168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø

In The Bonsai Student Judith identifies 5 essential skills that all need to be acquired for life success, that is, to face life every day, to manage reactions, cope with challenges and ultimately thrive. She also claims that most issues arise for students because they lack at least one of these essential skills which are:

1. Resilience: the ability to cope with difficulty; the ability to bounce back from challenge; the belief that whatever will come their way, they will cope.
2. Self-regulation: foregoing current pleasure for future gain; delaying gratification by delaying something that is immediately pleasant.
3. Resourcefulness: the ability to take initiative to improve a situation; adjusting actions to suit the situation.
4. Respect: to give appropriate respect to authority figures and to follow the rules. She notes this is an essential skill to fit into society.
5. Responsibility: is an extension of respect and is the belief that the needs of others have value. This is demonstrated by wanting to contribute to the community and being not just focussed on self.

Although these vital skills are essential for life success, they obviously have an impact on schooling and academic achievement.

Please note for your calendar that Saturday 6 March is Open Day and it is a compulsory day for all students. We understand that some students will have unavoidable clashes on that day and will be unable to attend. If this is the case for your daughter, we require a letter indicating her inability to attend. Open Day is a great day for the students – where they engage in activities and/or performances to showcase the school to our visitors. We also welcome our current parents to come to the school to see the school in action from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Please feel free to bring guests to the school so they too can see 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s and the students and staff in operation.

Ros Curtis

At the Secondary Information evening I spoke a little about 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Way. Perhaps your daughters have mentioned the 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Way to you at home? If you are new to the school, I’m sure that over the coming weeks you will be able to hear more about it.

The 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Way underpins our culture, demonstrating a respect for those around us and ensuring that we notice everyone here at school. The vision of 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Way is to ensure social and professional interactions between all within our community - students, staff, families - that foster a sense of belonging, coherence and well-being. The 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Way is a set of values and behaviours to which all members of the 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s community adhere. It grew out of questions put to the community: How do I want to feel every day when I come school? What am I doing to ensure that others feel this way? The vision of this plan is to ensure social and educational interactions that foster a sense of belonging, coherence, well-being and accountability amongst staff, students and parents. Essentially it is a pastoral approach that is designed to give a language to the way we are and strive to be in our interactions with each other. It is a focused energy on wellbeing, noting that all within the 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s community have a role to play in the wellbeing of all in our community. There are two key focus areas - firstly we appreciate and acknowledge (each other, students, parents), and we are aligned and accountable (to ourselves, to each other, to the vision of the school).

I look forward to a year where our community can continue to embrace and foster the 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Way.

Karen Gorrie

Traditionally, Lent was a time of fasting, of giving up something. Now days, people are also encouraged to think about what they could take up, things like being more intentional in being kind to others, sitting quietly and reflecting or being mindful. Lent is a time to allow ourselves to be a little selfish and find time for ourselves to delve into our hearts, and ask ourselves how is our relationship with God? How is our relationship with ourselves, and how is our relationship with the world around us?

This prayer, by John Birch is very fitting:

Inscribed upon our heart,

the maker’s mark,

indelible,

the Word of God,

‘Love’

beautifully written,

heartfelt,

that all God’s people

might know

that we are precious,

children

of a Loving God

becoming family together,

and may eyes lift upward

as we listen together

to hear angels worship.

John Birch -

Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions we are unable to hold a combined Years 7 and 8 Family Service on 10 March. Instead, on 10 March at 6pm we will hold our Year 7 Family Service.

Our Year 8 Family Service will be held in Term 2, Tuesday 18 May at 6pm.

Confirmation is considered a mature, more adult rite. In 2021, Confirmation is open to students from Year 9 and above and members of the school community. We will be holding our Confirmation preparation classes during lunch time on 16 February, 2 March and 16 March. The service of Confirmation, with Bishop Jeremy Greaves, will be held on Wednesday 17 March at 6:00pm in 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Chapel.

