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2025 Next Step Year 12 Completers Survey

If you are a parent of a Year 12 graduate from 2024, please note that your daughter will be asked by the Queensland Government to participate in the Next Step Year 12 Completers survey, which is commencing on 17 March 2025. The Department of Education conducts this post-school destination survey for all students who completed Year 12 last year in Queensland. The survey only takes five minutes and asks graduates about their study and work activities since finishing school.

As a thank you for participating, Year 12 completers who complete the survey will be entered into a draw to win a MacBook Air.

Schools with at least five respondents will receive a deidentified school report with results about their graduates. This is useful and interesting information which helps inform our programs as students transition from school to further study and employment.

Graduates may receive an invitation by mail, email, or phone. The survey can be completed online or by phone.

For more information about Next Step, including previous results, visit .

Ros Curtis

Extracurricular activities like sports and music play a vital role in the development of students, providing opportunities for personal growth, team collaboration, and the building of skills that extend beyond the classroom. Whether it’s on the sports field or in the music room, these activities offer students a chance to discover their passions, improve their abilities, and form lasting friendships.

One of the key lessons learned through involvement in sport and music is the importance of commitment. For both teams and ensembles, every member’s contribution is essential. Attending rehearsals and training sessions is not just about individual improvement, but about being a reliable part of a larger group. In team sports, missing a training session can affect the entire team’s performance. In music, missing rehearsals can disrupt the harmony and flow of the group, especially if the parts are complex and rely on each other.

Consistency is the backbone of success, and regular attendance at practices is crucial for both personal and group achievements. Whether you're fine-tuning your free throw or perfecting a piece of music, the progress you make during each session adds up over time. By skipping rehearsals or training, you not only hinder your own growth but may also cause your teammates or fellow musicians to struggle as they try to compensate for your absence.

Being part of a team or ensemble is about supporting one another and working together towards a common goal. Every rehearsal and training session is an opportunity to strengthen that bond and contribute to the success of the group. I am looking forward to attending more sporting fixtures in the coming weeks and attending opening night for the Musical. I also look forward to hearing how the primary school girls go at the upcoming Andrews Cup Swimming, Touch and Tennis.

Nicole Devlin

While Alfred moved across the east coast, we also celebrated International Women’s Day. In this week we are reminded of the strong women who founded our school, the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent. “Since 1892, the SSA has worked to improve the lives of women and girls in Queensland through spiritual formation, education and social activism.”

Our school is named after St Margaret of Antioch, another strong young woman who put her faith into action and lived out her values in the world. There is a myth told about St Margaret that illustrates her courage. The story goes that Margaret came across a dragon and entered into battle, she was swallowed by the dragon and the cross she carried irritated the dragon’s insides, and the dragon vomited her out. This rather crude story is told to demonstrate the depth of faith and courage that St Margaret displayed in her life. Whilst “O Joyful Light” is our school hymn, another hymn was written for our school based on St Margaret (words below). The song, written by Rev’d Dr Elizabeth Smith is a tale of how when we stay true to our beliefs and live by our values, with the strength of God within us, we can achieve great things for the common good.

In this season of International Women’s Day, let us celebrate all women who have shaped us into who we are today.

If Saint Margaret met a dragon

with its teeth and scaly hide,

then Saint Margaret met that dragon

with the Saviour by her side.

So we pray to face each challenge,

Each injustice and each sin

With God’s love as our protection

And the Spirit’s power within.

If Saint Margaret fought a dragon

With its fiery, fatal breath,

Then Saint Margaret beat that dragon

Thanks to Jesus’ awesome death.

So we put our trust in Jesus,

For he died to save his friends,

But death could not keep him captive

And his glory never ends.

If a girl defeats a dragon

In a legend or in a fact,

Then a girl can fight for justice

When God gives her strength to act.

So we pray for grace and courage

When we need to take a stand.

We will live as Jesus’ people

In this school and in this land.

Words: Elizabeth J. Smith.

