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    • Balls and Formals
      • Last Friday night 250 Year 11 students attended the joint QMC/Scots Semi-Formal hosted at the College.  Following this event was the Year 12 Formal at the Boatshed on the waterfront and, on the previous Saturday, there was the social highlight for Year 13, the school Ball, held this year at Te Papa. Young people today are sometimes unfairly criticised for bad behaviour. However, in my experience, both in these recent occasions and on so many others I have attended over the years, the opposite has proved to be the case. I would like to thank parents for their support, the students for being such great company and in particular, the teachers involved for their organisation and supervision ensuring that these three successful functions ran smoothly.   There was a good turnout of parents to the Report Feedback Interviews, which were held throughout the week. We are now halfway through the school year, the ideal time for our students to receive feedback, reflect on progress to date and recalibrate their goals for Term 3. I hope that the reports and interchange with teachers was helpful so that we can all work together to best support your daughter's learning.   It has been such an exciting week for sport, getting up early in the morning to watch Team NZ win the America's Cup in Bermuda. What a thrill it was to see Kiwi ingenuity and innovation, led by a self-effacing and grounded helmsman in Peter Burling, win against a generously funded opposition. As Lord Ernest Rutherford famously said: 'Gentlemen, we have got no money so we have got to think.' A gripping rugby match followed this later in the week with the Hurricanes drawing with the British and Irish Lions. On Saturday, many of us will have friends and family in Wellington for the test match. I am looking forward to watching the game with my daughter who is visiting me from Sydney.

    • Wig Wednesday
      • A highlight for me this week was the Year 7 Speaking Competition that I was invited to judge. Being able to speak with assurance in front of an audience is, like any skill, one that requires practice and at all year levels we ensure there are plenty of opportunities for students to speak or perform publicly. The Year 7 competition took the form of a dramatic monologue with each girl researching and writing a script about a real person, a soldier, a nurse, a mother, a union organiser, who had lived through WWI, then, with minimal props, performing as this character in front of an audience. I was very impressed by the quality of the detailed content and the imaginative delivery of the semi-finalists. Congratulations to Lara Cooke who, with the support of Year 13, organised ‘Wig Wednesday’. Over $300 was raised with the coin trail with final House results being: Braemar: $24.80, Berwick: $87.90, Lochleven: $65.50, Stirling: $56 and Glamis: $66.80. As we approach the end of term, the girls are busy practising their musical items for the House competition as well as rehearsing for the melodrama (Year 10) and dance (Year 8) performances. All of these will be presented on House Performing Arts Day on Friday 7 July, the final day of term, an event which provides an upbeat conclusion to what has been a busy term.

    • Technology and Education
      • Of late, I have been reflecting on the dramatic changes I have seen in education through the use of technology since I took up the role of Principal of the College in January 2004. Back then, social media was in its infancy, students accessed devices in dedicated computer rooms and 'chalk and talk' was the way lessons were delivered. Walk around the College today and it is quite different. Students and teachers use their digital devices wirelessly anywhere and at any time, there is a centrally located IT help desk and in classrooms, digital projectors and computers have significantly impacted on teaching practice. In society generally, over the past decade or so, the nature of work has been transformed by the internet. The pace of change is set to accelerate in the next decade and we are going to see industries and occupations dramatically change: new jobs will be created and others rendered obsolete. Meet the Professionals, an annual career-focused event, is our response to this challenge where we aim to educate our Year 10 - 13 students about the diverse opportunities in the workforce. Held on Monday night and attended by a large number of parents and girls, the format of the evening was comprised of four rotations of presentations about a range of jobs. We are fortunate to have talented people who are part of our community contribute to this event and I publish the list here for your information. I thank all of those involved in Meet the Professionals, including the organiser, Future Pathways Coordinator, Carole Anderson, for their support. The Year 13 Ball, to be held this weekend, is a very special event for Year 13 girls and parents. The students chose the theme ‘Up in the Clouds’ and this is reflected in the invitations and table decorations. I know that a lot of planning has gone into this and I am sure it will be a memorable occasion for all concerned.

    • Old Girls' Weekend
      • Although it has been a short school week for the girls, much has happened in the past three days. On Wednesday, the Chorale and Sweet Margaritas performed at the regional Big Sing Competition. On the night, the Chorale were awarded two certificates, one for Excellent Performance of a New Zealand Composition and the other for Excellent Performance of Twentieth Century Choral Music. Congratulations to the girls involved and also their musical director, Mark Stamper and accompanist, Louise Logan. This weekend is reunion time for our Old Girls with a number of cohorts socialising and visiting the College. On Friday over forty Old Girls attended the traditional Old Girls’ Assembly that included the Banners Ceremony with a selected Old Girl lining up with the House Prefects and Leaders to hold the House banner as the credit count was announced. For me, this illustrates an important aspect of our school culture, the House system, that links the generations of QMC girls. As usual, the Old Girls were interested to know how their respective House was faring in the House competitions. After tours of the school by our College Ambassadors, the annual netball game for the Sandra Bacon trophy was played and on this occasion the Old Girls won. Many thanks to Year 13 who generously vacated Hobson House to accommodate our visitors. Over the past few months the Communications team has been working on a new website which we hope to rollout shortly. With increased functionality, this will support some additional features that we want to make available, an example being Futurepic, a virtual archive site where copies of school publications and photos can be accessed. We will be showing our visiting Old Girls Futurepic over the Reunion Weekend and, as I said, it will not be long until the new website is available to all.

