From The Chaplain

Welcome to Term 3 – It’s going to be a full but exciting term!

I hope you all had a good break from the usual routine and your return has been OK. Over the holidays, I started a new position as the Senior Minister of St John’s Anglican Church in Glebe. I am still doing all that I usually do at SCEGGS but now have some added commitments. Its been great to get to know people in that community and I am looking forward to seeing how my two roles might complement each other. They have some great community projects that happen weekly and a fabulous outreach to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people around Glebe. So if you are ever looking for something to do on a Sunday morning at 9.30am and considering church as an option, you would be very warmly welcomed. I would love to talk to you more about it.

The SCEGGS Podcast “Walk The Mile” Episode 57: Leadership of Love with Margot Faraci

There is much to be said about leadership and it is modelled to us many different ways by those that lead. We all have experience and ideas of what leadership is and what might make a “good” leader. Pretty soon we will be selecting new student leaders for 2025 and we spend time beforehand considering what leadership looks like for our school. Margot Faraci runs a business called “Love Leadership” which approaches leadership, as the name suggests, from a love perspective. We talk about parenting and how that has influenced her view of leadership, what do we define love as and the model that she uses, not just with her clients, but also in her day to day life. I found it a very helpful conversation and I hope you do as well.

And a reminder that we are published on Spotify, Apple, and Deezer, so you can access it easier from your preferred device. I always welcome your feedback or any ideas you may have for further episodes. You will find each podcast as they are produced in this newsletter and on the other platforms as well as our website.

Confirmation Postponed until 2025

Thanks to all of those people that showed some interest in getting their daughters confirmed this year. Unfortunately, we could not find a suitable date that would work with the Bishop and our school schedule for this year. I will give further updates as we enter into next year.

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
Chaplain

2025 Orientation and Subject Selection

As we start the new term, I would like to advise you of the 2025 Subject Selection Information sessions we will be holding in Week 4 of this term. As subject selection is very important, parents are encouraged to attend these meetings with their daughters. For each Year group, there will be a Subject Information Booklet distributed digitally (except the current Year 9 girls where last year’s booklet covers both years). These information booklets are distributed to the students beforehand and expand on the NSW Education Standard Authority (NESA) requirements and the details about the subjects offered. Representatives from department’s will also be available at these orientations, where girls and parents will have the opportunity to ask questions and find out more information about the various courses.

Please note: ALL subject selections for 2025 must be submitted by Friday 30 August. After this date, elective lines for each Year group will be determined by the girls’ preferences, thus placing restrictions on student choices and changes to original preferences. I encourage all girls to think very carefully about their subject choices for next year and ensure that their form is in before the due date. Please do not hesitate to contact your daughter’s subject teachers or me if you have any questions about subject selections for next year.

Andrew Gallagher
Director of Curriculum

Festival on Forbes

The Gourmet Pantry Needs Your Help

We want to make this the most successful year ever, and we can’t do it without the support of our fantastic community! You can team up with other families for working bees and reach out to other members of our community.

What Do We Need?

Gourmet produce such as:

Please remember to email us to let us know what you’re planning to make.

Here are some recipe ideas to get you started:

Jam, preserves & chutney recipes

Cookies in a Jar

How to make perfect marmalade

40 homemade sauces that make great food gifts

Jars, heat-seal packets, labels and instruction sheets are available for collection at the Primary School Office and the General Office. Contributions can be dropped off at any time to the Primary or General Offices or at the collection point on Forbes Street each Friday morning in Term 3.

Festival on Forbes Committee

Jeans for Genes Day 2024

On Friday, August 2, we are proud to announce SCEGGS will be participating in Jeans for Genes Day, a national fundraising event aimed at supporting individuals and families affected by genetic disorders. 

Jeans for Genes Day is a fantastic opportunity for our school community to come together, raise awareness, and contribute to the Children’s Medical Research Institute, an independent organisation which for over 65 years has improved the health of the millions of children affected by genetic diseases. The funds raised through this event help to support research, provide vital resources, and improve the lives of those impacted by these conditions.

By supporting this cause, you are able to help the 170 scientists at Children’s Medical Research Institute continue vital work so please bring a gold coin donation!

With the current Olympic games Year 11 has decided upon a Green and Gold Theme! 

