Â鶹¹ú²ú

At our Academic Assembly in Week 3, we celebrated the academic achievement and progress of Secondary students in Semester 1. We also awarded certificates to several of our Primary Students who had read millions of words in our Accelerated Readers Program and showed good comprehension of the books read. As an educator, I cannot stress enough the importance of reading (and discussing with the child what she has read).

A recent Association of Heads of Independent Schools publication reported on academics at Australian Catholic University and Charles Sturt University who had analysed data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) to determine the effects of reading to children. The research drew on data collected on an LSAC cohort of 4,678 children who were aged up to one year old in 2004, until the age of eight.

The data analysis accounted for children’s intelligence, the number of children’s books at home and other activities parents engaged in with their children, but still found long-lasting benefits could be attributed to parents reading to their children in early childhood:

• The more frequently parents read to their children when they were two years old, the more likely their children had better knowledge of spoken words and early academic skills such as recognising and copying geometric shapes, and writing letters, words and numbers, two years later when children were four to five years old.
• Frequent early shared reading was linked to better performance in NAPLAN reading, writing, spelling and grammar.
• Frequent early shared reading was also linked to mathematics achievement even six years later when children were eight to nine years old in Year 3.

Association of Heads of Independent Schools CEO e-Bulletin 2018 #11

Term’s notice of withdrawal

I remind parents that if your child is not returning to Â鶹¹ú²ú in 2019, we require one full school term’s written notice (or one school term’s fees in lieu of notice) when withdrawing a student from the school. Currently, we are working on the 2019 timetable and staffing, and it is important that we have accurate enrolment numbers. In some year levels, we have waiting lists and we need to be able to contact those on the list who are hoping to secure a place at the school. To meet the requirement of a term’s notice, advice can be received up to the last Friday of the September school holidays. Advice may be emailed directly to me or to our admissions via: registrar@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Ros Curtis 

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, a lot of thought and discussion goes into creating the subject lines and the initial subject preference submissions; feedback from Year 10 students via a subject selection survey, data from previous years as well as staffing and student numbers are all taken into account. As you will understand, not all students will be able to do their preferred subject choices and this is unfortunate – I would so love to be able to accommodate all individual preferences but as in the nature of timetables not everyones choices will fall into timetable parameters.

Students in Year 9 in 2019 are able to take subjects in a major or minor strand, and students in Year 11 (2019) should be choosing subjects according to what they enjoy and what they are good at; these are the ones that will put them in the best position to achieve well in years to come. We also have set criteria in terms of groups of subjects students should choose from – this is to give our students the best possible chance of achieving their potential and open up as many pathways as possible after Year 12 and beyond.

Students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 have now all received online subject selection forms through their school emails.

Students in Year 7 are to choose 2 of the following subjects to study in Year 8: Drama, Music and Visual Art.

Students in Year 8 are to choose 2 minors and 1 major subject they would like to study for the following 2 years.

Students in Year 9 are to choose Mathematics 1 or Mathematics 2 to study in Year 10. These subjects are pathways for General Mathematics or Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics. All parents in Year 9 would have received a letter about this selection this week from our Acting Head of Mathematics, Esther Latimour.

Students in Year 10 are to choose their pathway for Years 11 and 12.

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me, or our Dean of Studies and Dean of Pedagogy.

Karen Gorrie 

It saddens me greatly to hear parents of current students happily chat away about how bad their own school chapel days were … and yet here we find ourselves with an impressionable young person, listening to the adults lament the pain and anguish that is to be found within ‘the church’. Such students, I have observed, often arrive at school already convinced that they will find nothing relevant or meaningful within the spiritual life of the school.

Over the past few years, a special Sunday service has been offered to the school community, deliberately aiming to welcome those with children of all ages, inviting those who have not been to church for some time, generally designed to say, “Hey! Here is one way church can be … and it is good!” Our next such service will be on Sunday 19 August at 9am in the School chapel.

Last week, I wrote about the conference I attended with the dynamic guest speaker, John Roberto. You can find much of his wisdom at either or .

I encourage families to seek out ways to normalise and explore faith and spirituality within the family home. School is here to support you! Faith is formed in 80% of future Christians in their first 14 years of life … and nourished through the family. Take a look at some of the praying ideas here: .

Prayer for the Week – a Prayer for use with Children

M & M prayers…

After dinner pass around a bowl of M & M’s. Everyone must take a handful, but no one can eat any yet. For each different colour they get they need to pray for a different person or thing.