Please click here (PDF 438.5KB) to download the information regarding Confirmation. Once completed, please return to School Support or me.

The Pre-Prep to Year 3 Twilight Family Service will be held on 24 March at 6:00pm. Families and their children are invited to attend this special Family Service.

Looking ahead to Term 2, Years 4-6 students are invited to participate in preparation for Baptism and Admission to Holy Communion (preparation is done during class RVE lessons). The service will take place at the Years 4-6 Family Service on Wednesday 28 April at 6:00pm. Please note, those Year 4 girls and families who were not baptised and admitted to Holy Communion due to the cancellation last year, will be invited to participate this year.

More information will be coming home during the term.

For any further information, please do not hesitate to call 3862 0716 or email: scrothers-robertson@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Susan Crothers-Robertson

Another highlight of our week in Boarding, is the ‘Lunar New Year’ celebration dinner. This will be held in Eton Hall with many staff also attending. We are so fortunate to celebrate all cultures and respect each others’ traditions. It will be a special night for our whole Boarding family to come together and celebrate with our International Students.

Our school values have been at the forefront of all conversations over the past few weeks, as we continue our long heritage of educating the whole student body in the 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Way. The 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Boarding community is a special one and we value everyone’s contribution.

Gracemere Mataia

To set realistic goals, I encourage your daughters to read their Continuous Reporting comments from last year, think about their own study habits and consider the range of activities in their life they need to balance. You will have an opportunity to discuss your daughter’s goals with her Academic Advisor at the upcoming Parent Teacher Interviews.

Reminder to book in for an Academic Progress meeting – Year 12 (including ATAR Indications)

All Year 12 students have been invited to sign up for an academic progress meeting to discuss their Year 11 progress, goals for 2021 and ATAR Indications, if eligible. Many girls and parents have done this; however, many are still to book in for a meeting.

Meeting times are available before, during and after school and parents are most welcome to attend these meetings. Your daughter has access to the booking system through the POD to book in a time to meet.

Dates and time periods available are listed below:

• Thursday 11 February, 7:00am-5:00pm
• Friday 12 February, 3:00pm-5:00pm
• Saturday 13 February, 7:00am-1:00pm
• Tuesday 16 February, 10:00am-1:00pm
• Wednesday 17 February, 7:00am-8:00am, 9:30am-12:30pm, 5:00-8:00pm
• Friday 19 February, 7:00am-8:30am, 3:00pm-5:00pm

Nicole Devlin

This year, we are pleased to be offering both video and face to face interview options. On Monday 8 March, we will be holding Interviews via Microsoft Teams and on Thursday 11 March, we will hold face to face interviews in Eton Hall. Both sessions will run from 3:30-6:00pm and further information regarding bookings will be emailed to parents.

Term 3 Parent Teacher Interviews for Years 7-12 will give you the opportunity to meet with your daughter’s subject teachers. The Term 3 Interviews will be held on Monday 12 July from 10:00am-8:00pm. However, it is important to note you can contact your daughter’s Subject Teachers, Form Teacher or Academic Advisor via email if you have any questions at any time throughout the year.

Supervised Study Sessions

Supervised Study Sessions (SSS) will operate out of the senior Library on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Each session runs from 5:00pm to 7:30pm, with students having the option of purchasing dinner from the Boarding House for $10 (served at 6pm).

For students attending these sessions after an afternoon of sport, transport is available to and from Windsor Park. For those staying on after school to attend SSS, the senior Library is open until 5:00pm 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 2021 Supervised Study Sessions are below (please note that bookings open the first day of each term):

Term 1: 1 February - 25 March

Term 2: 27 April - 10 June (except for 3 and 4 May due to the Day/Boarder Weekend)

Term 3: 19 July - 9 September (except for 11 August due to RNA holiday and 2 September due to the Student Free Day)

Term 4: 11 October - 18 November (except for 12 October due to Speech Night)

To book, parents will need to log into Flexischools and select ‘Supervised Study Sessions’. Bookings are limited to 25 participants each night and when a session is full no more bookings can be made. Bookings are essential and should be made in advance to ensure a place is available. If dinner is required, payment must be paid at the time of booking and this option selected in Flexischools.

