ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, a restful holiday and a Happy New Year and I look forward to welcoming you all back here at school for the start of Term 1 next year on Monday 23 January 2023. Please note that the school closes over Christmas/New Year from 3pm, Tuesday 20 December 2022 to 8am Wednesday 4 January 2023.

I take this opportunity to farewell Shirley Patton who is retiring at the end of the school year.

We thank Shirley for her work and commitment over the last 13 years and we wish her and her husband safe travels as they embark on their retirement travel plans.

Over the holiday period we will begin a program of refurbishment works to improve the school campus:

Projects will include:

• Refurbishing two primary prep classrooms
• Refurbishing primary music room
• Works across the Terraces to improve waterproofing of The Arts building
• Internal repairs and refurbishment of sections of The Arts building
• Two major air-conditioning replacement projects – main roof units that service Avoca/Jackson/Toorak classrooms and The Arts building
• Internal repairs to Senior Library following February 2022 storm
• Internal repairs to western side of upstairs boarding following February 2022 storm
• Returfing of Circular Drive

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s will be a busy place over the holidays and much of the school campus will be a building site. Building crews will be on site Monday 28 November and work will continue all the way through to mid – late January.

Year 12 students will be invited to participate in the Next Step Year 12 Completers survey between March and June 2023.

Next Step is a state-wide post-school destination survey of all students who complete Year 12 in Queensland. Insights gained from Next Step assists schools to improve their services for senior students and improve students’ transition from school to further study and employment.

Further information about Next Step is available at . For any queries I invite you to contact the Next Step team by email at nextstep@qed.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 3055 2845.

Have a safe and joyful holiday break everyone! 

Ros Curtis

This week I was fortunate to attend the Year 6 Acknowledgement ceremony and be able to watch these wonderful girls finish their Primary school journey. I’m sure they are all looking forward to entering the secondary school as Year 7 students.

The Pre-Prep chapel service was on Wednesday morning, and with the theme of embracing joy, the students presented the ceremony and sang some songs with the theme of joy. It was a wonderful time of celebration for the students and their families.

I encourage all students to reflect on the year that has been, celebrate where they have been successful in reaching their goals and make new goals or revisions to current goals if necessary. It is strange to think now that in less that two months they will all be in the next year level at school, and as they progress through the year levels, they will have more experiences but also continue to build on their skills.

Holidays are a time to rest, recalibrate, and get ready for the next school year ahead. It is important for students to have some down time, but also important to keep their brains active and ready to learn. I encourage the students to read lots of books during the holidays. Consistent reading is so important for students in their literacy and language development. Students often say to me that they don’t have time to read as much as they would like to during the school term so I hope they have already started a list of books they would like to read.

It has been wonderful to share another year with the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s community and I wish you all a safe and enjoyable Christmas holiday. I look forward to seeing everyone again in 2023.

Karen Gorrie

An Invitation

I will be leading a Blue Christmas Service at St Alban’s, Wilston, at 6pm on Thursday 22 December. This service is a quiet service of reflection that acknowledges the challenges of the past year, remembers those who have died, and honours the fact that Christmas can be a challenging time for many. If you have any questions regarding this, please don’t hesitate to email me: jdow@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

You are also invited to the monthly SSA service in the Sisters’ Chapel at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s, on Sunday 4 December at 4pm.

Christmas Service Times

St Augustine’s Hamilton

Friday 16 December:   7:30pm Traditional Nine Lessons and Carols

Christmas Eve:            6:00pm Nativity and Children’s Service

                                    10:30pm Carols by the Tree

       11:00pm Midnight Mass

Christmas Day:             8:00am Sung Eucharist of the Nativity

St Mark’ Clayfield

Saturday 3 December:  4:30pm Christmas Carols on the Corner (4pm Sausage Sizzle)

                                      5:30pm Carols and Nativity

Sunday 18 December:  5:00pm Blue Christmas Service

Christmas Eve:              6:00pm All-Ages Christmas with Nativity                   

                                      8:30pm Contemplative and Traditional Service

Christmas Day:             8:30am Christmas Eucharist

St Alban’s Wilston

Saturday 18 December: 6:00pm Lessons and Carols

Thursday 22 December: 6:00pm Blue Christmas Service

Christmas Eve:               5:00pm Crib Service

                                       11:30pm Midnight Mass

Christmas Day:              8:00am Christmas Day Service

Rev’d Jazz Dow

Highlights of boarding 2022?