    • International Week
      • Bonjour, Hola, Kon'nichiwa, Nǐ hǎo and Talofa,   What fun we have had over the past few days celebrating International Languages Week and also Samoan Language Week. In a hall festooned with national flags, at Monday’s assembly we watched presentations representing Chinese, French, Spanish and Japanese, the second languages taught in the College, as well as an informative talk on the Samoan language. This was followed by an exciting week-long lunchtime programme of activities including a concert with the curtain raiser a song, Sur Le Pont, performed by the Pre-School. Of course, there was lots of food - snails, crepes, empanadas, dumplings and sushi, an Instagram competition, a national costume day, games and much more. Thank you to the Languages Department for organising this enjoyable and informative celebration.   Congratulations to our students who raised the following amounts for Brain Week held last week donating $838.40 to the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute (this was from the sale of hot chips and home baking) and $295.90 for the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation, from the sale of wristbands and hair ribbons.   Remember, students have an extended break until Wednesday but staff will be at school on Tuesday undertaking professional development. For your information, secondary teachers will be learning more about Netsafety and Digital Citizenship while Junior School teachers have a workshop on inquiry learning run by an IBO presenter. Have a lovely Queen’s Birthday Weekend.  

    • A busy Term 2
      • This week the finishing touches to the playground were made with the installation of the slide. This has been eagerly awaited by Junior School girls and, as you can see from the photos, they have wasted no time enjoying this new equipment.   At this time of the school year, the Music Department is especially busy preparing for major competitions. Congratulations go to the Sweet Margaritas and their director, Tim Jenkin, who were placed fifth and have been awarded a wildcard entry to the Barbershop Nationals to be held in Auckland in September. Our Barbershop girls will also participate in the Big Sing, along with the College Chorale in a few weeks' time. We are thrilled to announce that a Poly Club has been formed at QMC. This is an all-inclusive club and everyone is welcome to join in. The tutors, Sophia Uele and Jayden Luapo, from Tautua Dance Company will introduce students to Siva Samoa, Ura Kuki Airani and Kapa Haka as well as teaching meaning and understanding of culture and traditions.  The group has only had a few practices so far but are already planning public performances in Term 3, and will be promoting Samoan Language Week (which begins on 28 May) and Māori Language Week within the school. If your daughter is keen to join the Poly Club, the practices are every Tuesday and Friday lunchtime in C9. We are grateful to the families, staff and students who are supporting the development of the Poly Club. Lunchtimes are enlivened at the College by student-led activities and this week, senior students organised a number of consciousness and fundraising activities to mark Brain Week. International Languages Week starts on Monday with a range of exciting activities that will involve all levels at the College. As an IB World School, second language learning is an integral part of the curriculum and we celebrate the diverse opportunities provided by this learning.   Plans are well underway for the annual Old Girls’ Weekend on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 June. Every year we have Old Girls of all ages return to the College to reminisce about their former school days. One of the particular highlights of the weekend is the Old Girls’ Assembly followed by the traditional netball game between Old Girls and current students. For more information, click here.

    • Principal Commendations
      • Dear Parents, Twice a year, at assembly, Principal's Commendations are awarded with each recipient earning fifty House credits. With each teacher recognising just one student for their outstanding contribution in class or the wider school, it is an honour to receive these awards. At Monday's assembly, girls from Year 1 - 13 received their certificates complete with citations. I was impressed by the positive student behaviour noted by staff as it is this that underpins a healthy school culture.  Congratulations to all those who received commendations. The list of names can be found here.    As part of our ongoing commitment to educating our students on the importance of responsible and ethical digital citizenship, Year 5 – 9 students will watch a cyber safety performance next Monday in the College Hall. Parents are also welcome to attend. Click Here for more information.  

    • Mother's Day and Mentors' Breakfast
      • Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday to all QMC mums. For those with daughters in Year 7, 9 and 11, there were Mother’s Day events held at the school this week. The girls as hosts made an extra effort to ensure this was a very special occasion with small presents provided.  It was great seeing so many mothers and daughters enjoying each other's company and interacting with others from the year level. Later in the year, other cohorts will host their dads for Father’s Day.    In addition, this week was the Year 13 Mentors' Breakfast held in Government House and hosted by the Old Girls' Association. This is such an uplifting event with each girl formally introducing her mentor and explaining the significance of their relationship. The speaker was Old Girl, Hannah Liddell, IBD Dux 2011, top engineering student at Canterbury University for her year and now, a Civil Engineer at Beca, who provided thoughtful and personally illustrated insights into the importance of mentors.   Next Friday is our School in Action Day followed by Open Day on Sunday. Please draw this to the attention of friends or family who might be interested in a Queen Margaret College education. The details are:School in Action DayDate: Friday 19 MayTime: 9.00am - 2.30pmOpen DayDate: Sunday 21 MayTime: 1.30pm - 3.30pm   Have a lovely weekend.