During these sessions, girls work with tutors to organise a plan of study for the term. This involves students looking at their assessment calendar and planning how to ensure they are planned and ready for the next lesson and assessment. The main goal of SSS is to assist girls to revise work covered so far and support and extend their understanding of learning from lessons so they are prepared for assessment. It is important that students arrive on time and check in with the tutors to get their name marked off and then sign out when they are collected by their parents.

Caitlin McCluskey

It has been pointed out time and again that schools don’t do enough in educating students about financial literacy and soft skills. At 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s, we have recognised this gap. Through Beyond the Panama program we will aim to upskill our students on financial literacy and soft skills so that our students feel more confident, compassionate and capable young women when they leave school…and beyond.

The Beyond the Panama program is designed to run as a three-year program, from Year 10 through to Year 12. The program will progressively build on each year. We’re in the process of setting up a POD page where information on all upcoming presentations will be provided, including any useful links and files for the girls to access. Parents and Teachers are also welcomed to join this POD page.

In Year 10, this program will be run during lunch times every fortnight, commencing this week. Our first task is for students to complete their tax file number applications. The schedule for the year ahead will be available on the POD.

In Years 11-12, Beyond the Panama program has been incorporated as part of the Pastoral Care Program. Last Friday, we ran our very first session on ‘Budgeting and Savings’, providing students with tips on how to budget effectively, including useful tips on savings. The Year 12s concluded this session by writing a letter to their future self, reminding them of the tips and advice they received during this session. We would also like to extend our warmest appreciation to Frontline Education for providing our girls valuable tips on interviews and CV’s.

Please tune into the POD for further details. We would love all parents and staff to be part of this journey together, supporting our girls to help them be everything they can be.

Nikki Townsend

School role in teaching resilience
Social and emotional wellbeing - The development of resilience has always featured in our Pastoral Care Program:

• Well-developed social skills - students are more likely to be resilient.
• Relationships really matter - starting point of social skills, friendship skills, conflict management skills, help-seeking skills.

The You Can Do It program identifies “inside characteristics of students”. The five foundations are getting along, organisation, persistence and confidence. Resilience is the fifth and sits as a foundation to the other 4 characteristics. In the Early Childhood Program, these characteristics are named and have accompanying puppets e.g. Ricky Resilience.

• Musical Performances/Arts Spectacular – way of stepping outside comfort zones.

Cognitive Skills and Learning - classroom academic programs:

• Learning Pit - It is a learning disposition when we discuss the learning pit and it is what is needed to ‘emerge from the bottom of the learning pit’.

Physical wellbeing - camp/outdoor education, sporting teams, competitions - students are challenged to step outside their comfort zone with physical activities and physical education classes.

Parent role in teaching resilience
When a child is exposed to different situations where they experience discomfort, parents need to use it as a teachable moment to discuss ‘how to deal’ and strategies to employ, rather than trying to rescue the child.

• People can bounce back like balls bounce back.
• Bad feelings and unhappy times always go away again.
• Other people can help you feel better if you talk to them.
• Unhelpful thinking makes you feel more upset.
• Nobody is perfect. Mistakes can help you to learn.
• Concentrate on the good things in an unhappy situation.
• Having a laugh helps you to feel better.
• Everybody feels sad and worried sometimes, not just you.
• Sometimes there is nothing you can do to change a situation and you just have to put up with it.
• One bad thing doesn’t spoil everything else.
• Recognise, name and manage own emotions and other people’s.
• Responding empathically to others.

Resilience helps children develop coping skills. They provide the cognition, behaviours and attitudes for making their lives in the classroom, playground, home and community happier and more productive. They also give life skills for coping with difficult times in their future careers and relationships. The skills include:

• Optimistic thinking.
• Having a sense of purpose and future.
• Normalising negative events, rather than personalising.

