Principal’s Message

Cantabrian Superstars

This week’s Cantabrian Superstars shine brightly as we celebrate our incoming school co-captains and prefects. These student leaders have demonstrated outstanding commitment, leadership, and a genuine passion for making a positive difference in our school community. We congratulate them on their appointments and look forward to their inspiring contributions throughout the year.

Well done to all our new leaders!

Investiture Assembly

In Week 7, I had the pleasure of attending my first Investiture Assembly at CGHS. It was a memorable occasion as we formally inducted our new co-captains, prefects, and SRC members. These leadership roles are essential in fostering a strong school community and providing student voices with opportunities to influence positive change.

Congratulations to all our student leaders on their appointments; we look forward to seeing your enthusiasm and dedication in action throughout the year.

Visit to Parliament House

This week, I had the pleasure of accompanying Tallara, Jydah, Amariah and Tuakana, students from our First Nations leadership group to Parliament House. The students were special guests of our local member, Sophie Cotsis, and were warmly welcomed to question time by both Ms Cotsis and the Speaker of the House, Greg Piper. It was a memorable day, providing an invaluable opportunity for our students to engage with the democratic process and meet key figures including Premier Chris Minns, Minister Jihad Dib, and local members for Coogee, Marjorie O’Neill, and for Gosford, Liesl Tesch. We would also like to sincerely thank Ms Josephs for attending and organising this wonderful experience. We are grateful for this unique opportunity that inspired and empowered our students.

School Administration & Support Recognition Week

Each September, we join schools across New South Wales in celebrating SSA (School Administration and Support) Recognition Week, an annual event initiated by the Public Service Association (PSA). This special week acknowledges and honours the vital contributions of our non-teaching staff, including School Administration Managers, School Administrative Officers, School Learning Support Officers, General Assistants, and many others. Their dedication and hard work are essential to the smooth running of our school and the supportive environment we all enjoy. We extend our sincere gratitude to all our SSA team members for their commitment and invaluable support.

RUOK Day

Last Friday our SRC organised an RUOK Day event, which included a bake sale and a cupcake decorating competition. Students were encouraged to wear yellow accessories as a symbol of support and awareness. This day serves as an important reminder to check in on each other’s wellbeing and promote kindness within our school community. Thank you to the staff and students who participated and helped make this event a success. Congratulations to Joanna (Year 8), Hailey (Year 8) & Alia (Year 10) on taking out the prizes for the decorating competition.

HSC Visual Arts Exhibition

In Week 7, our Year 12 Art students submitted their bodies of work for assessment, marking a significant milestone in their creative journeys. A big thank you to Ms B and all the students who contributed to organising this year’s HSC Art Exhibition. It was wonderful to see such talent and dedication on display, and I encourage all families to take the opportunity to appreciate these inspiring works. We are proud of our artists’ achievements and look forward to their continued success.

Year 11 – End of Preliminary Examinations

This week marks the completion of the Year 11 preliminary course exams. Our students approached these assessments with great maturity and commitment, demonstrating their readiness for the challenges ahead. As they return to school in Week 10, they will begin making important decisions about extension courses and whether to continue or discontinue certain subjects for 2026. We encourage all students to seek guidance and carefully consider their options to best prepare for their senior years.

Student Shout Out!

We are thrilled to congratulate Samara Amendolia on her prestigious HSC CALLBACK nomination for Core Performance and Major Study Performance. CALLBACK is the annual HSC Dance showcase, celebrating outstanding dance works, and will be held at the Seymour Centre on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 February 2026.

We also extend our warm congratulations to Sophie MacRae Arcadia for her OnStage nomination for her Individual Drama Performance. OnStage is the annual HSC Drama showcase featuring performances and individual projects, taking place at the Seymour Centre from Saturday 7 February to Friday 13 February 2026.

Both Samara and Sophie’s nominations highlight their incredible talent and dedication to the performing arts. Well done!

Prefect Body Farewell

In our final term as Prefects and Year 12s. We focused on preparing ourselves for our send-off along with the rest of the school. This term our successors were chosen, the Prefect team of 2025-26. Along with this process, four new Co-Captains were to be chosen and all candidates were capable of carrying the school forward in reputation and morale. They were eager with bright new ideas and confidence, all qualities that captains of the school should carry. Without a doubt, the new team of Co-Captains and Prefects proved their abilities in their interviews, in front of higher-ups of CGHS. To ensure that this new leadership team were not stepping into their roles without any clue, the outgoing Prefects and Co-Captains created a handover to explain as much as possible to the incoming about a tough but rewarding experience. The outgoing Co-Captains led the meetings with the entire new Prefect body and with the new Co-Captains to allow them to step into this daunting task with some guidance. 