    • Opening of the new playground
      • Undoubtedly, the highlight of the week has been the opening of the playground, an event made even more exciting because it has been eagerly anticipated over the past months with Junior School girls observing through their classroom windows this project coming together. Head Prefect Georgia Taylor and Year 1 student Brynn Shelbourne cut the ribbon and Piper Hobbs (Year 5), selected in a draw, was the first girl down the slide followed by our Maggie mascot and the rest of the Junior School. Later in the morning, it was the turn of Year 7 and 8 to try out the new playground and to round off the morning, everyone enjoyed a special cupcake. One item is yet to be installed in the playground, a long yellow slide that will provide an alternative and faster exit from the Junior School to the playground. We expect this to be in place by the end of the month. The slide will provide the finishing touch to this wonderful playground. We are very grateful to the Parents’ Association for partially funding this slide, and also the Queen Margaret College Foundation, which ran, along with the PA, the Prefab dinner fundraiser at the end of last year making a total of 28k to help fund the building of the playground. Thank you to all our Junior School mothers who came to school this morning. We were overwhelmed with the turnout and were delighted to see mothers and daughters engaging in problem solving, discussion, thinking skills and creative pursuits. I hope it gave parents an insight into our current learning programmes. The morning concluded with superb performances from the Junior School choirs and the entire Junior School. This week I dropped by the Year 12 NCEA PE class to see some new equipment purchased for the Hobson fitness room being used in a classroom lesson. Over the past few years, we have been building up these resources and now, with additional rowing machines, aerobic steps, weights and bars, we are very well set up. This equipment will be well used in our PE classes but also, as we head into winter, by the Sports Department. Over the break, Wellington College Sport (Year 9 - 13) sent through our census statistics for 2016. They make for interesting reading. 60 percent of students (58 percent of boys and 51 percent of girls) participated in school sport in New Zealand. In Wellington, girls’ participation rates were 57 percent and boys’, slightly higher, at 63 percent. At Queen Margaret College, we have improved our rate incrementally since 2010 where 77 percent of our girls played sport to a very impressive 2016 result of 90 percent. Congratulations to everyone involved in school sport for this fine result and all the best for the winter sports season ahead.

    • End of Term 1
      • At the end of a long and busy term, both students and staff are looking forward to a well-deserved holiday. Looking back over the past eleven weeks so much has happened - EOTC, Spirit Week, House Athletics and Swimming Sports, Beauty and the Beast, summer sports- with activities happening right up to the end of term.   On Monday night, the Regional Otago University Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition was held at Wellington East College with a strong contingent from Queen Margaret College in the audience supporting the performers. It is so heartening to see the large number of students from various Wellington schools enjoying the Bard’s work. Our girls presented excerpts from two plays (Hamlet and Macbeth), both directed by students.  I was very impressed by the skillful, imaginative direction and strong acting in these performances.   Interim Report Interviews took place this week with a good turnout by parents. I do hope that you found meeting subject teachers helpful.  This is a great opportunity to share useful information and by doing this, better support your daughter’s learning. There will be another occasion to meet with teachers after the mid-term full report is released next term.   We concluded the term with the traditional Easter Service. Because of the rain, the venue was changed to the school hall rather than St Paul’s Cathedral. This is a solemn, reflective occasion and with the Prefects providing the readings and our choirs the music, the service was particularly moving.   We all recognise that this has been a particularly wet summer and, although good progress has been made on the playground with some of the equipment already installed, unfortunately the inclement weather has impacted on the completion date. The playground opening will now take place early in term 2, which with winter sports beginning, promises to be just as busy as term 1.   I wish you all a Happy Easter and a relaxing break.

    • Beauty and the Beast
      • Like me, many of you will have seen the outstanding production of Beauty and the Beast that played to sell-out audiences this week. With the weather so miserable, this magical, fast-moving and slick show provided the perfect antidote for the winter blues. The Director, Patrick Davies, Tim Jenkins, Musical Director, Leila Morad, Choreographer, Mary Wood, Producer and other staff have put together a thoroughly entertaining show. We have had an avalanche of emails from those who attended saying how much they enjoyed the performance. My congratulations go to the directors, the back stage crew and above all, the talented student cast whose efforts were well rewarded on opening night by extended, appreciative applause. I am looking forward to going to the final night on Saturday - one viewing wasn’t sufficient! We end the term with Easter Service at the Wellington Cathedral starting at 2.00pm. If it rains then we will hold the service at school and parents will be notified. This is a special occasion for the College. Traditionally, and this will again be the case, the Prefects will read the lessons from the bible and our choirs will perform. You are all warmly invited to this very special event. With the set for Beauty and the Beast set up in the hall, we have not been able to access the assembly hall this week and so assemblies have been postponed. We start the term with the Summer Sports Assembly on Monday and prior to this, we will be opening the new playground. Excitement in the Junior School is mounting as the girls watch the playground equipment being installed this week.  Details about the opening will be in next week’s News@QMC. Also coming up in Term 2 on Friday 19 May is the Parents’ Association Fish ‘n Chips and Chardonnay Night. This is for all parents and will be an enjoyable and relaxed social event. Keep that date free in your diary.

