From Our Principal

Cantabrian Superstars

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

Ruby Carter (Year 11) & Ella Wade (Year 10) for their outstanding achievement in being selected for the Sydney East – NSWCHSSA Girls Cricket Team. We wish them the best of luck and look forward to following their journey as they compete in Newcastle early next term.

Congratulations to Isabel Staudinger on receiving the prestigious VET Excellence Award, presented at Parliament House on 4th September. This honour recognises outstanding achievement in vocational education and training, and Isabel’s dedication, hard work, and passion for her field truly stood out among the state’s top students.

Isabel was also involved in the Youth Partnership program last year, where she was recognised for her excellence in Cookery. Her commitment to developing her skills and pursuing her passion has been inspiring to both staff and peers. We are incredibly proud of her achievements and look forward to seeing her continued success in the future.

Muraloo Project

I am pleased to announce the completion of the Muraloo Project, with beautiful new imagery now installed in the MPC and junior bathrooms. Thanks to the hard work and collaboration between the SRC and P&C, who successfully secured a grant and helped design the artwork, our bathrooms now feature a native Australian bird theme in the MPC and an enchanting underwater theme in the junior area. This project is more than just an aesthetic upgrade; it enriches our school environment by fostering a sense of connection to our natural heritage and creating welcoming, vibrant spaces that enhance students’ daily experience and wellbeing.

Leadership Markets

A huge congratulations to all our leadership groups for their efforts in the recent Leadership Markets event. The various stalls showcased the diverse range of student groups within our school and highlighted the spirit of collaboration. The event was a fantastic success, raising nearly $2,000 to support future student initiatives. Students enjoyed a variety of activities, including sports challenges and games, which kept the atmosphere lively and fun during an extended lunch break. A special shout out to our Pride Leadership group and Ms Johnston who coordinated the event.

Wear It Purple Day

This week was a significant one for our Pride leadership group, who along with the leadership markets also led the coordination of Wear It Purple Day. Their commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment is evident and deeply appreciated. Our most recent NSW Public School student survey reaffirmed the strength of our school’s inclusive culture, reflecting the positive impact of initiatives like Wear It Purple Day in promoting acceptance and respect for all students.

Girls High School Principal Conference

Last week I attended the first-ever NSW Department of Education Girls High Schools Principal Conference at Sydney Girls High School. Nearly all eighteen girls’ high schools across the state were represented, providing a valuable opportunity for principals to hear from high-quality guest speakers, network, share best practices, and plan for future collaboration. This landmark event underscores our commitment to leadership and excellence in girls’ education across NSW.

Good luck Year 11 & 12

Finally, I would like to wish our Year 11 students good luck as they prepare for their yearly examination and to Year 12 Drama and Music students the best of luck as they prepare for their HSC practical examinations in the upcoming fortnight.

Student Shout Out

Celebrating Excellence – Raoudha Jombang & Sophie Cheah finalists at the VET excellence awards

Congratulations Raudha Jombang & Sophie Cheah who were selected as finalists & for the My Workplace Story video competition. This is a fantastic achievement, and we are excited to celebrate their success.

As finalists, Raudha & Sophie were invited you to attend the VET Excellence Awards at NSW Parliament House on Wednesday, 3rd September.

The ceremony also included the exciting announcement of them as winners of the My Workplace Story video competition, they received a $1,000 prize.

Celebrating Excellence – Maya Krueger volunteering at Kids Giving back

We are proud of Maya Krueger, who recently volunteered with Kids Giving Back. Maya joined over 1300 young changemakers who prepared and delivered more than 11 500 meals, snack packs, and care packages, along with heartfelt notes of encouragement for those in need. Together, the group supported 15 Sydney charities! Her commitment to helping others is an inspiring example of leadership, compassion, and community spirit. Congratulations on making such a meaningful difference Maya.

