From Ms Allum

As Term 1 draws to a close I would like to take a moment to thank our community – students, staff and families – for a term filled with energy, purpose and connection. Whether it has been the rich teaching and learning experiences, the action on the sports field, the showcase of talent in music or one of the many events, there has been a strong sense of togetherness. It was wonderful to see so many students and their families come together for our Easter Service last night—a moving and uplifting evening that beautifully captured the heart of Easter.

There is much to look forward to in Term 2 including the P&F Trivia Night, the Years 7 – 12 Drama Production Lord of the Flies, and, of course, our 130^th Anniversary Music Concert Hope.

As we head into the holidays, I hope the Easter message of hope, renewal, and joy stays with you, and I’m excited for all that Term 2 has in store!

Best Wishes
Jenny Allum

P&F Association Years 9 and 10 Parent/Daughter Breakfast

Students in Years 9 and 10 and a parent/carer are warmly invited to attend the Parent/Daughter Breakfast:

We are thrilled to welcome back to SCEGGS Old Girl Harriet Dawson (BATEMAN 2006) as our guest speaker.

Harriet is a Director in EY’s Government practice. Her love of complex problem-solving and public policy started when her Year 10 SCEGGS team won the national Future Problem Solving Finals in 2004, the same year she completed work experience at Parliament House, Canberra.

During her time at SCEGGS, Harriet was a member of the rowing team and Theatre Club, and received an Academic Merit Prize at speech night in 2005. She was a keen member of 306 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets, placing third in the national Junior Non-Commissioned Officer Course at RAAF Wagga in 2004, being promoted to Cadet Under Officer and receiving the Sherwood Trophy for Leadership in 2006.

After doing ‘pretty well’ at the HSC (according to her mum), she moved to Canberra in 2007 to study International Relations at the Australian National University where she received the Cambridge University Press Lecturer’s Prize for International Relations. Harriet was a Delegate to the National Student Leadership Forum in 2008, and to the US-Australia Student Symposium in conjunction with the International Scholar Laureate Program in 2008 and 2009.

In 2024, Harriet moved back to Sydney and was nominated for the Pathways to Politics Program through the Trawalla Foundation, designed to improve women’s representation and participation in politics and public office.

To hear more about Harriet’s career journey and her fascinating insights, join us on Friday 16 May!

Year 8 Wellbeing Day

This year our theme in Year 8 is, “We are all in this together – working with collaboration, curiosity and conviction”. The goal was to create an experience where this could be brought to life in an authentic way. So we worked with Sarah Fordham to help facilitate the Year 8 Wellbeing Day. Sarah is an experienced educator and facilitator with a passion for building resilience, teamwork, and strong communities. She has worked with young people to develop essential social and emotional skills. With her support and expertise, we were guided through activities that challenged the girls.

The goal for the day was to strengthen the bonds within the Year 8 Group and for there to be opportunities through the day where there was growth and connection. The activities helped to develop teamwork and problem-solving skills, while building a stronger and more supportive community. We hoped for the interactions throughout the day to encourage empathy and consideration of others to help with the long-term goal of promoting a strong sense of belonging. 

Ms Ashleigh Smith
Year 8 Co-ordinator

This is an account of the day from two students, Alice Cameron and Anna Slack

At first glance, Australia’s projected population in 2050 and the wellbeing of Year 8 students don’t seem to be topics that sit together. However, last Tuesday 1 April, the Year 8’s spent the day considering what society will look like and the features of suburbs in 2050 with Sarah Fordham.

Tasks conducted throughout the day included designing and building a house suitable for citizens in 2050 out of a cupboard box. Design features of the house had to take into consideration high-density living, smaller houses than current day and the impact of the house on the local environment. We then came together in large groups and designed a suburb suitable for 2050. This task not only made us think about the impact of higher populations on our own lifestyle but also the impact it will have on others and the broader community. Each group recognised the importance of public open spaces and amenities such as sports facilities, transport and healthcare.