    • Education Networks and Sister Schools
      • The College is fortunate to belong to a number of educational organisations with which we share a common purpose and gain support. One of these is the Independent Schools of New Zealand (ISNZ), a grouping of private schools bound by the same legislation. Early this week I attended an informative meeting of the ISNZ principals where we were able to network and receive a useful update about proposed changes to the Education Act.. We also belong to overseas organisations such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) education network. This is comprised of more than 4,500 schools in 152 countries that deliver a common curriculum and qualification. Being part of the IBO provides many benefits including access to high-quality professional development and the opportunity to share best practice with teachers from around the world. This week, two staff members, the Head of the Senior School, Jacqui Brown, and the IB Diploma Coordinator, Holly Payne, the recipient of the staff scholarship, are at the Asia Pacific IB Conference in Yokohama, and at the end of term, other staff members will attend IB subject workshops in Sydney. While in Japan, Jacqui and Holly will visit St Margaret’s in Tokyo, a sister school with which we have an exchange. Like QMC, St Margaret’s School, Tokyo is affiliated with the Queen Margaret of Scotland Girls' Schools Association that aims to provide opportunities for interaction and relationships for like-minded schools. As a girls’ school we also belong to the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasian. This advocates for and supports the distinctive work of girls’ schools connecting educators from over 150 member schools across six countries. They also run the excellent leadership conference attended each year by our Head and Deputy Prefects. The Alliance has an education research unit and regularly sends through relevant articles. For your interest, I have included a recent reading here entitled Leaning in: How to be a role model for girls. Opening night for Beauty and the Beast is just a week away and, with the set nearly complete, costumes ready and lighting about to be rigged, everything is falling into place nicely. This is a show for all ages so you can bring the whole family. Tickets are selling well but you will need to be proactive and pick yours up now or you might miss out.

    • Active Learning and Sports Tournaments
      • It is my practice to visit the classrooms of all newly appointed teachers in the term they arrive at the College.  It was such a pleasure this week to observe a number of outstanding lessons where the common feature was the active participation of your daughters. For example, in a Year 12 Physics class, after an explanation of Newton's Second Law, students set up an experiment using the elevator in the Hobson Complex and data loggers that enabled them to observe a practical application of the theory. Another example was a Year 9 Health lesson where after an energetic game of tag, students breathed through straws to simulate the effect of smoking. This experiential learning informed the thoughtful discussion that followed. We are all familiar with the clichéd image of school classrooms with the teacher up front and the students in rows. The lessons I observed this week could not have been further from that image.   As many of you already know, Junior School students often come into my office to share their learning with me. Recently, our delightful Preps and Year 1 classes visited me for morning tea. They enthusiastically shared with me what they had enjoyed most in class. I was so impressed with their good manners and their stories, and how confidently and clearly they could describe these.   In addition, I met in my office this week with our young sports women travelling to summer tournament. Our best wishes go to the rowing squad off to the Maadi Cup at Lake Ruataniwhai near Twizel, the QMC tennis squad flying up to Auckland and the floorball team playing in Lower Hutt. The assembly on the last week of term will celebrate the successes of summer sports teams and acknowledge the much-valued contribution of their coaches and managers.

    • St Patrick's Day and Fundraisers
      • Happy St Patrick’s Day! Some of our younger students dressed in green today and I was lucky to be given some slices of green cake by Junior School girls to celebrate this event. Later today we were visited by some senior students from Wellington College who are leading the World Vision Runathon around the Basin Reserve. To raise awareness of this fundraiser, they played a friendly netball game at lunchtime with our senior students, some of whom will be participating in this event. Too often it is the negative about young people that is written about in the media but here is a wonderful example of the young working together for others. The Runathon starts on Friday 24 March with girls from QMC and throughout Wellington joining in on Saturday. Our swimming sports were held on Thursday at WRAC with a good turnout of parents coming to watch. This competition is a testing event for swimmers but also allows others to participate and  gain points for their House. Highlights are the House chants and the staff versus student race, won on this occasion by the girls but by a narrow margin - or at least this is the teachers’ version. Extracurricular activities are well underway and I note that there has been some great results across all codes including debating. Coming up on Monday 10 April is the Summer Sports Assembly where we will celebrate the successes and acknowledge the terrific contribution made by those who coach and manage our teams. Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for Beauty and the Beast. You can do this online here.

    • Online Safety, Scholars' Assembly and Beauty and the Beast
      • As you will be aware, all of our students have logbooks in which there is useful information designed to support learning. Included is the QMC Information Technology (IT) User agreement which all students sign prior to being given access to the College network. Parents countersign the agreement. The internet is part of everyday life but as parents and teachers we recognise that there are dangers online that we want our girls to avoid and so we need to work in tandem. Over the next few weeks, the Head of Digital Technology will work in particular with Middle School girls to provide strategies about staying safe and being responsible online. QMC has a dedicated website with helpful hints and links for parents on this issue. Another excellent resource is Netsafe. You might like to check out their useful website. Senior students who had excelled in the 2016 examinations were recognised at Monday’s Scholars’ Assembly including last year’s Year 13 cohort. It was great to catch up with these new Old Girls. However, by this stage in the year, many girls have left Wellington to start courses at universities outside the capital. I was delighted that, where the recipient was absent, their proud parents were able to join us and pick up the award in their stead. This week, I, along with the Board Chair, attended the first meeting of the Parents’ Association for the year. The President, Sue Inkersell, and her team are planning a lively social event for parents early next term and will also be providing valuable assistance at a number of school events including the upcoming school musical Beauty and the Beast. If you would like to be involved, please email the Parents’ Association. Opening night of Beauty and the Beast is on Wednesday 5 April, just a matter of a few weeks away. This promises to be a fabulous show, both vibrant and amusing, which the whole family will enjoy. Tickets are now on sale online here. 

