From the Principal - OGA eNews Issue 4, 2025

The 2025 academic year at St Margaret’s has gone very quickly. Each year we decide a theme and this year it was ‘Community and Connection’. This theme was referred to often – at assemblies, Chapel services and in classrooms throughout the year and was promoted by the School Captains and Prefects.

There were many examples of building Community and Connection over a wide variety of activities this year and further information about key stories can be found on our website. However, in this final edition of the newsletter, I have chosen to highlight a dozen key achievements.

It is difficult to choose from so many; however, the below list speaks to the variety and breadth of the student experiences. They are in no particular order.

1. Enrolments in both the primary and secondary schools are at an all-time high with 1,456 students.
2. Our 2024 graduates achieved outstanding results. 63.1% percent of seniors earned an ATAR 90 and above and 8.2% received 99 or above. Our median ATAR was 91.9. In the portfolio pathway, 39 diplomas were awarded, and 40 certificate courses were completed.
3. In 2025, 59 Year 12 students actively participated in the Mentoring Program. Looking ahead to the 2026 Year 12 cohort, 63 students have signed up thus far. Meetings will commence Term 4.
4. Our Senior students led the whole student body and broader community to raise $165,942 in the Ponytail Project. These funds support the Queensland Cancer Council and the Minotti Trust. In 2025, 158 students and two staff members participated in this event. Over the past 11 years, St Margaret’s has raised over $1,110,000 for this worthy cause.
5. Our Philanthropy Student Leaders raised over $10,000 for their chosen charity which became the school charity for the year, Little Wings.
6. 60 of our Year 10 students participated in our Global Exchange Program this year, and we welcomed to our school community a corresponding number of overseas visitors.
7. This year our Year 5 and 6 students toured Japan in September and our secondary students in June/July went on a history and literature tour to Europe. The St Margaret’s ski trip was to Japan in January this year.
8. St Margaret’s continues to shine in eSports, having the reputation as a leading school for girls and gaming. A number of highly competitive and well attended Girls in Gaming tournaments have been held in the Senior Library again in 2025.
9. St Margaret’s had many successes in sport. In Rowing, we won the Percentage Cup and came second in the Aggregate Cup at this years’ final regatta, the Head of the River. In the Water Polo Queensland All Schools Championships, St Margaret’s was runner-up in the Open Girls division. In QISSN, the division 2 St Margaret’s netball team won. In QG Swimming, we placed second in the QG Swimming Championships and won the Senior Brockway Cup, and in Andrews Cup Swimming we came third in the Aggregate Cup.
10. At this year’s Giving Day, we raised $1,215,804.00 thanks to the generous donations of so many in the community, including a growing number of Old Girls. These funds were directed to the Building Fund, specifically to assist in the Performing Arts Precinct build, and financial needs-based bursaries.
11. Over the year, St Margaret’s has been recognised with several awards:

International Coalition of Girls’ School

• Founders’ Leadership Award – Ros Curtis AM

Australian Education Awards - Winner

• Boarding School of the Year

Australian Education Awards - Excellence Awardees

• Boarding School of the Year
• School Principal of the Year – Non-Government – Ros Curtis AM
• Primary School Principal of the Year – Non-Government – Angela Drysdale
• Primary School of the Year – Non-Government 

The Educator Magazine Awards

• 5-Star Employer of Choice
• 5-Star Best School Award
• Most Influential Educator – Kerry Daud (Head of Faculty – Digital Innovation and Design)
• Rising Star and School Leadership Award – Georgia O’Brien (Secondary Teacher) and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

Queensland College of Teachers TEACHX Awards - The Merline Muldoon Memorial Award for Innovation in Teaching

• Kerry Daud (Head of Faculty – Digital Innovation and Design)

Educate Plus

• Educate Plus QLD Chapter President's Award – Georgia Mitchell
• Educate Plus QLD Chapter Highly Commended Newcomer Award –  Elizabeth Fowler

National Excellence in Teaching Awards

• Twenty-two members of staff across the Primary and Secondary schools received a National Excellence in Teaching Awards nomination in 2025.

      12. An official dedication and blessing for Community House, The Forest and the Canopy Café was held on Tuesday 10 June. The Canopy Café was opened for our students to use from Term 3 and Community House, as the student wellbeing centre, opened in January.

It has been another busy and productive year in the history of St Margaret’s, and, of course, there were many more achievements or celebrations that I could have mentioned. As I write this, we are about to graduate another 149 Old Girls! Thank you to the OGA for its sponsorship of the Aspiring Young Women’s Network and for the support throughout the year.

Merry Christmas everyone and, if you do have a holiday, I hope it is both restful and joyous.

Per Volar Sunata

Ros Curtis AM
Principal