From the Principal

Welcome to Term 4

Induction of School Prefects

As the Class of 2020 finalise their preparation for their HSC and IB exams, the Class of 2021 were today inducted as the Prefects of MLC School. At MLC School, all Year 12 students are Prefects, in recognition of the important role that they play as role models for the younger students and their responsibility to endeavour to set a positive tone and provide leadership to the School. 

We were honoured that MLC School Council Chair and MLC School Old Girl Dr Eve Tsironis, agreed to be the guest speaker at the Prefects’ Induction Service. It is so important for our current students to hear from past students and to be inspired to achieve their very best as a result of the encouragement and inspiration offered by their stories. Eve’s words did not disappoint in this regard and I thank her for her time and thoughtful words.

Activity Captains

Earlier this week, those students elected to positions of captaincy within the School were presented with their badge of office at Senior School assembly and I am sure that you will join with me in congratulating the following students whose positions were announced for the first time at this assembly.

Music Captains

• Choir Captain – Ellery Joyce
• Band Captain – Dionne Alaveras
• Orchestra Captain – Kirsten Dao
• Taiko Captain – Janelle Jiao
• Keyboard Captain – Cynthia Hu

Sport Captains

• AFL – Hayley Kenzler
• Athletics – Kiara Shine
• Badminton – Gloria Lim
• Basketball – Sabine Saad
• Diving – Ava Lee
• Fencing – Sen Sen Xie (Year 10)
• Football – Natalia Giannakos
• Gymnastics – Natasha Sheehy
• Hockey – Lily Scanlon
• Netball – Vanessa Ryan
• Snow Sports – Claudia Talbot
• Softball – Dionne Alaveras
• Swimming – Evelyn Doan
• Tennis – Kayla Graham
• Touch Football – Katie Sutherland
• Volleyball – Fiona Mackenzie
• Water Polo – Kimberly Keogh

School Events and COVID Safety

We continue to closely monitor the evolving regulations around school events in the light of COVID-19. While there has been some easing of restrictions, we are still unable to have parents/carers on site other than for prearranged appointments. Unfortunately, this means that we have had to cancel a number of our traditional end of year events. Wherever possible we will be arranging an alternative way to acknowledge the participation and achievement of our students. Our Marketing and Community Relations team have been very proactive and are sending weekly updates regarding upcoming events; please use this document as the definitive guide to ‘what’s on’. The rapidly evolving landscape can make it difficult to ensure that the School calendars are all updated as changes occur.

We continue to encourage our students to wash their hands regularly, use the hand sanitiser provided and wear masks on public transport wherever possible. We distributed school masks at the end of Term 3, if your daughter did not receive one please ask her to speak to her Head of Year (Senior School) or class teacher (Junior School) and we will rectify the situation. Government guidelines state that social distancing between school students is not required. However, we have asked the girls to be mindful of not hugging and maintaining as much distance as possible from each other.

I thank you for your support in continuing to reinforce the importance of COVID safe behaviours with your daughters.

– Lisa Moloney
Principal

From the Deputy Principal – HSC and IB ‘Bubble’ During Examinations

As we approach the start of the formal examination period for the HSC and IB courses, I am writing to inform you about the procedures we have put in place for the safety of the girls. We are following the advice from NSW Health and NESA in establishing an exclusion zone or ‘bubble’ around the examination rooms for the duration of the HSC and IB Examination block:

HSC Examination Block
Monday 19 October to Wednesday 11 November 2020

IB Examination Block
Monday 26 October to Friday 13 November 2020

For each examination, Year 12 students must enter the school via the Rowley Street entrance to Potts Hall, and assemble in the Drama Theatre for roll call. They will then move to Potts Hall or other classrooms for their exams. The Drama Theatre, Potts Hall, and selected classrooms and bathrooms will not be available to any other student or member of staff for the duration of the examination block.

Year 12 students will not be able to use any other part of the School campus during this period. Unfortunately, this means they cannot come to school to study in the Library or the Senior Centre, and they cannot use the café. If any student wishes to contact their teacher, this must be done by email or Microsoft Teams.

Students have been sent instructions about the time to arrive for each examination. At the end of each examination, students will be asked to leave the School promptly. Those girls who have both a morning and afternoon examination on the same day may choose to leave school and return for the afternoon exam. Girls who are unable to go home and return to school for the afternoon examination, may remain at school. However, these girls must remain in the ‘bubble’ between the morning and afternoon examination, and should bring sufficient food and water for their day.

I hope these measures reassure you that we regard the safety and care of our Year 12 girls as paramount. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or the Head of Senior School, Neil Scotney.