    • Spirit Week
      • Lunchtimes were particularly lively this week as the school celebrated Spirit Week. Led by the Prefects and Year 13, the activities were varied - the traditional pigtail day, house theatresports, a photo booth and donate a can- with girls across the school participating and enjoying the fun. Congratulations to the Prefects and Year 13 students for their leadership of this highly enjoyable event. We are mid-way through the term and there is a lot happening at the school. Coming up next week are the heats for House swimming sports with the finals set for Week 7. You might like to join us for this event and on Sunday 12 March at the dragon boating event on the waterfront. That day is also our first Open Day. We have been so pleased to see so many Middle School girls applying to be QMC Ambassadors. This is an important leadership role as these students guide tours of the school for our many visitors throughout the year, including those who attend Open Day. Our summer sports and our cultural activities are well underway. I wish all the girls the best for their competition and also note the outstanding achievement of Ivy McLean in Year 11 who on Wednesday won the CSW Senior Tennis Championship at the Renouf Centre.

    • EOTC and Athletics Day
      • It was great to have the girls and teachers back at school this week with lots of positive stories to tell about their EOTC experiences. I have received a number of compliments about our students’ courteous behaviour which is very pleasing, representative of these being the comment from the proprietors of Mawley Holiday Park where Year 12 camped: ‘All of our staff commented on the friendliness and good manners of your girls. The way the girls conducted themselves is a credit to your school and themselves’. The final EOTC activity happened this week with Years 4 and 5 experiencing a range of activities at El Rancho Camp in Waikanae and, from all reports, they had a wonderful time as did Years 1-3 , who wrapped up their EOTC experience with a slip & slide on the front lawn.   On Monday we warmly welcomed nine girls and their teacher, Stephanie Landais, from Lycee Baudimont in Arras, France with whom QMC has an exchange programme. Our visitors will be with us for two weeks exploring Wellington and enjoying being part of our school. Wednesday’s Athletic Sports Day was held at Newtown Athletic Park (Photos can be viewed here). This year we were blessed with perfect weather. It was so pleasing to see so many parents joining us on this lively and colourful occasion with all the girls and staff attired in a range of imaginative and colourful costumes. There was also a great turnout parents of from the Junior and Middle School for the seminar, Growing Great Millennial Girls, presented by Rachel Hansen. If you missed this event, you can click here for a summary.

    • Spirit Week 2017
      • Dear Parents,Lunchtimes were particularly lively this week as the school celebrated Spirit Week. Led by the Prefects and Year 13, the activities were varied - the traditional pigtail day, house theatresports, a photo booth and donate a can- with girls across the school participating and enjoying the fun. Congratulations to the Prefects and Year 13 students for their leadership of this highly enjoyable event.We are mid-way through the term and there is a lot happening at the school. Coming up next week are the heats for House swimming sports with the finals set for Week 7. You might like to join us for this event and on Sunday 12 March at the dragon boating event on the waterfront. That day is also our first Open Day. We have been so pleased to see so many Middle School girls applying to be QMC Ambassadors. This is an important leadership role as these students guide tours of the school for our many visitors throughout the year, including those who attend Open Day.Our summer sports and our cultural activities are well underway. I wish all the girls the best for their competition and also note the outstanding achievement of Ivy McLean in Year 11 who on Wednesday won the CSW Senior Tennis Championship at the Renouf Centre.Kind Regards, PRINCIPAL

    • Athletic Sports Day
      • It was great to have the girls and teachers back at school this week with lots of positive stories to tell about their EOTC experiences. I have received a number of compliments about our students’ courteous behaviour which is very pleasing, representative of these being the comment from the proprietors of Mawley Holiday Park where Year 12 camped: ‘All of our staff commented on the friendliness and good manners of your girls. The way the girls conducted themselves is a credit to your school and themselves’. The final EOTC activity happened this week with Years 4 and 5 experiencing a range of activities at El Rancho Camp in Waikanae and, from all reports, they had a wonderful time as did Years 1-3 , who wrapped up their EOTC experience with a slip & slide on the front lawn.  On Monday we warmly welcomed nine girls and their teacher, Stephanie Landais, from Lycee Baudimont in Arras, France with whom QMC has an exchange programme. Our visitors will be with us for two weeks exploring Wellington and enjoying being part of our school.Wednesday’s Athletic Sports Day was held at Newtown Athletic Park (Photos can be viewed here). This year we were blessed with perfect weather. It was so pleasing to see so many parents joining us on this lively and colourful occasion with all the girls and staff attired in a range of imaginative and colourful costumes. There was also a great turnout of parents of from the Junior and Middle School for the seminar, Growing Great Millennial Girls, presented by Rachel Hansen. If you missed this event, you can click here for a summary.