For every green M & M tell God something that you are thankful for.

For every red M & M pray for a member of your family by name.

For every orange M & M pray for a teacher in your life.

For every yellow M & M pray for one of your classmates or friends.

For every dark brown M & M pray for a leader in your life.

For every light brown M & M you chose, pray for Christians in other countries.

(From )

With every blessing on you and all who reside in your home, full-time or part-time!

The Reverend Canon Nicki Colledge 

All house mothers have access to the Boarders' academic reports, continuous reporting and goals for the semester. Each house mother takes the time to sit with each individual girl and talk through their report and goals. This provides both the staff and the girls with a clear direction for their study and how to approach prep each night. The staff also have a copy of the assessment calendar which allows us to ensure that the girls are on track with their assessment.

Boarders are also provided with academic staff from the day school each night at Prep to ensure that they have access to qualified staff, as well as the staff from the Boarding House. There are different areas of study at night which include the Library for Years 7 and 8, Year 7 precinct for Years 9 and 10 and Years 11 and 12 can study in their own rooms. The senior girls are also able to use the Independent Learning Centre, and for group work, they can go to the Dining Room. Girls are able to move between the different areas to access particular staff if required.

Our focus on the academic success of the girls is a priority in the Boarding House and the Head of Boarding oversees all academic monitoring of the girls. There is also very close communication between the academic staff in the day school and the boarding staff which allows us to know if the girls have not completed their homework or are late handing in a piece of assessment. The Head of Boarding also works very closely with Nicole Devlin (Dean of Studies) and Jo Butterworth (Dean of Pedagogy). These working relationships ensure the best possible outcomes for the girls in boarding and provide the best possible environment for academic success.

Lesa Fowler 

On Monday, your daughters were emailed by Ms Gorrie to let them know they would receive an email from the sender ‘noreply@selectmysubjects.com.au’ to complete their subject selection online. Please make sure they read the instructions on this email and also remember to click ‘Submit’ when they have made their final selections. Please complete this online selection by 3pm on Monday 13 August. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Assessment Planners

Years 11 and 12 assessment planners for Term 3 are now available for students on their year level POD pages. These planners provide information about all their assignments and exams that are due throughout the term. The Years 11 and 12 exam block schedule will also be available early next week.

So, now is the perfect time for your daughters to plan their study for the remainder of the term. There are a few things to consider and this is worth sharing with your daughters:

1. Assess your current schedule. A good starting point is to assess how you currently spend your time and identify fixed commitments. This will help identify how much time is available for study. You might also need to identify activities that can be removed from your schedule or changed.
2. Construct a timetable. To prepare a timetable, start by blocking out times where there are commitments. Set aside a time for homework and study, as well as revision, and time for yourself.
3. Set study goals. The girls can work with their Academic Advisor to set and discuss their goals. It is helpful to set process and outcome goals. For example, your daughter may want to achieve an A for English but it is important to consider ‘how’ you are going to do this, such as read the set text, takes notes about the text, draft my assignment, practise the spoken presentation.
4. Establish good habits. A study plan works best if it is followed consistently. It helps to start well early on and build great habits. These help carry you through during any periods when you might be busy, tired or just down on motivation.

Jo Butterworth 

However, I realise that the best advice I provided happened when I let go, and let the girls take charge and make a decision and forge a pathway.

With all our experience as adults we sometimes see beyond the immediate excitement of the decisions made by our daughters and see the implications (often negative) that may happen. It is natural to want to protect; however, it is true that being over cautious can impede growth.

I am not saying that we should let our girls do what they want all the time, they are children and they do need the guiding hand of adults in some situations. However, psychologist Dr Sarah Hughes writes, “You have two ears and one mouth – when it comes to conversations with your teen, be guided by that ratio”.

Remember some of the best learning our daughters do is from us, and the values that we display in our everyday lives. I hope that everyday our girls see the role models in their lives being respectful, passionate about what they do, displaying integrity and courage in challenging situations, and being kind. For it is the skills and behaviours our girls will learn along the way that will allow them to author their own ‘endless essay’.

As much as we as a school, and you as parents, try to assist the girls to forecast for the ‘what next’, it is important to remember that the future and its events can be uncertain. We need to continue to develop in our girls the need to embrace and own their own learning and not let the future disturb the present as it is in the casual moments of life that the best learning occurs. Therefore, it is important for us as educators and you as parents to hand over the reins of learning to the people to whom the journey belongs, the girls. Let them guide and forecast, make mistakes and fail, celebrate and succeed and love learning for learning’s sake.