You can learn more about the SSA here: or visit our Archives Centre.

Rev’d Jazz Dow

The girls kept busy with plenty of studying, board games, karaoke, and dance-offs. By the end of the weekend, it was safe to say they were all a little over the games!

On Friday night, Lesa Fowler and I joined the girls and staff for a sleepover. The Years 11/12 corridor was transformed into a large slumber party with mattresses spread out across the floor. Sisters snuggled up, side by side, with photos of their parents above their heads, while other girls embraced the opportunity to enjoy a traditional sleepover experience- chatting, giggling, watching movies, and doing each other’s hair. The atmosphere was more reminiscent of a fun, shared experience than the looming threat of a cyclone.

We are incredibly grateful to the housemothers, chefs and facilities teams who supported us during this unpredictable time. Staff remained on campus or in the isolation house on campus, ensuring they were always available to assist, provide meals, and address any needs. We couldn’t have had such a smooth and safe weekend without the dedication and hard work of every staff member who went above and beyond.

We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to those who assisted by taking students home during this challenging period. We deeply appreciate the tireless efforts of all involved, as well as the patience, support, and kindness shown by everyone. Your contributions were invaluable in ensuring the girls’ safety and wellbeing throughout the storm.

We trust that everyone remained safe and dry during the event, and we are grateful for the collective effort that allowed us to navigate this challenging situation together.

Kelli Boucaut

Year 10 – Introduction to Years 11 and 12 Pathways

During this term, the Year 10s have been receiving careers information from Emily Labinsky. Last week, the Year 10 students completed a career profiling program through Career Avenues which will support the SET Planning and subject selection process later this semester. Starting from the end of this term, each student will attend a 30-minute individual career counselling session with a Career Avenues Career Psychologist. In the lead up to this, the Year 10 girls will be provided with some introductory information about ATAR and the Portfolio Pathway. I have put a summary of the information we will be sharing below.

1. The Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) pathway will provide students with an ATAR to seek entrance to tertiary study in Australian Universities. Students selecting this pathway must select five General subjects (six subjects may be studied upon recommendation or application). All students must select at least one subject from the English discipline. The calculation of an ATAR will be based on a student’s best five General subject results. Results in General subjects also contribute to the award of a QCE.
2. The Portfolio Pathway gives students qualifications that allow access to work, apprenticeship and study options. Students selecting this pathway are not eligible for an ATAR and will instead receive an equivalent rank that can be used for admission to university. All students must select three General subjects, including one subject from the English discipline. Students selecting the Portfolio pathway will be eligible for a QCE.

Both Kelly and I are looking forward to working with the Year 10 girls throughout this year to help them plan for Years 11 and 12.

Year 11 Academic Progress Meetings

Next term, I will be meeting with all Year 11 students to discuss their academic progress to date. Students will be able to book in times and parents are welcome to attend. In Term 4, all ATAR-eligible students will receive an ATAR indication based on their Unit 1 and 2 results. In calculating these, we do not use the many ATAR calculation sites that are available online. We use an external organisation who provide estimations based on collected data from the current Year 11 cohort. It is important to be aware that ATAR calculation sites are NOT official nor is their accuracy guaranteed. Students are not recommended to use these sites as a means of determining subject selections.

Caitlin McCluskey

“In her wisdom, my grandmother told me, “Look around you and be aware of how lucky you are, and then go for it.” She reminded me that my privilege should be used as a means to succeed and grow, not something to be forgotten or misused” – Hilary Davis, ’24.

Teachers will create a Teams meeting for each scheduled interview and send the meeting link to you ahead of the new date.

Your interview time will remain the same as originally booked.

If you are no longer available at your scheduled time, please contact the relevant teacher directly to discuss alternative arrangements.

We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we make these adjustments, ensuring the opportunity for meaningful discussions about your child’s progress remains available.

