From The Chaplain
The Sienna Weir Memorial Prize for Poetry
Throughout SCEGGS’ history, certain prizes have been awarded in memory of staff and students that have died, recognising the significant impact and contribution that they made to the life of the school. 2024 is the inaugural year for the Sienna Weir Memorial Prize for Poetry. Sienna was from the class of 2017 and began her SCEGGS journey in Year 3. She had a great love for creative writing and poetry, so much so that Sienna achieved a mark of 98 in her HSC in Advanced English, the highest mark in this subject that had been achieved at SCEGGS. She went on to study English Literature at a tertiary level and excelled in her studies. Sadly, Sienna died last year as a result of a horse riding accident. This tragedy continues to have an impact on those who knew her, including myself. I remember her as an inquisitive and reflective student, determined in her outlook and full of enthusiasm for life. We shared plenty of laughs, a few tears but always a good, meaningful conversation.
A workshop was held earlier this year, made possible by the generosity of Sienna’s parents, Geoff and JoAnna, where 16 students from Year 6 and 7 came together, under the guidance of the Sydney based poet, Jane Gibian. The winner of this prize has been decided from this workshop and there are plans to publish the final products. It is a privilege to honour Sienna in this way and pay respect to and remember her grieving family.
A Massive Thanks
I wanted to send out my appreciation to all of those within our community that have been so generous with donations of all sorts of items over this year. I delivered our most recent toiletry drive last Monday and when I opened the very full van, packed to the brim and smelling like the toiletry aisle of the supermarket, the worker that was present remarked how overwhelmed they were by the donation. At one of the agencies that I regularly take food to, one of the clientele asked me recently “What can we do for SCEGGS to return their wonderful generosity to us?”. This act of giving to those in need is deeply embedded in our Christian ethos but is also part of our culture historically and traditionally. It is something that I am very proud of and am always encouraged by.
A New Development for our Food Program
Many of you will know that over the last few years, a program has been going where I collect homemade food from families on a Monday morning to take to some of the welfare agencies around the Inner Sydney area. This year we had over 120 families and individuals provide food throughout the year, which is absolutely incredible. This is an amazing venture which is meeting a great need within our city, where more and more people are needing help to provide food for themselves and their families.
Next year, we are starting a new system of signing up to be on the roster. We will be using an app called “Sign Up” which will make it a lot easier for people to choose their dates to cook and the frequency that they would like to be involved. I will tell you more about it next year but I do want to thank Phillippa Baker (mother of Anja Baker – Year 7) for volunteering to do all of the groundwork with this. Whether you have been part of the program before or not, the app is up and running so see what it looks like then give it a go. Here is the link.
And of course, to all of you, I would like to wish a very joyful Christmas season, a refreshing holiday and for those leaving SCEGGS, all the best for the journey ahead. For those who aren’t, see you at the gate in 2025!
Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
Chaplain