Nicole Devlin 

On Tuesday’s assembly, the school announced our Student Leaders for 2019 (PDF 195.7KB). These students will be inducted at the beginning of Term 4. Year 11 students will walk alongside our current leaders as our Year 12 students mentor them into their new roles. I would like to congratulate all students for their applications and their courage to put their names forward. We look forward to working with the Year 11 cohort as they lead the school next year.

Nikki Townsend 

The team did an incredible job during the competition with the girls listed below achieving significant results and moving to the next level of competition. Each of these girls (10 years onwards) have qualified as members of the Met North Team. The members of this team will compete against other regions and aim for selection in the state team. Milla Roberts and Brogan Tomich are also eligible for the Tetra competition, in which the results are taken from their individual events of shot put, long jump, 800m, 200m and 100m.

10 Years

Marnie Briggs - 4th in 100m; 5th in 200m

Kate Greenwood - 3rd in 1500m; 5th in 800m

Millicent Hume - 2nd in Shot Put

11 Years

Portia Creevey - 1st in High Jump; 1st Shot Put; 4th Discus

Milla Roberts - 1st in 11 Years Tetra; 1st in 800m; 2nd in 200m; 2nd in Long Jump; 3rd in 100m; 3rd in 11 Years Shot Put

12 Years

Brogan Tomich - 1st in 12 Years Tetra; 1st in 800m; 1st in 12 Years 1500m; 3rd in Long Jump

Sarah Sorensen - 4th in 800m; 3rd in 1500m

Grace Marchant - 4th in 12 Years High Jump

Relay team results

10 Years Relay Team came 2nd - Marnie Briggs, Jemima Given, Millicent Hume and Ellouise Tkaczyk

11 Years Relay Team came 2nd - Milla Roberts, Portia Creevey, Taylor Ashley and Scarlett Lane

12 Years Relay Team came 4th - Brogan Tomich, Lucy Piggott, Sarah Sorensen and Grace Turnbull

Alongside these impressive individual results, Â鶹¹ú²ú won the Percentage Cup for City District for the second year. This prestigious award is calculated on the number of students in the school and the results. Congratulations to all the girls who participated and helped Â鶹¹ú²ú gain the 1st place win. We wish them all the best for the next stage of competition.

Downey Park Netball

The Downey Park Netball competition will end this Saturday with the final week of games. The results of these games will have impact on whether the teams will progress to the next stage of semi-finals. I wish the girls luck and I have enjoyed witnessing the development of each girls' individual skills coming together in teamwork on the court. Thank you to staff, students and parents for coaching and managing the girls during the long season.

We would like to wish Katelyn (Katy) Cooper, Poppy Jones, Isabela Coleman and Olivia King good luck as they compete on Friday 17 August at the Queensland Junior State Titles for Rhythmic Gymnastics. These girls will be competing as the Â鶹¹ú²ú team.

These wonderful sporting results raising the question, “why do some people achieve and not others?” There is a lot of research about natural talent versus hard work and it is hard work that wins. However, it is not just any type of hard work. It is more than getting the work done, it is trying to get better at it. Hard work is about seeing every task as an opportunity to improve and build on feedback from others, for example, teachers and coaches. Dedicated work and feedback are paths to better results. Here are some tips for students to take on that journey:

• Approach each sporting practice and school task with the goal of getting much better at it.
• As you do the task, focus on what’s happening and why you’re doing it the way you are.
• After the task, ask your teacher for feedback. Make changes in your work as necessary. Practise the changes.
• Think about your future and the jobs you will be able to do, the life you want to lead.
• Do these things all the time, not just now and then.

Principals’ Digests Volume 23 Number 25.

Please talk to your child about these tips.

Upcoming events

The next few weeks bring some very special events; this Friday is the Primary Interhouse Sports Carnival. I know the girls are very excited to head to Windsor Park and compete with other House members. This carnival will provide an opportunity for the Andrews Cup Athletics team members to test their competition skills for the Andrews Cup competition held in the following week (23 August). In week 5, the Chorale girls head to St John’s Cathedral for Classics in the Cathedral (Tuesday 14 August).