    • EOTC Week
      • As this is EOTC week, Year 6 - 13 students have been engaged in a range of exciting and challenging outdoor activities in and beyond Wellington. They will be quite tired when they return home tonight!  On Wednesday, I visited three of the camps, two based in Otaki and one, a new camp for Year 12, in Masterton. Our programmes are well established with each Year Level’s EOTC experience tailored to meet the developmental needs of the girls.  Spending time as a cohort together and accompanied by their teachers fosters strong, quality relationships which is a great way to start the year. In the case of some camps such as the Year 9 Otaki Marae experience, there are direct links to the curriculum. For Year 13, the focus is on leadership and planning a programme of student-led activities for 2017. My special thanks go to those parents who provided the additional support required to run some of our camps. I really appreciate you giving up your time and hope that you enjoyed the experience. Coming up on Monday is Queen Margaret Day Assembly which has been celebrated since the founding of the school. As is the tradition, there will be chocolate cake for everyone and a guest speaker, on this occasion Old Girl Holly Winton who accompanied her mother, Year 6 teacher, Jeannine Winton, to camp this year. Holly is a recent PHD graduate who carried out much of her research living and working in Antarctica. At this assembly, we will also be embadging our Year 13 Class Prefects so that they can formally take on their leadership responsibility for the year. On Tuesday, the Growing Great Millennial Girls Parent Seminar will be held at the College starting at 7.00pm. I can really recommend the presenter, Rachel Hansen, who has worked previously with our students and staff. Any parent can attend this event although the presentation is especially pertinent to Year 4 - 10 parents. You can book here to attend this seminar.

    • New Blog Entry
      • Dear Parents,Earlier this afternoon, you will have received an email from the Board Chair, Andrew Knight, advising you of my resignation from my role as Principal of the College effective from the end of Term 2. During my career, I have worked in eight schools, in South Auckland, Christchurch, Auckland's North Shore and Wellington, viewing it a privilege to be part of a profession that shapes the lives of young people. It is my wish, after well over thirty years in the teaching profession, to now retire from the education sector and take a new direction in life.   Since 2004, I have been honoured to lead Queen Margaret College. I have a deep affection for our fantastic students and a high regard for our wonderful staff. QMC has been a substantial part of my life for over thirteen years and I am very proud of all that has been achieved over the years working in partnership with the Board, staff, parents and the QMC community. With the College in such a strong position and 2017 off to a positive start, this is now the ideal time for me to step aside from the leadership of the school.   Over the next few months I will support the Board as it searches for a new Principal to lead QMC through to the 2019 Centennial and beyond. Day to day operations will continue as usual and I will be working with staff to ensure we continue to deliver the highest quality of education to every student.   All the best to staff and girls who are off to camp after the weekend, especially those sleeping under canvas in the Abel Tasman or in the Wairarapa. I have my fingers crossed hoping that next week we enjoy perfect summer weather.

    • Welcome Back
      • It’s been a great start to 2017 with all girls on full timetable by the end of the first day and I was particularly impressed when I visited the Library at the end of Monday to see a number of senior girls hard at work in the study carrels! The week began with the Leaders' Commissioning Service where the Prefects and House Leaders were presented with their badges of office in front of the school and their proud parents. At the ceremony, Head Prefect, Georgia Taylor, announced the student theme for the year, Flourish, which will guide the programme of activities organised by our student leaders.   Also at the assembly we welcomed all newly enrolled students including a number of international students who are joining us at the start of the year from China and Japan. I look forward to getting to know all of our new students and their families better over the next while and hope they will enjoy their time at the College.   Throughout the week were the Parent Information Evenings, an opportunity for parents to meet up and to be introduced to staff including the Dean and form teachers. It was great to catch up with so many parents at these events which continue throughout next week. We place a lot of importance on easy communication between school and home and in the Year Level presentations I provided an overview of communications at the College and indicated that there would be detailed information in this newsletter. You can find this here and it is also published in your daughter’s logbook. Have a lovely Waitangi Day.  

    • Senior School Prize Giving
      • Last night, at the Senior Prize Giving, the Head and Deputy Prefects for 2017 were announced to great acclaim from the girls. Congratulations go to Georgia Taylor and Olivia Watson, 2017 Head Prefect and Deputy, who will be assuming their responsibilities next year. Georgia and Olivia will make a great leadership team next year and I look forward to working with them. Prize Giving is the occasion where academic excellence is recognised and, in particular, our Year 13 scholars celebrated as they leave the school. Because we have a dual qualification pathway, there is a Dux for the IB Diploma and for NCEA. The IB Diploma Dux this year is Charlotte Hollywood and the NCEA Dux is Jaime O’Sullivan. I extend my congratulations to both these young women for this outstanding academic achievement and also acknowledge the success of the 2016 Top Scholars: Ella Bonnett, Josephine Dixon, Shweta Iyer, Katherine Lopez, Jessica MacPherson, Rachel Ngan Kee, Jennika Patel, Matisse Uluilelata, Phoebe van Boheemen. Despite the year drawing to an end, there is still a lot happening at the College. Earlier on in the week, the Year 10 cohort spent a night at the Catchpool Valley in the Rimutaka Forest Park and the IBD Visual Arts and NCEA Senior Folio exhibition opened at the Potocki Paterson Art Gallery. The exhibition is running until Tuesday 6 December and it is well worth a look. The Elizabethan Day on Wednesday was also a lot of fun with staff and students dressing up in 16th century costumes, performing Shakespearean plays, singing madrigals and enjoying a feast.