– Frances Booth
Deputy Principal

Farewell and Good Luck Year 12

All the Best

Congratulations to the Year 12 Class of 2020 for making it through a very difficult year and showing the whole MLC School community their incredible resilience and courage. We wish every girl all the best for their upcoming exams.

Thursday 17 September 2020 marked their final day as MLC School students, as they transitioned to MLC School Old Girls. The COVID-19 restrictions didn’t stop the School from giving our girls a well-deserved celebration, all with safety measures in place. With events live-streamed and other Year groups taking part in a Guard of Honour our community was still able to take part in this year’s farewell.

Please click here to watch the final day video, it is very special.

Scholarships for 2022 Now Open

MLC School offers a range of scholarships for girls entering Year 7 and above. Some are available to current students. See more information on the range of scholarships here

For all scholarships at Year 7 level and above, candidates must sit an entrance examination held at the School. Shortlisted candidates are later invited to a Scholarships Activity Day to take part in a variety of activities with other shortlisted candidates and attend an interview. The entrance examination is held early in Term 1 with the Scholarship Activity Day held later in the term. Scholarship offers are made to successful candidates by the end of Term 1. 

Scholarship applications for entry into 2022 entry are now open. Please click here to apply.

Below are further dates relevant to the Scholarship process: 

• Applications close: Friday 5 February 2021
• Examination: Friday 12 February 2021
• Music auditions: to be confirmed
• Activity day: March 2021

For more information please email enrol@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au

Year 8 to Year 12 Booklists Now Available

Year 8 to Year 12 booklists are now available on the Campion website. The MLC School resource list order code is PRRW. This code is required to access the MLC School booklists and purchase resources for 2020-2021. The full resource list for each Year group is on their respective pages on the My MLC School Portal.

Please order by Thursday 22 October 2020. Home delivery is scheduled for the week ending Friday 6 November 2020. Ordering will remain open all year if you wish to purchase texts at a later date.

If you have any questions please contact Jennifer Brown, Director of Curriculum (Year 7 to Year 10) or Anne Layman, Director of Curriculum (Year 11 and Year 12).

Please see the article on the Sustainable School Shop if you wish to sell, donate or recycle your old books.

Sustainable School Shop for Second-Hand Items

Sustainable School Shop is a national platform that assists schools and families with second-hand services that are customised to each school. Families will have the ability to:

• Trade second-hand school uniforms, textbooks and other school items with ease 365 days per year
• Access ongoing support and assistance directly with Sustainable School Shop
• Connect directly with other families to buy and sell textbooks and uniforms
• Access a complete and accurate guide of available second-hand uniform and textbooks

To register with Sustainable School Shop, please follow the instructions below:

• Visit the Sustainable School Shop website
• Follow the prompts and register your details online
• Type ‘MLC School’ and select from the drop-down menu
• Click ‘Register’ to submit your details
• An email will be sent to you with your unique login details

Term 4 Parent Contact Lists

Many parents have let us know that a parent contact list is very useful in managing a busy family life. The Marketing and Community Relations Department is currently preparing an updated list for Term 4 2020, containing the relevant contact information for the families in your daughters’ Year group at MLC School. 

To ensure the lists are up to date we ask that, if required, you amend your personal information and parent contact list permissions via the My MLC School Portal no later than Wednesday 21 October 2020. If you have recently updated your details, directly via the Portal, there is no need to repeat the process.

It is important you give permission for each point of contact separately for the parent contact lists, as every family has different requirements. For example, you may be happy for other families to know your email address, or you may prefer not to share this information.

Any change of details must be done directly via the Portal by parents. This cannot be delegated to the School to do on your behalf. This is due to our privacy obligations. 

If you need to change your details or permissions, step by step instructions are listed below.

1. Visit https://my.mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au/
2. Enter your username and password to access the portal. If this has not been completed, please contact servicedesk@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au to reset your password.
3. On the next page, select ‘Dashboard’ on the top menu bar. Under ‘Important Links’ select ‘Update Your Details’
4. The next screen will request you enter your account name and password, these are the same details used to access the My MLC School Portal
   • Please note, if there are two parent/guardians for your daughter, you will have different logins
   • If you access the site via your account, you will not be able to update the second person’s details. They will need to sign in to update
5. On the Selection Page Toolbar (far left side), select the ‘Parent Contact List Permissions‘ button on the left-hand tool bar
6. The next page will allow you to edit details or remove permission
   • If the information is incorrect please click the ‘Edit Address Details’ or ‘Edit Personal Details’
   • Once details are checked and correct, please indicate which details you’d like to appear on the Parent Contact list by selecting each check box
   • After the details are selected, scroll down and select ‘Give Permission’
   • Please note, you will only be able to action this for your account. To update the second person’s details, they will need to sign in with their unique code.