To complete these tasks all of Year 8 had to work collaboratively, ensuring everyone’s views in the group were considered. There was a lot of compromise when designing the suburb of 2050, but everyone had to share their idea to successfully build a suburb that would be present in 2050.

Another positive aspect of the day had to be the delicious pizza lunch which we enjoyed together out in the sunshine.

Overall, we all enjoyed spending the day doing something different and working with girls across our form classes, and we came out of the day with stronger bonds and friendships that we will strengthen throughout Year 8.

Thank you to everyone who organised this fabulous event.

Anna Slack and Alice Cameron

Tuning In To Teens™: Parenting Program

Emotionally Intelligent parenting – Term 2 (For parents of students in Years 6, 7 and 8)

We are inviting you to join a parenting program that aims to help you and your child manage the many emotional challenges of adolescence. Tuning in to Teens® is a six-week program, run one evening a week for two hours. The program will teach you how to manage your own and your adolescent’s emotions in ways that help you to remain close and keep communicating. By learning these skills, you are less likely to have as much conflict within your family and your teen is more likely to talk to you about the challenging issues they face. These are factors that have been found to reduce the risk of mental health and emotional problems.

What is Emotional intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is about using your emotions to guide you through the world.  It is about being able to use your own knowledge of emotions to make decisions, to calm yourself down, to manage anger and conflict, to help you in your relationships with people, to understand what is happening in social situations, and to assist you in any aspects of life that involves you and another person.

Why is Emotional Intelligence important?

Research has shown that young people with greater emotional intelligence:

• are more aware, assertive and strong in situations of peer pressure
• have greater success with making friends and are more able to manage conflict with peers
• are more able to cope when upset or angry
• have fewer mental health and emotional difficulties
• have more stable and satisfying relationships as adults
• have greater career success – Emotional Intelligence may be a better predictor of academic and career success than IQ!

When parents focus on helping their teen learn about emotions, the young person is more likely to have higher emotional intelligence. In this parenting program we will teach parents what to do to help these skills develop, and in doing so we expect teens to manage adolescence better.

Here is some feedback received from SCEGGS parents who have previously attended Tuning in to Teens:

I highly recommend this program to anyone with teens as you never know what is around the corner, and having a toolkit available to use is most helpful.

 

It has given (us) the opportunity to be more aligned in our parenting styles and how we deal with certain situations.

 

Practical examples/strategies, listening to others experiences (was helpful).

 

Family is calmer.

 

The practice we got in the class really helped.

Would you like to find out more?

This is a great opportunity to learn some skills to assist your relationship with your daughter, and also to connect with other parents in a relaxed and comfortable setting.

The program will run each Wednesday for six weeks, for two hours each session, starting on Wednesday 14 May and finishing on 18 June.  It will be held at school between 5pm– 7pm.

If you are interested in participating in this parenting program, or have any questions please email or call one of us before Wednesday 30 April.

Janet McEwen and Lauren Miles
School Counsellors

Years 7 & 10 Midweek Madness

This term, Year 7 and Year 10 students participated in Midweek Madness every Wednesday lunchtime, a friendly lunchtime basketball competition between houses. Year 7s and 10s were grouped into their houses and over 4 weeks we played 8 rounds of basketball. The grand final game was between Christian and Langley. After a tough and close game, with a score of 11-8, Langley was crowned the 2025 basketball champions, even receiving a trophy!

This competition was such an amazing way to strengthen connections across year groups and invite Year 7 students to be involved in games at school. Through this tournament, we got the chance to see many girls come together and spend time with new people from outside of their friend groups. 

Thank you also to all referees and other Year 10 students who joined us over the course of these 4 weeks – we look forward to the next competition in Term 2 where we will test our football skills in our Form groups.

Zoe Butcher Marnie Flett Marni Hootman Evie Mitchell-Zancanaro Amelia Wilcsek
Langley House Peer Mentors

Bush Dyeing Workshop

On Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 March, our school welcomed three inspiring women from the remote Muludja Community on Gooniyandi Country in the Central Kimberley, WA. Elder Helen Malo, a master bush medicine maker and expert bush dyer, along with two other ladies generously shared their cultural knowledge with the Year 9 Design and Technology class. 

