understand the countries and the people.

Bronte Tavener (Year 10) has studied Mandarin since starting at St Margaret’s in Year 4 saying she chose to study a language to challenge herself academically and to grow her cultural awareness.

‘Currently I wish to pursue a career in medicine but believe that within medicine being able to communicate with a variety of people and having the knowledge to understand other cultures will give me a competitive edge throughout this career,’ she said.

Eloise Round (Year 12) has been studying Chinese since Prep and says she has made good friends through learning the language. In addition, she is confident her language knowledge will give her a competitive advantage and open up more career options, such as jobs that require international communication.

Bless Daly (Year 10) studied Japanese in Years 3 to 5 and Chinese from Years 6 to 10.

‘I love the class; it is fun and interactive, and I always have a good time while learning the language.’

As a national water polo representative, Bless says she uses her language skills when travelling overseas for her sport.

The compulsory years of language studies at St Margaret’s will most certainly assist students to become more culturally literate global citizens; however, to be that job candidate who really stands out to a prospective employee in the most multicultural country in the world, students should consider extending their skills and building their cultural competency by studying a language beyond Year 8.

Reference:

AIM Learning Language. (2017). What is AIM? https://www.aimlanguagelearning.com/whatis-aim/

The evolving science of learning

Science is never quite settled. While there are countless immutable scientific facts, scientific knowledge is continually evolving; new evidence sheds light on prior conclusions and scientific methods can change with increasing knowledge.

So too, the science of learning is ever evolving. Remember when we diagnosed learning styles to determine if we were visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic learners? Turns out that while we might have a preference for a style of learning, there is little evidence a preference leads to better learning. And depending on what decade you learned to read, you might have had been versed in either phonics or whole language instruction, with the long standing ‘reading wars’ raging for decades about the most effective method.

As contemporary research sheds light on new discoveries about learning, St Margaret’s not only aims to be at the forefront of this research but also actively participates in research projects as part of growing its own professional body of knowledge.

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Throughout 2023, St Margaret’s participated in The University of Queensland’s Partnership School Project program. These partnerships involve schools putting froward a project and UQ working with them to provide a solid research lens to address issues or gaps schools have identified.

The school’s involvement in this project emerged from its 2022 participation in a project with UQ PDH student Jennifer Levitt, who was looking for a school with which to do a feedback project in the English space. Ms Levitt worked closely with our English Faculty, reflecting on how teachers provide feedback and students’ ability to provide their own feedback.

Dean of Academics Caitlin McCluskey said that instead of waiting for the feedback on a draft assessment piece that may happen later in the term, the project really front-ended feedback and also provided students with a process that helped them more critically assess their work.

Involvement in this project led the school to becoming a partner school in 2023 with the UQ Learning Lab, which brings together UQs multi-disciplinary research team and education and industry partners to design the future of learning together.

The research question posed was: ‘What are students’ knowledge, beliefs and practices around self-regulated learning strategies?’

The school collected over 600 student surveys measuring selfregulation and motivation from Years 7 to 12. Teachers were also surveyed regarding their perceptions of student self-regulation and motivation within the classroom. The data spotlighted some interesting and valuable findings:

The girls who do better academically are confident they have good self-regulation strategies.

There is a defined middle years’ slump in terms of the students’ confidence and their ability to tackle assessment tasks. In Years 9 and 10, where the cognitive load increases, the results of some students who have previously done well decline because they have been relying on ineffective strategies and these will stop working as the work gets harder.

In Years 11 and 12, students’ reliance on the teacher escalates with the approach of the vital assessment years, and they have less faith in themselves, when in fact there is little reason to. In addition, the senior years should help prepare students to become more independent learners in preparation for further studies and for life, and heavy teacher reliance is antithetical to this goal.

The next steps in 2024 will be some further internal investigation and a focus on qualitative analysis, particularly with the current Year 12s who have been engaged in the most reflection on their strategies for learning and revising.

SOAR PROGRAM

In 2023, St Margaret’s Dean of Studies

Chris Dunn, drawing on evidencebased strategies shown to have a high impact on student learning outcomes, developed and implemented the SOAR Program – an eight-week program designed to equip students with study and organisational strategies to assist them to become stronger learners.

Students in Years 7 to 10 were invited to the program (run across a semester). Those invited were seen as not meeting their potential based on previous results or were experiencing academic outcomes that did not correlate with the diligence with which they were applying themselves.

Mr Dunn said the invited students should feel proud of themselves for being identified as learners with a growth mindset and a willingness to learn and embrace new ideas to help them study more effectively.

The program addressed high impact study strategies such as: Active Reading; Retrieval and Spaced Practice; Dual Coding; Schematics and Mind Mapping; Flashcards; Elaborative Interrogation and Assessment Chunking.

One of the biggest takeaways from the program is the dispelling of the myths that there’s no wrong way to study and whatever works for you is good.

‘This program reveals there definitely are right and wrong ways to study,’ Mr Dunn said.

‘The right ways will give you greater impact in understanding, retrieving and applying knowledge.

‘The wrong ways will give you a false sense of security that you are doing the work; however, the reality is the techniques being used are not having the impact you should be looking for and you are potentially wasting a lot of time.’

ceTLe

Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence

And the results are in the data.

Mr Dunn said it was very pleasing to see that almost all the girls in the Semester 1 intake increased their overall GPA in Semester 2, with several girls receiving Speech Night prizes as a result of their GPA or improvement in attitude to learning.

Teachers across faculties were invited to teach the SOAR program and this has led to growing staff knowledge about these effective strategies.

LOOKING AHEAD

As a result of the findings of the UQ research projects and SOAR program, the vision is for all these areas of investigation – high impact study strategies, effective feedback modelling, and self-regulated learning strategies –to become a common language among all students. For this to occur, all teachers must be able to impart these strategies.

‘People would be surprised to learn that many of these strategies are not necessarily taught extensively at university when studying to become a teacher and are often learned over time and as new research emerges,’ Ms McCluskey said.

‘To help address this and to create a school-wide understanding of these effective strategies, the school has instigated termly Teachmeets, where bite-size professional development sessions will be delivered to staff focusing on effective high yield study strategies that they can implement in their teaching and academic advising.’ These activities all occur under the umbrella of St Margaret’s CeTLe - Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence.

WHAT’S USEFUL AND WHAT’S NOT

Summarising textbook chapters in lengthy paragraphs, covering a page of notes in highlighter pen, or rereading textbooks so that information will somehow be osmotically absorbed – it feels like you are studying hard, but it’s not very effective.

Beautifully colour coding notes, so pages look amazing and meticulous will result in twice as many notes than is needed and won’t significantly add to understanding. Pretty notes are easy to write but it takes brain power to do the work to make them meaningful.

Memorising your notes without understanding the material – you might ace the test in the short term, but you won’t remember much in the long term, which is very important come external exam time.

Spaced Retrieval: After the initial exposure to new knowledge, the second exposure may be a day or two later, the third exposure a week later, then two weeks, then four weeks – to the point where the learning is almost forgotten. This layering effect helps consolidate knowledge in long term memory – great for external exams.

Dual coding: If students only have information presented in one form of code – written or visual – then the brain only has one way to interpret and understand information; whereas, if study notes are in dual coded form – visual and written – they complement each other and add to the brain’s ability to take in information and understand it. But it’s not about putting any picture or diagram with a set of notes. Think about writing a useful summary of main points complemented by a flow chart that diagrammatically represents the most important elements of the learning.

Learn how to mindmap and use schematics: Crossing over with dual coding, a concept map or a diagram that helps explain your notes will consolidate your learning and heighten understanding more than just re-reading texts or going over your notes. It’s also easier to recall a graphic than a chapter from a textbook.

Wellbeing for life and learning

At St Margaret’s we recognise that learning and wellbeing are inextricably linked, and it has long been the school’s philosophy to ‘educate the whole child’ including the social, emotional, physical and academic wellbeing of our students.

In 2023, St Margaret’s recruited two highly skilled wellbeing professionals, psychologists Michelle Alexander and Emma Greensill, to support the school’s wellbeing practices.

Michelle has over twenty years’ experience as a registered psychologist working with children, adolescents and their families. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Bachelor of Science Psychology (Honours) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Health Science (Behaviour Management). She has extensive knowledge and experience in therapeutic consultation and psychological and educational assessments having worked in a range of settings including corporate, not for profit, medical settings, private practice and in the education setting as a Montessori teacher.

Walking into Michelle’s office is as warm and inviting as her therapy style, which is adapted to suit the needs of each individual student. ‘Every child is different, so we can’t treat every child the same,’ she says.

As a result, Michelle draws on a number of therapeutic approaches including play therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, art therapy, music therapy and relaxation training and mindfulness.

Her room is filled with sensory items and tools, including everything from play dough, lego and a fairy garden, to games and even karaoke, modalities she often says act as ‘ice breakers’ and are indicative of her child centred approach to therapy.

‘I try to breakdown the stigma of what a psychologist is,’ Michelle says.

Michelle aims to give students ownership of the space, and during Term 4 last year, students festively trimmed the space with lights, tinsel and Christmas decorations. She even has a vast array of teas so that students can enjoy a ‘cuppa and a chat’.

Since completing her Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) at The University of Queensland, Emma has worked across several therapeutic environments inclusive of private practice, correctional facilities and schools. Like Michelle, Emma tailors her therapeutic approach based on the individual needs of students, aligning with the school’s holistic education view.

When working with students, Emma takes into account social, emotional, biological and environmental influencers and works in collaboration with teachers, parents and learning enhancement staff to develop personalised support for students.

Emma says she strives to support students at St Margaret’s by providing a safe space to reflect, explore and learn new things where they ‘feel heard and understood without judgement’. She is passionate about helping students to develop skills to support their mental health and aims to provide them with a toolbox of strategies they can practise and implement throughout their life.

PARENTING A CHILD WITH ANXIETY

We know that supporting student wellbeing doesn’t stop when students leave the school gates, so we invited Michelle Alexander to share her expertise in recognising and supporting anxiety in children through her lens as both a parent and child psychologist.

Being a parent is by far one of the most challenging roles I have in my life. Over 20 years, talking to many parents from culturally diverse backgrounds in private practice as well as in my personal life, I have found many of us ask these same questions. Am I a good parent? Am I doing enough or too much for my children? Are my children happy? If you are like me, being a parent feels fraught with self-doubt, with trying to keep track of endless emails, birthday parties, extracurricular activities and overseeing our children’s wellbeing, including their mental health.