Thank you for your assistance and we look forward to issuing you the contact lists for Term 4 as soon as possible.

From the Deputy Heads of Junior School

It was wonderful to see all the Junior School girls returning to school with smiles on their faces and an enthusiasm for the coming term. Many of the girls have grown in height and maturity ready to take on the challenges of their final term of this current year. Unfortunately, we are still unable to have parents/carers on site but we will continue to work together to provide the very best for every girl. 

Congratulations to staff members, Emily Simpson and Courtney Dougherty, who were both married during the holidays. Emily will now be known as Mrs Emily Bryson. Congratulations also to Rachel Barakat and her husband who welcomed their baby son, Aiden Antoine Barakat. 

MLC girls daring to be more

This year racism has been a prominent and serious issue around the world. Our girls at MLC School show awareness of global issues and the issue of racism was put forward for discussion during one of our Junior School Student Council (JSSC) meetings.

The girls in the JSSC agreed they wished to take action. Meena Kanthathas (Year 5) and Ellen Gadsby (Year 5), on behalf of the JSSC, wrote to our Prime Minister, The Honourable Scott Morrison. This week the girls received a reply and were very excited by this. It is great for them to know that they can have a voice and taking action can be noticed. Well done to the JSSC and thank you to Ellen and Meena for their words.

ICAS Results

Congratulations to all the girls who participated in this year’s ICAS competitions for English, Mathematics and/or Science. These assessments test students’ ability to apply their learning to new contexts using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. The following girls received High Distinctions (top 1% of participants) or Distinctions (next 10% of participants). Well done, girls!

English

• High Distinctions – Chloe Lu (Year 4) and Jordan Vo (Year 6)
• Distinctions – Aurora Sharma (Year 3), Eloise Wong (Year 3), Gloria Chen (Year 4), Nectaria Constanti (Year 5), Gigi Guan (Year 5), Rebecca Ho-Bui (Year 5), Sophia Hu (Year 5), Meena Kanthathas (Year 5), Stella Wallace (Year 5), Alice You (Year 5), and Anna Obaid (Year 6)

Mathematics

• Distinctions – Anna Poortvliet (Year 3), Eloise Wong (Year 3), Gloria Chen (Year 4), Hayley Dinh (Year 4), Ingrid Henderson (Year 4), Miranda Lin (Year 4), Chloe Lu (Year 4), Surabhi Parab (Year 4), Katherine Woo (Year 4), Carina Chu (Year 5), Gigi Guan (Year 5), Sophia Hu (Year 5), Rebecca Ho-Bui (Year 5), Meena Kathahas (Year 5), Elly Yue Yu (Year 5), Kathleen Chrun (Year 6), Anna Obaid (Year 6), Yihan Zhang (Year 6), and Jane Xia (Year 6)

Science

• High Distinctions – Chloe Lu (Year 4), Meena Kanthanthas (Year 5) and Cheylene Leung (Year 5)
• Distinctions – Hayley Dinh (Year 4), Miranda Lin (Year 4), Surabhi Parab (Year 4), Gigi Guan (Year 5), Sophia Hu (Year 5), Stephanie Keo (Year 5), Mikayla Woon (Year 5), and Angelina Xu (Year 5)

Writing Competition Results

Congratulations to Indigo Hannah (Year 4), who has been awarded as a runner-up in the 2020 Seven Steps Narrative Writing Competition. Under the theme ‘A Curious Creature’, students were asked to create a comic strip or manga using techniques to ‘tighten the tension’. Great work, Indigo!

Kiss and Drop

Please ensure we are all using our car park and kiss and drop effectively. We ask that parents/carers arrive at or slightly after pick up time so that we are not blocking the surrounding roads by arriving early and waiting in the queue. It is important that we retain good relationships with our neighbours.

– Joanne Sharpe and Natalie Hird
Deputy Heads of Junior School

Baby News

Year 2 teacher Rachel Barakat and her husband Jad are very proud to announce the arrival of their first child. It is a boy! Aiden Antoine Barakat born on Friday 2 October 2020. Mum and baby are doing very well.

National History Challenge – Contested Histories

Last term six Year 5 girls were selected to represent MLC School in the National History Challenge – Contested Histories. Nectaria Constanti was selected to proceed to the next level for judging. Nectaria contested the view of the first British settlers that Australia was Terra Nullius – land with no people. She also highlighted that Australian aboriginals had many skills with regard to hunting and gathering food and social communities. We wish her all the best at this next level of the competition.