Here’s what some of our students had to say about this special experience

Perri Lawrence (Year 9)

Last Thursday, the Year 9 Design and Technology students participated in a bush dyeing workshop led by three women from Western Australia. We were first introduced to Aunty Helen and Kirsten, as they spoke to us about who they were in their community, their culture, and their connection to country. Each pattern that we could dye was representative of a different part of Country. One pattern was a dry riverbed during a drought, and another one was a snake trailing down the scarf. They then told us about the specific plants used in the dyes – to make a pink scarf, we used leaves from gum trees, and to make a yellow scarf, we used marigold flowers. To darken the scarves, turning the pink to grey and yellow to green, we used a small amount of rusted metal steeped in hot water. While we worked, the women talked to us about the significance of the scarves. As they live in a rural community in WA, going to hospitals or medical specialists requires the long trip down to Perth. Having a scarf that is dyed with the beautiful plants of their Country to wrap around their shoulders is a great comfort and brings their Country and Culture on the journey. This workshop was an incredible opportunity to learn about a traditional way of designing textiles, as well as how this dyeing practice connects people to their home and heritage.

Luella Elliott (Year 9)

During my Design and technology class last Monday, I experienced Aboriginal silk dyeing using natural methods. They showed us how certain leaves could be used to create colours like green, yellow, pink, and Gray, depending on how they were prepared. It was fascinating to learn that some leaves change colour based on the water temperature or how long they soaked for in the water. The process felt both artistic and connected to nature by watching the silk absorb the dyes in unique patterns made it even more special.  After the dyeing, the ladies teaching us talked about the seasonal Aboriginal calendar, explaining how different times of the year affect the plants and materials used for dyeing. It was a hands-on way to appreciate traditional techniques and seeing everyone’s scarves turn out so differently made the experience even more special.

Sarah Kearney
Co-ordinator of Indigenous Education

Years 7 – 12 Athletics Carnival

We are looking forward to the 2025 Inter-House Athletics Carnival next term! Here is the information to help you prepare for the day.  The Online Carnival Program can be accessed at the bottom of this article.

Roll Call: All students (except 800m runners who will be notified that they are leaving before 8am) are to arrive at school in time for Roll Call at 8.20am, in SCEGGS PE Uniform. The locations where students will meet their Form Teachers on Thursday 1 May are:

• Year 12: outside the Auditorium
• Year 7: in the driveway near the Jacaranda Gates
• Year 8 – Year 11: in their Form Rooms

House Officials, Year 12 and Year 7 will depart on the first buses.

Travel Arrangements: The Carnival may be cancelled on the morning if there is likelihood of rain, so it is essential that all students make their way to school and travel by hired coaches. No student is permitted to make her own way to the Carnival in the morning. In the afternoon, we expect the Carnival to finish at 2.30pm. All girls will travel back to school on the buses unless a written permission note or email has been provided to the Form Teacher in advance of the day of the Carnival. If they have parental permission, students may be dismissed at the conclusion of the carnival, after consulting their Form Teacher.

Uniform: Girls must wear correct sports uniform to and from the school. They may change into other decorative House attire once at school. No girl is to travel to or from school in any clothing other than their correct sports uniform. A SunSmart hat, 50+ sunscreen, and school jumper and/or school tracksuit should also be brought to the Carnival. Students will be sitting in an exposed area which can get quite cold, so students may also want to bring something to sit on (eg. a waterproof jacket or small rug/picnic blanket).

Be SunSmart: Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide! All students should bring a SunSmart hat, 50+ sunscreen, sunglasses as well as warm clothing.

Lunch: There are NO canteen facilities. All students must bring their own lunch and plenty of water for the day. No student will be allowed outside the venue for any reason.

Behaviour: SCEGGS has been very fortunate to have the opportunity to use this track. The staff at the venue have been very co-operative and helpful. Please return their hospitality by showing thoughtful behaviour and ensuring that all rubbish is placed in the appropriate bins.