Pass the Baton – 80th Anniversary of the end of WW2 

In our today’s world of increasing political uncertainty, it has become more important than ever to guide future generations towards empathy, diplomacy, and mutual understanding. Understanding history and its monumental lessons is key to maintaining peace across the world and making sure tragedies such as the bombing of Hiroshima will never happen again.

On the 16th of August students from all across Sydney, including myself, were privileged to attend Japan Club of Sydney’s commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the ending of WW2. This event was especially impactful due to the presence of 88 year old Hiroshima bomb survivor, Ms Keiko Ogura. Ms Ogura was only 8 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on her city, she survived the bombing being only 2.4 kilometers away from the hypocenter. She later graduated from the English Literature Department at Hiroshima Jogakuin University. After her husband’s sudden death—who had served as the third director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum—Keiko Ogura dedicated her life to share her testimony across the world. She has spent 40 years spreading her messages of peace and hope, urging us to pass along her story to those around us, just as she has.

Ms Keiko Ogura talked of the quiet and peace before the bombing, the families who started their morning, unaware of the horrors that would unfold. She talked of the agony and confusion she felt walking through her city, unrecognizable and plagued with death everywhere you looked. But the suffering did not stop after the bombing, for years and decades, the tragedy still devastated many. Ms Ogura recalled sudden seemingly healthy peoples unexplainable deaths caused by radiation and the slow healing and reconstruction of the city.

Even 80 years after the bombing, the impact of Hiroshima is still felt across the world. Ms Kieko Ogura’s wish is for us to pass down her baton to our friends and family, war and conflict is ever present in our world, but that doesn’t mean we should lose hope. Instead, Ms Ogura’s story should intensify our desire to maintain peace and hope.

Sophie Wang from the SRC

Year 5 Enrichment Day at Canterbury Girls’ High School

To celebrate Education Week, we recently hosted our annual Year 5 Enrichment Day, welcoming students from local primary schools for a taste of high school life. This program is designed to give students a fun and engaging experience while extending their learning through hands-on activities.

Workshops included a creative poetry session for English, a Science lesson involving a cow’s eye dissection, a bones treasure hunt to learn about the skeleton in PDHPE, and the opportunity in TAS to make and style small dress models. Critical thinking and teamwork skills were tested during the Maths spaghetti and marshmallow bridge challenge and the Drama performance workshop. Students solved the mystery of Otzi the Iceman in HSIE and studied Chinese language and culture with our LOTE teacher.

The atmosphere was buzzing with curiosity, creativity, and laughter as students explored new subjects and ideas. Teachers had a fantastic time working with students, assisted by amazing volunteers from Year 8, who were outstanding in guiding and encouraging the younger visitors across the two days.

We are proud to offer this program in partnership with our local schools and look forward to welcoming these students back as part of the Canterbury community in years to come.

Pink stumps day at CGHS

On Friday the 15 August, Canterbury Girls High School participated in Pink Stumps Day. The purpose of this was to raise awareness and money for breast cancer. All members of CGHS were encouraged to wear a pink accessory to make the school a sea of pink. A teachers vs student’ game of cricket was also played in which the exciting game went to a tie breaker to determine the winner which saw the teachers being victorious.

The day was a success with money being raised for charity and a great day was had by all within the Canterbury Girls High School community.

Regional Sydney East Athletics

Outstanding Results at the Regional Sydney East Athletics Carnival 2025

Last week, our talented athletes represented the school with pride at the Regional Sydney East Athletics Carnival, held at the Sylvania Waters Athletics Track over two days (Tuesday and Wednesday). Competing against strong schools from across the region, our students delivered some incredible performances, with several placing in the top three of their events and securing spots at the upcoming NSW State Athletics Championships.

A special congratulations to the following students on their outstanding achievements:

● Anna Sarkodee (12s)

🥈 2nd – Discus

5th – Shot Put

● Mara Winkler (12s)

🥉 3rd – 800m

● Taylor Verdon (14s)

🥇 1st – High Jump

● Eliza Dawson (15s)

🥇 1st – 400m

🥇 1st – 800m

🥈 2nd – 200m

4th – Long Jump

● Tallara Joseph Riogi (16s)

🥇 1st – Discus

🥇 1st – Javelin (New record: 54.38m)

🥈 2nd – Shot Put

These achievements reflect the dedication, determination, and hard work of our athletes. We wish our State representatives the very best as they prepare for the next level of competition!