Whether it’s a green t-shirt, a gold accessory, or even a splash of face paint, let’s show our Olympic spirit while supporting a worthy cause. Additionally, there will be a $20 Detour voucher for the best dressed of the day. 

During lunch Year 11 will be hosting a soccer shoot-off on the lawn and we encourage everyone to come and show off their skills!

Year 11 Jeans for Genes Day Committee

Peer Mentoring

Last term, the Year 10 Peer Mentors together with the Year 7 Form classes battled it out in the Basketball Bonanza competition. The Craddock Crows, Conliffe Crocs, Hanson Hippos, Pizzinga Pandas, Dawson Dolphins and Sullivan Swans all competed in several friendly but intense games with the Craddock Crows ultimately claiming the victory in the Grand Final, a great way to celebrate the end of the term and everyone’s hard work and commitment. It was so much fun watching all the girls, not only from our own team, collaborating and having a good time on and off the court! 

Go Craddock Crows!

Year 10 Peer Mentors Talia Barrack, Lily Cooney, Ava Ertle, Scarlett Falzon, Isabella Lyndon, Zara Perkins, Jess Weatherall

We had a great time competing in the Year 7 Form Basketball Competition. We showed up each week to verse the other Forms and are so excited to have won the grand final. It was an intense match against the Hansen Hippos but ultimately we were able to work together and pull through. The last few minutes were exhilarating for us all and the final goal was an achievement which represented our hard work and commitment throughout the term. 

We had so much fun and it definitely strengthened our bond as a Form. We would like to thank our Year 10 Peer Mentors for supporting us, along with Ms Thompson for organising the competition. Bring on the next one!

Year 7 Students

Book Character Parade 2024

The annual Book Character Parade will take place at 9.00am on Friday 23 August, in the Primary School playground. This event is organised to celebrate Book Week 2024 and is a highlight of the library calendar!

Students are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character and to bring a book to match their outfit. The girls may come to school already dressed in their costume and go home the same way. If girls come to school or go home by public transport, they will need to wear their uniform to school and change into their costume when they arrive.

Parents should ensure sensible shoes are worn as “character” shoes can be worn for the parade only. Girls should also be aware that it is a normal school day, and they need to sit and move around the classroom as usual, so large or uncomfortable costumes may not be such a good idea!

Parents are warmly invited to watch the parade!

Karen McBride
Primary Teacher Librarian

ICAS Competitions 2024

SCEGGS students will again participate in the annual ICAS competitions this term. This year all students in Years 3 – 10 will participate in the English, Mathematics and Science competitions. These competitions provide an excellent opportunity for all students to experience challenge, cultivate critical thinking skills, engage with different types of questions, and enables deeper engagement with these subjects beyond the curriculum taught in class. Additionally, participation in ICAS will provide further feedback to teachers, parents and students about each girls’ areas of strength and areas for further improvement.  There is a cost of $20 per test which will be rechanged to your account.

ICAS tests will take place in class time at some point in the follow weeks this term:

• English during Week 4 (Monday 12 August – Friday 16 August)
• Science during Week 5 (Tuesday 20 August – Friday 24 August)
• Mathematics during Week 6 (Monday 26 August – Friday 30 August)

If you have any further questions about ICAS please feel free to contact either Cristi Wilsmore, Deputy Head, Teaching and Learning in the Primary School, or myself in the Secondary School.

Andrew Gallagher
Director of Curriculum

Parent and Carers Workshops

The Kidman Centre UTS are offering a range of free parent workshops on a variety of topics from understanding anxiety and learning essential life skills to enhancing your relationship with social media. All workshops will be run online. More information can be found here.

Laura Connolly
Director of Student Wellbeing

Primary and Secondary Music

2025 International Music Tour

Planning is underway for a Music Tour in December 2025, departing after Speech Night. Senior school students will be eligible to participate. To learn more, please attend the Tour Meeting on Wednesday 21 August, at 6.00 pm in the Lecture Theatre. For preliminary questions, please contact  Mr. David Gresham.

Contemporary Strings GOLD at ASBOF!

Congratulations to the students in Contemporary Strings who gained a Gold Award for their performance at the Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival in Week 1. Contemporary Strings performed an entertaining program that included a new Australian work called Stringybark Suite by composer Nicholas Buc. The ASBOF adjudicator was impressed with the choice of repertoire, intonation, balance, and the use of phrasing and dynamics in the performance. Bravi tutti Contemporary Strings!