Together, as parents and teachers, we can influence a child’s ability to be resilient.

Open Day – Saturday 6 March
Open Day will be held on Saturday 6 March from 9:30am-12:30pm. This is a wonderful morning where the children have the opportunity to share their academic, cultural and sporting talents with family and friends. All students from Prep - Year 6 are expected to attend Open Day. Pre-Prep students are welcome to visit Pre-Prep and other parts of the school with their family during the morning.

If you child is unable to attend, a request is to be made to Mrs Drysdale by email to: primaryreception@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Angela Drysdale

Performance Uniforms

For many of the music ensembles at 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s, students are required to wear a performance uniform. Students are encouraged to purchase the uniform as soon as possible from the School Supplies Shop, in preparation for Open Day (Saturday 6 March). Performance uniform requirements are as follows:

CHORAL ENSEMBLES

Serenata, Belle Voci: School Middy

Chorale: School Middy (but required to purchase a white church dress for future performances)

Encorah, Volare (yet to commence rehearsals): Black performance uniform with black shoes (ballet flats)

Exultate: Black pants with a plum coloured shirt and black jazz shoes

BAND ENSEMBLES

Chaseley Concert Band, Jackson Wind Ensemble: School Middy

Sister Helen Wind Symphony, Stage Band, Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute/EJ Percussion Ensembles: Black performance uniform with black shoes (ballet flats)

STRING ENSEMBLES

Tutti Strings, Amati Strings, Beath String Quartet: School Middy

Stradivari Strings, Chamber Strings, Sculthorpe String Quartet: Black performance uniform with black shoes (ballet flats)

ROCK BANDS

Highly Strung: School Middy

Secondary Rock Bands: Smart blue jeans, sneakers and ‘M Factor’ polo shirt

Music Support Group

The 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Music Support Group is a committee of dedicated parents who meet regularly to support the girls who participate in the school’s Music Program. The Music Support Group organises and assists with refreshments at school concerts and fundraises to purchase a range of instruments/equipment to enhance the department’s resources. Thank you to all parents who attended the meeting held this week. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 2 March at 5:00pm in the Primary Music Room (second floor of Chaseley). Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend.

Brad King

This Friday, 12 February internal trials will be held at the 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s swimming pool at the conclusion of school. Details of these trials will be available via the Secondary Swimming POD page.

Water Polo

It was a super start to Water Polo on the weekend with 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s Swimming pool hosting the U12 Division for the Brisbane Water Polo competition. The school was absolutely thrilled to see the Water Polo community enjoying the pool.

Thank you to our Water Polo Support Group for their efforts on the BBQ at 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s.

Secondary Interhouse Swimming Carnival

House spirit will be on the line on Tuesday 23 February at the Valley Pool, as all girls swim, cheer and march for their House. All students are required to wear their House colours on the day which includes their House coloured polo shirt, PE skirt, coloured socks, panama and coloured swim cap for competition.

All girls are to report to their year level areas at 8:20am and wait for departure. Sun safe practices must be adhered to by applying sunscreen throughout the day and wearing a hat when not in the water. A good level of hydration should be maintained as well as sound nutrition for both morning tea and lunch. A charity barbecue and the Valley kiosk will be available for students to purchase items.

The focus of the day is enjoyment and fun within a safe and competitive environment, with students aiming to perform their best for themselves, their House and 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s.

Please note, due to the Valley Pool operating under the Swimming Pool and Aquatic Centre Industry plan, ONLY students and staff can be in attendance. Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this matter.

Volunteers

168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø's Sport acknowledges and values the important work that volunteers carry out within our sporting landscape. Whether you are a support group member, volunteer at a canteen, barbecue or at matches and competitions, it enhances the quality of your daughter's experience.