Generally: There are to be no phones, electronic devices, Tablet PCs etc and definitely no chewing gum. Just bring your House spirit and participate enthusiastically.

All students must sit in their allocated areas when they arrive at the venue.

Wet Weather: Be fully prepared for wet weather (umbrellas, raincoats, etc.). In the case of extremely wet weather a decision will be made at 8.00am. If WET WEATHER results in the cancellation of the Carnival, we will operate under the usual arrangements for Day 9. Students should be as prepared as possible, with pens and paper for use throughout the day … but we do NOT expect students to bring every single thing they would usually need for all four lessons!

Sports Training / Rehearsals on Thursday:

• There will be NO Secondary team sports training on the day of the Carnival
  • All Junior IGSA Teams will have training sessions on Monday 28 April (staff day)
• Secondary Music rehearsals WILL STILL GO AHEAD:
  • Edwardes Percussion Ensemble 7.30 – 8.10am
  • Glennie Percussion Ensemble 3.15 – 3.55pm

Student Information

1. Major and Minor Heats

There are two different types of heats for running races, Major and Minor heats.

Major Heats are not exclusive to the fastest runners but are for all students who wish to give their best effort in a race and be competitive for their House! If you are keen to challenge yourself or be in the mix for IGSA selection, we encourage you to enter a Major heat. If you do not nominate for a Major Heat, you may join a Minor Heat on the day and can still run and receive points for your house.

All students will receive a Major Heat sign-up email from Ms Axford towards the end of the school holidays.

2. 800m Races Starting Early (only Major Heats)

For those wishing to compete in the 800m races, there will only be Major Heats. These will begin prior to the official start time of the carnival at approximately 8.15am. A bus will depart school at 7.30am.

Students wishing to compete in 800m events must complete the Major Heat sign-up form.

3. 1500m Races

For those wishing to compete in the 1500m races, there will only be Major Heats. These will take place on Monday 5 May at after school Athletics Training, at ES Marks. Students wishing to compete in 1500m events must complete the Major Heat sign-up form.

4. Open Invitational 100m and Staff v Prefects Fun Relay

The Open Invitational 100m is the 10 fastest students in the school across any age who will have the opportunity to race against one another (times taken from all 100m races on the day). We are also hoping to run a staff v prefects relay. These events will only proceed if there is enough time at the end of the carnival.

5. Appropriate Athletics Attire

We want you to show your House spirit however please ensure you are competing in appropriate clothing and shoes for athletics. Staff will ask students to remove any clothing that is not appropriate to compete in.

You can view the program below.

2025 SCEGGS Darlinghurst Athletics Carnival

Here are some images from last year:

Xanthe Axford
Assistant Director of Sport

Peer Mentor Wrap Up Term 1

Term 1 has seen an abundance of opportunities for the Peer Mentors to work with the Year 7 students. From welcoming the new cohort on Welcome Day and assisting in sports coaching sessions, to running activities on Connections Day and preparing Year 7 with helpful advice and tips for camp, the Peer Mentors have played an active and supportive role. The term concluded with a four-week Midweek Madness House Basketball bonanza and a full Year 7 and Peer Mentor Easter celebration. These events created fantastic opportunities for students to build strong connections within their Form groups and Houses, as well as with their Peer Mentors. A huge thank you to the Peer Mentors for their unwavering enthusiasm and leadership throughout the term, and to all Year 7 students for their enthusiastic participation in every activity.

Lisa Thompson
Peer Mentor Coordinator

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

Through these journeys, participants grow in confidence, resilience, and teamwork while connecting with nature and peers – a hallmark of the Duke of Edinburgh program.

Bronze Adventurous Journey

The Duke of Edinburgh program has had a fantastic start to the year, with over 80 Bronze participants embarking on their Duke of Ed Awards, completing their preparation and training and first bushwalking expedition. Participants faced diverse weather conditions, including a challenging 38-degree day for our first group and heavy rain for our last group. Groups cooled off in the Colo River while staying at the Somerset Outdoor Learning Centre, and others hiked through Heathcote National Park, showing resilience despite rain and leeches. Key skills learned included route planning, navigation, packing efficiently, and carrying a pack. Many participants learned the importance of keeping pack weight light through experience!