There are some positives to being trained as a child psychologist and being a parent. I can identify when my child is not coping well at school and when they may be having difficulties regulating their emotions. Often parents ask me what do I look for if I think my child may be experiencing anxiety.

WHAT IS ANXIETY?

Anxiety is a normal emotion which helps us cope with difficult, challenging, and dangerous situations. Anxiety is common. There are times when we all feel worried, anxious, on edge and stressed. However, anxiety becomes a problem when it stops your child from enjoying normal life by affecting their school, family relationships,

friendships, or social life. This is when anxiety takes over and your child has lost control of their anxiety.

HERE ARE SOME SIGNS YOUR CHILD MAY BE EXPERIENCING ANXIETY.

1. Your child is excessively worrying about future or past events and has difficulties controlling their worry.

2. Your child appears restless and on edge.

3. They may describe some or all these symptoms: headaches, dry mouth, tightness in their chest or throat, dizziness, nausea, stomach aches, shakiness, and/or various aches and pains.

4. They may have sleep disturbance (difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep).

5. Your child may often go blank or may have difficulties concentrating.

6. Irritability.

HOW CAN I SUPPORT MY CHILD?

If your child has been experiencing excessive worry and anxiety for more than six months, you may want to consider visiting your child’s GP to ask if a referral to a psychologist may be appropriate. As a parent, you can decide if you would like to

take this step sooner than six months to help support your child and family. A psychologist can offer you and your child some helpful strategies to manage their anxiety.

An evidence-based treatment to help manage anxiety is called cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), which is based on the concept that how we FEEL and how we ACT are due to the way we THINK. CBT’s underlying assumption is anxiety problems are often related to our thoughts. If we can change our thoughts, we can learn to manage our anxiety more effectively.

Remember to support your child while they are learning new ways to cope with their anxiety. It is helpful to model the behaviour you want to see. Our children learn by watching us and how we regulate our feelings. Be patient; parenting is a marathon and not a sprint. It takes time for our children and ourselves to learn new strategies. Praise their efforts and encourage them to keep trying. Keep talking to your children. And please remember to be kind to yourself. This parenting gig isn’t easy.

For more information visit Youth Beyond Blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/whodoes-it-affect/young-people/mental-healthissues or phone Kid’s Helpline 1800 551 800 or Lifeline 13 11 14.

Strengthening sisterhood

Annie Kidd and Sofia Nona will lead the boarding house as Captains this year. Here, they share their perspectives on life in boarding and what they hope to achieve this year as leaders.

ANNIE KIDD

Country girl Annie Kidd hails from a cattle station in Croydon in Far North Queensland and, like Sofia, joined St Margaret’s in Year 7.

Although she found the transition overwhelming at first, Annie found the supportive community and keeping busy helped.

‘I became heavily involved in sport and music to take my mind off being homesick. It was also an opportunity to try sports that I could never try at home, so I made sure I gave everything a go,’ she said.

In addition to tennis, touch football, water polo and rowing, Annie has also tried her hand at a number of different instruments through the school’s music program and now focuses on playing guitar.

Through the school’s careers development program, Annie has completed a Certificate III in Agriculture and a Certificate II in Animal Care, qualifications that have connected her education to life on the land and have equipped her with the skills to work rurally in the future.

For Annie, her favourite moments in boarding have always centred around the close group of friends she has established.

It was this sense of community that inspired her to run for Boarder Captain, and through her leadership alongside Sofia next year, she hopes to further strengthen the tight-knit boarding community of which she loves being a member.

‘This year, I hope to foster closer connections across all year levels in the boarding house, strengthening our sisterhood and modelling a positive outlook,’ Annie said.

SOFIA NONA

Sofia Nona joined St Margaret’s from Badu Island in the Torres Strait in 2019 when she was in Year 7.

‘It was a big transition for me, both being so far away from home and in terms of the cultural difference,’ she said.

Celebrating culture and inclusivity have been key tenets of Sofia’s journey at St Margaret’s and something she is very proud of. During her first year at the school, she contributed to the school’s inaugural First Nations’ publication Gidhal and became a student representative on St Margaret’s Reconciliation Action Plan committee, experiences that helped her to remain connected to her culture and have a voice within the school.

‘I have appreciated the opportunity to contribute different ways to incorporate, celebrate and recognise Indigenous culture at St Margaret’s, not just during the big events such as Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, but in the day-to-day school life and activities as well,’ Sofia said.

Sofia’s favourite thing about St Margaret’s is the sense of community and ‘sisterhood’.

‘What I love most is the support that you get from being part of the community; not just from teachers and staff but from students in my cohort and in other cohorts too.

‘We’ve created a beautiful bond that goes well beyond just going to the same school,’ Sofia says.

As a Boarding Captain this year, Sofia plans to continue to contribute to this sense of community by ensuring every student feels welcomed at St Margaret’s.

Are we coming to a town near you?

As always, St Margaret’s representatives will be out and about in the regions across Queensland and New South Wales this year, talking to past, current and future members of the St Margaret’s community.

Imagine your future...

St Margaret’s at St Margaret’s Boarding On the road

One of the most surprising factors about these visits are the people we meet from many miles away. Where possible, we hold a function when we travel and invite families and alumni from that region. We do cast a wide net, to the extent that some people receiving our invitations may question why they have received one. Inevitably, however, when we arrive at our destination and stand at our booth at a show, we come across community members from many miles away, who we hadn’t invited (and of course immediately extend the invitation for them to join us).

This year, in particular, we are travelling to Beef Week in 2024, an event to which people travel from across the country to attend, so will be casting an even wider net to our community members. If you do know you are going to be at one of the destinations below and would like an invitation to our functions (marked with an asterisk*) we would appreciate you lodging an expression of interest form that you will find on our website. The QR code below will take you there. This information will help us extend an invitation to more people, by ensuring we have your correct email address, especially for our mobile younger alumni. You may have also moved towns or cities, and we may not invite you if we think you are still in London, whereas you have, in fact, relocated to Longreach!

If you have any queries, please feel free to reach out to our Head of Admissions, Fiona Spooner, at admissions@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

2024

April 17 Toowoomba Dinner*

May 1 - 2 Goondiwindi* (function 1 May, Art Show Opening 2 May)

May 6 - 10 Beef Week, Rockhampton (function Wednesday 8 May)*

June 4 - 5 ICPA State Conference, Townsville

July 16 - 18 Longreach Dinner*

July 25 Boarding Schools Expo - Moree

July 26 - 27 Boarding Schools Expo - Tamworth

August 6 - 8 Cotton Conference, Gold Coast

September 2 - 6 Dalby, Chinchilla, Miles, Roma*

December 1 - 2 Mt Isa Boarding Schools Expo

Date tbc South Burnett/ Kingaroy*

*Events where a function will be held

Boarding life

The first few weekends of the year in the St Margaret’s boarding house is filled with fun but purposeful activities that help orientate new boarders in particular with their new school and possibly new city and surrounds, as well as providing many opportunities to forge friendships and a true sense of belonging both within and across the year levels of the house. Building a strong sense of community in the boarding house is very much key to setting students up for a happy and successful year. The fun and activities continue throughout the year with a fulltime activities coordinator, as well as girls begin to full take advantage of the many and varied extracurricular opportunities available at the school.

Kicking goals in primary sport

When the primary sports captains pen their end of season reports, recurring themes emerge across all the sports. They write of making new friends, learning new skills, understanding more about what it means to be a good team member, displaying school values, and being proud ambassadors for the school. They also tell of overcoming nerves, trying their hardest, learning to be humble when victorious, and being good sports in defeat.

Through their words, it is evident that the primary sports program at St Margaret’s is meeting its aim of providing a wide range of activities, which suits individual talents, provides challenge, and fosters personal development.

St Margaret’s is a member of Andrews Cup, BWPI and Downey Park Netball Association, providing competition in AFL, artistic gymnastics, athletics, basketball, cricket, cross country, netball, tennis, touch football, soccer, swimming, and water polo.

As the opposite alpha order summary of the 2023 seasons shows, our primary school athletes enjoyed enthusiastic competition and many podium finishes across all the sports.

AFL: Thirty students participated in our first AFL competition, with the focus on teaching all students about the game and the skills required for AFL. Each year, the Andrews Cup AFL competition will continue to grow as we further develop in this popular female sport.

Artistic Gymnastics: It was podium finishes all round in the Megan Mitchell Shield Cup with the A Grade coming first, the B and D Grades coming second, and the C Grade coming third. This was followed up by excellent performances at the Andrews Cup competition, where Team D1 and Team D2 came second, Team B came third, and Team C1, Team C2 and Team A came fourth.

Athletics: Over 50 St Margaret’s student athletes enjoyed competing in the Andrews Cup Athletics Carnival in August, where St Margaret’s was awarded fourth place overall.

Basketball: In November, 80 Years 4 to 6 basketball players competed at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, with B white placing third in their division.

Cricket: Forty keen cricketers took to the pitch for Andrews Cup cricket – only our third year in the competition – and were very excited when the A grade team took out the win.

Cross Country: Across Years 2 to 6, 70 athletes took on the gruelling cross country course and were victorious, winning both the Aggregate Cup and the Noel McBride Cup.

Netball (Andrews Cup): A huge contingent of 120 enthusiastic Years 4 to 6 Maggies netballers played the Andrews Cup carnival in July at Downey Park, where the following teams placed on the podium: Third - B Grade, C purple, D white, Junior B Blue; Second - Junior A; First - D Pink.

Netball (Club): St Margaret’s fielded 14 primary teams, with two making the finals and STM 18 claiming the premiership.

Soccer: Travelling all the way to Toowoomba was no barrier for our soccer players, who secured a second place (B pink) and a win (Junior A).

Swimming: Lining up against nine other schools at the big Chandler pool, for the third consecutive year, St Margaret’s brought home the Springfield Cup. The school placed third in the overall competition.

Tennis: In contrary weather in April, at the UQ Tennis Centre, the St Margaret’s A Grade were victorious for the second consecutive year.

Touch Football: Played by students in Years 4 to 6, our A grade placed second and were undefeated until the last play, C-blue also placed second, and B-white and C-grey placed third.

Water Polo: Our primary water polo players in Years 5 and 6 compete in the BWPI Club Water Polo competition.

Bucking the participation trend

Performance and participation are the key tenants of the St Margaret’s Sport program.

From within our sporting program many have achieved representative honours at the highest level – achievements of which we are incredibly proud; however, as educators, with all the health and wellness benefits and personal development opportunities participation in sport brings, we are equally as proud of the enthusiastic participation levels across all St Margaret’s sports.