We are currently making plans for Book Week celebrations which is held across Australia from 19 August. Each year, a theme is identified by the Book Council and this year the theme is ‘Find Your Treasure’. Many activities are being planned to reflect this theme. The Prep to Year 2 girls will head to Churchie and participate in activities with the boys as they look for treasure. Our celebrations will continue for two weeks, culminating on 30 August with our annual Book Character Parade for Prep to Year 4 students and the Arts Spectacular on 31 August for Years 5 and 6. The girls in these year levels will present a spectacle of singing, dancing and visual arts which reflect the theme, “Hidden Treasure”.

This very busy week will culminate in a Primary School breakfast with all the girls celebrating with the significant males in their lives. I look forward to catching up with the many parents and extended family members who will visit our Primary School during these weeks and I thank you in anticipation of your attendance. Your support, by attending these events, sends a positive message to your child and research has found that it has a potent influence on a child’s success.

Dogs in the Primary School

As a school we know that dogs are members of many of our families and that parents often take the opportunity to take them on a walk as part of school drop off and/or pickups. If you do, on occasions, have your dog with you at school, we request that you are aware of others by carrying out the following:

• Dog is on a leash
• You wait with your dog outside the Atrium
• You keep your dog under control as some students fear dogs
• Ensure that dog poop is cleaned up

Young Families’ services

The Reverend Canon Nicki Colledge and Â鶹¹ú²ú School offers Sunday Church a few times a term where ALL AGES are welcome to come and celebrate in a relaxed atmosphere. We use the traditional communion service with a contemporary feel. It is a comfortable way to participate as a family. Children of all ages are welcome to be fully present in the sacrament celebrations. Morning tea is shared after the service and it is a great way to gather together within the school community faith life.

The dates for Young Families’ Services are Sunday 19 August, Sunday 16 September, Sunday 14 October (Pet Blessing in Garden) and Sunday 4 November. All services start at 9am.

Date Event

Friday 10 August: Primary Interhouse Athletics and Ballgames Carnival

Tuesday 14 August: Classics in the Cathedral

Wednesday 15 August: Exhibition Holiday

Sunday 19 August: Young Families’ Services

Thursday 30 August: Book Character Parade

Friday 31 August: Years 5 and 6 Arts Spectacular

Saturday 8 September: Â鶹¹ú²ú Race Day

Sunday 16 September: Young Families’ Services

Tuesday 18 September: Choral Concert

Sunday 14 October: Young Families’ Services

Angela Drysdale 

Curriculum Expos

Throughout Terms 3 and 4, the Primary school will celebrate curriculum by holding Curriculum Expos for Science, HaSS (Humanities and Social and Sciences), Health and Wellbeing, and Literacy. Each expo will run for the duration of 1 week and the girls will have the opportunity to engage and be immersed in subject-related activities.

Our Literacy Expo will feature Book Week as described above. The HaSS Expo will spotlight different countries and cultures around the world and will be held in Week 9, this term. The Health and Wellbeing Expo will showcase mindfulness activities, meditation and some staff vs student games. This will be held in the last week of Term 3.

Next week will see our first Curriculum Expo commence with the celebration of Science Week.

Science Week

Throughout Week 5, from 13-17 August, both the Primary and Secondary schools will celebrate Science Week. National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. It provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Australian scientists’, to the world of knowledge. It also aims to encourage all people to become fascinated by the world we live in. This year, Science Week will provide an opportunity for our whole school community to join together and explore the 2018 theme of, Game Changers and Change Makers.

Throughout Week 5, there will be numerous activities in which the girls can participate; from Wild Life Encounters to Virtual Reality experiences. There will be a demonstration on how to make ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Please send 50c with your daughter if she would like to purchase an ice cream.

Below is an outline of events:

Cathy Cox
Assistant Head of Primary

Classics in the Cathedral uniform requirements

All students performing at Classics in the Cathedral next week are asked to ensure they have the correct performance uniform.

Primary Chorale: White church dress

Elevarsi Voices, Stradivari/ChamberStrings, Wind Symphony: Black Performance uniform

Encorah: Plum performance uniform

Change of Date for Private Music Students’ Recital

Please note there has been a change of date for the upcoming Private Music Students’ Recital. It will be held on Tuesday 28 August in the Arts Centre Foyer (and not 29 August as previously advertised).

Encorah involvement at St Mark’s Anglican Church this Sunday

Encorah will be singing at St Mark’s Anglican Church this coming Sunday 12 August at 9:30am. A letter with further information is attached (PDF 169.3KB). Parents are very welcome to attend the service.