“My favourite moment of the year was the ‘See My Difference, See My Worth Festival’. There was a dance party and it was lots of fun on circular drive.”

“My favourite moment was my first ever trip to Southbank. I went on the ferris wheel and my boarding friends showed me around.”

“Boarder closed weekend was my favourite moment of the year, I was able to stay in and make friends with people in different grades. I enjoyed the fun activities with my friends and the barbecue night the most, with a variety of food and music to enjoy.”

Lessons learnt in the boarding house in 2022?

“I’ve learnt that you should try everything, because if you don’t try, you don’t know whether you like it or not.”

“Living with lots of people shows how everyone has different beliefs and ways to do things, it helps us adjust to new ways of life that will help us in the future.”

Everyone in the boarding house would like to wish our school community a very safe and happy festive season. May it be filled with cherished time with loved ones, and that you are able to welcome 2023 in with optimism and joy. We thank our boarding families for a wonderful year and extend our gratitude for allowing us to care for your children.

Hannah Calcino

At the end of each year the challenge of managing change can always be a little unsettling. Year 11 students have completed some of their first Internal Assessments. Year 6 girls are preparing to move into Year 7 and the Year 10 girls are preparing to move into Year 11, which are undoubtedly some of the bigger transitions that happen in a school; new classes, teachers and subjects are on the horizon for all students.

It is important to note that holidays should provide opportunity for quiet, unstructured times. It is through activities that involve the girls having time for personal choice, solitude, reading for pleasure, and informal activity, they make sense of what happens to them at school, and of their continually changing perception of what life means and their place in it. It has been fantastic to see a number of classes finding their holiday reading in the library this week. Some students were seeking a particular book in a series and others were scanning plenty of back covers in search of the perfect read. Regardless of their choice, the benefits of reading such as mental stimulation, vocabulary expansion, improved writing skills and entertainment, to name just a few, are significant. Encourage your daughters to step away from the computer, their phone and Netflix for a little while, open a book, and escape into someone else’s imagination.

If you are fortunate to have time with your daughter during the holidays, make sure that you only organise some of the time... not all of it.

I would like to wish all families an enjoyable and restful break over the Christmas holidays.

Caitlin McCluskey

End of the Year Reporting Process (Years 7-11)

End of Semester Reports will be available to be accessed through Parent Lounge on Friday 2 December after 3:00pm. Please note also that all Continuous Reporting Information will be available from this date as well.

Each student’s report will consist of a comment from her Head of Year, as well as a summary for each subject. The final page of the report is the Grade Point Average (GPA) graph which records the student’s overall level of achievement and tracks this from semester to semester.

For each subject, there is a list of the course content, marks for the criteria assessed, a table showing the distribution of achievement levels within the subject, and an assessment of your daughter’s attitude to her learning. The academic results reflected in this report are based on the assessment completed throughout Semester 2.

Please note that Year 12 students do not receive a final End of Semester 2 report from the school as final results will be recorded on your daughters Queensland Certificate of Education that is sent from QCAA.

Chris Dunn

Top things to avoid over the summer holidays that you can share with your daughters

1. Spending too much time in bed

   Get a few lie-ins of course but try not to make it a habit. You’ve got eight long weeks of holiday, so make the most of the beautiful weather and fresh air.

2. Turning into a vampire

   Don’t stay inside in the dark. Everyone needs to get out into the sunlight to get your daily Vitamin D fix (apparently 30% of Queenslanders are Vitamin D deficient).

3. Playing games all day

   A few days of playing various games is fine but don’t mistake this for real life. While there can be some benefits to playing video games, both on behaviour and brain health, it's not a risk-free hobby. Playing games for an extended period of time on a regular basis isn't good for your physical health and can possibly hinder your social skills. Being active is a critical aspect of our overall health.