    • End of Year Events
      • On Tuesday this week, new students enrolled for Year 1 - 13 in 2017 and their parents joined staff for an evening event, the purpose of which was to welcome them all the College and award house badges. All staff and students belong to a House and this vertical grouping links the girls of all ages. Following on from Senior School Prize Giving (Thursday 1 December) is the House Assembly. Friday morning starts with the traditional House breakfasts followed by a Year 1 - 13 assembly where all of the House cups are presented. There has been some fierce competition among the five Houses this year and so it will be interesting to see the results. Although we are nearing the end of term, there is so much happening at the school with Year 7 off snorkeling as a part of their Science programme, the annual Year 8 visit to Wellesley and Year 10 building vehicles and test-driving these as part of a full-day, hands-on interdisciplinary Science and Technology project. Carols on the Lawn is always a lovely, family event and a harbinger of Christmas. This was held on Thursday in the Old Hall decorated festively and the QMC Art Exhibition was open at the same time to view. This year there was an added dimension to this - all four of our Art teachers exhibited and their work was fabulous! It has been a great week and quite a contrast to the previous one which followed the earthquake on Monday and the subsequent storm. We have been reviewing our emergency procedures as a result of these events and it is timely to remind everyone. These can be found here.

    • Civil Defence
      • This week has presented some challenges and so the prospect of a weekend and time out seems particularly appealing. It has been a stressful time and I am aware that there are some students and their families who have been particularly tested having to cope with either earthquake or storm damage to their homes or the inconvenience of disrupted travel. If your daughter needs some additional support because of adverse circumstances please contact the appropriate Head. We have a strong pastoral team including Year Level Deans and a Guidance Counsellor who may be of assistance. For NCEA students who may have had their examinations impacted adversely by recent events, the process is they can apply for a derived grade. Information about this can be found here. For the majority of students it was business as usual after Monday and I commend the girls for the way they quickly settled back into the comfort of routine after the shock of the Sunday morning earthquake. The week ends on a very positive note with the Junior School and teaching staff off to an early evening performance of Jack and the Beanstalk. Circa’s annual pantomime is always a lot of fun. After such an eventful week, we are all looking forward to this very much.

    • Performances and Congratulations
      • This is another busy week with senior students sitting examinations and lots of activities happening elsewhere in the College. On Tuesday a group of Year 7 and 8 students performed an excerpt from Shakespeare’s play Henry V at Westpac Stadium as part of Shake Alive 2016 celebrating 25th anniversary of the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ). This version of Henry V involved around 250 students with eight schools rehearsing their scenes independently and coming together on the day. I am looking forward to seeing a performance of Henry V scene on Monday at assembly. Today, there was another performance - the annual 40 minute Year 10 musical, ‘Inside Out’, with dialogue and music written by the students who also directed and acted in this as part of their course. The script was very clever providing insight in a lively, highly entertaining way into human psychology. The audience, including myself, enjoyed this very much. We are finalising staffing for next year. As is always the case at year-end, there are some teachers who won't be returning next year. After 29 years at the College, Operations Manager, Barbara Beable is retiring as is Jan Brydges- Jones. Head of PE, Nicola Kaiwai is relocating to Auckland and Year 7 Dean, Jill Anderson is off overseas for a period of time. I acknowledge the significant contribution these staff members have made to the College Congratulations to Gail Donaldson, QMC's 1st X1 Hockey coach, who, on Sunday at the Annual College Sport Wellington Awards dinner, was named NZ Community Trust Coach of the Year Award. For many years Gail has coached our hockey teams and 2016 has been a particularly successful year for QMC with two players making the Junior Black Sticks and the 1st XI winning the regional competition. It is wonderful that Gail's significant contribution to QMC hockey and girls' sport has been acknowledged.

    • Fundraising and MYP
      • The 14 October ‘Dinner at Prefab’, held on behalf of the QMC Foundation Trust and strongly supported by the Parents’ Association, was an outstanding success with just over 100 past and present QMC parents attending. This week the sum raised by this event was finalised - $28,000 all up which will help fund the building of the new Junior School playground set to open early in Term 1. Congratulations to all those involved in organising such an enjoyable event and thank you to our sponsors.   Last week I announced that the College had received confirmation of MYP authorization and yesterday we received the formal IBO report which included five commendations of the school’s teaching practice. This is an outstanding result and very affirming for teachers delivering this programme.   Thank you to all of you who responded to the short questionnaire sent out last week. Term 4 is the time when management is planning for the new school year and so your comments are helpful and timely. An issue raised by some parents was homework overload occurring from time to time. We will look into this and also request that if you do find this is a problem, please contact your daughter’s dean so this matter can be addressed.   Coming up is the pantomime on the 18th so do remember to buy your tickets. This annual event is always a lot of fun and enjoyed not just by the girls but also by extended family and teachers as well.   Have an enjoyable weekend.

