ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿

After school had ended in 2023, Naomi Holley (Head of Faculty – Student Pathways and Futures) was successful in her application for a promoted position at Somerville House. We wish her well in her new role and are grateful that Kelly Alford, who was the director of Durack College, can step seamlessly into that role.

Several new teaching staff joined us this year. I formally welcome them to the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s community. Their names and the areas in which they teach are listed below:

Secondary Teachers:

Renata Hasell – (Humanities/English)

Luke Hempenstall –(Economics/Humanities/History)

Kelli Stewart (Geography; Humanities)

Jasmine Klemm (Art/ English)

Emma Cameron (Art/English)

Ellie Green (Science/HPE)

Amanda Taylor (Physics/Science/Maths)

Dana Schottlaender (History/Humanities)

Rebecca Neveu-Wirth (Primary/Secondary – French)

Primary Teachers:

Chloe Sellick (Year 1)

Some refurbishment work occurred over the holidays, including the installation of solar panels on the Phillip Harris Gym. Work is continuing on the development of the Forest and the Canopy Café.

Instead of the usual secondary parent information evenings this year, the secondary staff have put together short videos or narrated PowerPoints to provide you with the information you need about the school year ahead. I encourage you to take the time in the next couple of weeks to view the ones relevant to you. I will give a face-to-face update of the school’s master plan at the P and F AGM and Welcome drinks on Monday 25 March in the Arts Centre Foyer at 6.30pm. The P and F welcomes all parents to attend and to become involved at whatever level they can manage given work and family constraints.

Happy New Year to you all!

Ros Curtis

Statement of Commitment

St Margaret's AGS supports the rights of children and young people and is committed to ensure the safety, welfare and wellbeing of students. St Margaret's is therefore committed to responding to allegations of student harm resulting from the conduct or actions of any person including that of employees.

This commitment includes the provision of a safe and supportive living and learning environment for all students and requires all employees, visitors and volunteers to model and encourage behaviour that upholds the dignity and protection of students from harm.

In support of this commitment, St Margaret's AGS is dedicated to our Child and Youth Risk Management strategy which includes having relevant policies, procedures and training in place to effectively address the safety and well-being of students in our care. 

The Child and Youth Risk Management strategy can be found on our school website here.

Student Protection Officers:

Student Protection Officers are persons designated as liaison people to whom students may refer if they are not feeling safe; or to whom they make complaints of harm, inappropriate behaviour or physical/sexual abuse.

The St Margaret's Student Protection Officers are:

- Deputy Principal - Karen Gorrie

- Head of Boarding - Lesa Fowler

- Dean of Academics – Caitlin McCluskey

- Head of Primary School - Angela Drysdale

- Assistant Head of Primary – Wellbeing and Operations (PP-6) – Annette Box

- Dean of Students - Nikki Townsend

- Head of Year – Nicole Walker

- Senior Psychologist – Michelle Alexander

Karen Gorrie

We are proudly an Anglican school with our traditions being built upon the ethos and philosophy of the Society of the Sacred Advent (SSA). The SSA began in Australia in 1892 as a small group of women who stood up for what they believed in, living out their faith and values - caring for, educating, and improving the lives of women and children who faced significant hardship and injustice. Their work continued and we now gather as the community of ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Anglican Girls School. The Society of the Sacred Advent strives to make space for every person to achieve their best and flourish in all areas of their lives.

As we embark on the 2024 school year, we travel the path the sisters have paved for us, a way of humility, compassion, courage, resilience, faithfulness, and whole heartedness.

We have a beautiful chapel, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Chapel, within our school grounds. Throughout the year there are regular chapel services that students will attend. There will also be opportunities for families to attend special services throughout the year, including Admission to Holy Communion and the opportunity for baptism and confirmation. Some important dates for Terms 1 and 2 are listed in the table below. Letters will be sent to families in due course regarding the respective services. Please be assured of my prayers and support as we begin this new school year together.