4. Spending all day online

   Snapchat and Instagram etc. are not as great as connecting with your friends in person. Rather, go and talk with your friends in person. Spending days with friends makes your life fuller and richer.

5. Watching TV all day

   There is always so much to watch but don’t waste your whole time on viewing movies all day every day. Students are young and active, so get out and have some fun with family and friends.

6. Eating junk

   Too many chips, too much pizza and too few vegetables and fruit. Excessively eating junk foods during adolescence could alter brain development, leading to lasting poor diet habits. Instead make a salad, enjoy the fruits of summer, go for a picnic.

7. Stop hanging around

   When you go out, go somewhere nice. Don’t just hang around shopping centres complaining that there’s nothing else to do. Check the internet for all the amazing things to do around Brisbane – many of them are free. Expand your horizons.

8. Buying stuff

   Shopping is not a hobby. Spend money on experiences instead of more stuff that you don’t really need.

9. Saying you’re bored

That just makes you boring to talk to! Force yourself to do something – read a book, walk the dog, bake – you’ll feel so much better.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a blessed festive season to all ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s students and their families.

Nikki Townsend

This week, we celebrated year levels at each end of the primary school. The Pre-Prep students gave thanks for their successful year of learning about self, others, and the world at their final Chapel service.  On the other hand, Year 6 girls shared their primary school journey at their Chapel Service and morning tea. I will miss the Year 6 girls’ confidence, humour and enthusiasm and I know as they move to the next stage of their life, they will take many primary school memories with them. The day concluded with an Acknowledgement Assembly where the primary school recapped on important achievements and acknowledged successes of many students. Thank you to Annette Box for overseeing the organisation of all the celebrations over the past two weeks.

The final primary school Assembly is always of special significance not only because it is the last one for the year but is also the last one for the Year 6 girls. At this Assembly, I presented Head of Primary certificates to the Year 6 girls who have made a special impact on the primary school.  

Congratulations to:

Ella Poynter - for consistent effort in class and showing empathy towards others

Sasha Beikoff – for fostering inclusivity in the classroom and always demonstrating the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s spirit

Emilia Bliss – for her infectiously positive attitude and displaying courage towards her learning

Agatha George – for demonstrating respectful and supportive interactions with all members of the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Community

Eva Williams – for approaching all aspects of ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s life with enthusiasm, diligence and commitment

As we say goodbye to the Year 6 girls, the Year 5 students will step up next year as the primary school leaders. At their celebration, I shared the attributes, I believe, will contribute to their future leadership, but I think these are habits that could be demonstrated by all so here are seven valuable habits:

1. Make your bed each day because little things in life matter

2. Work for quality, it is worthy of your best

3. Be useful - make the place, the idea, the people better because you improved it

4. Be grateful – say thank you

5. Embrace joy

6. Get to know yourself and have the confidence to share the ‘real’ you with others.

7. And be responsible to be the leader of your own success.

It has been a strange year, quick, slow, eventful but I thank the parents and teachers who, together, have helped nurture the girls to achieve their personal best.

To the classroom and specialist teachers, thank you for taking the students on a learning journey to discover their talent and potential. I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.

Angela Drysdale

PS. Don’t forget to read with your child and encourage them to read these school holidays. Research has shown that the amount of independent reading a child does outside of school relates to their growth in vocabulary, verbal fluency, reading comprehension and general knowledge. Children who read on their own improve their reading skills, have greater content knowledge and score higher on achievement tests than children who do not open a book outside of school. Food for holiday thought!

Prep:  Kristen Peng – Highly Commended and Tabitha Conias – First Place

Year 1: Helena Brunello – Highly Commended and Madeleine Adsett – First Place

Year 2: Ava Czako – Highly Commended and Ruby Sheehan – First Place

Year 3: Madeleine James, Alice Sutherland – Highly Commended and Ivy Tribe – First Place

Year 4: Abbie Truong – Highly Commended and Lily Williams – First Place

Year 5: Georgia Van Riel – Highly Commended and Clara O’Gorman– First Place

Year 6: Sophie Heffernan and Anjelica Owen – Highly Commended and Isobel Stobie – First Place

NAPLAN Update

The State and National Averages along with the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s Averages are now available on the school website and below.