The 2024-25 Prefects also hosted a Spring Dance with teachers and Year 12 teachers. This wholesome event allowed students to dance with their favourite teachers and enjoy one last fun moment as an entire year group before we leave. Earlier this day, the Prefects also hosted a sausage sizzle at the Leadership Markets, where we were racing against the clock, but managed to preserve in the end with several fun and silly moments. 

As we leave our schooling years behind us, several Prefects took on the job of creating graduation videos for Year 12s and our teachers to watch and enjoy. Funny moments and questions, all being said and asked for students to watch back on, even after we leave a place where we grew into strong and independent leaders of CGHS. As our final days as Co-Captains and Prefects come to an end, we can look back and say that our role has allowed us to provide for the school, but also allowed us to learn new skills to become leaders, which we will carry throughout our adult lives.

Thank you, Canterbury Girls High School.

~ The 2024-25 Prefect Body

Prefect News

Spring Dance

On August 28th, Canterbury Girls High School held its first-ever Spring Dance, and what a night it was! Year 12 students and staff came together to celebrate with energy, laughter and plenty of unforgettable moments. The night kicked off with a surprise twist – a prank by the students who falsely advertised a prize for the best hot pink outfit. Our amazing teachers didn’t hold back, showing up in some seriously fabulous pink fits, making the night even more entertaining and memorable! From the moment guests arrived, the vibe was set with glow sticks handed out at the door, eye-catching decorations and enough food to keep everyone fuelled for a night of dancing and celebration. A huge thank you goes out to the staff who helped plan, supported, or joined the festivities. The connection between students and teachers was a highlight of the night and made the event feel truly special. For those teachers who couldn’t make it, we hope to see you next year, and every year after that! On behalf of the Prefects, thank you to every student who came along and brought joy and energy to the dance floor. Your spirit made the night the success it was, and we can’t wait to see this new tradition grow with each graduating class. Here’s to the first of many Spring Dances!

By Afroza Kazi

Dad’s BBQ at the Leadership Market

On Thursday the 28 August, the prefects were a part of the Leadership markets, which was an opportunity to show the school all of the hard work that each of the leadership groups do in supporting the school and providing new and exciting activities.

We provided a fun sausage sizzle where we all dressed up as BBQ dad’s and had dad music blasting, to encourage the students of the school to have fun, while also showing them all of the incredible things we do as prefects.

It was a huge success with the majority of the school and the special guests from our friend’s school, getting a sausage and a drink, while also having a great time.

By Sophie MacRae

State Athletics 2025

Congratulations to Our State Athletics Representatives

Last week, four Canterbury Girls High School students proudly represented our school at the CHS State Athletics Championships at Homebush, achieving outstanding results.

● Taylor Verdon claimed 1st place in the U15s High Jump with a remarkable jump of 1.51 metres.

● Tallara Joseph Riogi impressed across multiple events, placing 3rd in Shot Put and 2nd in Discus.

● Anna Sarkodee competed strongly in discus, securing an excellent placing against some of the best athletes in the state.

● Eliza Dawson delivered an exceptional track performance, earning Silver in the 800m (2:20.31) and Bronze in the 400m (59.71).

We are extremely proud of these students for their hard work, talent, and dedication. Their achievements are an inspiration to our school community.

Winter Grade Finals

This winter, our school showcased exceptional talent and determination as we competed in the Grade Winter Finals, with six teams advancing to the grand final stages: Senior Basketball, Senior & Junior Netball, Senior Table Tennis, and Senior & Junior Volleyball.

We are thrilled to announce that our Senior Basketball team emerged victorious with a dominating 48-21 win over Beverly Hills Girls High School. Under the expert coaching of Ms. Skaliaris and Ms. Johnston, the team displayed fantastic teamwork and skill throughout the game.

In Netball, both our Junior teams made us proud! The Junior A Netball team triumphed with a 21-10 win against Penshurst, while the Junior B team held off Moorefield for a nail-biting 8-7 victory. A huge congratulations to both teams for their hard work and determination! Coached by Ms Fourfouris.

The Junior A Volleyball team also had a stellar performance, securing a well-fought 2-1 victory against Penshurst. Their resilience and focus on the court were key to their success. Coached by Ms Wang.

While we didn’t take the win in Table Tennis, where our team faced Blakehurst, and in Netball, where the Senior team competed against Moorefield, both teams showed great spirit and sportsmanship. Coached by Ms Strachan and Ms O’Donnell.

Our Senior Volleyball team played an incredibly close match against Moorefield, winning the first set with great momentum. Despite leading in both the first and second sets, they ultimately lost in the final set. Their determination and teamwork throughout the game were commendable, and they played with outstanding sportsmanship until the very end. Coached by Mr Liu and Mr Nguyen.

A big thank you to all your efforts to teachers and students.