The infographic (right) provides some key participation highlights of 2023. The 89 per cent of students who participate in school sport reveals St Margaret’s is bucking the growing trend of decline in female youth sport participation across Australia. Even 78 per cent of Year 12 cohort participated in sport, when you might expect a greater decline given final year ‘stressors’; however, perhaps they have paid attention to our high-achieving graduates whose frequent advice, on returning for the annual Scholars Assembly, is to strive for balance

and to NOT give up extracurricular activities. Healthy bodies pave the way for healthy minds. Our boarders break all benchmarks – with 92 per cent involved in sport, relishing as many opportunities as they can to participate.

In addition to sports, to match contemporary trends, St Margaret’s has invested in its strength and conditioning space and program offering, with fitness/gym being identified as the number one non-sport-related activity for young females.

Director of Sport Lloyd Knight said that throughout 2024 the school would continue to encourage the intrinsic forms of engagement, enjoyment, social connection and character development, just as much as the more extrinsic values of achievement, success and accolade.

‘As always, we will encourage girls to give new things a go and support each other in the process,’ he said.

Secondary School SPORT IN REVIEW 2023

89% of students participated across 21 sports

92% of boarders participated in sport.

94% Year 7 & Year 9 both had the highest level of participation.

78% of Year 12s participated in sport in balance with their academics.

PARTICIPATION STATISTICS MOST POPULAR SPORTS

TOUCH FOOTBALL YEAR

SPORT PERFORMANCE

Summer Team of the Year

QGSSSA 13 Years Swim Team

Autumn Team of the Year

QGSSSA 17 Years & Over Cross Country Team

Winter Team of the Year

QGSSSA Open Netball Team

25 Sport Team or Age Group Pennants Won

42 Queensland Sport Representatives

ON AVERAGE, STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN 3 SPORTS ACROSS THE YEAR.

1900+ PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN SPORT.

SPORT PARTICIPATION

NETBALL, 307 STUDENTS

33% of the school plays Netball Touch Football, 257 students

28% of the school plays Touch Cross Country, 193 students

21% of the school runs Cross Country Rowing, 169 students 18% of the school rows Water Polo, 163 students 18% of the school plays Water Polo Swimming, 154 students 17% of the school swims 33% 28% 21% 18% 18% 17%

13 Australian Sport Representatives

SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS

2023 was another stellar year in the water, on the water, and on the land.

The new pool and outstanding coaches are helping to breed teams of champion swimmers and water polos players. It was Matt Brown’s first year at the helm of the swimming program, and the school placed second in the QGSSSA Swimming Championships, with the 13 Years team winning their age group pennant. Our water polo program goes from strength to strength with 12 of the 13 teams fielded making the finals, four contesting the grand finals, and two – 14 Years Div 1 and 15 Years Div 2 – claiming ultimate victory in the BWPI competition. Our lifesavers successfully brought home the Sheena Dyason Shield for the 23rd year. continues over

Our rowers had an outstanding day on the water at the BSRA Head of the River, bringing home the percentage cup, with second placings in the aggregate cup and the First VIII race. Winning crews were:

Year 8 – Crew 9, Crew 7, Crew 6, Crew 5, Crew 3; Year 9 – Crew 9, Crew 7, Crew 6, Crew 3, Crew 2; Senior – 2nd Eight and Year 12 skull (Georgia Montague).

In artistic gymnastics, 35 girls were selected for the QG competition. This year was the most successful yet for the school with every division reaching the podium and three teams – D Grade, Year 7A Grade and Year 7B – taking home gold. In rhythmic gymnastics, we fielded 12 teams with three teams finishing top four in their respective divisions.

In Club Netball, a record ten teams made it to the grand finals with five of the eight secondary teams and one of the two primary teams securing victory. This was an historical best result for the 20 years we have contested Club Netball. In QGSSSA netball, our results were also recordbreaking with three teams – Opens, Year 10B and Senior B – securing premierships. In the ultimate statewide secondary schools netball competition –the QISSN – the school placed second in Division 3 in this highly contested and high level competition.

Other pennant winning teams across the year included the Year 9B touch football team, the 17 years and over cross country team, and the Junior A tennis team.

REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS

Last year, many St Margaret’s athletes achieved state and national representative honours.

Ten students represented Australia across nine sports while 44 students represented Queensland across 14 sports.

These athletes are celebrated in regular eNews updates and we encourage the community to share these successes with the school. Not every student’s sporting passion is played at school – last year our athletes also excelled in sports such as beach volleyball, mountain biking, triathlon, equestrian, skating and futsal. The school wholeheartedly encourages and supports our athletes’ pursuit of excellence in their chosen fields, with many participating in the Flyers program up to Year 10 to help them balance their sporting and academic endeavours.

These representative pathways are often a gateway to exciting futures with many athletes gaining entrance into local and overseas sporting programs and universities. 2023 Year 12 graduate Sophie Martin has been accepted into Northwestern University, Chicago, and is planning to complete a pre-med degree majoring in Neuroscience, while continuing to further her athletic career with the Northwestern Swim Team. Rugby 7s representative Lucy Bourke (’23) is planning to continue her rugby training through the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) while completing sports studies, with her big goal to play for Australia in the Women’s National Rugby Sevens team.

We congratulate all our representatives and wish them well as they strive towards their sporting goals.

The St Margaret’s Flyers Program is one of the schools signature programs, which aims to support our outstanding scholars, athletes and our visual and performing artists to follow their passions while successfully balancing all aspects of their education. Visual artists are less represented in the program than our scholars, athletes and musicians; however, Year 9 student Matilda Owen proactively explored the possibilities with her teachers and is now enjoying the benefits of spending more time developing her craft.

Flyers Program: helping students pursue their passions

‘I am seeking. I am striving.

‘I am in it with all my heart’ Vincent van Gogh

For as long as she can remember, Matilda Owen (Year 9) has wanted to be an artist.

She even has a photo of herself from her day care days that says: ‘When I grow up, I want to be an artist.’

Matilda learnt about the St Margaret’s Flyers Program through a friend who was involved in the program through her music and related to Matilda how the extra time she gained through more spares was helping her balance her music practice and study effectively.

Matilda approached the then new Head of Arts – Faculty Rowena Bracken to see if she could be considered for the program through her artistic talents and ambition to become a full-time artist.

Her successful application meant that Matilda gained three spares a week and uses this time to research her art projects, study art and architecture in the library on her own personal learning journey, or, if close to exams, complete assignments or extra revision, while still keeping up the many hours it takes to pursue and perfect her craft.

Having been at St Margaret’s since Prep, Matilda had pursued art at every opportunity.

Throughout her primary years she had Mrs Kerry Rider as her mentor who saw and nurtured this young artist’s talents and passion to pursue her dreams.

‘The art rooms were like a second home to me, and Mrs Rider was a wonderful mentor,’ Matilda said.

Matilda’s main mediums are waters colours and sketching. She is planning to soon make prints from her originals to sell.

When the school day is done, Matilda can be found in her art studio in the back yard of her family home; however, life experience is what gives an artist their view and passion for their art, so Matilda also throws herself into a whole array of other pursuits from piano and singing lessons, through to sport, including running, swimming and playing basketball.

Now in Year 9, Matilda can major in Art, with her ultimate goal of gaining entry into the QUT art program and then pursue further art studies in the United Kingdom and immerse herself in the world of art on the other side of the globe.

Not every individual discovers their passions so early in life, but when they do, the St Margaret’s Flyers Program can help them effectively pursue their passions, while still balancing their important academic work.

Strictly brilliant: time after time

The cast and crew of the 2023 school musical quick stepped, cha cha’d and salsa’d their way through three sold out shows of the sequined, sparkly, extravaganza Strictly Ballroom the Musical.

Before the cast took to the stage on opening night, however, they spent many hours rigorously rehearsing and mastering the steps and choreography of classic ballroom dances, including the waltz, the rhumba, the samba and the paso doble, as well as contemporary, jazz, street and lyrical dances.

It was an extraordinary effort for the cast, who largely had no dance experience at all, but they rose to the challenge, demonstrating perseverance, adaptability and a whole lot of talent.

Making sure the musical all about dancing had the right amount of ‘sparkle’ was a team of people, including professional choreographer Jenni Zeeli and St Margaret’s staff, who worked with the students to learn and refine the steps.

The team aimed to create a safe, supportive environment in rehearsals to help build the girls’ confidence, enabling them to feel they could experiment and step outside their comfort zone.

Among the 50 strong cast were nine experienced dancers who were also members of the school dance troupe, Ballare.

The musical was not only a great opportunity for these girls to showcase their talents, but there was a lot of peer coaching in rehearsals, which gave the experienced dancers a leadership opportunity and the non-trained dance girls someone to look up to.

Head of Faculty – Arts Rowena Bracken said she spent a lot of time in rehearsals focused on simple aspects, including walking in time to the music, gesture and body angles, to help the performers move more naturally on stage.

‘Encouraging the girls to listen to the lyrics, pay attention to the story and use their bodies and facial expression to bring the emotion into each dance was important. This was very much the final part to developing the choreography,’ Rowena said.

‘It was wonderful to watch non dancers realise that they can dance! I was impressed with how they mastered the complexity of the dance routines and gave it their all.’

While the performers were remembering each step and executing each dance, they were also required to sing, and for some cast members playing male roles this proved even more challenging.

‘The choreographer was very aware of the vocal demands required for each of the songs and endeavoured to ensure students weren’t required to do overly complex moves whilst also singing.

‘For the students playing male roles, we mostly had them sing an octave higher depending on where their vocal register was positioned; however, there were occasional moments where we used some artistic licence to move notes around to better suit our students’ vocal ranges,’ Head of Performance Brad King said.

Luci Sprott played the role of lead character Scott Hastings (played by Paul Mercurio in the Strictly Ballroom film) and had never danced a step before being cast in the musical.

‘Playing a lead character can be overwhelmingly complex with many different components, especially for a show of this nature, and for me, it was all about finding the right balance between singing, acting, and dancing. As I’d never danced or played a male character before, I found those areas needed the most practice. With the help of our incredible directors, I was able to find Scott as a character, and with the help of other girls who had previous dance experience, I picked up the choreography as well. Their expertise and support were crucial during my preparation of Scott, and I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it without them,’ she said.

Just like her character Fran, Ruby Reynolds Campbell had very little dance experience.

‘Thankfully the character of Fran is a ballroom beginner, so I did not require as much training to perfect the steps as a lot of the other characters did! It was definitely a learning curve though that allowed me to develop and foster new skills and build perseverance,’ Ruby said.