NAPLAN DATA 2022 (PDF 113.6KB)

We would like to congratulate all of our students once again for their outstanding results and share a summary of some of their achievements below.

Year 3

The 2022 cohort have achieved the highest school average for both reading and spelling over the last seven years.

Year 3 have several students who have achieved a Band 6+. This puts them outside of the top achievable band for Year 3.

• 9 students – writing
• 23 students – reading
• 16 students – spelling
• 8 students – numeracy
• 29 students – grammar and punctuation

Year 5

The 2022 Year 5 students have achieved the highest school average for both writing and spelling over the past seven years.

Year 5 have several students who have achieved a Band 8+. This puts them outside of the top achievable band for Year 5.

• 10 students – writing
• 5 students – reading
• 8 students – spelling
• 3 students – numeracy
• 17 students – grammar and punctuation

Kate Frewin

Staff news

Thank you to all our music staff who have worked tirelessly to support our music students throughout the year. A number of staff will be leaving ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s at the end of 2022. Farewell to Ms Jessica Bell who will be moving to Melbourne in 2023. Thank you also to Ms Helen Carvolth and Ms Sophia Goodwin who have been assisting with Ms Rayner’s students whilst she has been on leave. We also farewell Ms Mel Lathouras who will be leaving to take on some new artistic projects in the new year. We thank all these teachers for their contribution to the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s music program and wish them all the best.

Return of instruments hired over the Christmas holidays

Please note that instruments hired over the Christmas holidays are to be returned back to the Music Department in Week 1, Term 1 2023 and no later than Wednesday 25 January.

2023 Private Music Tuition

If your daughter is currently undertaking private music tuition, she will automatically be placed on her current teachers’ roll for 2023. Parents do not need to fill in a new application form. However, if your daughter is wanting to discontinue lessons in 2023, we ask that you please email directly to the Music Department at music@stmargarets.qld.edu.au prior to the end of the school year.

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 31 January 2023 at 5:00pm in M’s Café. We encourage parents from both the primary and secondary schools to become involved.

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

A very big thank you to all in the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s music community for another fantastic year. It has been filled with many special musical experiences and I believe that the girls will end the school year with many wonderful memories of their involvement in the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s music program. I wish you all a happy and safe Christmas break and will look forward to seeing everyone in 2023, refreshed and ready for another year of music-making!

Brad King

Sport registration is important for it ensures students receive the most up to date information regarding the trials and training for the commencement of the new year. It also provides automatic access to the respective sport POD pages.

Sport registrations should be completed by students. However, we would greatly appreciate the support of parents/guardians to please assist in encouraging their daughters to complete this task.

Further sport information and registration links can be found on the

If you have any questions please see Mr Knight or Ms Eastland in the Activities Office.

Club Netball

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s has its own Netball Club which participates in the Downey Park Netball Association. Students from Years 2 to Year 12 may join teams to compete against other Club teams on Saturday mornings, from late April through to early September. If you are interested in your daughter participating, please head to the for all ongoing information, including trials, season dates and frequently asked questions.

Click on this to register your your daughter/s.

If you have further questions, please reach out to Ms Gayle Coutts, Head of Netball gcoutts@stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Sport Wrap

As the year draws to a close, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the outstanding year of Maggies sport and give thanks to our students, staff and wider community who make our programs so special.

As a new member of the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s community this year, I have been blown away by the spirit that threads itself throughout our school and particularly throughout sport.

Having been involved with many different schools across my journey, never have I seen a send-off so powerful, or a grandstand packed full of students with their blue, brown and white pom-poms… this proud feature is something extremely special and unique to our school.