    • MIddle Years Programme
      • I hope you had a restful break over Labour Weekend and feel refreshed as we move into a busy time of year. Exams for IB Diploma students begin next week with NCEA examinations for Years 11 - 13 starting in week 5. I wish all the best to our girls with their studies and remind them that the library is a great place to work if they want a quiet space to work without too many distractions. At this time of the year the girls are completing assessments. In drama, these are performances and this week there was a number of these. At lunchtime on Thursday, Year 12 students presented what I found was a thoughtful performance focusing on the refugee crisis to an attentive audience of senior students. The Year 7 and 8 Drama evening performances were well-attended by parents and provided the opportunity for the girls to demonstrate their creativity and humour through devised drama. Today I received notification from the IBO that the College had been officially authorised for a four-year Middle Years Programme (MYP) offering MYP years 1, 2, 3, and 4. This is wonderful news and I congratulate staff on this achievement. Over the past few years the teaching staff, led by the Head of the Middle School, Rena Day and MYP Coordinator, Helen Wright, have worked hard to meet the standards for IB authorisation and so I am delighted that all of their efforts have been recognised.  Along with Auckland’s Kristin School, we are the only school in New Zealand fully authorised for all three IB programmes. Finally, we are very saddened to hear that Margaret Black, QMC’s oldest Old Girl, passed away. Margaret was an active member of the Old Girls’ Association and attended our Old Girls’ weekend in May. We extend our sincere sympathies to Margaret’s family.

    • Special Visitors and Queen Margaret Day
      • We have been visited by a lot of grandparents this week with the Junior School event held today and the Middle School on Thursday. These are always wonderful occasions with grandparents touring the school and being entertained by the girls. How lucky we were also to be visited by two Olympians, Sophie Pascoe, the Westpac Ambassador, who on Wednesday spoke to our senior students and also some from Wellington Girls’, Wellington East, St Oran's and St Catherine's, and then today, Old Girl Ruby Tew (2008-2011) who was the guest speaker at the Queen Margaret Day Assembly. Ruby talked about her time at the College, taking up rowing as a Year 10 student, gaining a bronze medal at Maadi Cup, and then her most recent adventure, representing New Zealand at the Rio Olympics in the first women's eight to qualify in New Zealand rowing history.   On Queen Margaret Day, as is tradition, it was chocolate cake all round as we celebrated the life of our namesake, Queen Margaret. Today was also the final day for Year 13 IB Diploma students who are now off on study leave. My best wishes go to them all as they prepare for their final examinations.   A highlight for me this week (and the parents who attended this packed event) was the annual Year 9 Musicals. Bravo to the four form classes, the talented student directors, producers, writers and actors who presented these highly entertaining and slick half hour shows.   Earlier this week I emailed parents a link to a questionnaire. So that we can continue to improve our educational offering, I would value your response to our 2016 Survey. Your feedback will be helpful to both Management and the Board as we review progress made implementing our current strategic plan, Momentum Plus. 

    • Homework and Elections
      • Last week and for most of the first week of term, I, along with Laura Davison, was overseas visiting the parents of our international students and also our exchange schools,  Beijing National Day School, Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School and, in Tokyo, St Margaret's, with which we have had a relationship for over twenty years.  QMC girls will be hosted by our Chinese sister schools in 2017 so it was helpful for me to meet with the two Principals and staff and, as this was my first visit, tour these schools.    While away, I noted comment in the local media about different homework policies in Wellington schools. QMC's is quite clear: it is an expectation that homework is completed by all of our students, and in our student logbooks guidelines can be found about age appropriate tasks and time commitment.  Homework serves the purpose of reinforcing and extending classroom learning and is essential if our girls, especially those in the Senior School, are to succeed academically in a very competitive world.   As most parents will know, the college operated uniform shop closed at the end of September and New Zealand Uniforms has taken over the retail of our uniform. This change gives parents wider choices when buying uniforms with an appointment system and the ability to purchase online in addition to the normal retail hours. More details can be found on our website here.   It's election time not just in the USA but also at QMC with Year 12 girls vying for Prefect roles in 2017. All applicants presented a one minute speech to a Year 10 - 13 audience on Monday, after which girls at these levels and teachers voted in a secret ballot. From this a shortlist will be drawn up and those selected interviewed by Senior Management. Over 40 Year 12 girls put their names forward to be a student leader, many more than there are Prefect roles. I commend all of these girls for their positive attitude and having the courage and confidence to step  up for this challenge. I warmly welcome two new staff members to the school: Jane Humphries as School Nurse and Marie Moulin who joins the Languages Department as the French Assistant. At the end of October we will be farewelling Maree Chivers, who has been involved in running the uniform shop since 2012.  In her time at the shop Maree has overseen the introduction of the ‘tweaked’ uniform in 2014/2015 and has ensured a smooth transition to New Zealand Uniforms. We wish her well in her future endeavours.

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