School musicals help build and strengthen the bonds in school communities and Luci’s experience perfectly expressed this sentiment.

‘Strictly Ballroom truly was an amazing experience and has been a highlight of 2023 for many reasons. I really enjoyed learning new skills, the experience of acting in a professional theatre, getting to do what I love in a supportive environment, but most of all the lifelong

friendships and connections I made throughout the process. The friendships we created with one another behind the scenes did not end after our final show, which is something I am eternally grateful for and is most definitely one of the best parts about the musical experience,’ she said.

Music at St Margaret’s is a vibrant aspect of extracurricular life, offering students a range of performance opportunities from contemporary through to classical.

The art of learning

Visual art is viewed as an important facet of a holistic St Margaret’s education.

Across the primary and secondary years, our visual art educators support students to explore their creativity and express themselves in unique ways, while also developing their understanding of the world and their place within it.

Creativity, analytical thinking, resilience, perseverance, and adaptability are just some of the skills students develop through visual art, with these skills becoming like brushstrokes on the students’ canvas of life.

In the primary years, our young artists explore a range of artistic mediums, including drawing, painting, and sculpture. The study of art also helps to develop and enhance their understanding of the world around them.

Primary art teacher Donna Free joined St Margaret’s in Term 4 last year with a background as both a practising artist and art educator. She most recently taught primary art at Whitsunday Anglican School.

Donna encourages play in her students’ art practice to inspire creativity and build confidence.

‘My philosophy of teaching art is to nurture risk-taking and exploration. Art is something that is created as you go, and that requires flexibility and embracing mistakes. Through lots of encouragement, I try to allow the girls to feel they can be safe no matter what they do. It’s not the end of the world if something doesn’t work out. It can be changed into something else. If I can make them feel they can be free to be expressive in the art room, they will build their confidence.

‘I often tell the students that the marks that they make are their own special marks and that’s what I’m looking for, not my marks or somebody else’s. Their marks are the beauty in their artwork, even if they may feel strange or awkward,’ Donna said.

Head of Faculty – Arts Rowena Bracken said, ‘Mistakes are all part of the process, and sometimes mistakes can be beautiful.’

Through the secondary art program, students are exposed to the different styles, mediums and elements of art. They are taught skills in painting, drawing, lino printing, mixed media, photography, sculpture, weaving and clay, and develop an understanding of the building blocks used by artists, including line, shape, form, space, value, colour and texture.

As students progress through the curriculum, they develop their analytical skills, researching artists and their artwork influences, including cultural, environmental, political and social factors.

Rowena said this develops students’ appreciation for art.

‘We want students to have a love of art –to question and to think about the amount of effort that goes into making work and to look for deeper meaning and make interesting connections,’ she said.

Rowena believes every piece of student artwork should be celebrated.

At the end of every unit, student artwork is exhibited in the gallery and foyer spaces of the Arts Centre while the artwork of Year 12 students is exhibited at a Senior Showcase to which parents are invited to attend. Each month, the Arts Captains

select an artwork of the month, which is also shared with the wider community, to celebrate students’ creativity.

Beyond the classroom, weekly after school extracurricular opportunities are available to all secondary students interested in art at St Margaret’s, providing them with the chance to explore and experiment with different styles and mediums.

Artists-in-residence are also involved in the curriculum and extracurricular program, bringing their in-depth knowledge, experience and artistic skills in a particular artform into the classroom.

Rowena says exposing students to artistsin-residence offers many benefits.

‘The girls come to appreciate the importance of art as a platform for expressing identity, our collective community and culture. It also inspires

them to try something new. It’s always exciting to learn from someone who is practising, and it raises the profile of art as a career,’ she said.

This year, we welcome two new arts educators to the school each of whom are also practising artists and each bring unique skillsets to the classroom. Emma Cameron is teaching Years 7 to 10 Visual Art, and, as an artist, works with mixed media combining watercolours, ink and paint. Jasmine Klemm is teaching Years 8 to 12 Visual Art and is passionate about ceramics. Recently, Jasmine has been developing new skills in glassblowing and regularly seeks opportunities to experience new mediums in art.

Marking 10 years of the Ponytail Project with a $1M target: We need you!

In 2015, four St Margaret’s students were motivated to move the needle on cancer treatment after the mother of a Year 12 student was diagnosed with cancer. Together, Beth Flint, Meg Fraser, Maria Cobain  and Annabelle Crossley devised the Ponytail Project, where students could raise funds as well as donate their hair for wigs or hairpieces.

TUESDAY 30 JULY Get in

These philanthropic role models could never have imagined ten years ago that their unique and innovative idea would resonate so well with communities that not only would it continue to be an annual St Margaret’s event, but it would be adopted by Cancer Council Queensland (in 2019) and ripple out across the state, helping so many more impacted by disease.

In that first year, 21 students cut off their ponytails and raised almost $20,000. Momentum has gathered across the years, and in 2023, 110 students #rockedthechop and raised over $126,000, bringing the total amassed across the nine years to more than $700,000, not to mention the countless ponytails that have been donated to be made into wigs for grateful recipients. In that time, many girls have lined up twice, a few even three times to donate to the cause. Funds have also been raised for the Minotti Trust to assist with the young family of beloved past student and staff member Amanda Minotti who sadly lost her life to the disease in 2016.

2024 will mark the tenth year of the Ponytail Project, and like all milestones, St Margaret’s wants to make its mark –by moving the fundraising needle to the million-dollar mark! It’s a bold target, so we are calling in the cavalry.

We are asking the wider community members of St Margaret’s to join us for the 10th anniversary of this remarkable project. If you are an Old Girl or past or current parent and would like to help us reach our target, we are asking you to register your interest so we can keep you up to date with the 2024 event. And some of you might need to start growing your mane now! None of us escape the impact of this insidious disease – whether through loved-ones or even ourselves one day –we all know someone. More than 32,000 Queenslanders are diagnosed with cancer each year and Cancer Council Queensland is dedicated to ensuring no Queenslander is left navigating cancer alone. Ponytails will again be donated to Real Fringe Hairbands to be fashioned into hairpieces and wigs for people suffering the effects of cancer treatment or alopecia.

involved

Will you be there on Tuesday 30 July 2024 to help us make history? It will be the biggest Ponytail Project event to date and raise the most funds to help as many people as we can. In addition, if you know or any individuals or companies who would like to join us on this journey, put them in touch with us.

Can’t get to Brisbane? You can still be involved wherever you are by joining the fundraising page and getting your local hairdresser or a trusted friend to lop off your ponytail or consider holding your own event in a regional area or international city!

To register your interest, please scan the QR code which will take you to a form asking for your name and contact details. Then, when the event plans are finalised and the fundraising page opens, we can communicate with you.

For enquiries, please contact:

Wendy Johnston, Director of Marketing and Communications

wjohnston@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Tel: (07) 3862 0837

SATURDAY 27 JULY 2024

MARKET STALLS | RIDES | FOOD TRUCKS | BARS | PERFORMANCES

On Saturday 27 July, the MAYO Arts Festival will bring our community together for a oneday only multi-arts celebration that will showcase Brisbane artists and artisans and student exhibitions and performances in art, dance, drama and music.

The festival is named in honour of St Margaret’s Old Girl Daphne Mayo MBE (1908), who was a leading Australian female artist most prominently known for the sculptured tympanum above the entrance to Brisbane City Hall. Daphne carved the path for today’s St Margaret’s students’ education and learning of the three-dimensional artform, and celebrating three-dimensional art is what sets the MAYO Arts Festival apart.

This year’s one-day festival will be bigger and better with more rides, activities, food truck, a bar as well as artisan market stalls selling a diverse selection of ceramics, jewellery, homewares and textiles, while our music, dance and drama students will perform on stage. We will also exhibit more student artwork than ever before,

celebrating the creative expression of our students involved in the art program.

All proceeds from the MAYO Arts Festival will go towards enriching the art education experience of St Margaret’s students through the acquisition of new artwork and the maintenance and restoration of the school’s existing art collection. Keep an eye out on our social media and website for more details about the festival.

Art and cuisine converge at MAYO Long Lunch

Over 100 art lovers gathered to enjoy one of St Margaret’s signature events – the MAYO Long Lunch in August last year.

Raising funds to invest in the future of the Arts at St Margaret’s, the 2023 event was themed ‘Star Gazing’ and recognised painters whose works have captured the magnificent display of the night sky.

The MAYO Long Lunch is a delightful dovetail of art and food and St Margaret’s Head Chef Scott Johnson created a feast for guests’ tastebuds while their creative appetites appreciated a display of artworks by FireWorks Gallery.

The imaginatively planned five-course menu drew inspiration from the nationalities and styles of five different artists whose works depict the night sky.

‘The main course was a traditional French dish of duck confit with mille feuille of escargot and was inspired by French artist Camille Pissarro’s The Boulevard Montmarte at Night,’ Scott said.

World famous painter from Norway Edvard Munch and his work Summer Night by the Beach motivated the creation of a seafood and Scandinavian style dish of salmon gravlax, Scandinavian prawn salad and house pickled garfish with pumpernickel.

Scott explained that Vincent Van Goh’s Starry Night was the inspiration for dessert.

‘Van Goh’s Dutch heritage inspired me to incorporate licorice into this dish. The Dutch are the world’s largest consumers of licorice, so this became the inspiration for a licorice and white chocolate mousse,’ he said.

Australian native flavours, inspired by the Star of Seven Sisters Dreaming work of Indigenous artist Justinna Napaljarri Sims, also featured on the menu, with guests enjoying a Kangaroo carpaccio served with native Davidson plum and a macadamia salad.

The event raised over $8000 for Friends of MAYO, which will go towards the school’s art collection, helping to fund the acquisition of new work or restoration of existing pieces to contribute to our students’ aesthetic education now and into the future.

A special thank you to suppliers Hillman Meats, Spiro’s Fresh Produce and Richards Brothers Seafoods for their donations towards the event.

Thank you also to the Friends of MAYO committee for their organisation of a fabulous community event and to those who supported it.

Accolades for Imagine your Future

In 2023, St Margaret’s was thrilled to be awarded an Excellence in Marketing and Communications Award by Educate Plus for the ‘Imagine Your Future’ marketing campaign.

Now in its third year, the campaign was ideated to elevate and showcase the diverse career accomplishments of the school’s alumni, helping to advance St Margaret’s position as a leading school for the education of young women and girls. It serves as an inspiration for both current and future students and has become highly recognisable across outdoor, print, digital and social media advertising.

Each year of the campaign has seen the roll out of a different group of alumni who have gone on to succeed in a range of careers and, in 2023, a further eight accomplished past students were celebrated, each of whom are highlighted opposite.

