From Ms Allum

Our first ever digital Giving Day was held last Thursday which resulted in over $500,000 raised for the Light Her Path Campaign. This is truly a tremendous result which could not have been achieved without the generosity of our community. My deepest thank you to everyone who participated on the day. The students marked the occasion with a mufti day and enjoyed the company of their Houses during the BBQ lunch.

The BBQ theme continued on Saturday, which coupled with Sydney’s sunshine, set a beautiful scene for our annual get together with our Indigenous students and their families. This event was a wonderful opportunity to come together and exchange stories and share laughter.

I was delighted on Tuesday to welcome back to SCEGGS (albeit via Zoom!) five Old Girls during our Women in STEM SPAN event. Professor Elizabeth ELLIOTT (1974), Brittany EVAT (2014), Jayne LONGSTAFF (2008), Edie MATHER (2003) and Dr Sarah Thomas BROOME (2012) spoke about their careers, how they progressed from tertiary studies to the workforce, described some of the barriers they have faced in the industry and reminded our community yet again that SCEGGS girls can achieve anything they set their minds to!

And, last night was the opening night of our much anticipated Drama production pretty.strange. The talent, passion and sophistication of the cast and crew highlighted the power of the performing arts to allow us to explore and understand the human condition. Tickets may be booked via this link.

The activities mentioned here are examples of the energy, commitment and tenacity embodied within our school community that makes SCEGGS stand out! Thank you to you all.

Best wishes

Jenny Allum
Head of School

From the Chaplain

Thinking of others at Christmas

Thanks to all of those people that have already donated to some of our Christmas charity drives. As part of our annual school Christmas service, we ask each student to contribute towards a gift for either a boy or a girl, wrapped in cellophane, to donate to a local welfare organisation. These gifts will be distributed to children who may not otherwise receive anything at Christmas due to poverty or other family issues. There will be a greater demand this year due to the unsettling times for many families due to the pandemic.  It is estimated that 3.3 million Australians are living on or below the poverty line at the moment. These gifts are an opportunity to bring a bit of joy to some tough circumstances. We will be accepting those gifts up until Friday 25 November.  

And please don’t forget about our socks and undies drive.  There are a number of welfare organisations that are always asking for NEW socks and undies for their clientele. This is a serious issue amongst the homeless in terms of hygiene and good foot care. This is a whole school activity and because we want to get a variety of sizes, students have been informed by their teachers as to what age and gender they are specifically collecting for. There is a basket outside the chapel for collection, like what we do for Harvest Festival (only we will not decorate the chapel with the items!) I will distribute our collection to local organisations in the last week of term 4. Thank you in anticipation and for your ongoing generosity.

Appeal for Rough Edges Christmas Party Catering and Volunteering

Rough Edges is a Christian community drop-in centre aimed at homeless people that has been operating in Darlinghurst for the past 26 years. Six nights a week and two days a week they open their doors to provide people a safe space where they can connect and have a warm meal. They also provide people with access to a social worker, counsellor or free legal advice. They also provide educational courses, haircuts, free clothing, financial support, laundry services and medical care through its many partnerships.

To celebrate this Christmas, on Friday 23 December they are hoping to have a wider community gathering and they need some help to pull it off. They are expecting to be serving over 300 people from the community who have struggled with homelessness, low socioeconomic status and other forms of marginalisation. There are two ways to get involved: either through volunteering on the night which would include hosting and serving food, or you can donate a cooked dish for us to serve on the night. Any help will be welcome. We are so grateful for your support.

We have been providing meals for Rough Edges on a weekly basis for a number of years now, through our cafeteria at the end of the school day  and also, starting this year, through the generosity of many families in our community dropping off food on a Monday morning. Please email me if you are interested in being involved in the Christmas Party or would like to know more about our Food Drive and I can pass more information on to you.

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
School Chaplain

From the Primary School

Year 3 Look and Learn Afternoon

On Friday 4 November, Year 3 invited parents and carers into a Look and Learn Afternoon. This was a time for parents to visit the girls’ learning spaces and LOOK at the amazing work which they have completed over the course of the year, and to LEARN from their daughters. The students became teachers, as the girls taught their parents mathematical warm up games. From calculating amounts of money, to using the area model for multiplication, families played maths board games which the girls had spent last term designing and constructing. We are very proud of all their efforts this year, and hope they are too. Well done, Year 3!

Katherine Lock and Kaitlin Ryan
3L and 3R Class Teachers

Cape York Conversations

We hope you are enjoying reading the range of reflections about the Cape York experiences from the students, but we would also like to invite you to take a look at the upcoming opportunities proposed for 2023.

There are planned Immersions for 50 students (Year 9 & 10, 2023) to travel to the Cape York region and there is also an opportunity for 25 students (Year 11, 2023) to travel to the top end – Arnhem Land. Please have a read of the Red Earth flyer provided and look out for registration for the Parent evening on Thursday 10 November 5.45pm – 6.45pm in the Lecture Theatre.