Music Support Group

The next Music Support Group meeting will be held on 4 September at 5pm in the Primary Music Room (second floor of Chaseley). Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Schools are welcome to attend.

Brad King 

Netball Trivia Night – Thanks

On Saturday 4 August, over 100 community members came together to celebrate Netball at the annual P & F Netball Trivia night.  The evening was a great display of community spirit and Â鶹¹ú²ú is fortunate to have such a supportive and generous parent body. Thank you must go to parent and avid Netball Supporter, Megan Stanley and her family who organised and ran the evening ensuring it was an absolute fundraising success. Lastly, a very big thank you to all the staff, parents and friends of Â鶹¹ú²ú who attended.

Winter Sports

Last weekend saw our winter fixture teams travel to meet our opponents St Peters Lutheran College. Once again, St Peter’s proved to be another challenging and tough opposition. Our netballer’s rose to the challenge with 8 out of 13 teams winning. Our Year 10 Volleyball team continues to remain undefeated and our Tennis and Hockey teams will be looking at notching up a win this week when we travel to St Hilda’s School on Saturday 11 August.

The schedule for all winter fixtures for Round 4 against St Hilda’s School is now available via the Secondary Sport page or by clicking on the link here (~~~DocAnnotation.type.21370~~~ ~~~DocAnnotation.size.21370~~~). Please note, transport to all venues at the Gold Coast is available to all girls and those wishing to catch the bus must register online via the link provided on each individual Sport POD page.

Athletics Meets Commence

The first meet of the Athletics season gets underway on Friday 10 August at the University of Queensland Athletics Centre. All girls wishing to be selected in the QGSSSA Athletics team are encouraged to attend. The program of events is available via the Athletics POD page.

Rowing

Â鶹¹ú²ú hosted the second regatta of the schoolgirl rowing season on the weekend. Special thanks must go to Lyn Lisle, Cath Hudson and the amazing group of parents who rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in, making the regatta a huge success. The day was filled with good weather, great company and outstanding racing. Following the regatta, the newest additions to the Â鶹¹ú²ú fleet were christened the “Olivia Campbell” and “The Â鶹¹ú²ú Way” in the presence of friends, family and rowers.

Congratulations…

Isabelle Simpson (Year 12) who represented Metropolitan North for the 8th year (out of a possible 8) in the 10-19 Years Golf team. Isabelle captained this team to a victory, placing 2nd individually. She will now travel to Coffs Harbour to participate in the National Championships as she competes for the Queensland School Sport Girls Golf Team for the third year in a row.

Ciana Jamieson (Year 10) who placed 2nd at the Queensland Cross Country Championships at Maleny on the weekend.

Helen Lobegeiger 

Our Term 3 smART Club begins on Tuesday 14 August (the class is now full). We are looking forward to working with Brisbane portrait painter, Andy Wild.

Next week, our Year 11 Art students will have their paintings, with the theme of Ethos, on display at Classics in the Cathedral.

Lisa Smith 

Besides from getting a gauge for the current use of the suburb, our class assessed the sustainability of different sites regarding how they support various needs of the community. By analysing the geography of the area, we have gained a greater understanding of the needs of various groups in the community to be able to propose and recommend future development options in our final field report.

Thank you to all who made the trip possible; Ms Ethell, our teacher, Ms Calcino and the Exchange teachers from Emma Willard School, Ms Price and Ms Scott. Most of all, thank you to Mel, our guide from the Brisbane Urban Environmental Education Centre who enhanced our understanding of Fortitude Valley beyond what we could have learnt in a classroom.

Isabella Corby-Bakkelund

Year 11 Geography Student 

Girls may have already signed up to registered events; however, there is plenty more to see and do during the course of the week. Primary and Secondary students are encouraged to view the Science Week Timetable to get a full list of the activities on offer.

Secondary Science Week Timetable (PDF 70.2KB)

Primary Science Week Timetable (PDF 87.6KB)

Any questions about the week can be directed to Mr Dunn: cdunn@stmargarets.qld.edu.au.

Let the celebrations commence!

Chris Dunn 

These events could not happen without the support of our generous prize donors. Thank you to Panda Pearls, Trevor Evans member for Brisbane, Tim Nicholls member for Clayfield, Lee Bodimeade and LB4 Sports, Vicki Wilson, Jane Bartlett and Chemist Warehouse, Homeleigh House and our auctioneer, Andrew Cotton for supporting our event.

