From the Head of Senior School

What a week in the Senior School! It was great to have our Year 12 students back after their Trial Examination block.

We have had our House Rowing Challenge and our Athletics Carnival theme reveals this week. I was so pleased to see the Rowing teams have competitors from across the year groups in the sprint, with the gym full of students cheering. It was such a great atmosphere.

Following the theme reveal in Assembly, your daughters will be coming home with ideas of what they will be wearing for the Athletics Carnival on Tuesday 8 September 2026. I have already heard many cheers being practiced around the campus, so it is very clear that the House Spirit will be high! Keep an eye out for the permission notification that will be available on Onmia soon.

On Thursday we had our Staff vs Year 12 Netball game with a fabulous BBQ fundraiser for our Year 11 SONY Foundation camp. Congratulations to the students, led by School Captain, Anisha Sivugaranathan (Year 12) on the win this year! Thank you to Bridget Kovats, Head of Year 12 for organising the event and to the staff members who joined the team, you were all such great sports!

This week we also had the privilege of celebrating the extraordinary creativity, skill and dedication of our students at the IB and HSC Showcase for Visual Arts, Design and Technology, Multimedia and Textiles and Design. The exhibition was a wonderful reminder of the imagination, technical precision and personal voice that our students bring to their major works. Congratulations to all students involved and thank you to our dedicated teachers who have guided, encouraged and challenged them throughout this creative journey. Congratulations to Sally Marks, Head of Visual Arts, Renee Willemson, Head of Technological and Applied Studies (TAS) and teachers Nicole Guymer, Jake Morrissey, Robyn Langford, Andrew Drewitt-Smith and Richard Burgess on the success of the Showcase and the student work.

Next week is Book Week and STEM Week! The girls are so excited to bring Book Week back to the Senior School. Please see the array of activities that are being arranged by our Year 12 Captains led by Scholar Captain Anna Obaid (Year 12). Please note the Mufti Day for Book Week on Friday 28 August 2026.

Monday 24 August 2026, Lunch: STEM Workshops

Hands-on workshops (no sign-up required), including the chance to:

• Grow your own Crystal Garden
• Use microscopes
• Germinate your own seeds in Petri dishes

Wednesday 26August 2026, Lunch: Diorama Voting

Diorama Rules (for participants)

• Create a 3D diorama (shoe box size) that showcases the life and work of a famous scientist. Your diorama should help viewers understand who the scientist was, what they discovered, and why their work is important today. For inspiration, please refer to Mrs Lim’s dioramas on Level 2 of the Senior Centre!
• Who they are: Name, image/model, and country of origin (if known)
• When they worked: Birth/death dates and period of their key work
• What they did: Major discoveries/contributions and why they matter
• Why you admire them: A 50–100 word paragraph explaining your choice and their impact
• Bonus marks:
  ⭐ Working/moving model
  ⭐ Female scientist
  ⭐ Interactive feature (QR code, quiz, lift-the-flap, light, sound)

Thursday 27 August 2026, Lunch: Spelling Bee

Come and watch the Spelling Bee in the Amphitheatre for your chance to win many prizes! 

Friday 28 August 2026: Mufti Day Dress Up

Come dressed as your favourite book or STEM character! We will be handing out awards for costumes which catch our eye! There will be prizes for best dressed in each year group

Study Hub Next Week

– Joanna Graffen
Head of Senior School