Assessment - Supporting Students Affected by Cyclone Alfred

We understand that the impacts of Cyclone Alfred may have disrupted some students’ ability to meet due dates or prepare for upcoming assessments. Students in Years 7–9 who need an extension or support should first speak with their class teacher. If necessary, teachers will work with the relevant Head of Faculty to find a fair and workable solution that considers individual circumstances while keeping the usual assessment processes in place. We appreciate your communication and encourage any affected families to reach out as needed.

Medical Information on Parent Lounge

This is just a gentle reminder for new parents who are filling in medical information about their daughters on Parent Lounge. If any medical diagnoses or conditions have academic implications for your daughter (i.e. require special provisions for assessments or the development of a learning plan), could you please also send this information through to our Learning Enhancement Department.

The best people to contact in the Secondary School are:

• Ms Margot Johnston (Acting Head of Student Pathways and Futures and Case Manager (Years 10-12) – mjohnston@stmargarets.qld.edu.au)
• Mr Jonathan Cox (Learning Enhancement Case Manager - Year 7 – jcox@stmargarets.qld.edu.au)
  
• Mrs Lucy Hulme (Learning Enhancement Case Manager - Years 8-9 – lhulme@stmargarets.qld.edu.au) 

Kelly Alford

Recognising bullying is the first step toward addressing it. If your daughter or someone she knows is being bullied, it is important to take action. Here are some effective ways to respond to a bully:

Stay Calm and Confident: Bullies often seek a reaction. Staying calm and composed can prevent the situation from escalating.

Speak Up: If you feel safe, assertively tell the bully to stop. Use clear and confident language without aggression.

Seek Support: Talk to a trusted adult and speak to the Head of Year about what is happening. Reporting bullying is a sign of strength, not weakness. The school will follow our Antibullying Policy.

Use Stymie: Our anonymous reporting platform allows you to report bullying confidentially, ensuring the situation is addressed quickly and sensitively.

Support Others: If you witness bullying, offer support to the victim and encourage them to seek help. Being an upstander helps create a safer school environment.

By understanding what bullying is and learning how to respond, we can all contribute to a safer, more respectful school community where everyone feels valued and supported.

Nikki Townsend

Additionally, we foster a culture of caring through student-led service learning. Involving students in service-learning projects help them to understand the needs of others, fostering empathy and compassion as they support diverse communities and real-world issues.

Each year, every year level embarks on a service-learning activity in Term 4. This activity offers a way for students to act altruistically by helping those in need and being grateful for the blessings they have.

The year level activities are as follows:

P-2 - Visit Aveo (Clayfield) and conduct a concert. Students make decorations and cards for the residents.

Year 3 – Write thank you letters to parent volunteers and St Margaret’s support staff

Year 4 – Students perform a service to benefit another person in their local community

Year 5 - Students make items to sell to school community to raise money for our Smith Family sponsored child.

Year 6 - In 2024 the Year 6 teachers introduced a cross curricular program integrating business, sustainability, and creativity. The project empowered students to apply real world skills while making a meaningful contribution to society. Linked to the economics and business curriculum, students created a class business, including developing a business philosophy, marketing plan and identifying their target market. Emphasizing sustainability and the principles of the circular economy, they revitalized ‘loved-before’ toys, adding creative flair and backstories, encouraging critical thinking about waste reduction and sustainability.

Students also designed a marketing strategy, crafted promotional materials, and planned a school market day. Each student took on roles in marketing, sales, finance, or logistics, culminating in a vibrant market day where toys were sold, with profits donated to a charity of choice by Year 6 students. This was very successful with our 2024 Year 6 students raising $2,796 for their chosen charity, The Malala Fund.

We value service-learning projects as they provide valuable opportunities for children to learn beyond the classroom, preparing them to become compassionate, engaged, and responsible adults. Many thanks to families for supporting the girls as they support others.

Throughout the year different fundraising activities are held. Please find click here (PDF 366.6KB) to view our 2025 fundraising calendar.