Our spirit and support of each other is something that I am sure has helped aid many of the outstanding performances achieved across 2022. For that reason, as we look forward towards 2023, I strongly encourage our Maggies students and wider community to continue to give their support towards each other, whether it be within a mighty send off, cheering from the sidelines or more simply, giving a high-five in a moment of triumph or an arm around a shoulder in a moment of defeat.

This greater sense of self will continue to build and bind our mighty school spirit.     

Have a safe and merry festive season. We look forward to the sport season ahead in 2023. For further information regarding the 2023 program please check out the

GO MAGGIES!

Lloyd Knight

The 9 Drama (Minor) class has created The Kingdom of Kolours, a play in which four sisters compete for the ruling of a Kingdom, only to learn that when they combine their strengths, they are much stronger together.

Both classes have formed their scripts independently, incorporating children’s theatre techniques such as rhyme, song, colourful characters, and most importantly, a valuable lesson for their Prep audience. Considerable time was spent discovering their audience’s interests through games and stories in the Year 9 visits to Prep. The unit of work has been extremely enjoyable and has strengthened relationships across the primary and secondary Schools. The Year 9s thoroughly enjoyed having such a captive and appreciative audience.

Katie Flanagan

Uniform Fitting Appointments – Online Booking System

Bookings for November & December 2022 and January 2023 are available

Appointment times are either 30 mins or 60 mins depending on your fitting type. Fitting types include: New Student, Existing Student, Boarder Only, Pre-Prep and School Blazer Fitting. We encourage all families to book a fitting appointment as soon as possible to avoid missing your preferred day and time.

Extended Trading Hours **

2022 – **Open for appointments only

Monday 28 Nov                       8am – 2pm
Tuesday 29 Nov                       8am – 2pm
Wednesday 30 Nov                 11am – 5pm
Thursday 1 Dec                       8am – 2pm
Friday 2 Dec                            8am – 2pm
Monday 5 Dec                         8am – 2pm
Tuesday 6 Dec                         8am – 2pm
Wednesday 7 Dec                   11am – 5pm
Thursday 8 Dec                       8am – 2pm
Friday 9 Dec                            8am – 2pm

2023

Please note: Customers without an appointment in January will be required to take a number and will be served as soon as a staff member is available. 

Wednesday 11 Jan                  8am – 2pm
Thursday 12 Jan                      1pm – 6pm
Friday 13 Jan                           8am – 2pm
Monday 16 Jan                        8am – 2pm
Tuesday 17 Jan                        8am – 2pm
Wednesday 18 Jan                  8am – 2pm
Thursday 19 Jan                      1pm – 6pm
Friday 20 Jan                           8am – 2pm
Saturday 21 Jan                      9am – 11am
                                               1 pm – 3pm – OPEN FOR BOARDERS ONLY
Sunday 22 Jan                        1pm – 3pm – OPEN FOR BOARDERS ONLY

Monday 23 January            Regular trading hours resume

Pre-Prep to Year 12 booklists

Booklists for Prep-Prep to Year 12 2023 are now available on the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s website and the POD in the School Supplies Shop section. Orders placed by 30 November 2022 will be delivered by 21 December 2022. Orders placed by 18 December 2022 will be delivered before 20 January 2023. Orders placed after 19 December will be sent ASAP, but there is no guarantee of delivery before school commences. 

Boarders ONLY are able to have their book pack delivered to ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s for pickup on their return to school in January 2023 by confirming in the delivery address: Boarder – Deliver to ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s AGS.

Please refer to the attached Information Guide for full booking terms and conditions. We are unable to accept bookings via email or text message. The OSHC registration and Debitsuccess form must be completed, signed and sent back to us to finalise your booking. Please read the information guide carefully as some information has changed. OSHC Registration and Debitsuccess can be completed via the My Family Lounge.

PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR VACATION CARE BOOKING FORM VIA THE MY FAMILY LOUNGE APP

We are very excited to inform you that ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s OSHC has subscribed to a fantastic online Booking and Waitlist management program called QK Enrol. This program will give you access to manage your own account information, where you will have the ability to make bookings requests and allows you to complete and submit an online enrolment form for your child. You can do this and much, much more all within a parent portal called ’My Family Lounge’.