Special thanks must also go out to Megan Stanley who did an outstanding job coordinating this event.

2018 ST MARGARET’S RACE DAY

The 2018 Â鶹¹ú²ú Race Day tickets are now on sale! This is always one of the most popular events on the P&F calendar, so be sure to purchase your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Date: Saturday 8 September 2018

Time: 11:30am

Venue: The Grove Marquee, Doomben Racecourse

RSVP: Monday 27 August (unless SOLD OUT prior)

Dress code: Racewear

Tickets: $170 per person - Includes admission to Doomben Racecourse and The Grove Marquee, canapes, lunch and a 5-hour drinks package.

To view the formal invitation, please click here (PDF 508.6KB).

2018 Â鶹¹ú²ú Race Day Raffle

Whether you are attending the 2018 Â鶹¹ú²ú Race Day or not, please support this important fundraising initiative by purchasing tickets in the 2018 Â鶹¹ú²ú Race Day Raffle. There are over $8,400 worth of prizes available!

Second prize is a family getaway at The Beach Ranch in Angourie. Enjoy 3 nights at The Beach Ranch luxury accommodation for up to 9 guests, complete with private pool, wi-fi, smart TV and just a short walk from the famous Blue and Green Pools, and the world class surfing breaks at Spooky Beach and Angourie point.

To purchase tickets, please . 

Professional Women’s Network
Guest Speaker: Alison Quinn, CEO, RetireAustralia - SOLD OUT!
When: Thursday 23 August 2018 (Breakfast)
Where: Arts Centre Foyer

SAVE THE DATE – Tickets on sale soon

Guest Speaker: Linda Richards, Deputy Director (Research), Queensland Brain Institute and President, Australasian Neuroscience Society

When: Thursday 18 October 2018, 5:30pm-–7:30pm (Cocktail)

Where: Price Waterhouse Coopers, Brisbane CBD

Tickets: Corporate dry bar $800 (for 10 people), $60 adult and $40 students (Years 10-12/tertiary)

Lara Pickering 

UQ: Engineering and Computing Careers Evening
Do you want an exciting, fast-paced career, with qualifications that enable you to work around the world, as well as the skills to solve both local and global challenges? Find out how you can have all this and more with a career in Engineering or Computing.

Date: Thursday 23 August
Time: 6-8pm
Venue: GHD Auditorium 200, Advanced Engineering Building (#49)

UQ: Pharmacy Experience Day - save the date
Pharmacy Experience Day is an annual UQ showcase which invites students to discover where a Bachelor of Pharmacy can take them. Throughout the day guests will take part in a range of hands-on laboratory activities, meet and quiz current students and participate on a guided tour through the world class facilities. All members of the public are invited to attend the Pharmacy Experience Day, to be held on Sunday 19 August 2018.

UQ: Changes to Doctor of Medicine program from 2021
The UQ Academic Board have approved changes to the selection process for UQ's Doctor of Medicine (MD) program that will impact current high school students. These changes will be progressively introduced over the coming years, allowing students ample time to prepare.

What are the changes?
There are two main changes to the selection process for the MD Program at UQ:

• The introduction of a Mini Multiple Interview as part of the selection process (only impacting current Year 10 students, or younger)
• The introduction of prerequisite courses to ensure students are well prepared for the first two years of the program (impacting all students)

Why the change?
Our revised admission process is designed to ensure the highly sought-after places in the MD program are offered to applicants who demonstrate the attributes and abilities most suited to the profession of medicine, and most likely to succeed in the MD program.

Griffith University
2019 Scholarship Applications are open!
Each year, Griffith University provides more than 40 million dollars in direct financial support to help new and continuing students successfully complete their degrees. More than 600 scholarships are available to cover tuition, education and living expenses, and students can apply for multiple scholarships with just one application. Explore scholarship options and apply online at: .

The University of New England
Benefits of UNE Early Entry Direct:

• Apply directly to UNE online.
• No application fees.
• Know earlier (November) that you have a place at UNE to relieve the pressure of waiting for results and let you plan your big move.
• No QTAC application required - Applying through UNE Early Entry does not prevent you from making another application through a tertiary admissions centre, so it’s a great way to increase your chances of getting into the course you want.