Silver and Gold Adventurous Journey

The Silver level Introduced “Pack and Paddle” expeditions, combining bushwalking with canoeing. This unique format fostered teamwork, especially during group canoeing, in a long canoe on the Hawkesbury River. A highlight was camping on a small beach by the river, enhancing camaraderie.

The upcoming Gold “Combo” Pack and Paddle in Kangaroo Valley these holidays will involve six consecutive days of hiking and canoeing, pushing participants to new limits.

The Gold-level requires an additional commitment, including a 6 day Residential Project. A highly recommended option involves cultural learning and conservation activities in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, such as bush regeneration and habitat restoration.

Reminders for Participants

• Note that assessors outside of SCEGGS require a Working With Children Check.
• Try and stay on top of logging activities for Volunteering, Physical Recreation, and Skills sections.
• Return borrowed equipment clean, dry, and in good repair within three days after the hike or notify if drying is delayed due to weather.
• If you have questions or difficulties with your award, a quick review of the rules on-line, or a question to me (at school or by email) may save hours of wasted effort or missed opportunities.

Congratulations again to all our wonderful students, you’re always a delight to be with in the outdoors, and I am rewarded by your growing resilience and achievements.

Ms Joanne Bower
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Leader

Secondary Sport News

Athletics Carnival

The Years 7-12 Athletics Carnival will be held on Thursday 1 May, Week 1 of Term 2, at ES Marks Athletics Field.

Please read the carnival article for more information here.

Please note that all Term 2 IGSA Junior Sports Teams (Basketball, Football, Hockey and Netball) will have compulsory trial / training sessions scheduled on Monday 28 April (staff day) due to missing their training sessions on Thursday 1 May. Please check your Clipboard Calendar for 28 April.

IGSA Tennis

On Saturday 5 April, SCEGGS 6 played Ascham 8 in their Grand Final. They played their best tennis all the way through to the finals with some competitive matches. They won on games 29-28, but unfortunately lost on sets and overall matches. It was a close loss but the team was in good spirits. Congratulations to Eleanor Lawrie (Year 12), Savannah Wechgelaer-Eyssens (Year 12), Georgia Farrow (Year 11), Yolanda Liu (Year 11) and Sascha Wills (Year 10) on their efforts team spirit this season!

IGSA Water Polo

On Saturday 5 April, SCEGGS 1 played Queenwood 1 in their Grand Final. It was an exciting match with lots of pressure situations between two very strong teams. We went into half time down 2-3 although unfortunately lost overall 6-10, but not before scoring three quick and exciting goals in the final quarter. Congratulations to Alexandra Carroll (Year 7), Cassandra Davies (Year 12), Francesca Emblin (Year 12), Katie Comyn (Year 12), Elizabeth Shin (Year 12), Sophie Graham (Year 11), Francesca Orth (Year 10), Micah Shields (Year 9), Sophia Carroll (Year 9), Georgiana Porter (Year 9), Alexandra Tavendale (Year 12) and Lucinda Carroll (Year 7) on their outstanding efforts this season!

St Cath’s Basketball Competition

Wednesday 2 April was the final round of competition matches, some teams in Grand Finals and others playing in first past the post divisions. It was a great term of Wednesday night basketball! Congratulations to all teams… No matter the final scores, you all played your hearts out!

IGSA Basketball Representative Trials

Congratulations to Illaria Giuffrida (Year 11) who was selected in the IGSA Basketball U19 Rep Team after attending the trials last week.

We wish Illaria all the best at the CIS Basketball Championships to be held on Monday 19 May.

Australian Athletics Championships

Congratulations to Annabelle Jessup (Year 9), Matilda Emanuel (Year 11) and Lily Cooney (Year 11) who have competed for NSW this week at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth.