We also want to acknowledge the full team of students who competed at Regionals. Your participation, team spirit, and sportsmanship were exemplary:

Alana Durham (14s), Sophia Durham (14s), Charlotte McCormick (14s), Lara Gouveia (15s), Eve Meissel (15s), Penny Ayliffe (15s), Taylor Verdon (14s), Eliza Dawson (15s), Tallara Joseph Riogi (16s), Mara Winkler (12s), Anna Sarkodee (12s), Jahnava Ram Tevita (12s), Jesse Viaje (14s), Stefanie Meissel (17s), Ella Wade (16s), Alkira Joseph Riogi (17s), Ingrid Kaizik (15s), Zara Winstone (16s), Maeve Flohr (17s), Tiffany Senuik (17s), Beth Early (16s).

Student Services

EALD/LST Year 7 HSIE students have been working on presenting slides to an imaginary Grade 3 class. The topic is Landforms and landscapes. Here are the slides created by Talia, Arielle, and Maria:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Performance 2025 – 8P

8P embarked upon a most ambitious task to be assessed for English. Year 8 study the Shakespearean play A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of the “The Play’s the Thing” unit studied in Term 2. 

Due to the myriad of performing talent in 8P, it was decided that they should put on a production of the play for students in Year 7. Students collaborated on designing, acting and choreographing the production, working in conjunction with the class teacher. 

Most of the work done on the production was done by the students themselves. It was a difficult task remembering lines, composing and coming up with music and creating choreography to enhance the performance. Students worked hard during rehearsals and pulled off, despite constant interruptions and challenges, the most amazing production. Well done 8P!!! 

BStreetSmart Excursion

On Tuesday 5th of August 2025, our Year 11 students attended the Bstreetsmart excursion, a road safety education program aimed at increasing awareness of the dangers associated with unsafe road behaviours.

During the excursion, students took part in various activities including interactive workshops, presentations from emergency services personnel, and hearing from crash survivors. The program focused on key issues such as speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, and the importance of wearing seatbelts.

The aim of the excursion was to provide students with information and real-life examples to help them understand the consequences of risky behaviour on the roads. This is particularly relevant for Year 11 students as many are preparing to obtain their learner driver licences.

The Bstreetsmart program is designed to reinforce responsible decision-making and encourage safe practices as pedestrians, passengers, cyclists, and future drivers.

We thank the organisers and facilitators for delivering such a meaningful and engaging experience for our students.

FREE Student Vision Testing

Drama

SHOWCASE EVENING – AUGUST 15th

Friday evening, we had the pleasure of welcoming friends and families from our CGHS community to our Junior Drama Showcase. Students from Years 7, 8, and 10 took to the stage to present a variety of works developed through their recent units of study, each performance highlighting key dramatic techniques and skills they have been exploring in class. From physical theatre to characterisation and ensemble work, the showcase offered a wonderful glimpse into the creativity, energy, and collaboration of our younger students. The evening was met with enthusiastic applause and genuine admiration from the audience, celebrating not only the students’ achievements but also their growing confidence as performers.

HSC DRAMA

It is full steam ahead in the Drama department as our Year 12 students prepare for their upcoming HSC Performance examinations in Week 8. The dedication of the cohort has been truly impressive, with students committing significant time before school, during breaks, after hours, and on weekends to rehearse and refine their work. Their perseverance, creativity, and willingness to support one another through the process are to be highly commended.