ANNABELLE TRAVES (’14)

Netherlands based concert violinist Annabelle Traves has taken the world stage by storm. Since obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Annabelle has been studying and performing in Europe. Highly sought after, she has performed as soloist and Concertmaster in renowned concert halls around the world. In late 2022, Annabelle was invited by world renowned violinist and conductor Andre Rieu to join his Johann Strauss Orchestra and has been touring the world with them since, performing in Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and the USA. She is also signed with the label KNS Classical as a soloist and recording artist. In 2023, Annabelle completed her master’s degree in Solo Violin Performance in Germany, graduating with the highest marks possible.

DR EMMA CHESTER (’05)

After initially pursuing a career in law and property development, Emma took a courageous move to change course and follow her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian. Emma graduated from The University of Queensland with honours in veterinary science in 2015, becoming the third generation of veterinarians in her family. She loves the fact she gets to work with animals every day.

DR ANDREA HENDEN (’96)

Dr Andrea Henden is a clinical Haematologist and research scientist and is employed as a senior staff specialist in Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. She gained her PhD in 2019, examining transplantation immunology and the role of immune signalling molecules in posttransplant outcomes and now works in the Translational Cancer Immunotherapy Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer where her research focuses on genomic and immune influences on bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapy outcomes.

BELLA LANE (’13)

Bella studied physiotherapy at The University of Queensland and now works at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in the field of cardio-respiratory and critical care physiotherapy. She is passionate about making change that is clinically meaningful and helping patient outcomes and quality of life and as a result is the lead investigator for a research project into respiratory management of patients with trauma to their spinal cord in the intensive care unit.

CHRISTINE WELLS (’91)

Author Christine Wells writes historical fiction and has gone on to publish sixteen novels. Her pathway to becoming a published author was not linear. Upon graduating from St Margaret’s, she completed a law degree and worked as a solicitor specialising in corporate law. Having always loved reading and writing, Christine began writing as a hobby; however, before long, her hobby became a burning ambition. Upon securing a literary agent in the United States, who sold her first novel to Penguin (New York), she made the career change to novelist. Christine was a bookworm from the time she could first read, devouring every novel she could get her hands on. She says her love of reading and writing was nurtured at St Margaret’s.

XANTHE LOWE-BROWN (’18)

Xanthe pursued a Bachelor of Music (Performance) in contemporary guitar at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium. Now undertaking her PhD in Engineering and IT (HumanComputer Interaction) at the University of Melbourne, Xanthe holds a scholarship from the Centre for AI and Digital Ethics (CAIDE). Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team, including experts in Human-Computer Interaction, Music Psychology, and Psychology, she aims to enhance algorithms used by music streaming services like Spotify. Her goal is to improve listeners’ wellbeing by recommending music aligned with their mood and personality. It was while in Year 12 at St Margaret’s that Xanthe first studied the neuroscience of Musically Evoked Chills, sparking her deep interest in music psychology research.

SOPHIE MALOWIECKI (’14)

After graduating from St Margaret’s, Sophie pursued triathlon at an elite level full time, while also studying a business degree part time. Sophie now works full time as a consultant in enterprise risk at Ernst and Young where she manages and controls operational, process and financial risk. She still has ambitions as an athlete and

says her passion for sport was nurtured at St Margaret’s where she learnt the ability to balance her academic studies alongside her sport training.

ELIZA GRAY (’16)

After graduating from St Margaret’s, Eliza went on to study agricultural science majoring in animal sciences, a passion ignited not only by her love of science at school but through her observations of her family’s implementation of advanced reproductive breeding systems on their cattle property. Eliza now works at Australian Agricultural Company where she is an Innovations Project Officer in the breeding and genetics team, helping to implement and manage large-scale research projects.

Video interviews with each alumni added a real depth to the marketing campaign while also providing valuable career insights for our existing students. The interviews highlight their achievements, their journeys at school and beyond and lessons learnt along the way. All of the videos are available to view on our website by scanning the QR code below.

2023 Reunions

A record number of more than 400 Old Girls from the classes of 2013, 2003, 1993, 1983, 1973, 1963 and 60+ returned to the school to reconnect, reunite and reminisce at our annual reunion weekend held in July last year.

2024 REUNION WEEKEND JULY 20/21

Over this time, the school has recognised alumni from a diverse range of fields from science and medicine, journalists, and novelists, to lawyers and engineers, to name just a few.

In 2023, Dr Susan Pendlebury (’78) was named Distinguished Past Student. Susan has spent her career managing patients with cancer and today is a specialist Radiation Oncologist running a rural practice in Tamworth as Director Radiation/Oncology at the Northwest Cancer Centre in Tamworth, where there are more than 50 per cent of patients living over 100km from the centre and 25 to 30 per cent identifying as Indigenous.

Addressing the guests at the dinner in March last year, Susan started her career journey from Queensland University studies to placements at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, a two-year fellowship in the UK, 10 years at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, then 10 years at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, where she led the radiation oncology breast and GI tumour streams and was department director, before her move to Tamworth. Susan also shared the remarkable advances in the refinement of cancer treatment she has witnessed and contributed to across her career.

Susan was Dux of the School and Captain of Tennis as well as a state swimming representative and maintains an active participation in both sports.

The 2023 Young Past Student of Distinction was Kate Goodfruit (’14) who couldn’t attend the dinner as she was at the time posted as First Secretary (Economic) at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta where she led Australia’s economic and trade cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Guests enjoyed a video presentation by Kate where she outlined her vision to advance Australia’s overseas objectives alongside international geopolitics, learning about cultures, languages, and countries simultaneously.

2023 Past Student Awards

Last year marked the eighth year of the Past Student Awards since their introduction in 2016, celebrating Young Past Students of Distinction and Distinguished Past Students.

Kate holds a Bachelor of International Studies (with majors in International Relations and Japanese language) from The University of Queensland and is currently studying a Master of International Law at the Australian National University. In April last year, Kate returned to Canberra as Senior Policy Officer working in the East Asia Division at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In her address, Kate emphasised the importance of taking opportunities as they present themselves, even though they may not be your envisioned path to your goals or dream job. She said she maintained the mindset that any experience would be a boost to her professional and personal experience.

In 2024, a new award category – the Spirit of Service Past Student Award was introduced. Open to all alumnae, the nominee must demonstrate a commitment to servant leadership through vision, contribution and example, embody the philosophy and service values of the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent, and go above and beyond to make a meaningful difference or impact within the community she serves, inspire others who are interested in making a difference through service, and demonstrate empowering and effective leadership.

We congratulate the recipients of the 2024 St Margaret’s Past Student Awards: Dr Alex Markwell (‘95) and Michelle May AM QC (’72) – Distinguished Past Students; Caitlin McConnel (’07) – Young Past Student of Distinction; Trudi Mitchell (‘87) – Spirit of Service Past Student Award.

Donor Impact Report

From the Chair of the Foundation

The end of 2023 marked my first year as Chair of St Margaret’s Foundation and what an amazing year it has been thanks to the generosity of this community.

My long allegiance with St Margaret’s is one of appreciation, commitment, and enthusiasm, as an Old Girl (’92) and mother to past student Xanthe (’18). Throughout my 30-year career, I have been a trusted set of hands across numerous sectors including the Arts, education, business, entrepreneurial endeavours and philanthropy. As Foundation Chair, I am grateful to be working alongside a dedicated Board of Directors who have volunteered their time to help advance the school for students now and into the future.

There is a growing culture of philanthropy within the St Margaret’s community, championed by current and past students and our families. 2023 was a record year for philanthropic participation, with our highest number of donors yet and, within that, our highest number of Old Girl donors. People gratefully recognise that many of the facilities and opportunities from which current students benefit are a result of the contributions from those who came before us and wish to pay this forward.

The St Margaret’s Foundation was established 20 years ago in 2004 as the steward of philanthropic investment in the future of St Margaret’s; however, the school’s philanthropic tradition has been steadfast throughout its 129 years.

St Margaret’s founders, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent, have educated thousands of women across Queensland through sheer persistence, determination and hard work, even, in the early days, rattling tins of coins and for donations to continue their mission from which so many benefited. I hope you enjoy a timeline of the history of St Margaret’s Philanthropy included in this Donor Impact Report.

Over the past decade, this community has helped to deliver an impressive list of school improvements through the Annual Giving Program: Barley Sugar Garden, Loft, M’s Café, Toorak Gardens, Senior Studies Centre, Circular Drive classrooms, and The Canopy Café and its adjoining greenspace, The Forest, which will completed for the students to use this year. The Sports Precinct also benefitted from generous community donor support through a Capital Campaign.

Growing donations for St Margaret’s needs-based bursary program also remains a priority, and we thank those who have helped to support a girl’s education at St Margaret’s by donating to the Scholarship Fund.

Some members of our community have chosen to leave a legacy through a bequest. From time to time, we receive a donation in a Will from a member of our community that is unexpected. When this occurs, we

are always saddened we did not have the opportunity to acknowledge and show our appreciation to the person who had chosen to make this incredible gift beyond their lifetime, while they were still living.

In 2015, we launched the Eton Society to honour, acknowledge and maintain a close connection with those who have advised the school they have included St Margaret’s in their Will as a beneficiary of their estate.

As we look to the future, we hope that you will be inspired to support St Margaret’s and our students through your continued giving or joining our growing donor community. There is still much to do.

I would like to finish by warmly welcoming our newest Foundation Directors, Steven Sorbello and Pru Connolly. You can learn a little more about them and their ties to St Margaret’s on page 63.

We are also grateful to the Development and Community Office for helping to put philanthropy into action here at St Margaret’s. Georgia Mitchell will be acting in the Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement role this year while Lara Pickering is on maternity leave.

Thank you, as always, for your support of St Margaret’s.

Penny Wolff (’92) Chair of St Margaret’s Foundation

Giving Snapshot

611 DONORS

of which 167 were Old Girls

100% of St Margaret’s Foundation Directors donated 100% of St Margaret’s Senior Leadership Team donated 100% of St Margaret’s School Council Directors donated

BURSARIES

$210,000

21 students received bursary support to assist with tuition fees to access or 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.

1 student was purchased a C-Pen, an assistive technology designed to promote independent learning and reading in students with reading difficulties.

1 student was supported in the provision of singing lessons for her music extension studies.

GIVING DAY

Fourth annual Giving Day raised

$366,293

in 12 hours from 559 donations

BUILDING FUND

$703,125 raised for the creation of The Canopy Cafe – a new cafeteria and adjoining greenspace and future projects including a new Arts Precinct and classroom and amenity upgrades.