The School Prayer

God of all being, look with favour on this school dedicated to your servant, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ of Antioch. Bless those who teach and those who learn and those who work to support and maintain this school. Grant wisdom and courage in our lives, gentleness of heart and compassion for all. May each seek to know and love the truth and in humility of heart, ever look to you, the source of all wisdom and understanding.
We ask these things through your Son’s name, Amen.

Important Dates for Terms 1 and 2:

Rev’d Jazz Dow

Boarding is all about community, a place where the girls feel safe, nurtured and cared for. As a community the girls live by the values of the school, and it is an inclusive environment where every girl feels a sense of belonging. We encourage all the girls to show empathy, compassion and kindness to all. The girls will develop understanding, recognise the differences in others and strive to appreciate all different backgrounds and reflect on the values that are important to them. Boarding is about acceptance of all, giving people another chance, the benefit of the doubt, an opportunity to learn and change and the ability to see good in others. These are all skills that they will develop over time by living in our boarding community.

A very important part of our boarding community is attendance at Boarder Chapel. This is an integral part of our community and is a compulsory part of boarding life. Boarder Chapel gives the girls a place to quietly reflect but also develops their awareness of the importance of faith at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s. This term Boarder Chapel will be held on Wednesday 31 January, Thursday 22 February and Tuesday 12 March at 6pm. To ensure that all girls attend we have informed all coaches of sport and any other commitments the girls have usually at this time that the girls will be absent as they will be attending Chapel. We also ask the if the girls have any other commitments outside of school activities that they arrange these for a different time so that they can attend Chapel. Boarder Chapel is an important time for us to come together and celebrate our community. We are looking forward to a very happy and positive 2024 in boarding.

Lesa Fowler

As students settle back into their school routine, it’s a good time to remember some of the positive habits that would have been developed over previous years. All students are encouraged to have a dedicated study space that is free from clutter and distraction. Planning out time helps to avoid procrastination and also makes the most of the time you do have available, especially if you have lots of non-academic commitments.

At school, the Year 12 students are reminded that they have access to the Senior Study Centre until 5pm only. If students wish to stay at school beyond 5pm they may sign up to Supervised Study which occurs in the library from 5pm – 7:30pm. Supervised study will begin in Week 2 of each term. In addition, all day students are reminded that no tutors are permitted to work on ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s school grounds.

Congratulations to all students who received awards at the Academic Assembly on Tuesday and I am looking forward to celebrating the 2023 cohort’s successes at the Scholars’ Assembly next week.

Caitlin McCluskey

Supervised Study Sessions

Supervised Study Sessions (SSS) will recommence in Week 2 of this term. It will operate out of the Eunice Resource Centre (Senior Library) on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. Each session runs from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm, with students having the option of purchasing dinner from the boarding house for $12.50.

The purpose of these sessions is to provide girls with a quiet and well-resourced space that is conducive to productive homework and study time. Each SSS will be staffed by up to two tutors, who offer advice and guidance on how to plan effectively for upcoming assessments. The SSS tutor group is made up of ten young women who are currently studying at university.

For students attending SSS after an afternoon of sport, transport is available to and from Windsor Park. For those staying on after school to attend SSS, the Eunice Centre is open until 5pm prior to the commencement of the study sessions.

Parents who book their daughters in via Flexischools can feel comfortable knowing that their daughters are receiving academic support but are also interacting with peers in a physically and emotionally safe environment.

Dates for the sessions and when bookings open are below:

2024 Supervised Study Sessions

Please note the following conditions:

1. The booking cut off through Flexischools is 9:00am on the day. This enables us to plan and advise the kitchen on the number of meals that will need to be catered for in the evening. Please note, that we can only accept a maximum number of 25 students, so therefore, we recommend you book well in advance to avoid missing out.
2. For bookings that miss the cut off, no dinner can be provided but students are welcome to attend SSS provided the maximum number of students has not been reached. An email notifying the school of their attendance is necessary, and this will be noted on the supervisor’s roll.
3. Dinner will be provided at the set time of 6:00pm to allow for the boarders’ dinner sittings to be finalised.
4. SSS students will occupy the first two tables located on the right-hand side upon entering the Dining Hall.