Friday evening, students presented both their individual and group performance pieces at the Year 12 Drama Showcase for friends, family, and staff. The evening was a wonderful celebration of their talent, hard work, and artistic growth, and it provided one of the final opportunities to perform before a larger audience in the lead-up to the HSC. Each performance reflected the diversity of ideas and themes explored this year, showcasing not only their skills in characterisation, stagecraft, and costume design but also the strength of their ensemble collaboration and individual performance skills. The showcase was a fitting testament to the students’ ongoing commitment and a reminder of the exciting standard of work they will take into their final examinations.

Visual Arts

Year 9 Visual Arts 
This semester, Year 9 Visual Arts students have been exploring the tradition of still life vanitas; artworks that use everyday objects to symbolise ideas about life, time, and mortality. After researching historical examples, students photographed their own still life arrangements and then translated these into detailed drawings. The results show not only their technical skill but also their ability to communicate personal meaning through symbolism and composition.

Year 7 Visual Arts

Year 7 Visual Arts students have been closely observing the beauty of Australian native flowers. Using watercolours, they have been experimenting with a range of techniques to capture natural textures, delicate marks, and accurate colours. A big focus has been on practising and having fun with colour mixing, as students explore how different combinations create subtle variations and vibrant effects. 

Music

CGHS CAPA Showcase & State Ensemble Update

We are thrilled to celebrate the exceptional work of our HSC Music, Drama, and Dance students, who delivered outstanding performances at the recent Showcase Evening. Their professionalism, creativity, and dedication were truly inspiring. Well done!

Didn’t make it or want to relive the highlights? Visit our Creative Arts page to watch the Showcase performances and explore past musical productions and MADD Night clips. 

NSW Public Schools Recorder Ensemble – Festival of Instrumental Music

We are equally proud to announce that Sadie Bellamy will be representing CGHS as part of the NSW Public Schools Recorder Ensemble at this year’s Festival of Instrumental Music. The performance takes place on Tuesday, 26 August at the Sydney Opera House.

Once again, congratulations to all involved—for illuminating our CAPA community through performance, collaboration, and passion. We can’t wait to see what’s next!

Visual Arts Exhibition

The creativity of our students will also be on display at the upcoming Art Exhibition, showcasing the work of the 2025 HSC Visual Arts class and the Year 11 Visual Arts class.

Family and Friends are invited to our Opening Night Celebration on Monday 1st September 5:30pm-7pm in the Cantabrian Hall (enter via the front gate)

It will then be open to Staff and Students on Tuesday 2 September during periods 1-4.

This is a wonderful opportunity to view the diverse and imaginative body of work our senior Visual Arts students have developed.

Year 7 Bring Cells to Life!

Our Year 7 scientists have been busy turning the microscopic world into something you can actually see! From colourful 3D creations to cleverly crafted models made from everyday materials, their work shows just how imaginative (and accurate!) science can be.

Rose Peterson Brown (7P) didn’t just build a cell model – she created a cellular mansion!

Charlotte Waters (7P) built amazing 3D cell models that look ready to come to life!

Anna Sarkodee and Lily Anderson (7P) are holding up their vibrant cell models.

Allira Garrard (7P) is holding her bright plasticine cell models that look like tiny rainbow worlds!

Food Technology

CGHS Stage 5 Food Technology students engaged with metabolic health professionals (doctors, dieticians and exercise physiologists) lead by Professor Luigi Fontana, from the Healthy Longevity and Lifestyle Medicine team at the Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney University, to bring the science and physiology of healthy longevity to school students.

Students undertook the Nutrition workshop to explore the latest science in metabolic health from the perspective of food, cooking and deciphering the plethora of information (and misinformation) available through marketing and media. By discussing nutrition principles including food processing, ingredient label interpretation and deriving balanced meals by understanding the physiological basis of micro- and macronutrients.

By engaging students early in life, the program aims to mitigate burgeoning chronic disease currently burdening our young population. Pre-diabetes, obesity, and mental health decline all have a common metabolic substrate which must be addressed in young, developing minds.

Students thoroughly enjoyed the workshops.