1 student was supported in the provision of drumming lessons. 1 student was purchased clothes and personal items for her hospital stay.

Essential items were purchased for all girls to access as required.

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 $576,000

including contributions from two new partners Pitcher Partners and Yabbr.

In the spirit of philanthropy, the $500 cash component of the St Margaret’s Foundation Prize awarded at Speech Night is donated to a charity of the prizewinner’s choice.

In what was an easy decision, 2022 Foundation Prize winner Ally Walker (’23) chose local charity Dig In, for whom she has been volunteering for around three years, as the beneficiary of this support.

Dig In aims to provide healthy meals to Brisbane’s homeless and disadvantaged.

Every Saturday, about twenty volunteers gather at the kitchen at St James College in Spring Hill to prepare meals and snacks, which are then served at Bunyapa Park in West End and opposite the Kemp Place Fire Station in Fortitude Valley.

Ally presented the donation to Dig In on assembly in March last year and addressed her fellow students, sharing these words:

‘When I first started volunteering, as well as helping to prepare meals, it was also my goal just to talk to people. In those three years, I have learnt not only how to talk to new people, but also how to lead and help other volunteers achieve their own goals. I love hearing from other volunteers and the people at the service, which is why this charity means so much to me. While it provides a vital service, it has also created a strong sense of community among the volunteers and the people they serve.’

Foundation Prize supports local charity

Dig In

Dig In was established in 2017 and has slowly grown from a few newly graduated high school friends and their families making enormous amounts of soup to a large group of everchanging volunteers. The charity has the support of FareShare, which donates precooked food for the Dig In team to prepare for service.

‘They are continuously growing and adapting to support those in need, and now they are trialling free meal dispensers, which are similar to vending machines, with the aim that anyone who needs a meal will have access to one,’ said Ally.

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, among other criteria, made a real and identifiable commitment to supporting and furthering philanthropic endeavours within the school.

Passionate about philanthropy and giving back to the community, Ally was the 2023 Toc H Captain and participated in St Margaret’s annual Ponytail Project, which raises funds for the Cancer Council Queensland to assist Queenslanders impacted by cancer and The Minotti Trust.

‘If you want to go

This year, the St Margaret’s Foundation welcomed two new board members, Pru Connolly and Steven Sorbello.

Steven Sorbello has two daughters at St Margaret’s and is the Office Managing Partner of BDO in Brisbane. Drawing on an extensive corporate finance background and more than 27 years with the firm, he leads BDO’s agenda to ensure clients can navigate market conditions and leverage opportunities.

Why did you volunteer to join St Margaret’s Foundation Board?

The Foundation has played a significant and important role in supporting a range of initiatives including building works and scholarships. During the time our daughters have been at St Margaret’s, we have seen exceptional progress in these areas and are grateful our daughters have benefited from the foresight and work of others. I am keen to support the Foundation and further investment in St Margaret’s and its future students.

What excites you most about this role?

It will be great to work with likeminded parents and teachers to help the Foundation continue to improve the experience of young women. The Foundation has a fantastic pipeline of initiatives, and I am looking forward to playing a small part in assisting to deliver those initiatives.

How does creating a culture of philanthropy in schools prepare young people for life ahead?

There is an African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Consistent with this proverb, a culture of philanthropy is about working together so everyone goes as far as they can.

Pru Connolly is a current parent of three girls in the secondary school. Pru was educated at Genazzano, a girls’ school in Melbourne, and as a family, wanted a school with a similar mission.

Pru is a Special Counsel at Lander & Rogers Lawyers, primarily in Personal Injury Litigation with more than 20 years’ experience. She specialises in workplace and transport accidents with experience in dependency claims, catastrophic injuries, indemnity issues and claims involving multi-party litigation.

Why did you volunteer to join St Margaret’s Foundation Board?

I am grateful our girls have had such wonderful opportunities at the school, which caters to their unique characteristics and potential, and I want to give back and try to ensure those opportunities are available to many more girls.

What excites you most about this role?

I am excited to help build on a wonderful culture of giving at St Margaret’s. I have a personal passion for music, so am keen to be involved in the St Margaret’s Arts Precinct giving campaign.

How do you feel creating a culture of philanthropy in schools prepares young people for a life after school?

Developing students with an ‘outward focus’ is fundamental today. The importance of a ‘sense of belonging’ and a ‘common purpose’ are key to raising compassionate people.

What is unique to you about St Margaret’s and the community?

With a diverse student body, including a significant number of boarders, our girls are able to appreciate different perspectives and make multiple connections across the community.

GIVING DAY 2023: GIVING EVERY GIRL EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO GROW

to benefit from the shade of trees planted by others.

On Wednesday 24 May last year, it was our turn to plant some trees (literally and figuratively).

We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our community, who once again exceeded our Giving Day Bonus Goal! We raised an extraordinary $366,293 from 559 donations made during our 12-hour campaign.

Donations to the Building Fund have helped to support the development of The Canopy Cafe, a new cafeteria that articulates to a beautiful and functional greenspace called The Forest, with outdoor seating that will benefit all primary and secondary students. Stage 1 of this project, The Forest, is currently under construction and expected to open, weather permitting, in the first half of this year.

While providing a much-improved catering facility to our students, this significant project embraces the school’s focus on sustainability and the environment and goes hand in hand with our students’ wellbeing. Research increasingly tells us that access to green space is vital to the mental wellbeing, overall health and cognitive development of children and young people. The transformation of Avoca Courtyard, as the first stage of this project, will create an outdoor learning and social green space for our students.

Donations to the Scholarship Fund for our needs-based bursary program planted the seed by giving a girl every opportunity to grow through the gift of a St Margaret’s

significantly contributed to the 21 bursaries awarded in 2023.

A special thank you to our Matching Donors who matched donations dollar for dollar.

Anonymous

The Carrick Family

Keri Craig-Lee OAM (’75)

The Cronin Family

Ros Curtis

Kaye (’95), Anthony, Ava, Juliet, and Mia Flynn

Stuart and Genevieve Fraser

The Kho Family

Bassiano Lee

Cartier Lee (’15)

The Lisle Family

The McDonnell Family

The Middlemis Family

Norwood Agriculture

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

We would also like to acknowledge the amazing efforts of our students who danced off, held coin drives, sausage sizzles, bake sales and staffed the phones to help us spread the word about Giving Day far and wide.

Thank you to all of you who donated on the day. We are so grateful for your support. It was an inspiring day seeing our whole community come together.

Our History of Philanthropy

From its very beginnings, St Margaret’s has thrived in great part due to the generosity of others – those who have valued the education of girls and entrusted St Margaret’s with that mission.

The school is working towards a more comprehensive history of philanthropy, and if anyone has any knowledge about significant donations not included below, we invite you to contact our archivist Mary Surtees msurtees@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Even the many generous and known donations to the school are too numerous to mention in this brief summary; however, St Margaret’s wishes to acknowledge and thank all those who have donated to St Margaret’s.

1895

The Sisters of the SSA

The Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent purchase Eton High School in Nundah, which would later become known as St Margaret’s. The SSA educated thousands of women across Queensland through sheer persistence, determination, and hard work. In the early days, the Sisters rattled tins of coins, asking for donations to continue their mission.

In this era, the Sisters were an anomaly within religious schools, not drawing a wage, thus helping to sustain the school when many others closed due to financial strain.

1930s

Darnell Bequest – Darnell Art Room 1933; Darnell Music Room 1936 Anglican philanthropist John Darnell left large sums of money for educational and charitable purposes. St Margaret’s was a beneficiary of the Darnell Estate, building the Darnell Art and Music rooms.

1950s

1958 – Tooth Bequest

The school received £1,000 from the estate of Sir Edwin Tooth, Brisbane businessman and philanthropist, which was used to purchase an organ for the new Chapel.

1980s

1984 – Hassell Bequest – Sister Elisabeth Memorial Collection

Rhoda Hassell (1920 and 1921 school captain and 1919 OGA Prizewinner) boarded at St Margaret’s from 1913 – 1921. In 1984, an $8000 bequest was left to the school for the purpose of buying library books.

1984 – Jackson Bequest – The Jackson Wing

Lorna Jackson attended St Margaret’s from 1942 – 1953. Lorna sadly passed away in her late twenties, and her family’s subsequent generous donation helped to build the Jackson Wing in 1984.

1990s

Campbell Brown Bequest

– A new tuckshop

Kathleen Campbell-Brown was a teacher of French at St Margaret’s from 1933 –1945. After leaving St Margaret’s, she held numerous academic and administrative positions within the French department at The University of Queensland. St Margaret’s was a beneficiary of her generosity, with her bequest helping to establish a tuckshop.

Sister Chaseley-Anne Memorial Fund

Following her sudden death in November 1990, the Sister Chaseley-Anne Memorial Fund was established as a Boarder’s Bursary.

1996 – Margaret Frances and Colin McCulloch Scott Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship was to be awarded to a student/s attending or wanting to attend St Margaret’s, with preference given to applicants residing outside a 200km radius of the school and whose parents have the least means to meet the payment of fees.

Darnell Music Room 1936

The Canopy Café 2023

2000s

2001 – Arts Centre Foyer

The St Margaret’s community donated over $300,000 to deliver the Arts Centre Foyer Building, a new home for visual arts and drama.

2004 – St Margaret’s Foundation established

The St Margaret’s Foundation is established to bring together a committed group of individuals passionate about St Margaret’s, its future, and its students’ futures to assist in promoting and stewarding a philanthropic culture to help raise funds to enable the school to carry out its mission, now and into the future.

St Margaret’s Foundation Scholarship and Building funds allow the community to make tax deductible donations to the school’s needs-based bursary program and capital projects.

2005 – Archive Centre

The Old Girls’ Association donated $25,000 towards the establishment of the Archive Centre.

2010s

2011 – Eunice Science and Resource Centre

A capital campaign raised over $700,000 towards the Eunice Science and Resource Centre. Opened in 2012, the building is home to modern science laboratories and the secondary library.

2012 – St Margaret’s Foundation Endowment Fund established

In 2012, the Foundation received a modest donation to establish an Endowment Fund, representing a symbol of faith in the future of St Margaret’s. The fund’s purpose is to invest and build on the capital, so that, ultimately, the interest earned can be used to further the school’s educational offerings.

2013 – Helene Jones Bequest

Helene Jones left a gift in her Will, in honour of her sister, Nora Baird, a St Margaret’s teacher, Queensland Conservatorium foundation member, church organist, examiner and supporter of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The bequest provides regular contributions to St Margaret’s Foundation Scholarship Fund for music scholarships.