Chris Dunn

The beginning of a new year can present a plethora of emotions among our student body. For many there is excitement about catching up with friends after the long summer holidays. Some are eager to try new subjects and meet new teachers, while others may experience nerves or anxiety, especially if they are new to the school. An unfamiliar environment and the fear of the unknown can be daunting. We understand that each girl walking through the gates this week, whether a returning student or a fresh face to the campus, will have her own story and her own needs. With the assistance of our experienced and well-qualified staff we will endeavour to assist your daughters to settle into ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s for 2024 as well as we can.

Each girl in the secondary school is allocated a Form teacher (Years 7 and 8) or and Academic Adviser (Years 9-12), who will have face-to-face contact with your daughter each week. There is also a Head of Year assigned to each cohort of girls, who will work closely with these teachers to oversee student wellbeing. Along with these key people, a number of other staff may be of assistance to your daughter; namely the Heads of Faculty, Dean of Academics, Dean of Studies, School Psychologists or Chaplain. Boarders will also have access to the Head of Boarding, Head of Senior and Junior House, House Mothers and the Student Wellbeing and Activities Coordinator.

As parents, I encourage you to keep the lines of communication open with your daughters as to her schooling experience. Usually, we say that no news is good news, but sometimes no news can mean something is bothering a student and she may not know the best way to deal with it. Each year can present new challenges, socially and academically, and often these challenges are unexpected. All of the staff can be reached by telephone or email, and I encourage you to contact the school if you have any concerns with your daughter throughout the year.

I also encourage you to watch the PowerPoint videos that have been sent to you by your Head of Year.

Here’s to a productive and enriching year, where we all strive to be our best in 2024!

Nikki Townsend

Two useful sources of information are the Primary Parent Handbook (Primary POD page) and the whole school parent handbook which can be found on the main ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s POD page. All new parents will receive a hard copy of the Primary Handbook.

I would encourage parents to use the POD constantly as a source of information and ensure that you set notifications for the primary school class and any groups that your daughter is involved in. Please refer to the as a guide to using the POD and the  to assist you in setting up the App. The two communication systems work together, and we recommend you have both accessible on your device. Importantly, to receive information regarding the activities and extra-curricular groups your child is involved in, you will need to request to “join” those groups. Instructions on how to do this are included in the attached POD guide.

I look forward to meeting parents at our Classroom Parent Information Night on Wednesday 7 February, commencing at 5.30pm in your daughter’s classroom. If you have more than one child, you will be able to access the information and PowerPoint presentation for your other child’s class the following day on the POD.

In the upcoming weeks, I will also meet with the new students at morning teas. This is an opportunity for each of us to get to know each other. I also look forward to meeting new parents along with our Class Parent Ambassadors on 21 February. Information for these events will be sent out in the coming weeks.

Thank you to the many parents who ensured the ‘before and after school’ arrangements went smoothly this week. Students will wait in the Atrium under teacher supervision and move to their classes at 8.15am. As a school, we encourage the children to be independent throughout their school day. Therefore, we request that parents do not accompany their child to the classroom so that each child is responsible for organising herself for the school day.

In the afternoons, a teacher is on gate duty in Butler Street, (Monday to Thursday until 3.40pm, Friday until 3:30pm); however, no teacher is on duty in Lapraik Street. Please note that this area is a 2-Minute Zone and is a set down and collection point only. There is to be no parking in the drop off zone. Parents who walk to collect their child (Years 1 – 6) are requested to do so outside Gate 3 or in the pickup line. These arrangements are in place to help reduce the congestion at the school crossing and in the Atrium. For safety purposes, we request that children and adults are not to go to the rear of the vehicle to load bags, bags must be placed inside the car.

I thank parents in anticipation of their support and contribution throughout the year. I look forward to working in partnership with you.