Leadership Markets

On the 28th of August, Canterbury Girls held the annual leadership markets during lunch time, with all the leadership groups setting up stalls, selling goodies and running fun activities. The day was a roaring success and students from the leadership groups at Canterbury Boys High School, Tempe High School and Dulwich Hill High School came to join in the festivities. The sun was shining and the whole of the quad was packed full with students wishing to participate and buy things, and the atmosphere was one of fun and enjoyment.

The biggest highlight of the day was probably the Dippin Dots van that the SRC organised to come into the school. There were eight different, delicious flavours on offer, and hundreds of students queued up to experience the delight of the tasty balls of ice cream. We got nothing but positive feedback from Dippin Dots, and overall managed to raise over $400 for our school through ice cream sales.

While all this was happening, on the other side of the quad, the SEA were holding a bake sale and selling iced matcha which was greatly enjoyed by all the students. Next to them, the Pride Group was offering a blind date with a book where you could buy wrapped up books and then unwrap them and uncover what book you had received. They were also selling unique drawings of teachers illustrated by students and holding a “pin the glasses on the teacher competition” with the opportunity to win awesome prizes.

The Talented Athletes Program was entertaining everyone with skipping and plank holding competitions and the “throw the sponge at the teacher” game which was a massive crowd favourite. There was also a lolly guessing jar competition and a stall manned by Headspace members who were handing out free brochures and lollies and raising awareness about their services.

As always, the prefects contributed greatly, and were holding a barbecue selling sausages and soft drinks – a perfect lunch for this festive day.

Overall, the Leadership Markets was an event of much festivities and enjoyment for both students and teachers and provided an opportunity for the whole school to come together, highlighting all the different leadership groups.

By Aya Maltby Year 9 SRC

7A & 8A Food Technology Extension Activity with CBHS

Food Technology principles and the latest snack trends were an emphasis during our joint immersion day with Canterbury Boys High school.

Students produced a protein snack (Raspberry Protein Balls) to satisfy the growing consumer demand for health conscious options, convenience, and muscle support. Once the product was produced, students created the packaging, taking into consideration mandatory requirements for food labelling to ensure consumer safety and informed purchasing was key. Clever packaging and marketing strategies were also crucial for their product’s success to attract consumer attention.

Year 8 Science

Year 8 Science Thermodome Sustainability STEM Project

Year 8 science students recently built innovative Thermodomes, inspired by Antarctic shelters designed to survive extreme cold. They analysed their builds by graphing heat results, then reflected on improvements for greater sustainability. Suggestions included extra insulation, solar panels, wind turbines, and better materials, as well as practical ideas like triple-glazed windows, insulated doors, thermal flooring, heat-retaining furniture, indoor green walls, and rainwater or snow collection systems.

This project showed how students could link science, engineering, and creativity to design smarter, greener homes for the future.

Year 8 Food Technology

Year 8 students have been exploring the importance of nutrition, and the role good nutrition plays in maintaining both our physical and mental health throughout life. These are some examples of an infographic the students created to show how easy it is to make, delicious healthy snacks that are quick to prepare. Enjoy!

Drama

CGHS is proud to announce the success and completion of the HSC Drama for 2025! Our students performed their hearts out and we couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments and achievements through this time. We would also like to congratulate Sophie MacRae for receiving an OnStage nomination for her Individual Project titled: Arcadia. This is a very exciting achievement and accomplishment, and we wish her the best of luck in her nomination process!

Dance

Congratulations to our HSC Dance students who have worked incredibly hard throughout the year finishing up their performances in Week 4. 

A special congratulations to Samara Amendolia on her nomination for HSC Callback 2025 in both Core Performance and Major Study Performance. This prestigious nomination recognises that Samara’s work exemplifies the standard of excellence and artistry celebrated at Callback and will serve as inspiration and educational value for future HSC Dance students.

We also congratulate Allira Garrard, who has been involved in the Aboriginal Dance Company – Associate Program. Allira participated in three days of intensive workshops with Bangarra Dance Theatre, further developing her skills and deepening her connection to First Nations dance practice.

Visual Arts

Congratulations to our incredible Year 11 Art students for producing such outstanding and inspiring artworks! 

Your creative interpretations of the Subjective, Structural, Cultural, and Postmodern Frames demonstrate not only your deep understanding of art theory but also your unique perspectives and growing artistic voices. Each piece reflects your hard work, thoughtfulness, and bold experimentation, and it’s been truly exciting to see how you have brought your ideas to life. 

You should all be extremely proud of what you have achieved. 

Well done!

Click the link below to see Year 11 Visual Arts works

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 pass on a word. The starting student drew what word they were being told, the following student had to write what they saw. This continued throughout the whole group, we then checked if we were able to keep the same word or if it changed. The students then went outside and played a game of football together.