– Courtney Dougherty, Amber Bidwell, Eddie Park and Jan Falls
Year 5 Teachers

Leawarra House Supports Exodus Foundation

For most people, the lead up to Christmas can be an exciting time filled with hope and joy but for others, it is a time of sadness and disappointment.

This term, for our service action, Leawarra has chosen to organise food donations for the Exodus Foundation (Rev Bill Crews Foundation). This will help many people who are struggling this Christmas to put food on their plates. 

The Exodus Foundation (Rev Bill Crews Foundation) aims to provide assistance to address the cause of homelessness, poverty and unemployment and has been supporting the homeless and needy for over 30 years. They are passionate about making a difference to the lives of those in need.

We are asking for your support and would like people to donate any non-perishable food items such as tinned food (pull-ring only), potato chips, lollies, cup-a-noodles, etc.

Starting from Week 2 (Monday 19 October 2020), there will be boxes on the red carpet to donate your items. Leawarra is hoping to collect as much as possible by the end of Week 7 (Friday 27 November 2020).  

Your continued efforts to help out this cause are greatly appreciated.

– Victoria Rouhliadeff
Leawarra House Patron

Order Your School Photos

If you didn’t purchase your photos earlier in the year, there is still time to order. Photographs can be purchased by following this link and using the online order code CE3 9QF BAK. All photos must be purchased by Wednesday 21 October 2020, after which late fees/additional charges will be incurred.

Important Information:

• School photos purchased online DO NOT require envelopes returned to school*
• Late fees/additional charges will be applied for purchases after Wednesday 21 October 2020
• Photos will be returned to the School for distribution approximately six weeks after photos are taken

Sport and co-curricular group photos are scheduled for November.

If you have any questions, comments or feedback please contact advancedlife.

Feature photo: Year 3 2019 class photo

Last Chance to Order Your Christmas Tea Towels

The Junior School P&F is offering a special Christmas tea towel as a fundraiser, which will be available at the end of this year.

All families now have the opportunity to purchase a tea towel if they have not already done so, or purchase more if they wish, with delivery occurring before the Christmas school holidays. All orders must be placed by Friday 30 October 2020.

If you have purchased a tea towel and no longer wish to receive one, please email Junior School Reception for a refund. 

On behalf of the School and parent community, I would like to thank you for your understanding and support.

Personalised Year Group Tea Towel
$18
Place your order by Friday 30 October 2020

From the Head of Senior School

Welcome back to all families to our final term of school. It’s always comforting having the girls return to school and hearing the normal buzz of excitement and welcoming atmosphere that creates. Thank you to all girls and their parents/carers for your support in the wearing of correct summer uniform. It’s crucial that all girls start positively with the wearing of uniform and get into a good routine from Week 1. I wanted to point out that in my earlier communication I had referenced the wearing of school tracksuit to and from school on the days girls have a timetabled lesson in PDHPE, dance or drama. With the warmer weather upon us, it’s perfectly ok that girls arrive or leave in PDHPE uniform, shorts and polo shirt. Girls are often reminded that there should not be any variations of this, with the wearing of non- MLC School shorts, shirts or hoodies.

As I write this week’s newsletter piece, I must confess to how it normally comes together. I will usually pick up on an aspect of school life during the week and send myself an email with a few ideas and then sit down on Thursday to type it up. I knew that one theme I wanted to reference this week was doing things with intent, or acting with purpose. It seems rather ironic that despite my motivation, I am now preparing this week’s offerings at the last minute on Friday morning!

That said, I often admire the way an MLC School girl goes about her daily business of school. On the most part, girls are acting with purpose and clear intent. I can observe this by the way they move around campus, by the way they are organised, by listening to their conversations and above all, the way they conduct themselves in class. At the start of a new term, now is the best time to do an audit of the way we are going about school. Is it with intent? Do we have a clear purpose in the way we are working? With four weeks remaining of the current academic year, it’s easy to assume that girls can just return to school and go through the motions. With a new academic year starting in Week 5 (Monday 9 November 2020), now is the opportune time to get organised and put in place all of the things that will bring success in the new academic year.

As I touched on briefly in this week’s assembly, when I spoke to the girls about the term ahead:

• Look for the qualities that have helped you this year
• Reach out to those around who might be able to guide you in moulding the new you (teachers, Luminaries, Heads of Year, peers, parents, older siblings)
• Talk openly with someone at home about areas that need improvement (do an honest audit or reflection of what didn’t work well)
• Establish positive routines, write them down and stick to them by telling someone what they are
• Get organised, right from the start
• Set some achievable goals for each subject
• Set some boundaries that will help protect you (waking and sleeping time, exercise, screen time)

There are many other ways of ensuring girls strive for success and work towards creating a better version of themselves. One of the many great things about our school is that there are an abundance of good role models in every Year group that girls can look up to. I’ve always appreciated the culture of hard work that is in existence at MLC School, but admired even more the way that girls support one another in their quest to improve.

