From Our Principal

From Our Principal

After a two-week holiday that flew by at the speed of light, teachers returned to school on Monday, 21 July. Our day was spent on planning and programming, and we all undertook professional learning in High Potential and Gifted Education as well as Explicit Teaching. We were happy to welcome our students back for Term 3 and have hit the ground running.

I am particularly excited to announce the launch of our revamped newsletter, The Canterbury Tales. This new platform will allow us to better showcase our outstanding school within the community, celebrate the incredible achievements of our students, and highlight the hard work of our dedicated staff. A special thank you goes to Ms. Denise Bova from our office staff, who has worked tirelessly to bring this new initiative to life.

In each edition of The Canterbury Tales, I will be highlighting and celebrating the achievements of both students and staff in a featured segment, ‘Cantabrian Superstars’. I encourage you to share with me examples of success, such as competition wins or stories that demonstrate our students and staff going above and beyond in their endeavours.

Cantabrian Superstars

This week, I would like to extend congratulations to the following students:

Allira Garrad (Year 7): who has been selected for the NSW Public Schools Aboriginal Dance Company’s Associate Program, an elite initiative by The Arts Unit that fosters skills, knowledge, and cultural awareness through collaboration with choreographers from the internationally renowned Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Four of talented writers from Year 11 have been shortlist in the What Matters? Writing Competition.

The What Matters? writing competition invites students in years 5 to 12 across Australia to express their views on pressing issues that matter to them, inspired by Gough Whitlam’s commitment to youth involvement in shaping Australia’s future.

This week three of our talented athletes finished in first place at the Sydney East Athletics Carnival

  • Taylor Verdon – Year 9 (High Jump)
  • Tallara Joseph-Riogi – Year 10 (Javelin and Discus)
  • Eliza Dawson – Year 10 (400m)

Welcome to new staff

We are also excited to welcome two new staff members to Canterbury Girls’ High School this term. Ms. Sarah Giddy joins the English Faculty and will job share with Mr. Hopper. We thank Ms. Santina Rizzo for her relief work in this position during Term 2. And welcome to Mr. Xiao Liu will be replacing Mr. Nguyen in the Mathematics Faculty while he is on parental leave this term.

Major Projects

I am pleased to report that over the holiday period, two significant projects were completed: the air conditioning upgrade and the new STEM room. Apart from the Multi-Purpose Centre (MPC), all teaching and staff spaces around the school are now fully air-conditioned. This improvement will make a substantial difference to the learning environments for both staff and students throughout the year, enhancing comfort during both winter and summer.

The new STEM room, while still awaiting some furniture, is bright and modern, providing additional space for students engaged in technology projects. With the help of the department, we have also acquired a universal laser cutter. We look forward to incorporating this fantastic resource into our students’ learning experiences which will provide them access to new technology tools and enable them to make exciting projects.

Before images

After images

Duke of Edinburgh

Our new Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Award participants recently embarked on a challenging hike along ridges above turquoise bays. Despite battling rain and some unexpected bush visitors at their campsite, the students demonstrated remarkable perseverance and teamwork. Duke of Ed Coordinator Ms. Johnston praised their bravery, determination, and kindness, stating, “They were brave, determined and kind, and I was really impressed”. A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Johnston for organising and accompanying the students, as well as to Mr. Liam Diviney and Ms. Brooke Morely for their support during this adventurous journey.

Year 12 Trial Examinations

I would like to congratulate our Year 12 students, who today completed their HSC trial examinations. They approached these exams with maturity and dedication, and we look forward to having them back in class next week. Attendance during these final weeks of Year 12 is crucial, as the trial period marks the end of formal assessments, but the learning, exam preparation, and revision completed in class are essential for their upcoming final examinations.

Uniform Update

As our uniform contract with Lowes expires at the end of this term, a uniform tender has gone out this week and will close in a fortnight. This process will include feedback from the P&C and SRC to ensure that updates to the uniform improve the quality, affordability, and fit. I have reviewed comments from last year’s uniform survey, which highlighted issues with the cut, material, and affordability of many items. In the coming days, please look out for a short survey focusing on the practicalities of purchasing the uniform. I will share further updates about this process throughout the term.

Good luck Year 12 – HSC Practical and Oral Examinations

Finally, I would like to wish our Year 12 Language and Dance students the best of luck as they prepare for their HSC practical and oral examinations in the upcoming weeks.

Rebecca Cameron
Principal