To keep our students safe and comply with Student Protection and Work Health and Safety legislation, we require all volunteers to register with the school. This is done by completing the online Volunteer Register Form. To access the form, please click on the link below or through the links section on the Secondary Sport POD page.

168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø's Volunteer Register

Congratulations…

Syren Letizia (Year 11) and Millicent Watson (Year 8) for being selected in the 13-19 years Metropolitan North Softball team and Bless Daly (Year 7) who was selected as shadow for this team. The girls will contest the Queensland Secondary Schools State Championships in March 2021. 

Helen Lobegeiger

Please contact the Secondary Visual Art Department on 3862 0867 if you would like further information. All activities began this week and students from Years 7-12 are encouraged to become involved.

Congratulations to Zsa Zsa Janosi (Year 11), our first recipient for 2021. Our Art Captains, Gio Kim and Lily Carey selected Zsa Zsa’s “Social Comment” painting for its unique composition approach.

Lisa Smith

Since October 2020, students have been hard at work rehearsing and preparing what is sure to be a wonderful performance. The show will run from 18-20 March on campus, in a transformed Eton Hall. This much-loved musical featuring original music from Australia’s own, Tim Minchin is one for the whole family and not to be missed. Stay tuned as further information on ticket sales is released and join us on Open Day to get a sneak preview. We are very much looking forward to seeing you in the audience at the 2021 Musical.

Estella Caro and Harriet Couchman-Frame

You would have then received a follow up email direct from pixevety, asking you to click on a link provided and register a free account with them which, when you do, will give you access to the 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s photo gallery. If you have been nominated as an ‘authoriser’ (one parent/guardian per child), before you can access the gallery, you will be asked to agree to or change the default consent settings applied to all 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s students.

There are a couple of key things to note.

• Only current 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s parents and staff have access to this gallery.
• If you do not give your consent, it is implied (at the school’s default settings) until such time you register an account to change them.
• You can change your consent at any time.
• If you have previously submitted restrictions on the use of your child’s image (via our previous paper-based permissions), we still require you to log in to pixevety and agree to or change the current settings. These new settings are a lot more granular than our previous consent form, so it is important you review what they mean.

The benefit of creating an account is that you will have access to a wide range of photos that are taken throughout the year.

Below is a screenshot of the 2020 highlight gallery:

If you have not already done so, we would appreciate all parents creating an account (by clicking on the link sent by pixevety) to enable you to update your child’s consent settings.

If you did not receive an email from pixevety, please email: wjohnston@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me or call 07 3862 0837.

Wendy Johnston

Per Volar Sunata – Born to Fly Upwards. Jenny Stevens firmly believes in 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s motto and all young women embracing their full potential. In this first breakfast event of 2021, Jenny will talk about how she has fought her fear of failure, and how young women can live the lives they deserve to live. Jenny has grown Attune Hearing to over 65 clinics servicing the medical community across 5 states. She is an advocate for patient care and innovation and has worked extensively on a number of fundraising committees for children with special needs. Jenny holds a Teaching Degree, a Bachelor and Master of Educational Studies, a Bachelor of Special Education and a Master of Audiological Studies from UQ.

Date: Thursday 18 March 2021

Time: 7:00am arrival – 8:45am finish

Enjoy Barista Coffee from a Wolff Coffee Roasters cart, before and after the event

Location: 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø's Anglican Girls School, 11 Petrie Street, Ascot

Tickets: $80 Adult, $40 Student (Tertiary, Years 10-12)

Tickets are available for purchase via , or alternatively, please contact the Development Office on developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or 07 3862 0767.

Reunion Weekend

Planning is well under way for our 2021 Reunion events, where we will run both our 2020 and 2021 Milestone Reunions over one weekend.