How do I log in?

Please navigate to the link below and either sign in with your existing My Family Lounge account or Register for an account if you do not already have one. Please note all families who have previously submitted an enrolment form will have an account already set up; all you will need to do is click ‘forgotten password’ and use the email address you used to receive this form.

When making a Vacation Care booking please select Casual bookings, not Permanent.

What is the cost?*

Early Bird Fees: $63 per day

Early Bird Bookings close: 14 November 2022

Fees: $68 per day*

Bookings close: 21 November 2022

*Incursions and excursions incur additional costs. These are compulsory for all students and therefore you are able to claim CCS.

What are the hours of operation?

The service is open from 7:00am until 6:00pm.

How can I obtain more information?

If you would like further information regarding our OSHC Program or if you would like to make a booking, feel free to contact me on 0423 547 653 or email: oshc@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Palu Ingram

Throughout the four days of performances, students demonstrated their developing skills in storytelling, mime, poetry recital, prose reading, impromptu speaking and drama. External adjudicators provided invaluable feedback to performers and commented on the very high standard of presentation.

In 2016, the Jacqueline Noyes Encouragement Award was introduced to the Year 5 Eisteddfod to honour Jacqui who passed away that year.

Jacqui made a significant contribution to the life of Speech and Drama at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s. She taught Private Speech and Drama here for 21 years from 1980 to 2001. During that time, she inspired students with her love of literature and passion for performing. Jacqui later adjudicated our end-of-year Eisteddfods from 2009 to 2015, allowing many more students to benefit from her experience and expertise. 

As a teacher and adjudicator at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s, Jacqui provided warm encouragement and inspiration to many Speech and Drama students. The Jacqueline Noyes Encouragement Award is now presented each year to a Year 5 student who the adjudicator believes demonstrates note-worthy potential through their Eisteddfod performances. Congratulations to Isabella Goodrick who is the 2022 recipient of this Award.

Maria Chamberlain - Private Speech & Drama Coordinator

A ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s education is lifechanging. “Receiving a boarding bursary has provided me with the privilege of attending an amazing school and receiving a unique education, at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s, which would not be possible for me otherwise. This has significantly helped me, and my family and I will be forever grateful for this generosity and kindness towards me,” shared one of our senior student bursary recipients.

Excitingly, our Professional Women’s Network (PWN) Breakfast Series returned to pre-COVID levels of attendance this year. Profits made through sponsorship and tickets sales of the four breakfast events totalled just over $60,000, which has been donated to our Endowment Fund to help support several bursaries and scholarships for indigenous, regional, and rural girls, based on financial need.

In 2012, St Margaret's Foundation received a $500 donation to establish an Endowment Fund - it was a symbol of faith in the future of St Margaret's and the important role it has in educating young women. The purpose of the fund is to invest and build on the capital, so that ultimately the interest earned on the investment can be used to further the educational offerings to St Margaret's students. The long-term goal of this fund is to supply money in perpetuity, which can be used to support a variety of St Margaret's projects, including bursaries.

Today, thanks to the support of the Professional Women’s Network and support of our community, including those who have given the ultimate gift through leaving a donation in their Will, that $500 donation has grown into a sum of almost $500,000. This year, work was completed on our investment strategy so that once we reach this initial half a million-dollar goal, these funds can be invested in a way that best serves the school and our current students well into the future.

Under our ‘Every Girl, Every Opportunity’ annual giving campaign, we also continue our focus on the improvement of facilities for all students and we thank those of you who have donated to the Building Fund in support. We are excited to be developing a new cafeteria, with an outdoor forest like seating area, which will serve all 1300+ students across the primary and secondary schools. This year has also seen us add new classrooms to the campus. With our new Masterplan set to be completed by the end of this calendar year, we look forward to sharing some exciting new plans for you in 2023 which will include a new Performing Arts Precinct.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your school and helping us to achieve wonderful things for future generations of ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s girls.

We wish you and your family a safe and happy Christmas.

Lara Pickering