Angela Drysdale

Emerging research outlines that the active engagement and interpersonal experiences fostered by drama can have overreaching positive effects on students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being, improving self-confidence, creativity and empathy, and desire to engage with their peers. Students in Prep to Year 3 will each participate in one semester of Drama and our Year 4 students will engage in Drama lessons fortnightly all year.

We look forward to sharing in this new and exciting opportunity with our students.

Kate Frewin

There are many exciting events planned for the students this year. Some of these include the Secondary Music Day Camp, Classics in the Cathedral, MAYO Festival, interschool ensemble workshops and several recitals at which students may gain solo performance experience. Of course, a number of students will also be involved in the upcoming Music Tour to Europe which will no doubt be an amazing experience. We believe it will be a wonderful year of music-making for everyone involved.

Information updates will be provided via the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Music POD page. All parents who have daughters involved in the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Music Program are encouraged to join this page, along with Strings, Band and Choral pages, dependent upon your daughter’s involvement.

You are welcome to contact the Music Department via phone: 3862 0705 or email: Music@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

2024 DATES

Please note important music dates for 2024.

Congratulations to SHEP students

Congratulations to the 2023 students who participated in the Primary State Honours Ensemble Program at the end of Term 4 last year. SHEP brings together talented students from around Queensland to work with specialist conductors in a variety of ensembles at the Griffith Conservatorium of Music. It is always a wonderful opportunity for students to further develop their musical capacity and great to see such fantastic representation from ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s. Congratulations to the following students: Grace (euphonium), Olivia (cello), Sophie (viola), Anastasia (voice), Cassandra (voice), Audrey (violin), Gia (voice), Eliza (voice), Molly (trumpet), Maya (clarinet), Stephanie (voice), Ruby (double bass), Zoe, (cello), Belle (voice), Alice (baritone saxophone), Amara (voice), Sarah (clarinet), Georgia (voice) and Sammy (violin).

Music Day Camp

On Sunday 11 February, the Music Department will be holding a Day Camp for students involved in the following Secondary Music Ensembles: Stradivari Strings, Chamber Strings, Jackson Wind Ensemble, Sister Helen Wind Symphony, Exultate and Volare. The focus of the Day Camp is two-fold; the day is an opportunity for students to spend time rehearsing new repertoire in the lead up to Open Day, and it will also allow students to further build friendships with others in the Music Program. The day will run from 8:30am - 4:00pm. A letter with further information will be provided to students in their ensemble rehearsals next week. We look forward to having all girls involved!

Staff News

We welcome Ms Joanna King to the role of Music Depart Administration Assistant. Ms King has had experience in education administration in schools in the Northern Territory and we look forward to having her in the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Music Department.

Private Music Lessons will start in Week 2

Private music lessons will commence from Week 2. On Thursday 25 January, during lunchtime, students from Years 4 -12 are asked to come to the Sister Helen Orchestra Room (SHOR) to meet their private music teacher and arrange a lesson time for Week 2. If a student is in a younger grade, or is unable to attend that day, the music teacher will contact parents/students directly to arrange a lesson time. Please note it is not too late to enrol your daughter in private music lessons. Please click here for the enrolment form:

There have been many requests from parents for lesson times to occur outside of school time. Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate these requests, it may not always be possible. Older students in the Secondary School will be given first preference for these time slots. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Music Ensemble rehearsals will start in Week 2

Rehearsals for String and Band ensembles will commence from Week 2 and we are looking forward to having many girls involved! Ensemble lists and timetable have been placed on the relevant POD pages. If students are interested in participating and have not yet auditioned, please contact the Music Department in order to arrange an audition time.

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 30 January 2024 at 5:00pm in the Circular Drive Classroom 01 (in front of the Arts Centre Foyer). We encourage parents from both primary and secondary schools to become involved.

Brad King

Participation Guidelines

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s recommends students participate in 1-2 sports at any given time within the school years.