SEA NEWS

First Nations Leadership Group

During our latest visit with Canterbury Boys High School and The Settlement, we participated in a range of activities that required us to communicate without speaking. The students had to place themselves in height order, then age order. Once they had successfully completed that, they placed themselves into an order which represented the east coast of Australia, and their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribes. The students then completed an artwork all together where they shared with the group their tribe and what they drew that had significant meaning to them. Some of our students shared their totems and others shared their family connections. 

On the 19th of August Year 10 student Jydah Golding was able to participate in the ACCIONA immersion day. We visited the Cammeray site and we were able to learn about how they are building the Western Harbour Tunnel. Throughout the day we learnt about the different roles required for the build, we heard from industry professionals who explained their roles and what a typical day looked like for them. These professionals had a wide variety of roles within the company such as Senior Project Engineer, Social Procurement, Industry and Aboriginal Participation Manager, Water Treatment Plant Operator and a first year Electrical Apprentice. We learnt about the Tunneling Boring Machines (TBM) that are cutting through the ground to make the tunnels, they were named after two Aboriginal women Barangaroo and Patyegarang. These Aboriginal women come from the local area where the tunnels are being built and were influential leaders during their lifetime. We were able to have a go on the bolter machine, which places bolts at the top of the tunnel to make sure the rock and cement stay in place, throughout the tunnel. We also had the chance to look inside the Western Harbour Tunnel using a virtual reality (VR) head set. 

Every fortnight one of our First Nations Leadership students receives an attendance award. This fortnight our award has been awarded to Year 8 student Mylla Morris. Mylla has worked to maintain her 100% attendance over the last three terms, and is the recipient of our First Nations Leadership attendance award. Great work Mylla! 🎉

Careers News

On the 11th of August Phoebe Grace-Scott, Mia Osterly, Cheryl Young and I got the opportunity to visit the QANTAS campus and domestic airport for QANTAS’s Young Aviators Day, where we were given different tasks and were able to learn about all of the different careers and opportunities available there.

We first got a tour of the QANTAS airport section and got to see the pilot headquarters, the lookout, the engineering hangars and were even able to go into one of the planes, where we got our own tickets for boarding. Afterwards we went back to the campus and we had the chance to ask questions to a board of women working there, including a pilot, flight-path engineer, manager and app technician. Finally we did an activity on creating a flight path from Sydney to Berlin in under 20 hours and got some career tips from a careers coordinator there.

My favourite part of the experience was going into the cockpit of the domestic plane and being able to sit in the pilot’s chair. There were so many different controls and images and it was really cool to see!

It was definitely a memorable experience. I learnt a lot about the different tasks which are performed at QANTAS, and so much information about all the opportunities and career paths which are open for the brand. It was awesome!

Alia Hawkins

To see more information about upcoming events and career information click on the button below.

Library News

This week we are celebrating Book Week, a time to share our love of stories and celebrate all the amazing readers in our school community. One highlight is our “Match the Teacher to the Book” competition, where students guess which favourite book belongs to which teacher. Answer sheets are available in the library for the next week and prizes are up for grabs!Come along and celebrate the joy of reading together!

Student Support Officer

Vaccination Catch up – Year 7 & 10

Anyone in Year 7 & 10 who missed out on vaccinations earlier in the year will have an opportunity to get the vaccination on Friday 5 September in periods 1 & 2.
I will be popping around to classes to provide consent cards to all students who are yet to be vaccinated and these can be returned to me before the day or returned directly to the nurses on the day.

Wear It Purple Day

The Canterbury-Bankstown Inclusive Communities Network and Canterbury-Bankstown City Council have invited students from our Pride Leadership Group to come and celebrate ‘Wear it Purple’ day. We will celebrate diversity in our community with a picnic, crafts, music performances and lunch.

Upcoming Wellbeing Program events;

Year 9 – Digital Discernment – Friday 12 September

Year 8 – Friendship Formula – Thursday 18 September

Breakfast Club

Runs daily from 8-8:30am in the Learning Hub. Come and have a free feed before school and keep warm and dry with your friends.

Community News