Angela Drysdale

Our students have been working hard in preparation for the tests. If you’d like to view the platform or see some of the types of questions and tools available in the online NAPLAN assessments, they can be viewed

Kate Frewin

Mentoring

It has been wonderful to see our secondary students mentoring younger students in recent weeks. All students involved in our high-level ensembles (Sister Helen Wind Symphony, Chamber Strings and Exultate) are asked to mentor our younger beginning students in the primary school at different times of the year. Recently students from Sister Helen Wind Symphony spent a lunchtime with students who are learning instruments as part of the Year 5 Band Program. These are very valuable learning experiences for both mentors and mentees, and we thank all those involved!

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on Tuesday 29 April 2025 at 5:00pm in the Circular Drive Classroom 01 (in front of the Arts Centre Foyer). Parents from both the primary and secondary school are welcome to attend.

Brad King

Led by Swimming Captains Cossette C, Emily N and Abigail A, our swimmers shone in the water proving an almighty force to take out an overall second place in the aggregate points behind St Peters Lutheran College. This year, the gap in aggregate points between 1^st and 2^nd places was only 16.5 points! The girls put in an amazing effort and everyone in the team should be extremely proud of this achievement.

Congratulations to our Under 15s age group for winning the age group pennant and also to our Open girls for a fantastic win in the Open Brockway Cup. Well done, Mena B, Charlotte M, Ruby G and Cossette C. This really was an historical win for St Margaret’s as it’s been won by St Peters for the last 10 years!

Matt Brown and his coaching team have worked hard with our swimmers over the season and were exceedingly proud of what everyone achieved over the course of the season and at last night’s event.

A big thank you to the Year 7 and 12 Dragonettes for being such great supporters for the swim team on the night. The St Margaret’s spirit was certainly on show during the Championships and helped the swimmers find that extra motivation to find that wall at the end of the race! Thank you also to the supporting spectators and a very special thank you to the parent support group for their assistance during this QG season. The send off lunch was a wonderful example of how our community supports our students.

Latest Sport News and Information

For the latest sport news and information please check out the following Secondary School Sport POD Pages:

• Basketball (Autumn Sport) - (
• Soccer (Autumn Sport) - (
• Touch Football (Autumn Sport) - (
• Cross Country -
• Artistic Gymnastic –
• Cricket -
• Club Water Polo -
• Club Netball -

Anne Louise Williams

We have fun-filled and exciting activities planned for our Easter Vacation Care Program. Further details of the program can be found here. (PDF 492.9KB)

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 St Margaret’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

Early Bird Bookings close: 14 March 2025

Fees: $68 per day*

Bookings close: 28 March 2025

*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

We invite you to join us with your daughters to hear from and celebrate inspirational St Margaret's women who have made outstanding contributions to our society and achieved great success in their chosen field.

Event Details

Date:                    Wednesday 26 March 2025
Time:                    Pre-dinner drinks and canapes at 6.30pm
                              Dinner at 7.00pm (including Awards presentation)
Venue:                  Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret's AGS
Tickets:                 $99 adult, $69 student

Please purchase your tickets .

For enquiries please contact the Development and Community Office on (07) 3862 0767 or email developmentandcommunity@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Parents & Friends Association Annual General Meeting and Welcome Evening

The P&F Association warmly invites the St Margaret’s community to the Parents and Friends' Association Annual General Meeting and Welcome Evening on Monday 17 March 2025.

The first meeting of 2025 is an informal evening where the P&F welcome’s new and current parents, introduce the P&F Executive and Committee, and share updates over light refreshments.

Date:                     Monday 17 March 2025
Time:                     6.30pm to 8.00pm (followed by light refreshments)
Location:              Arts Centre Foyer, St Margaret's 
RSVP:                   

There is also an option to join this meeting remotely via Microsoft Teams for those unable to attend the meeting in person. Please register via the link above to receive a copy of the MS Teams link.

As St Margaret's takes steps towards becoming a more sustainable organisation, we ask you to bring your own device to view Meeting Papers. Please [ to access the Meeting Papers in the news section of the P&F POD page.  

Lara Pickering