Who can apply for Early Entry?
Early Entry is available for most UNE degrees, for current Year 12 students. For most courses you are offered you will also have the option to accept the offer and defer for up to two years.

Apply via: on or before Friday 28 September 2018.

Monash University
Audition preparation course – jazz and popular voice studies
This is a two-day course for jazz instrumentalists, jazz voice and popular voice students. Students will explore the performance and ensemble processes helping them build the skills required to audition for entry to the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music. Students will learn what is expected during the auditions for our jazz and popular voice courses.

Event details:
Date: Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 August 2018
Time: 10am–3pm
Location: Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music, Clayton campus
Cost: $330
Register at

Engineering prerequisites
Did you know, engineering graduates are among the highest paid graduates in Australia, with a median starting salary of $64,000 p.a. (2017 Graduate Outcomes Survey)? The Faculty of Engineering at Monash offers a flagship Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree enabling graduates to qualify as an engineer after just four years of study.

If you are interested in entering this course at Monash, it’s imperative to select appropriate subjects early on, to ensure you can satisfy the course prerequisites:

• English
• Higher Level Mathematics
• Physics or Chemistry

(all Australian Year 12 equivalent).

For more information, visit: =

Bond University Scholarships for Australian students
Scholarship applications for Year 12 Australian students opened on 1 June 2018. View each of the scholarships below to find out more about each scholarship, their eligibility criteria, value and how to apply. Download your copy of the Also review our for Year 12 scholarship applicants.

Australian National University
ANU is changing how we do admissions, making it easier for students to apply to Australia's National University. Students wishing to commence at ANU in 2020 will apply directly to ANU in a single application that covers admissions, scholarships and accommodation.

A pathway to medicine at ANU
The Bachelor of Health Science offers a pathway to the postgraduate at ANU without having to sit the GAMSAT. At the end of their second year in the Bachelor of Health Science, up to 30 students will receive an offer of entry to the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD), contingent upon their grade point average (GPA), an interview process and successful completion of the Bachelor of Health Science. Ten of the 30 places in the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD) program are reserved for rural and Indigenous students from the Bachelor of Health Science.

Program details: QLD OP: 6 and other prerequisites apply. For further details on admission, fees and program requirements visit the .

QTAC
QTAC applications for current Year 12 students opened on 2 August. All applications are submitted online via the QTAC website. Some courses have earlier closing dates and extra requirements. Please check the website for details.

VTAC webinar for students and parents
At 7pm on Wednesday 15 August, VTAC will run a free evening webinar for students and parents covering all aspects of the application process. More information and registration is available at: .

The 2019 VTAC App is now available for download (or update) from your App Store
The free VTAC App offers offline access to CourseSearch and the Prerequisite and Course Explorer, with the advantage of personalisation, allowing you to save a shortlist of courses you are interested in. Any changes to course information are updated when the device is connected to the internet. To download the App for the first time visit your App store; Search for VTAC and select Download.

University Open Days 

CQ University (CQU)
9 August 2018 (Thursday) - Brisbane Open Day, 3-6pm
11 August 2018 (Saturday) - Bundaberg and Mackay

Griffith University (GRIFFITH)
12 August 2018 (Sunday) - Gold Coast, Nathan and South Bank campuses

James Cook University (JCU)
19 August 2018 (Sunday) - Townsville Campus
26 August 2018 (Sunday) - Cairns Campus

The University of Queensland (UQ)
19 August 2018 (Sunday) - Gatton campus, 9am-3pm

University of Southern Queensland (USQ)
19 August 2018 (Sunday) - USQ Toowoomba
1 September 2018 (Saturday) - USQ Ipswich
7 September 2018 (Friday) - USQ Springfield

KEY DATES:

Friday 20 July
Griffith University Scholarship applications opened

Wednesday 1 August
UAC (NSW Tertiary) Applications open
Early bird applications close Friday 28 September

Thursday 2 August
QTAC (Qld Tertiary) Applications opened
Early bird applications close Friday 28 September

Monday 6 August
VTAC (Victorian Tertiary) Applications opened
Close of timely applications: Thursday 27 September
Close of Scholarship applications: Friday 12 October

Sunday 19 August
UQ Pharmacy Experience Day, 9:30am-1pm 

Friday 28 September
UNE Closing date for Early Entry application

Monday 17 December
OP Advice Night UQ Centre, St Lucia campus, 4pm–7pm

Tuesday 18 December
QUT Real Decisions Gardens Point campus

Elizabeth Johnston