Annabelle competed in the U16 3000m and placed 12^th with a personal best time of 10:27.15

Matilda competed in the U18 800m and 1500m events and placed 1^st in the 800m with a personal best time of 2:08.78, and  2^nd in the 1500m with a personal best time of 4:30.54.

Lily competed in the U18 3000m and placed 10^th with a time of 10.25.44

A huge congratulations to all three athletes on these outstanding results at the top level of Junior Athletics in Australia!! We can’t wait to watch them perform on home soil, at our school carnival next term.

Term 2 Sport Information

Training sessions for IGSA Saturday sports will commence in Week 1.

All other Secondary sport activities will commence in Week 2. Please click here for Term 2 Secondary Sport Venues Dates and Times.

Compulsory Trial / Training Sessions on Monday 28 April

If your daughter is unable to attend these scheduled sessions, please contact the relevant Sports Co-ordinator as soon as possible.

Sport Commitment Policy

Regular physical activity is an essential part of promoting positive health and well-being. Building relationships, fostering sportsmanship and teamwork is another element to co-curricular sport. We expect full commitment to all co-curricular sporting activities at SCEGGS. Students should be respectful of the impact that any absence has on team sport: their teammates, the opposition, the coach, and the reputation of the school.

Please read the full commitment policy here.

School Holiday Sports Camps Available

International Sports Camps are running a number of camps throughout the school holidays in three different age brackets and SCEGGS students have been offered a 35% discount. Please see flyer:

Age Brackets:

Best wishes to everyone for a fun and safe school holiday period!

Xanthe Axford
Assistant Director of Sport

Primary Sport News

IPSHA Cross Country Results

Congratulations to the students who participated in the IPSHA Cross Country at The Kings School last Wednesday 2 April. You all did such a fantastic job completing the challenging course and supporting your teammates. A big congratulations to Clementine Finlayson (Year 6) and Sophie Bozunovic (Year 3) who placed in the top 15 and qualified for the CIS Cross Country Carnival. We wish you the best of luck!

Saturday Sport

The final round of Term 1 IPSHA sport was played on Saturday 5 April. The IPSHA Flippa Ball team had a last round bye, although they have made great improvements with their skills and should be extremely proud of their efforts this term. In IPSHA Football, the SCEGGS teams managed three wins in the four games played. The 6A team finished their season with a convincing 4-0 win over Kambala. Special mention to Daisy Grice for her accurate passing and shooting, and Eliza Wilcsek for her strong defensive efforts. The combined Years 5/6 team had a close 2-1 win over Ascham. Rose Johnston (Year 5) was a standout with her speed, dribbling and using both feet to kick the ball. Well done to all IPSHA teams for their efforts and commitment this season.

Term 2 Sport Information

All Term 2 sports activities will commence in Week 1, from Tuesday 29 April.

Please check here for the Term 2 Primary Sport Venues Dates and Times.

School Holiday Sports Camp Options

International Sports Camps are running a number of camps throughout the school holidays in three different age brackets and SCEGGS has been offered a 35% discount. Please see flyer:

Age Brackets

Thank you for all your efforts in helping your daughter be prepared for sport this term. We look forward to more success on the sporting field next term.

Have a wonderful break!

Adrian Hammond
Primary Sports Coordinator

Primary & Secondary Music

Musicale 1

Musicale 1 was a wonderful celebration of the musical achievements of our Primary and Junior Secondary ensembles. Congratulations to all the students who performed. A special thank you to all the amazing Music Staff for preparing such a wide variety of music in only one school term.

ANZAC Day Assembly

We are looking forward to Holst performing as part of the ANZAC Day Assembly on the first day of Term 2. Students will meet at the Great Hall at 7.25am to rehearse.

Term 2

All rehearsals resume in Week 1. We have a busy and exciting term ahead as we prepare for the 130^th Anniversary Concert at the Sydney Town Hall on 23 June.

Full attendance at all Term 2 rehearsals is required.

A reminder that there will be Sunday rehearsals on 1 June and 15 June for the following ensembles:

A schedule will be circulated at the start of Term 2.