It was wonderful to acknowledge our 2021 School Leaders again this week as they were presented with their official badges. Also during this week’s assembly I had the pleasure of announcing the leadership team in both Sport and Music and I congratulate the girls on their appointments. For a full list of Captains click here.

I hope that Term 4 is a positive and productive term for all students and families. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you require support or assistance.

– Neil Scotney
Head of Senior School

Year 7

Welcome back to the start of Term 4. I hope you all had lovely break and chance to re-energise and discover some of the delights of home and NSW, with that being as far as we could travel!

First, I would like to say a big hello to everyone. Whilst I know quite a lot about the Year 7 cohort and their parents/carers from my role in the Sports Department, I am very much looking forward to getting to you know all of Year 7 (soon to be Year 8!) in my new role as Head of Year.

I will take this opportunity to invite both students and parents/carers to contact me via email or phone if you have any questions, queries or concerns, and please come up and say hello if I am on the sidelines of your daughter’s game at Saturday morning sport. I will warn you, I do cheer loudly.

Congratulations to Ms Karen Roberts and her husband on the arrival of their bundle of joy, Marlo Luca, who joined the world on the 2 October at 7pm, we are very excited he is here.

This term has started off smoothly with girls reverting back to the “old” timetable for bell times. The girls will now be heading home at 3.15pm on Fridays, as they do every day, I am sure they will adjust to this small change easily.

This term will see the girls transitioning into Year 8. As we head towards Week 5 and “rollover” the girls will begin to prepare for the change of classes and timetables. These preparations will be taking place in their classes and during Luminary time. Further information about these changes will be sent out as it comes to hand, so please keep an eye out for emails from teachers, the School and me.

Whilst it is an exciting term with the upcoming long summer break, the girls still have plenty of work to do. Please be mindful that they will still have homework and assignments to complete for Year 7 classes and work to begin after rollover. Continue to encourage strong homework and study patterns after school and please remind the girls to check their emails regularly.

Co-curricular programs are all running this term, so again, please keep watch for information coming from Music, Dance, Drama, Sport and other co-curricular departments in regard to before and after school activities.

I look forward to speaking with you all over the upcoming weeks as we work together with the girls for a successful transition into Year 8 and 2021.

– Kylie Bickerstaff
Head of Year 7

Year 8

Welcome back to the final few weeks of the academic year! The girls have settled back into the rhythms of the school day and are no doubt happy to be back with their friends. We have welcomed a number of new students to the Year group – I hope their buddies and the cohort more broadly have helped them transition into MLC School without feeling overly daunted. 

The new term is a good opportunity for the girls to re-establish desirable patterns of behaviour, but they are still very much dependent on the adults in their lives to guide them towards making the right choices. Sometimes this ‘guidance’ is exactly that: a gentle nudge in the right direction; other times, the girls simply need clear boundaries and to know that their actions have real consequences. We will continue our efforts to offer them this guidance while they are with us at school. 

Some behaviours you can assist with at home include: 

• Ensuring your daughter leaves home wearing the correct School uniform. She should be wearing her MLC School PE Uniform on days she has PE or Drama and not on any other day
• Ensuring your daughter goes to bed at a time that results in her getting approximately nine hours of sleep every night
• Ensuring her screen time is monitored and limited, particularly before going to sleep. The research on this is very clear, as is the value of taking teenagers’ phones out of their room at night

As always, I encourage you to please be in touch if there is any information you have which would help us better support your daughter at school. 

– Carmel Cordaro
Head of Year 8

Year 9

It’s been great to welcome the girls back to Term 4. Their change into the Senior uniform is a visual reminder that they are now ready for the next step of their Senior School journey. I have begun the handover with Angela Renwick, meeting with her regularly to ensure that there is a smooth shift into Year 10 and a new Head of Year.

Chatting to the girls in the yard, it’s clear that we are all getting used to our staycations and making the most of the opportunities to rest and relax close to home. During my break I took the time to watch the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. It offers a fascinating insight into how social media firms operate and how they mine and use our data for profit. The main contributors of the documentary have all worked at the top of the biggest companies: Google, Facebook, Reddit and so on and so forth and therefore can speak with some authority. If you haven’t already seen it, I would encourage you to watch it and perhaps open a conversation with your daughter about her social media usage, and at the very least turning off notifications.

We welcome four new students to the Year group this week and are delighted to have Lilli-Rose Nasr returning to MLC School along with Elena Kotsis, Stephanie Megalli and Selina Yang.