Student Achievements

Amber Jarman (Year 11) – ACO Academy

My name is Amber Jarman, and I’m currently a Year 11 boarder here at SCEGGS. I moved to this incredible school to further pursue my deep passion for music and, of course, my academic journey. Since attending SCEGGS, I have been fortunate to receive many musical opportunities, which have enhanced my abilities and helped me grow so much more as a musician and performer.

At the beginning of this year, I submitted an audition for the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy (ACO Academy). After receiving the fortunate news of my acceptance, I started my preparation for the program. The music program took place at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in the second week of the holidays. Being immersed in such an enriching and transformative environment of exceptional young musical talent and world-class professional string musicians such as Aiko Goto (the grandniece of the famous Pedagogue Dr Shinichi Suzuki), was an experience that I will never forget. The academy’s intensive program included masterclasses, ensemble rehearsals, and individual chamber tutelage, all designed to elevate, refine, and enhance our musicality, and technical proficiency, and of course, deepen our love and passion for the sharing and performing of music. This year, we performed a program of Mendelssohn, Rutter, Arensky on a theme of Tchaikovsky, and a Prokofiev violin Sonata which was performed in unison by all the violinists. Getting the opportunity to play alongside professional musicians and other students from across the country was incredibly inspiring and motivating, it truly pushed me to want to improve my playing and deepen my appreciation for collaborative, ensemble performance.

Congratulations to Alice Zhang in Year 1, who achieved remarkable success during the holidays:

First prize in the seven-year-old violin competition at the St George Eisteddfod.

 What a fantastic holiday achievement!

Musicale 3 at Festival on Forbes

This year’s Musicale 3 will be held at Festival on Forbes on Sunday, 25 August. Every Primary and Secondary Music Ensemble will perform throughout the day on one of three separate stages. Click here to see the timetable. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before the performance time.

Co-curricular Music Commitment Policy

Students and parents are reminded that the Co-curricular Music Commitment Policy will take effect in Term 3. Ensemble Directors will review the policy during the first rehearsal of the term and will be available to answer any questions students may have. The Music Department has exciting plans in the pipeline and expects full commitment from students who wish to participate in important performances, competitions, and tours. For more information click here.

Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival – Sunday, 15 September

Several SCEGGS ensembles will perform at the Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival this year. The Festival is a non-competitive event where ensembles receive a Gold, Silver, or Bronze rating based on their performance. This is a wonderful opportunity for our SCEGGS ensembles to perform on stage, hear other school ensembles, and receive valuable feedback from professional adjudicators.

Please see the table below for details of the events occurring on Sunday 15 September

Upcoming Events:

Term 3

*Year 8 – 10 Elective Music students are encouraged to attend one of the Year 11 or 12 Concerts in Term 3.

Beyond the Green Gate

We love hearing about ways our secondary musicians are involved in music-making outside of school. Please send details to Heidi Jones.

Clipboard

All co-curricular music ensemble schedules are now available on Clipboard. If you haven’t set this up yet, please follow the provided instructions. For any issues with Clipboard set-up, contact our Music Administration Assistant Miss Alice Kotowicz.

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular)

Primary Sport

Well done to the IPSHA Touch Football teams who braved the wet and cold conditions on the weekend for the first round of Saturday Sport for Term 3. Four of our teams played across various venues around Sydney, from Santa Sabina to Kambala and we had some mixed results in our first week. Well done to the 6B team who came away with a 4-2 win against Danebank. The teams have been focusing on getting the ball forward with their ‘drive’ to start the season.

Our three IPSHA AFL teams played at Forsyth Park and showcased their skills against their respective opponents. This season we welcome 33 girls to the IPSHA AFL program. The Years 5 and 6 teams displayed some impressive skills and came away with convincing wins. Well done girls. Also, well done to the Year 4 team in their first game of AFL. Keep up the fantastic effort!

We wish our Year 3 Minkey Hockey Girls the best of luck as their competition against Ascham and Kambala gets underway this weekend. We look forward to hearing how our girls go in their matches.

Student Achievements

Congratulations, Beatrice Emanuel (Year 5), on her incredible achievement at the NSWPSSA Cross Country on Tuesday 23 July, finishing 19^th in what was an extremely fast and competitive race. Beatrice also recently competed at the NSW Cross Country Championships in Nowra and placed 6^th which qualified her to represent NSW at the Australian National Cross Country Championships in Tasmania at the end of August in the U12 category. Well done Beatrice for your amazing race and result and we wish you all the best at Nationals.