From the 10th-12th of September, Our Year 10 student Tallara Joseph-Riogi was competing at the 2025 NSW Combined High Schools. Over the three days Tallara has placed second in discus with a throw of 39.70m, third in shot put with a throw of 13m. Great work Tallara!

On the 12th of September four of our GO Foundation scholarship recipients attended their final cultural connection day for 2025. Amariyah Cubby, Jydah Golding, Evie Prout and Gloria Vincent participated in a variety of activities which focused on leadership skills through an Aboriginal cultural perspective. All four students enjoyed the day by gaining new leadership skills as well as learning more about their culture

Every fortnight one of our First Nations Leadership students receives an attendance award. Last fortnight our award had been awarded to Year 7 student Kiyah Khan. Kiyah has worked hard to improve her attendance over the last three terms, Kiyah has also shown great commitment to her classwork and is actively participating within lessons. This fortnight our award has been awarded to Year 7 student Shakirah Georgetown-Carr. Shakirah has worked hard to maintain her attendance, Shakirah has also shown great commitment to her classwork. Great work Kiyah and Shakirah!. 

Student Support Officer

Operation Organisation

Our Operation Organisation Term 3 students have completed their program. We had an award ceremony and a little party to celebrate the completion of this program.

Career News

You should be a Cop experience

The “You should be a cop” work experience was an opportunity given to us by the youth command police officers of the Bankstown area, it was an amazing chance to learn valuable skills and information about the NSW police as a whole and make connections with kids our age from surrounding schools.

The experience extended over 4 days with each having its own fun itinerary. Day 1, We met at the Concord Recreation Centre where we played a lively game of soccer, kids versus cops, which boosted energy and was a great ice breaker. From the rec centre we travelled to the Burwood Police Station where we were taken down to the garage to have a talk to the highway patrol officers and look inside their car, they showed us the drug testing equipment and explained all the laws and regulations that have to do with their specific role. We then took a tour around the whole station and got a talk from some important people from each unit. This ended in lunch with anyone who wanted to join. Our group had a chat with two lovely female police officers who told us about their experiences with joining the cops. After lunch we split in half and were sent to either the mounted or water unit, we ended up with the mounted unit, getting an inside look on how they train and how to get in, while also being able to pat the horses. 

On day 2 we started our morning with some basic drills and then immediately got into our physical assessments, measuring if we would be able to get into the academy. We did the beep test, agility test, grip strength, vertical jump, 90 second plank and 25 push ups. Having some lunch while chatting to our youth officers after, following this we had a chat with Senior Constable Amanda about the items (or “appointments”) she carries on her, waiting out the rain before heading to the pool to complete our swim test, which all of us passed. Day 3 was much quieter, starting with a heated game of dodgeball as we waited for the other kids who were also completing the same program around New South Wales. Once they arrived, there were stalls from many different units that came to show us what they do which led to an amazing chat with a police rescue officer, a bike cop, a SWAT officer, and a pet of the puppy, a part of the dog unit. Finally on our last day we all met at the Auburn PCYC one last time, at 6am to begin our drive down to Goulburn Police Academy. Once we arrived we headed inside with all the kids from the previous day to watch the graduation of the class of 366 and the send off of the commissioner, Karen Webb. It was extremely interesting to watch the parade and all the speeches, the tossing of their hats warming all our hearts as a helicopter flew over to wish a farewell to the commissioner. We were then taken on a tour of the campus, visiting the mock town, the mission practice centre and have a seat in the helicopter. We ended our day with lunch in the mess hall, our group talking to yet another inspiring officer, followed by our certificates and a long drive home. 

We are all extremely grateful for this experience as we learnt so much we wouldn’t have without it.  

By Polly Riethmuller

Library

This term, Year 8 has launched into the Accelerated Reader program and it’s already paying off. In Accelerated Reader, students read 15 minutes a day and complete a quiz once they’ve finished a book to earn points towards a goal. In just a few short weeks, two readers have already achieved the remarkable milestone of reaching one million words read. Their dedication has bought them a ticket to the millionaires club pizza celebration in Term 4. We’re excited for many more students to reach a million words read by the end of the year. Happy reading!

S.E.A News

Transport Information

Community News

Follow this link to information for parents and carers about Black Dog Institute’s “Clearly Me” app, developed by teens for teens, to help manage tough times:

Register for a free online seminar about “Teens and Screens”

Mental Health Support Resources

Click on the link to be taken to the NSW Department of Education’s “Mental Health Support for students” page for students, with advice and resources for self-care, helping others and staying safe online, including navigating online chat about self harm and suicide, #chatsafe

https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/students/mental-health#Secondary2

For parents and carers see: 

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/learning-remotely/wellbeing/care-and-connect/connect/parents-and-carers