Students should not participate in any more than three sports at any given time within the school year without sought permission from the Director of Sport.

•              Students can only participate in one (1) seasonal sport in the Autumn and Winter seasons:

o             Autumn Season must choose between Basketball, Soccer or Touch Football.

o             Winter Season must choose between Hockey, Netball, Tennis or Volleyball.

•              Students can only participate in one of either Netball (QGSSSA and/or Club) or Rowing.

•              Students who participate in Rowing cannot participate in Winter Season Sport.

Program Communication

The ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s sport program information is accessible via the POD platform. Students and parents are encouraged to join the Secondary Sport POD page to stay up to date with all the latest information. Students who sign up for a particular sport will be automatically added to the respective sports POD Page. The POD is accessible through the School App and notifications can be received via smart phone.

Sport Expectations

There's a way in which we strive to do things at St Margaret's; a way in which we seek to treat people throughout our community; and a way in which we aim to serve others. Underpinned by our school values, our ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s way extends itself to the way in which we behave and perform in sport.

It is expected all students selected within ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s representative teams will attend all required trainings and fixtured matches. If unable to do so, for legitimate reason, communication with Sport Coordinator is expected. 

Further Information

If you require any further information regarding the Sport & Activities program at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s please do not hesitate to get in contact. Please contact activities@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Secondary Sport Year in Review 2023

At the completion of 2023 the Sport & Activities Department took moment to reflect on the outstanding achievements of students’ involvement within the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Sport program. As we step into 2024 I wanted to revisit this reflection and reiterate the purpose and intention of our program and its delivery.

The ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Sport program prides itself upon both the performance and participation it encourages within its engagement. Throughout 2023 there were many outstanding performances that we have had the pleasure of celebrating with our community. However, as I reflect on the year that was, I am particularly proud of the incredible participation we have witnessed by our Maggies in all their sporting endeavours. 

At ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s, within our non-compulsory sports program, 89% of students participate in school sport. This statistic is significant because it bucks the growing trend of decline in female youth sport participation witnessed Australia-wide. The 2023 AUSPLAY: National Sport and Physical Activity Participation Report indicates a significant 3% decline in sport or physical activity participation in female youth populations.

One of the top identified barriers and drivers for this decline is associated with the perception and reality that there ‘is not enough time or too many other commitments’ taking place in young adults’ lives. It is worth noting that of our 2023 Year 12 cohort, 78% took part in school sport, establishing a healthy balance with their increased academics and wellbeing pursuits… healthy bodies pave the way for healthy minds.

Similarly, at an age when burn-out and drop-off are most relevant our 2023 Year 9 cohort contrasted this with 94% participating in school sport and together with the Year 7s, they were identified as our most engaged year groups in school sport last year. Our boarders also thrived in the opportunities seized at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s, with 92% of 2023 boarders involved in school sport. Their enjoyment and thirst for challenge and learning provides a healthy environment for all to excel.

To foster such strong participation our program continues to deliver holistic outcomes, incorporating both the physical and psycho-social needs of those who participate. Taking reference from the Positive Youth Development through Sport Framework (PYD) our program aims to instil a sense of competence, confidence, connection & character, which ultimately lends itself to the more intrinsic forms of motivation of fun and social connection that fuel our program and align closely with the top motivations identified with the AUSPLAY report.

The AUSPLAY report identifies Running, Swimming and Netball as the three of the most popular sports participated in by youth females. These are all sports that form an integral part of the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s sport program, with Netball being our most popular with 33% of secondary students engaged within our QGSSSA Netball and Club Netball programs. To match contemporary trends, our school has invested in our strength & conditioning space and program offering, with fitness/gym identifying as the number one non-sport-related activity for young females. Similarly, esports is another program trending highly in participation and one that ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s continues to foster. Both new activities, like traditional sports, continue to develop the self-regulatory skills that form self-confidence, connection with others and character in application. These skills continue to transcend beyond life at school. 