– Fiona Pow
Head of Year 9

Year 10

A warm welcome back to Term 4 for everyone in the MLC School Year 10 community. I hope you had a great break from the routine and enjoyed some much needed down time in the beautiful Spring weather. Year 10 girls have moved straight back into the swing of classes while preparing for their assessments, which started on Thursday and run through to Tuesday 20 October 2020. The Luminaries in Year 10 went through the assessment details about attendance and the adjusted timetable with the girls so they know where they need to be and when. These assessments are a great opportunity for the girls to adjust to a more senior style of assessment program, similar to what they will experience in Year 11 and Year 12. 

As the girls are in assessment mode at the moment, remember that all of our supports are in place here for the girls, as always. Girls can refer themselves to the Health Centre, myself, their Luminary or one of our counselling team if the workload gets too stressful. Some girls are completing assessments in subjects for the last time and these important milestones are a great achievement for all of them. 

We have the great pleasure of welcoming three new students into our Year 10 cohort this term. Robin Phillips, Emma Nguyen and Lily Dunnallen have joined us after having their preview days with us last term. Their buddies have been working with the girls to make them feel comfortable and settled in and I thank Haya Yahia, Natalie Cavallaro, Zoe Johnson, Kaitlyn Flanagan, Lola Whittaker and Zoe I Johnston for helping these girls in this important transition into life at MLC School.

Our image this week is Alicia Ding from Booralee House. Alicia competed in the John Locke Institute Essay Competition for 2020 and received a Very Highly Commended prize for her essay in the History section. Her special interest research project and essay was on women’s rights and the law. It is a very interesting and complex discussion on a challenging and current debate. This is an incredible result from one of our quiet achievers in a highly competitive international competition. Well done Alicia and to Mr Joseph Pfeffer, for his encouragement of Alicia’s efforts.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there are any issues regarding your daughter’s wellbeing, attendance or her assessment program in Week 1 and Week 2. I can be contacted on 02 8741 9736 or by email.

– Sharon Connolly
Head of Year 10

Year 11

It’s been an action-packed return to school with some important milestones marking the beginning of their journey as Year 12 students. On Wednesday the girls were the audience for a special assembly where the School and House Captains received their badges, and the captains of Sport and Music portfolios were announced. Congratulations to the following girls who were recognised for the outstanding contribution they have made in their field by receiving captaincy in Music or Sport respectively: Dionne Alaveras (Band and Softball), Kirsten Dao (Orchestra), Ellery Joyce (Choir), Cynthia Hu (Keyboard) and Janelle Jiao (Taiko); Evelyn Doan (Swimming), Natalia Giannakos (Football), Kayla Graham (Tennis), Hayley Kenzler (AFL), Kimberly Keogh (Water Polo), Ava Lee (Diving), Gloria Lim (Badminton), Fiona Mackenzie (Volleyball), Vanessa Ryan (Netball), Sabine Saad (Basketball), Lily Scanlon (Hockey), Natasha Sheehy (Gymnastics), Kiara Shine (Athletics), Katelyn Sutherland (Touch Football) and Claudine Talbot (Snow Sports).

On Thursday, we had a Year meeting where Year 11 HSC students were reminded to book appointments with the Careers Department during Week 3 (week starting Monday 26 October 2020) if they were considering a subject change. The Year meeting was run by the incoming Head of Year 12, Sarah Tynan, who is taking on the role as I begin maternity leave in a few weeks’ time. As I’m sure you’re all aware, Ms Tynan is a highly capable and very experienced Head of Year and teacher at MLC School, and also knows the Year group specifically having led them in the Year 10 Chiang Mai immersion experience. We have been working extensively together since last term to help with a seamless transition process, and will continue to do so over the coming weeks, to ensure your daughter will receive the highest level of support, care, and guidance.

The week ended with a formal ceremony to mark the induction of the girls as Year 12 Prefects. As the girls heard this week, this role of Prefect is about more than the symbolism and a badge; it is a call to action for them as leaders of the MLC School community. Having worked closely with the girls over the past few years, I have no doubts that they will more than meet this challenge.

If you have any queries, or wish to discuss anything regarding your daughter, please don’t hesitate to contact Sarah Tynan or myself.

– Felicity Berry
Head of Year 11

Year 12

As you are aware, the HSC and IB Examinations are on the horizon. We wish our Year 12 girls all the best and have every faith in their abilities.

HSC Examinations run from Tuesday 20 October 2020 until Wednesday 11 November 2020. Please see attached the HSC Examination timetable and rooms.