2013 – The Godlee Family Gift – Barley Sugar Gardens

The Barley Sugar Garden, completed in 2014, was created through the generosity of the Godlee family.

2016 – The Loft, Atelier, M’s Café and Toorak Gardens

The philanthropy of the St Margaret’s community help to create The Loft, our 120-seat collaborative lecture theatre; Atelier – a primary school ‘tinker’ space which fosters creativity and problem solving; M’s Café – a popular community meeting place; and Toorak Gardens, where once bare bitumen is now a tranquil green gathering space.

2018 – St Margaret’s joins The Australian Universities and Schools USA Foundation

The AUS USA Foundation was created to give US-based alumni, friends, and funding organisations a way to support educational institutions in Australia. The Foundation is a non-profit tax exempt 501(c)(3) corporation, complying with US regulations for charities, allowing donors to the St Margaret’s Foundation to claim their gift as a deduction on their US income tax return.

2018 – St Margaret’s Sports Precinct

Our community donated $1.35M to invest in the health and wellbeing of our students, through the construction a word class sports precinct, providing new physical education and sporting facilities.

2018 – Bursary support grows significantly

Several passionate individual donors established Named Bursaries on multiyear commitments to assist those in need, including the Sister Mary SSA Bursary, the Olivia Campbell Bursary, and the Boarding Bursary Donor Circle.

2020s

2020 – First annual Giving Day

St Margaret’s hosted its first annual Giving Day uniting all members of the community in support of girls’ education. Now the school’s annual day of philanthropy and passionately championed by our students, Giving Day has raised more than $1M for facility improvements, capital projects and needs-based bursaries.

2021 – Senior Studies Centre and Circular Drive Classrooms

Funds raised through our annual appeal helped build the Senior Studies Centre, a contemporary flexible learning space for Year 12 students, and new secondary classrooms.

2023 – 21 students supported by donations to bursaries

2023 – The Canopy Café and Forest

Thanks to donations to the Building Fund in 2022 and 2023, work has begun on the development of The Canopy Cafe, a new cafeteria that articulates to a beautiful and functional greenspace –The Forest, featuring a shaded garden and outdoor seating to benefit all primary and secondary students.

2024 and beyond:

Community House Student Wellbeing Centre and Performing Arts Precinct

An exciting future awaits as we look to focus on several upcoming projects, including the restoration of Community House to create a student wellbeing centre, the development of a new Performing Arts precinct, and further classroom and amenity upgrades.

Thank you to our donors

St Margaret’s with the Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of those who have donated in 2023 in support of our students.

LUMINARY $10K +

Anonymous (3)

H and R Campbell

The Cronin Family

Evesham Farming Pty Ltd

Prue Galley (‘61)

Helene Jones Foundation Trust

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

Professional Women’s Network

Ms Pamela Smith

St Margaret’s Old Girls’ Association

St Margaret’s P&F Association

VISIONARY

$5,000 - $9,999

Anonymous (3)

The Carrick Family

Ros Curtis

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

Stuart and Genevieve Fraser

The Kho Family

The Lisle Family

The Malouf Family

The McDonnell Family

The McKay Family

The Middlemis Family

The Sorbello Family

CHAMPION

$2,500 - $4,999

Anonymous (1)

Shirley Bale

R and K Brown

The Comiskey Family

Margot (‘56) and Ron Finney

Ray King

Mrs Penny Wolff and Mr Peter Wolff

Lisa Worner

AMBASSADOR

$1,000 - $2,499

Anonymous (3)

The Alford Family

Josephine Atkinson

Elizabeth Barakat Family

The Bastian-Jordan Family

Emma and Matt Beasley

Raphael Bickle

Libby Black (‘68)

William Brice

The Briggs Family

Rose Brown

Diana Cameron

Nanette Carroll

Graeme Cassady

The Chang Family

Annabelle Chaplain AM (‘74)

Veronica Chen

Xin Chen

Meaghan and Matthew Clarke

Deb and Dave Connolly

Heidi and James Cooper

Charlotte and Sophie Cosgrove

The Coulson Family

Lucy Crowe

Alisa and Matt Evans

Robyn and Jim Ferguson

Coco and Suki Fidler

Isabel Haqqani (‘18) and Dani O’Neill

The Heick Family

CJ and Pamela Hendry

The Higgins Family

The Hopper Family

Charlotte Jackson

Hugh Jansen

Karen Jonsson

Joe and Erin Joseph

The Joseph Family

The Kibble Family

The Lamprecht-Simpson Family

The Loughrey Family

Margot Love (‘63)

The Mula Family

Sarah O’Brien

The Peat Family

Susan Pendlebury

Suri and Hanui Pettirosso

The Pulitano Family

The Segal Family

Amelia Shaw

James Stewart

Andrew Stobie

The Su Family

The Sweeney Family

Andrea Taft

The Traves Family

G and T Vedelago

The Vitale Family

The Wedderburn Family

Helena Wang

Lelin Zhong and Leshan Zhao

ADVOCATE

$500 - $999

Anonymous (9)

Kevin Barden

Matt and Eliza Baxby

Bede Students

The Di Bella Family

The Bothwell Family

Mr and Mrs Bridge

The Brown-Mullin Family

Kay Bussey

Georgie and Bruce Campbell

Chaucer Students

The Christofferson Family

The Clifford Family

The Cooke Family

M and G Coorey

The Copley Family

The Cowley Family

Geoff Cunningham

Sarah Derrington

The Dew Family

The Everson Family

The Fornaro Family

Tannas Godfrey

Ben Hatcher

The Henderson Family

The Herrald Family

Herrick Students

The Hixon Family

Karra Hoger

The Houston Family

The Hutchins Family

Lily Jackson

Emily & Maddie Jamieson

Echo Jiang

Wendy Johnston (‘79)

The Jorgensen Family

Kendall Students

The Kidd Family

Lawson Students

J McAulay

Jo Miller

Milton Students

Ashleigh and Stephen Minotto

Isobel Mort

Kay Murray and Manon Brown

The Murray-Rickard Family

Kathyayini Murthy

Paula and Raymond Neilsen

Joseph Nguyen

Paul and Catherine Noonan

Darren and Petra O’Meara

The Piggott Family

Susan Ryerson

Margaret Slaughter

Trisha Solomon (‘64)

Anna Sorensen

Spenser Students

Tanya Tan

Tennyson Students

Charlene Tooth

Sharon Tooth

The Uhlmann Family

Matthew Weaver

Michelle Weber

The Webster Family

Wenlei Xu

SUPPORTER $2 -$499

Anonymous (116)

Margo A

Margaret Aalders

Carroll Abel

Madeleine Adsett

Lina Afifi

Nella and Alessia

The Allen Family

Abby Anderson

Amy Anderson

Greg Anderson

The Angelini Family

Abi Angliss

Anvi Arora

E Astill

Peter Atkins

Lyndy Atkinson

Davina and Mark Baldwin

Rhea and Reg Barber

Ava Barr

Brendon Bateman

Rafaella and Arabella Batstone

Dorothy Begbie

The Beikoff Family

Judith Bell

Diane Bender (‘64)

Olivia Berger

Jan Biggs

Josie Bindon

Louise Birnzwejg

Sophie Borthwick

Annette Box

Madeline Brady (‘18)

Olive Brahmans

Annabelle Brown

Susan Brown

The Brown Family

Troy Brown

The Buck Family

Wendy Buddle (‘58)

Ali Bull

Abigail Burke

Meredith Butler

Kylie Butler-McIntosh

Jennifer Byrne

Dugald Cameron/Adam and Family

Fiona Cameron

Helen Campbell

The Cannon Family

Stella Carlson

Katherine Carnavas

The Carter Family

Dean Castrisos

Paula Castro

Peter Chapple

Sam Charlton

Audrey Chen

Fabian De Clara

Mrs Everil Clark

The Cleary Family

The Coggan Family

Michaela Chong

John and Sandra Colley

Peter Connor

Beatrix Conolly

Zoe Connolly

Margaret Cooke (‘51)

Susan Cooke

Desiree Coroneo

Matilda, Angus and Charlie Cottle

The Court Family

The Crevillen Family

Bronwyn Crockett

Daniel Crompton

Brian Cronin

Miss Emily Crowe

Natarsha Crowley

Kate Curran

Louisa Dahl

Renee Davidson

Janette Davie AM

Claire Davis

Audrey and Peggy D

Noela Delma and Sandra Helton

Dennison

The Depasquale Family

Janette Devenish-Meares

Nicole Devlin (‘90)

The Dhawan Family

Cheryl Diehm

The Dobinson Family

Georgina Dolman

Maria Donald

Jean Douglas

Libby Douglas

Jazz Dow

Elizabeth (Liz) Drake

The Drysdale Family

Jill Duff

Chris Dunn

Marilyn Dunning (‘64)

Libby Egan

Laura Enders

Jason Ernest

Judith Evans

Kate Evans

Mei Feng

Charlotte Ferguson

Gabriela Finselbach

Lesa Fowler

Benjamin Frame

Fraser Valuers

Laurel Fraser

Sam Fraser

The Frewin Family

Brett Fuller

Helen Fullerton

Kim Futcher

Joe Ganim

Loretta Gatenby

Barbara Gillespie (née Gilmore)

Give Capital

Susie and Andrew Gladman

Jessica Graham

Margaret Greenup

Annabelle Grieve

Opa and Nana G

Karen Gorrie

The Gustafsson Family

Belinda Hagenback

Margaret Hamilton

Sonya Louise Hardcastle

Surrey Harding

Natasha Harris

Emma Harrison

Anna Harte

Sarah Haoda

Yunyi Dudu He

The Heffernan Family

Louise Hefter

Debbie Hempel

Jillian Holland

Kevin Hopwood

Val Horgan

Gayle Horn

Hannah and Kianna Hu

Grace Huang

Nicki Irvine

Amy James

The Jeraj Family

JZ Johnson

Maddy Johnson and Family

The Johnston Family

Nikki Johnston (‘11)

Charlotte Jones

Julie Kaeser

Ankush Kataria

Sofia and Valentina Katsanevas

Ke Ke

Nic Kennedy

Melissa Kerr

The Kims Family

The Klaassen Family

Angela Knight

Kool Gas and Plumbing

The Krook Family

The Kolokas Family

The Kovac Family

Charlotte Kropp (‘23)