AUSTA NSW String Festival

Sunday 25 May at Newington College, Wyvern Campus, 115 Cambridge St, Stanmore

The Australian String Teachers’ Association (AUSTA) String Festival is an annual event designed to give string players of all ages the opportunity to perform in a friendly, non-competitive and supportive environment. Students are invited to play one piece, either solo or with an accompanist and will perform one by one in a small group with other players or a similar age and ability. All performers will receive a report from the adjudication panel, certificate of participation and a trophy!

Labelling Instrument Cases

Some instruments have been misplaced recently or taken home by the wrong student. All musical instruments that are brought to SCEGGS must be labelled clearly with student’s name and a contact phone number. There are lots of cases that look alike, so it is important that students can identify their instrument easily from the instrument storage area.

Beyond the Green Gate

We love hearing about ways our 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 School Mothers’ Day Breakfast

The Primary School welcomes all mothers, grandmothers, aunts and other significant people in the girls’ lives to a breakfast to celebrate Mothers’ Day on Wednesday 7 May 2025. A light breakfast, tea and coffee will be provided in the Primary School playground. We hope to see you there!  

Public Speaking

Term 1 has come to a strong close for Public Speaking at SCEGGS. Our team in the 2025 Rostrum Voice if Youth Challenge did an excellent job. Sarah Yun (Year 8), Sofia Tzouganatos (Year 9), Isobel Weston (Year 9) and Sadie Juneja (Year 11) were all runners up in their rooms, an outstanding effort. Jessica Gallie (Year 10), and Pippa Brenner (Year 11) also competed and did the school proud. 

The Dame Enid Lyons Oratory Competition is a brand new competition among girls’ schools across the Private, Catholic and Public sectors in NSW. There were 3 heats this year with approximately 28 schools competing. Students are given 3 topics and have 15 minutes to plan an 8-minute speech on their chosen topic. It is an extremely challenging style of competition as students need to engage deeply with the topic and connect with an audience for an extended period with very little preparation. Celia Watson (Year 12) represented SCEGGS this year and is one of 10 girls who have progressed to the finals. The final will be held on Wednesday 21 May at the Sydney Opera House. 

Finally, a number of girls were given ASCA awards to celebrate their outstanding results in their Speech Exams in 2024. All girls who participate in Speech lessons complete an exam each year from Year 3 through to Year 12. This year’s awardees were Piper Prain-Pfahl (Year 4), Eva Lobato Williams (Year 5), Aisling Blackburn (Year 6), Emily Snow (Year 6), Beatrice Emanuel (Year 6), Matilda Tatlow (Year 7), Sarah Yun (Year 8), Isla Roberts (Year 8), Pippa Brenner (Year 11), Celia Watson (Year 12) and Helaina Travassaros (Year 12), congratulations girls.

Elizabeth Walsh
Speech and Public Speaking Co-ordinator

Blazer Pocket Awards

Girls in the Secondary School who are awarded a blazer ‘Pocket’ for excellence and outstanding achievement in a co-curricular activity can have their blazers embroidered only during holiday periods.

Awards will be announced at the End-of-Term Assembly on Friday 11 April.

Blazers may be left at the Student Services or Reception any time before 1pm on Monday 14 April (the first weekday of the School Holidays).

Students with previous awards that have not yet been embroidered can also leave their blazers at this time.

As above, blazers cannot be accepted after the cut-off time of 1pm Monday 14 April. Any late submissions will need to wait until the next School Holidays.

Embroidery and dry cleaning will be done during the holidays and the cost will be charged to your daughter’s account.

General Office

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Parent-to-Parent Communication via WhatsApp

A reminder to parents that group discussions among the parents of your child’s cohort are facilitated via WhatsApp groups. These are administered by Class Parents and the onus is on parents to join the groups.

If you have not joined, you are welcome to do so by contacting the Class Parents for your daughter’s year group. Our Class Parents are:

Primary School

 Secondary School

Contact details are available via the Parent Contact List on the Parent Portal.

Class Parent Events