I continue to be blown away by the participation and enjoyment of sport shared by our girls, staff and wider school community. As we move forward into 2024, we will continue to encourage the intrinsic forms of engagement; enjoyment, social connection and character development, just as much as we do the more extrinsic values of achievement, success and accolade. We will continue to encourage girls to give new things a go and support each other in the process.

Good luck for the year ahead,

Lloyd Knight

Australian Sports Commission. (2023). AUSPLAY: National Sport and Physical Activity Participation Report. In https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/research/ausplay/results.

Côté, J., & Mallett, C. J. (2012). Review of Junior Sport Framework: Draft Briefing Paper Topic: Positive Youth Development through Sport. In UniQuest. Australian Sports Commission.

Private Speech and Drama lessons commence in Week 2 for enrolled students in Years 2 to 12.

If your daughter is not already enrolled and you would like her to commence Speech and Drama lessons, please complete the online Application for Tuition form as soon as possible by clicking. Places in the program are limited and are provided to continuing students and then to new students based on the order in which enrolment applications are received and according to availability of spaces in each year level.

If you have any enquiries about the Private Speech and Drama Program, please contact myself via email mchamberlain@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

We are looking forward to another exciting year of cultivating confident, capable communicators.

Maria Chamberlain
Private Speech and Drama Coordinator

I am writing to you as the Acting Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement, stepping into the role while Lara Pickering takes some time away on maternity leave. I look forward to continuing Lara’s work and am committed to maintaining the positive spirit and sense of community she has fostered.

We have an engaging calendar of events planned, offering many opportunities for connection and collaboration. I look forward to working with you all in 2024.

Thank you for your support.

Georgia Mitchell

Don’t forget to secure your ticket for the 2024 ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Fathers’ Dinner

Hear from Guest Speaker, Australian Olympic Royalty, Steven Bradbury OAM, while enjoying a meal and drinks package at the Rivershed at Howard Smith Wharves.

Date:     Friday 1 March 2024

Venue:  Rivershed at Howard Smith Wharves

Cost:      $199 per person – includes a meal and drinks package.

RSVP:    5.00pm Thursday 15 February, unless sold out prior.

Tables:  Maximum table capacity is 10 people. Seating requests can be made by nominating a Table Captain or Year Group at the time of booking. Best efforts will be made to meet any requests.

Enquiries: P&F@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Purchase your ticket online via

This event is proudly supported by Supporting Sponsor, Morgans and Maggies Supporters, Belbaker Bus Charter and Oscar Hunt.

Professional Women’s Network Breakfast – Featuring guest speaker Rhyll Gardner (’81)

Join us on Tuesday 19 March for our first Professional Women's Network Breakfast of 2024 with guest speaker Rhyll Gardner (’81). 

Rhyll is a non-executive director, chair, mentor and coach following a 40-year career as a

financial services executive with St George, Westpac, Bank of Queensland and Suncorp in Brisbane and Sydney. During her executive career, she led teams of up to 1000 people across retail, business and corporate banking, product and marketing, strategy and M&A, risk and compliance, and business and corporate development. Her current board roles include Chair of Nucrush, Non-Executive Director of BankVic, Non-Executive Director of Identitii, Non-Executive Director of InterFinancial, and Non-Executive Director of Foodbank. Rhyll also chairs and mentors a peer advisory group for CEOs and business owners. She is an avid supporter of the arts and is always drawn to opportunities to support young women.

Date:                    Tuesday 19 March 2024
Time:                    6.45am arrival for 7.00am - 8.45am
Location:             Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School, 11 Petrie Street, Ascot
Format:                Sit down breakfast  

Tickets:                $85 Adult, $40 Student (Years 10-12/Tertiary). 
Corporate tables: $850 (10 seats), includes company logo displayed on table and acknowledgement during event.

To purchase tickets or a corporate table:

We thank our Professional Women’s Network series sponsors, Major Sponsor: Pitcher Partners, Supporting Sponsors: Wolff Coffee Roasters, Downer, Clear Insurance and Move Recruitment Solutions.