Penelope De Lacy

Elizabeth Lambert

Katherine Lange

The Langley Family

Ruhaani Lashand

Winnie Law

Sue Lawrance

Hong Le

Lydia Lee

The Leggatt Family

Ben L’Estrange

Chunmei Li

Shi Piu Carlton Li

Stephanie Licina

Gaye Lincoln

Kefeng Ling

Annie Livingstone

June Lobegeier (‘53)

The Lord Family

The Love Family

Anita Lowe

Xanthe Lowe-Brown (‘18)

The Lumbanradja Family

Qiufeng Luo

Scarlett Lythgo

Doune Macdonald

Amanda Mackenzie

Jane Maclean (‘62)

The Manly Family

Claire Manning

Susie Mant

Old Girl (‘64)

Alex Markwell

Isabella Martin

The Maud-Singh Family

Malcom McBratney

Caitlin McCluskey

Annabelle and Gina McGagh

Deborah McKenzie

Roslyn McLay

The McMahon Family

Hannah McMaster

Sally and Troy McMillan

The McWilliam Family

Amanda Mitchell

Georgia Mitchell

Todd Moesbergen

The Moody Family

Wendy Mort

Move Recruitment Solutions

Anne Muggleton

The Mulholland Family

Belinda Nankivell

Bojana Nesic

Colin and Janine Nicholls

George and Emily Nona

Lily Noorli

Glynis Orr

Judith Overstead

Sarah Pearson

The Peck Family

Caroline Pegler

Trisha Pena

Marc and Georgina Pennisi

Phoebe Perkins

Freya Perrins

Anoushka Phillips

Faith Phillips

Lara and John Pickering

The Pickett Family

The Pieterse Family

Sven Polhammer

Sally and Eliza Quayle

Danielle Quinell

Alison and Robert Quinn

Cassaundra Rangip

Lisa Rayner

The Read Family

Georgie Reddacliff

Patsy Reeve

Simone Rennie

Alex Renwick

Sascha Rhoades

Janelle Rhodes

Georgie Robson

Emily Rogers

Delyse Ryan

Jodie Ryan

Teanne Ryan

Saint Peters Girls’ Collegiate School, Stonyfell SA

Louise Saporito

Raquel Sartor

Prue Schneider

Alexandra Schrodter

Therese, Johnny and Mirren Selfridge

Kim Selwa

The Serafini Family

Andrea Severa

Evelyn Rafter-Sharpe

The Shewan Family

Chiara Shrimpton

Da Si

Robynne Siemon (‘59)

The Simpson Family

Sian Sinclair

Liz Skitch

The Slack Family

Sienna Small

Craig Smith

Dallas Smith

Emily and Lucy Smith

James and Chloe

Jarad Smith

Janette Snewin

Selma Somerville

Aria and Siena Sos

Max Spooner

Katelyn Springer

Sara Steen

Georgina Stevenson

Brent, Kelly and Sloane Stokes

Vicki Strid

The Stringer Family

St Margaret’s Pre-Prep Students

Stella, Lucy and Alice Stuart

Sophie Evans, Alice Sutherland and David Sutherland

Charlotte Sutton

Simone Taylor

The Tedman Morley Family

Kathryn Teh

Kym Thomas

Kirsty and Adrian Thompson

Allison Thorpe

Sienna Timms

Nikki Townsend (‘86)

The Traill Family

Norma Tran Bell

Norma Tucker

Charmaine Twomey

The Vick Family

The Vogel Family

Jochen Vogelgesang

Huyen Vu

Leonie Wagner

The Wake Family

Brett Walker

Robyn Wallace

Robert Wang

Zhaofeng Wang

Christina Ward

The Wehl Family

Isla Wehl

The Wilde Family

Clare Wilkinson

C and D Williams

Ros Williams

E. Wilson Family

Sarah Wilson

Natalie Winter

Valerie Wright

Rachel Xin

Dora Yang

Marita Yee

Michelle Yee

Margaret Young

The Young Family

Jia Yu

CLASS GIVING

Class of 2003

Class of 1993

Class of 1983

Class of 1963

BEQUESTS

Helene Jones Foundation Trust

Ms Pamela Smith

GIFTS IN KIND

Graham and Judith Bell

Alision Quinn

Please note, donations acknowledged in this list were received from 1 January – 31 December 2023.

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.

The Gift of Art

Past student, past parent and former Chair of School Council Alison Quinn (’83) has recently, through the gift of art, furthered her support of and deep connection to the school.

Through the Cultural Gifts Program, Alison has donated two artworks: Photogenic Drawing by Justine Varga and I’m not the man they think I am at home by Kirra Jaimeson.

Alison revealed a decade-long involvement in an art club inspired her to collect Australian contemporary artists.

‘The works are a conclusion of that journey,’ Alison said.

’When I became aware of the Cultural Gifts program, I realised this was something I could readily participate in; it was an enduring way to contribute to the school and its students for a very long time.’

The pieces will now strengthen the school’s art curriculum and serve as a source of inspiration for both teachers and students. In a powerful call to action, Alison highlighted the diverse facets of philanthropy.

‘Philanthropy can take many different guises. Many give so much of their time, others give financially, and this is a gift of art.

‘Importantly, it’s not the level of giving that counts in whatever form that may take; it’s the participation that really matters.

‘I challenge everyone to think of the different ways they can give and participate in philanthropy,’ Alison said.

Enriching the world through art

Devoted art collectors and long-time St Margaret’s supporters Judith and Graham Bell have once again added to the St Margaret’s collection through a generous gift of paintings and ceramics.

Judith Bell AM said her motivation stems from being incredibly grateful not only for the education she received at the school in the 50s, but also for that of her daughter’s and granddaughters’ education, two of whom are still at the school.

In addition, Judith believes passionately that art should be accessible to all. ‘One of the drawbacks with donating pieces to museums is that they may only see the light of day when a particular type of exhibition is being curated; otherwise, they are safely locked away in storage.

‘When I first started to donate to the school, there were not many art pieces in evidence, and I believe art adds immeasurably to any environment,’ Judith said.

Judith’s choice of artwork to donate to the school was very considered. For example, she chose two of the same subjects – the Glasshouse Mountains – painted by different artists (Jun Chen and Joe Furlonger) so students could appreciate different styles and approaches to the same subject.

She also chose works that reflected the origins of our boarders, such as Joe Furlonger’s Farmhouses East of Moree (above) and several of Meryn Jones’ work which feature Papua New Guinea.

Along with the 27 paintings, Judith and Graham have also donated many ceramic pieces to the school. While not as easy to display these pieces given their more fragile nature, with a new arts precinct on the horizon, a fitting home will be found for more of these pieces for the community to enjoy in the not-too-distant future.

‘My hope,’ Judith said, ‘is that the presence of this art will enrich the school environment for all students and perhaps suggest to others the different ways in which they might contribute to the school.’

Corporate community empowers girls’ education

The Professional Women’s Network (PWN) series delivered four sold out breakfast events in 2023, 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.

Joining the series as keynote speakers in 2023 were Sue Johnson, Group Executive, Transurban; Tracy Cooper-Lavery (’87), Director, Gallery and Visual Arts at HOTA, Home of the Arts Gold Coast; Jane Carland, General Manager (Australia and New Zealand), Castrol; and Julia Spicer OAM, Queensland Chief Entrepreneur.

All our speakers candidly shared their career successes and challenges, outlining the skills they needed to effectively lead, what they believe is required to succeed in their industries today, and their insights to the future of work for those building their careers.

We are very grateful for the support of the following companies once again throughout 2023: 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 the support of our corporate sponsors and ticket sales, more than $60,000 was raised in 2023 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 repeatedly invested in this series, helping to connect the business community, create opportunities for attendees to collaborate, and to empower young women through education.

For those engaging with the PWN series, connection, collaboration, and empowerment are among the key themes and benefits. Kylie Lamprecht from Pitcher Partners said the company was pleased to continue their sponsorship and support for PWN.

‘When surveyed, Queensland’s middle market business sector indicated that it values networking 52 per cent more than practical tools and resources from professional services firms.

Pitcher Partners is 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,’ Ms Lamprecht 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.

If you are interested in sponsoring the series, please contact Georgia Mitchell, Director of Philanthropy & Stakeholder Engagement (Acting) on +61 7 3862 0884 or email developmentandcommunity@ stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

St Margaret’s partners with Pitcher Partners and Yabbr to enhance careers

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School has announced two new corporate partnerships with leading accounting and business advisory firm Pitcher Partners and communications technology company Yabbr.

The partnerships reflect St Margaret’s commitment to developing innovative careers and employability programs for its students and helping its young women to identify and develop the necessary skills to participate, thrive and lead in their chosen careers.

The partnerships also connect Pitcher Partners and Yabbr with outstanding students, allowing them to bring the brightest minds into their business through internships, as well as mentor and support the next generation of leaders through St Margaret’s school-based programs including Beyond the Panama, the Broadening Horizons Conference and the Aspiring Young Women’s Networking events. With the support of Yabbr, St Margaret’s will grow eSports as an extracurricular activity and boost the burgeoning Girls in Gaming initiative.

St Margaret’s Principal Ros Curtis said the partnerships were another exciting initiative enabling students to access real-world educational opportunities and develop their skills to meet the needs of today’s employers.

‘St Margaret’s has, for a number of years now, been focused on delivering innovative careers and employability programs for its students and helping young women to identify and develop the necessary skills to participate, thrive and lead in a global economy.

‘Pitcher Partners and Yabbr’s support will provide more opportunities for our students to develop these highly sought after skills, as well as the chance to access work experience, giving them a leading edge when it comes to their future careers,’ Ms Curtis said.

For Pitcher Partners, the partnership reflects the firm’s commitment to ensuring a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce and investing in the future of curious, talented people to help them reach their full potential.

Pitcher Partners’ Partner Kylie Lamprecht said: ‘Ours is a dynamic workplace, always open to new ways of thinking and doing. The partnership with St Margaret’s is a practical example of how we work with our local community to provide opportunities for engagement as a pathway to a rewarding career that has a tangible impact on both the individual and the clients we work with.

‘At Pitcher Partners, collaboration is at our core and we love partnering with organisations to build better relationships, better results and better career opportunities together,’ Kylie said.

Yabbr Founder James Stewart said, ‘Yabbr is proud to be the foundation sponsor for St Margaret’s eSports and this Australian first initiative, Girls in Gaming AU.

‘Not only does an all-female eSport league provide a safe space for young women to game and collaborate, but we also see this as a grassroots approach to encourage young women to explore the various careers in the technology sector of which females are grossly underrepresented.

‘On a personal note, as part of this great partnership, I received an open invitation to play Mario Kart, a wholesale win all-round,’ he said.