IB Examinations start on Monday 26 October 2020 and finish on Friday 13 November 2020. Please see attached the IB Examination timetable and rooms.

Please also familiarise yourself with the HSC and IB ‘Bubble’ During Examinations information provided by our Deputy Principal, Frances Booth, in this week’s newsletter.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Head of Year 12, Angela Renwick, Head of Senior School, Neil Scotney, or Director of Curriculum (Year 11 and Year 12), Anne Layman.

Welcome to Term 4 Sport

Welcome back to Term 4! We had a great start to the term with the commencement of training for all our sports. While we have not returned to “normal sport” as we know it, we are back to full training. Saturday sports are still modified in terms of travelling and spectators. We will continue to communicate any restrictions or changes as they arise.

Currently, you can expect temperature checks to take place at Abbotsleigh and MLC School Aquatic Centre.

As it currently stands the following venues will not allow spectators:

• Abbotsleigh – Water Polo
• Ascham – Water Polo
• Danebank – Water Polo
• MLC School – Water Polo
• Tara – Touch
• Wenona – Water Polo
• PLC Sydney – Water Polo and Touch

IPSHA Tennis at MLC School will allow only ONE parent/carer per player.

You are also reminded that there may be differences in protocols at each venue during this term. We thank you in advance for respecting the rules of the venue so that our girls, other students and the competitions are not compromised by our behaviour.

We also encourage the vigilance of hygiene protocols and the use of masks where possible.

Follow MLC School Sport on Facebook

MLC School Sport has its own Facebook page. Please follow us for all sports updates and important information.

– Lisa Filby
Director of Sport

2021 Sports Captains

Congratulations to the following students who have been appointed Captains for their sports for 2021. They will also form the Sports Committee who will work together under the leadership of our Sports Captain Katie Sutherland (Year 11) to provide exciting sports opportunities and initiatives for the students.

– Lisa Filby
Director of Sport

Sporting Successes

Congratulations to the following teams and students on their achievements during the term break.

Netball

ERNA MLC 1 – Premiers

• Eliza Crossley (Year 12)
• Emma Dickson (Year 12)
• Emily Eker (Year 12)
• Ella Fletcher (Year 12)
• Tashjan Managreve (Year 12)
• Sam Naayen (Year 12)
• Emma Oxley (Year 12)
• Maddie Oxley (Year 12)

ERNA MLC 6 – Undefeated Premiers

• Chloe Arnold (Year 8)
• Riley Chantler (Year 8)
• Madeleine Hutchens (Year 9)
• Amber Johnston (Year 9)
• Claudia Padman (Year 9)
• Savannah Phengsavath (Year 8)
• Grace Scanlon (Year 9)
• Pascale Simington (Year 9)
• Isabella Smith (Year 9)
• Caitlin Zeilinga (Year 9)

Representative Netball

IGSSA MLC 2 – Premiers

• Chloe Arnold (Year 8)
• Ella Baker (Year 7)
• Kira Hodgson-Yu (Year 9)
• Madeleine Hutchens (Year 9)
• Emma Lawrie (Year 9)
• Lucy Lee (Year 9)
• Amelia McNamara (Year 7)
• Liv Morrison (Year 9)
• Anneliese Sandy (Year 9)
• Isabella Smith (Year 9)

Umpiring

Congratulations to Maeve Halliday (Year 10) on being awarded her National C badge for umpiring. This is a fantastic achievement and just reward for the amount of hours Maeve committed to developing her skills. Well done!

Badminton

MLC 5 – Premiers

• Sahasra Bandi (Year 9)
• Aileen Leong (Year 8)
• Amanda Ou (Year 9)
• Jana Roy (Year 9)
• Minda Wang (Year 9)

MLC 3 – Runners-up 

• Ciara Hyland (Year 9)
• Annabelle La (Year 8)
• Daisy Li (Year 8)
• Helena Lu (Year 9)
• Chantelle Wan (Year 9)

MLC 6 – Runners-up

• Sarinna Cai (Year 7)
• Claire Lee (Year 7)
• Angelina Zhang (Year 7)
• Chloe Zhang (Year 7)

Diving – NSW Interclub

• Emily Edwards (Year 8) placed 2nd in pathways
• Ada Savage (Year 4) placed 3rd in 11 years

– Lisa Filby
Director of Sport

Most Improved and MVP Awards for Term 3

Congratulations to the following students who received awards for their Term 3 sports. They have been recognised for their commitment, aptitude and skill development.