During the holidays Clementine Finlayson (Year 5) represented SEHA to play Hockey in the U12 Kim Small Cup in Tamworth and they won it! Over the three day event she played thirteen games of hockey, including two indoor games. Congratulations Clementine!

Help us celebrate any other achievements outside of school!

Does your daughter compete in any sport outside of school (for example, at a representative level or a sport we do not currently offer)? If so, I would love to celebrate their achievements by recognising them in this newsletter! Please email any information (and photos, if possible) to Adrian Hammond. These will be included in newsletters throughout the year.

Upcoming Dates:

Have a wonderful week!

Mr Adrian Hammond
Primary Sports Coordinator

Secondary Sport News

Olympic and Para Olympic Sports Hub

The SCEGGS Olympic Sports Hub is up and running in full swing in the Old Gym. SCEGGS students can access this area at recess, lunch and free periods to watch replays of the Olympic action as it happens overnight. There is lots of information around the gym detailing athletics and times/days of events. There is a special area which highlights our Old Girls Olympians.

We were very lucky to be visited by Old Girl Lucinda Whitty (class of 2007) who opened our Olympic and Para Olympic Hub. A Silver medallist in Sailing at the London Olympics in 2012, Lucinda shared her Olympic journey with students, providing inspiration and excitement for the games ahead.

Cross Country

SCEGGS had 4 secondary students who competed at the NSW All Schools Cross Country Championships that were held at the Sydney Equestrian Centre last week.

All students produced excellent results:

Congratulations to Nancy Newton who has been selected in the NSW All Schools team to compete at the National Championships to be held in Victoria in August.

Hockey

Congratulations to Jess Weatherall (Year 10) who represented NSWCIS at the NSW All Schools Open Hockey Championships that was held in Newcastle last week. The NSWCIS team placed 2^nd overall.

At the completion of the tournament Jess was selected in the Open NSW All Schools team. Well done Jess!

Gymnastics

Jamilla Yamani (Year 8) competed as part of the NSW Level 7B team who placed 3^rd overall at the National Border Challenge that was held at the end of Term 2.

In the Individual event Jamilla placed 1^st on the beam with a score of 12.6 for her routine. Well done on being the Level 7 National Champion! We are all very proud of you Jamilla.

Sailing

During the holidays, Year 11 student Isobel Payne competed in 2 high-level Sailing regattas. The first regatta, the Interclubs Competition, is a 4-day competition spread over 6 weeks where teams from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, Newcastle Yacht Club and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron compete in a fleet racing format. Isobel led her team and club to victory for the first time in 8 years.

The second regatta Isobel competed in was the NSW Match Racing Championships, racing against the best match racing sailors in the state, many who are much older than her. Her team placed 6^th overall after a weekend of challenging conditions, with both light and heavy winds on choppy water and long days of racing.

Around the Grounds

Students Driving to Sport

As more of our students are gaining their driver’s licences, it is timely to remind everyone that no student is to drive another student to or from school, sports training sessions or matches, or any other co-curricular event or activity.

Due to safety concerns, particularly those associated with inexperienced drivers, we strongly encourage all students to use the buses provided to and from sporting venues.

Please refer to page 18 of the SCEGGS School Diary.

SCEGGS at Play

Do you have any sporting news or photos to share in the Green Gate?

We love seeing our students being active and want to celebrate their passion and enjoyment amongst the SCEGGS community. Please send in any action shots from the weekend and any other interesting sporting highlights to Alison Gowan.

SCEGGS Training sessions before and after school plus Saturday Sport

Any cancellations or adjustments will be made in Clipboard and families will receive a notification or email when changes are made. Please ensure you have notifications enabled.

All Clipboard notifications will now come through the SCEGGS Mobile App too, so if you have been receiving notifications from Clipboard (eg when sport is cancelled due to wet weather), you will need to download the SCEGGS Mobile App to ensure that you continue to receive these push notifications.

IGSA Fixtures, Results and Wet Weather

The IGSA website and platform for accessing wet weather, and team results can be found here.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact myself on 9052 2721 or 0418 491 521.