Invitations will be sent out very soon, but please note the following dates:

10 Year Reunion - Class of 2010 - Friday 23 July 2021

10 Year Reunion - Class of 2011 - Friday 23 July 2021

20 Year Reunion - Class of 2000 - Friday 23 July 2021

20 Year Reunion - Class of 2001 - Friday 23 July 2021

30 Year Reunion - Class of 1990 - Friday 23 July 2021

30 Year Reunion - Class of 1991 - Friday 23 July 2021

40 Year Reunion - Class of 1980 - Saturday 24 July 2021

50 Year Reunion - Class of 1970 - Saturday 24 July 2021

60 Year Reunion - Class of 1960 - Saturday 24 July 2021

40 Year Reunion - Class of 1981 - Sunday 25 July 2021

50 Year Reunion - Class of 1971 - Sunday 25 July 2021

60 Year Reunion - Class of 1961 - Sunday 25 July 2021

VIP 60+ Year Reunion - Monday 26 July 2021

Melbourne Reunion - Friday 29 October 2021

Sydney Reunion - this usually takes place in March but due to recent disruptions, the decision has been made to postpone this event to later in 2021. Please look out for further communication on this.

Interested in joining the Parents & Friends’ Association?

NOTICE is given that the Annual General Meeting of the 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s P&F Association Inc. is to be held on Monday 22 February 2021 in the Arts Centre Foyer at 6:30pm.

NOMINATION FOR POSITION

Any one member of the P&F shall be at liberty to nominate any other member to serve as an officer or other member of the Management Committee.

If you are interested in joining the P&F Association, all positions of the Management Committee will be declared vacant at the AGM and a new committee for 2021 will be elected.

If you have an accounting background, the P&F are particularly interested in nominations for a Treasurer as part of the Management Committee.

Nominations can be made by downloading and completing this Nomination for Position (PDF 71.8KB) form. All nomination forms must be returned to P&F@stmargarets.qld.edu.au or via School Reception by Friday 19 February 2021.

168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s 2021 Mothers’ Luncheon - Friday 12 March 2021 - SOLD OUT

The 2021 Mothers’ Luncheon is now sold out. If you have missed out on a ticket, please don’t forget to join the waitlist, or get involved by buying raffle tickets and supporting the school in other ways. Further communications will follow.

Thank you to our Supporting Sponsors: Qscan, KLM Solicitors, UMS and Adrians.

Lindsay Khushal

University of Melbourne

Aspiring Scholars Program - for interstate and NZ Year 12 students, Aspiring Scholars is a community-focused program that brings together ambitious students interested in studying at Melbourne. Visit for more information.

Australian National University

We encourage all domestic school-leavers interested in studying at ANU in 2022 to apply directly to us in March 2021. Within this free application, students apply for admission, guaranteed accommodation and over 200 scholarships. Stay in touch by completing this .

START QUT Information Webinar

When: 5pm-6pm, Tuesday 30 March

Are you a Year 11 or 12 student, or a parent of a student, who's interested in finding out more about the START QUT program? Find out about studying a university subject while still in high school and hear from past START QUT students about their experiences from the program.

UCAT

Who should sit UCAT?

Any Year 12 students who are seeking entry into medicine, dentistry and health science degree programs in 2021.For more information about the new test, including price, testing dates and format visit: .

The University of Queensland

2021 UQ Science Ambassador Program

Through this program, Science teachers nominate Year 11 students to interact with UQ and assist their school's Science teachers to raise the profile of science in the school. If you are in Year 11 and are interested in being a part of this program, talk to your Science teacher and visit the . Applications are open now and close on 1 April 2021.

What’s on in 2021 for QUT Young Accelerators

QUT's Young Accelerators program offers on-campus curriculum-mapped STEM workshops and events which aim to excite and inspire learning by combining STEM with creative learning and entrepreneurship.

TSXPO

Find your passion this July at the 40th annual Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO) in Brisbane, incorporating the Queensland Work and Skills Expo. The 40th annual Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO) will be held on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July 2021 from 10:00am-4:00pm. Australia's largest tertiary studies expo, features many local, interstate and overseas education providers, student services and support agencies.

Liz Johnston