– Lisa Filby
Director of Sport

Weekend Fixtures and Important Dates

Saturday 17 October 2020

BASKETBALL – ROUND 1

VOLLEYBALL – ROUND 1

IPSHA BASKETBALL – ROUND 1

TOUCH FOOTBALL – ROUND 1

WATER POLO – ROUND 1

Upcoming Dates

• Saturday 24 October 2020 – Saturday Sport Round 2, various venues and times
• Saturday 31 October 2020 – Saturday Sport Round 3, various venues and times

Important Procedures for Sport – Communication, Absences and Wet Weather

Remember!

Do not miss any important sports information! Please make sure you check Schoology messages, emails, Facebook AND the sports updates in the newsletter. The sports update always contains fixtures and registration information so you should never miss a registration.

Absences from Sport

What to Do When You Are Not Able to Make Training or a Game

On the rare occasions that it may be necessary for a player to miss training or a competition, please follow the below instructions.

• If the inability to attend is known in advance, a written explanation (email) from the player’s parent/carer is to be given to the coach and Sports Department in advance. This notice should be given as early as possible.
• If the player is absent from school on the day of training or on competition day, the player’s parent/carer is asked to advise the coach and Sports Department of their daughter’s absence from training or the game.
• Do not ask friends or teammates to give your coach the message.
• Do give as much notice as possible.
• If there is a clash with another sport or school event, please speak with the Sports Department to determine which game/event you should attend.

Please note: Continued failure to attend training or competitions without a timely written explanation is unacceptable and may jeopardise the player’s continued involvement in sport.

A member of the Sports Department will contact parents/carers of students whose non-attendance at training or games is not notified in the correct manner.

Pockets are only awarded to students who have attended at least 80% of training and games.

MLC School has a NO TRAIN, DON’T EXPECT TO PLAY policy. This means if a student misses training for any reason, they should not expect to get game time during the next scheduled match. The amount of game time given to students after a missed training will be at the coach’s discretion.

Wet Weather

What do I do if it is Wet Weather?

If you are playing an IPSHA Sport, please use this link to take you to the IPSHA Wet Weather site. Once on the site, select your venue and there will be a notification if your venue is closed. IPSHA normally makes a decision by 7am.

If you are playing an IGSSA Sport, visit this website. The IGSSA website will let you know if your venue is closed or open.

For Santa Sabina Basketball and Volleyball use the Santa Sabina Sport Twitter link.

When possible, we will also post the cancellations on our Sport Facebook page.

On all occasions, it is each individual’s responsibility to check the wet weather information. The Sports Department, coaches and managers are not always in a position to relay any game cancellations.

– Lisa Filby
Director of Sport

Quote of the Week

No matter where you are in life, inspire and empower the women around you. Success is never reached alone. And wisdom and wealth are sweeter when shared.”

 – MizzFit.com

First Place in Video Matsuri – Japanese Student Short Film Contest

Learning a language is not easy – it cannot be achieved overnight. Film production is a difficult task in itself and it is even more difficult when done in a foreign language.

On the behalf of the Japanese Culture Club, congratulations to all the girls who participated in Video Matsuri – Japanese Student Short Film Contest 2020 organised by Japan Foundation.

The Japanese Culture Club entered five short videos, two of which were created by Year 11 students and three by Year 8 students. The key item to be presented in the film was ‘water bottle’, すいとう.

Our Year 11 students, who have only been learning Japanese for less than a year, competed against students who have been studying the language for more than 4 years and were awarded first place of the Senior Secondary Division for their film ‘Plastic Bottles’. The judges’ commented, ‘The winning video had many levels: it contained the metaphorical wisdom of how we cause consequences by our own actions, it had a well-organised story line with a mysterious thriller twist and it was highly regarded because of its subtle message on environmental conservation to reduce plastics.’

To watch the films from our students, please follow the links below.

• Water 
  Created by Stephanie Abdennour (Year 11), Ria Kapoor (Year 11), Claire Huddy (Year 11), Anjali Jayanthi (Year 11) and Angela Trang (Year 11)

• Plastic Bottles 
  Created by Tiffany Boungoto Weng (Year 11), Paris Chen (Year 11), Charlotte Huynh (Year 11), Janelle Jiao (Year 11), Annika Lee (Year 11) and Sophia Murphy (Year 11)

The Japanese Culture Club will continue to provide opportunities for students interested in learning Japanese.

– Kentaro Otani and Monica Lee
Japanese Culture Club Coordinators

Pets of the Week

We would love to hear about your pet. Please email a photo and a paragraph to editor@mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au.

‘These are our pets, still in The Hague, waiting to fly to Australia and join us in Sydney. The little one, Maggie, is a rescue dog from Romania. Our other dog, Zed, is 15 years old and was abandoned on our doorstep as a puppy when we lived on Borneo.’
– Robin Phillips (Year 10)