Alison Gowan
Director of Sport

Year 6 Consent Workshop

Reminder for Year 6 Parents

Next week, we welcome back relationship education expert Jane McGowen to run her Consent for Kids program with Year 6 as well as a parent information session on this important topic. Jane is a social worker and educator who has over 25 years’ experience working in the fields of trauma, sexual violence and mental health.

The student program will be delivered on Thursday 8 August in workshops done in class groups held during the school day. Jane has developed the Consent for Kids program to provide earlier intervention to help resource and enhance confidence for young people within a protective behaviours lens. She uses a variety of techniques to enable young people learn about themselves in a safe and structured way that is also fun!

Parent Information Session

What: Talking Consent with Jane McGowen

When: Friday 9 August 2024, 9.00am – 10.00am

Where: Primary School Library Classroom

Please RSVP your interest in attending via this link.

If you’d like to discuss any of the content prior your daughter’s involvement, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sarah Johnstone
Deputy Head of Primary, Student Wellbeing

Primary School Fathers’ Day Breakfast

The Primary School is delighted to host a Fathers’ Day event for the significant people in the lives of our students.

We hope to see you there!

A little magic at SCEGGS

Have you seen or heard any little magical moments happening at SCEGGS lately? It may just be because the fairies have come to our school!

A wonderful artistic opportunity is available to everyone in the SCEGGS community to be part of this magic! You can purchase an artwork and help to fund scholarships at the same time!

Renowned artist and Old Girl of SCEGGS Kathy McCombie has created a beautiful work called ‘The Fairies Take Over SCEGGS Darlinghurst’, which is available as an original artwork or a limited edition print.

This artwork was created especially for our school – see if you can find all the ‘SCEGGS treasures’ hidden in the painting:

People: Ms Allum, Mr Lee-Lindsay, Mrs Dempsey and her dog Minnie, former Heads, Mrs Morice, a Grammar boy, and more!

Places: The Green Gate, The Great Hall, The Chapel, The Sports Hall, Barham, The Old Girls’ Building, The Joan Freeman Building, The Primary School, The Lawn, The Fig Tree, and more!

There are also 22 other treasures to find – a butterfly, hot air balloon, flag, astronomer, ballerina fairy, pixie walking a snail, dragonfly, owl, chicks in a nest, peacock, aircraft, fisherman, bike, mandala, witch, black cat, chickens, balloon, boat, fireflies, scooter and pram.

Everyone in the SCEGGS community is invited to purchase one of the special limited edition prints of ‘The Fairies Take Over SCEGGS Darlinghurst’! It is priced very reasonably at $150 and can be picked up at the Festival on Forbes or from the School Business Office.

A large proportion of the proceeds from the sale of the print will be donated to the School to contribute to the Old Girls’ Scholarship Fund, to assist girls in the future to have the benefit of a SCEGGS education.

To purchase your print, click here and view artworks in the Old Girls’ Art Exhibition! Don’t miss out – there is only a limited number available!

Details of artwork:

Media

Mixed media, Archival giclee prints on 300gsm watercolour paper, White matboard A2 size
Unframed

Size

42.5 h x 55 w cm

SCEGGS Old Girls’ Union

Year 10 (& Year 7 catch-up) Vaccination Clinic Dates and Online Consent

In Week 2 of Term 3, all Year 10 Students will be offered the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine through the NSW School Vaccination Program offered by NSW Health on Friday 2 August.

Additionally, any Year 7 students who missed the Term 1 Clinic will be caught up with the dTpa and the HPV vaccinations. If your Year 7 child is on the list to be vaccinated at the upcoming Clinic you will receive an email from the school.

Vaccinations will only be provided at school if consent has been received. Online consent is accepted through the NSW Health School Vaccination Program portal.

How to provide consent:

1. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit here.
2. Follow the steps to log in to your existing ServiceNSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you don’t have a ServiceNSW account, refer to ServiceNSW to create one.
3. Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required.
4. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:
   • Enter your child’s personal details
   • Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
   • Read the Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement
   • Provide consent

Detailed instructions can be found on the NSW Health website.

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper consent form from the school.

If your child misses the school vaccination clinic, the immunisation nurses will try to catch them up at their next visit (scheduled for early 2025). Alternately, you can speak to a GP or pharmacist about catching up on vaccinations.

For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit here.

or if you have any questions, please contact South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit on:

9382 8333 (Ext 2).

If you require information in your language, please visit here.

Phil Rogers
Director of Administration