Reflections

Reflecting on the Cape York experience has truly made me appreciate the privilege I have to visit such special places and have the exciting opportunity to discover new things, develop various relationships, and to experience such a unique style of living. Learning how the Traditional Owners from the Melsonby and Panamuunji homelands live with such important connection to country, was a highlight for me and one of the most eye-opening aspects of the immersion. The simple and relaxed way of life we practised for 10 days included learning about country and language, visiting significant rock art locations, swimming in the creeks, having conversations with new people, and having time to reflect and journal on the inspiring experiences from the day.

I feel this was a great contrast from the normal busy routine back home during the school term and has made me realise how refreshing it was to live “without time” and the consistent need to always be doing something. I have taken away so much from the trip, not only this great appreciation for the Traditional Owners and their way of living, but also knowledge and connections with others that I am so grateful to have made, and memories with them that will always make me smile and laugh reflecting back on them. I believe the photos truly display the joy and excitement painted on our faces during the trip but can’t fully describe its significance and all the wonderful aspects everyone took away from it. I couldn’t recommend this trip more to other students who are considering giving it a go, words can’t express the meaningful impact this immersion had on myself, my appreciation for a different lifestyle, and the connections I will now forever treasure.

Tessa McCarthy
Year 10

Only after returning to the busy city of Sydney was I able to properly comprehend the incredible and unforgettable nature of the Cape York Immersion. The traditional elders warmly welcomed us onto their land and were eager to teach us about their way of life, showing us a new way of living, much different from our own. Whether we were going on bushwalks, eating sour ants, learning about aboriginal art and language, or swimming in creeks, our eyes were opened to the rich culture of the Indigenous people and their connection to the land. The valuable lessons learnt will stick with me for a lifetime.

I could not be more grateful for this eye-opening experience which provided a remarkable opportunity to learn about so much. Personally, I never could have anticipated how much I would learn in Cape York and how this experience will stick with me forever. I think I speak for every girl when I say that this immersion was truly the most extraordinary and life-changing experience which I will be forever grateful for. For anyone considering participating in this immersion in the future, I could not recommend it more and guarantee that you will gain so much, as it truly is unforgettable.

Ianna Fatouros
Year 11

After experiencing initial apprehensions about the remoteness and duration of the Cape York Immersion, in addition to not having access to any electronic devices, by the end of the trip, I couldn’t help but wish that the trip would last longer and that we could continue to experience the incredible traditions and stories of Indigenous culture. The incredible sense of community and connections that we fostered between the students, teachers, team leaders and traditional owners made the experience so valuable and helped us all to feel at home, and to throw ourselves into the countless opportunities made available to us. Everyone, whether it was in 60 Seconds with Stevo, asking the Traditional Owners questions, or practising how to throw a spear, went beyond their comfort zones and used each moment to connect and learn.

After an unexpected start to the trip, involving 4.30am flight cancellations and flying to Melbourne (the opposite direction of our destination!), the enthusiasm of the SCEGGS team kept everyone optimistic and excited for the days ahead. And, as much time as I had spent imagining the trip, I couldn’t possibly have dreamed how amazing our experiences were – diverse and eye-opening.

I am thankful that I kept a comprehensive record of the trip in my journal, documenting every moment so that none of the information would be lost or forgotten. Reading back over my entries now makes me realise the countless activities that we fit into 9 days – every moment felt like an opportunity for contemplation and learning. When my friends asked about a highlight from each of the homelands it was difficult to decide – there were many – but I narrowed it down to our beach walk to the Coloured Sands on Elim Beach, learning about traditional bush tucker and feeling like we were floating when sprinting down the sandy hills, and the Kup Murri, an Indigenous tradition of cooking food in a ground oven for special occasions, which we prepared on our final day in Bana.

It was a privilege to be granted nightly times of reflection around the campfire, recalling the activities of the day, and asking the Traditional Owners questions in an open and respectful manner. These discussions provided insights into the ways that Indigenous customs, the oldest continuing culture in the world, are incorporated into modern society, and how their connection with the land and their heritage continues to influence their values and actions throughout their lives. On both homelands, the Traditional Owners talked to us about reciprocity – they hoped to learn from us in the same way we were learning from them – and it is my hope that throughout the course of our stay, our discussions and eagerness gave them hope for the future of reconciliation in Australia.

Our final days of the trip allowed the red and yellow groups to reunite and discuss their experiences on differing homelands – it was amazing that over the 9-day trip, both groups had completely unique experiences and learnings.  A memorable activity as a SCEGGS group involved snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, which I had never done before, and it was a perfect way to end the Immersion, surrounded by unforgettable corals and marine life (including several giant clams)!

I wholeheartedly believe that there is no better way to learn the depth and intricacies of Indigenous culture than on Country, with traditional owners, engaging in thoughtful conversations, rather than within the classroom or through textbooks. In that sense, Cape York was the perfect way to continue engaging in the lifetime of learning that we all have before us, educating ourselves and starting conversations with our peers. In Bana, when I was talking to a Traditional Owner about the path towards reconciliation, he mentioned the importance of changing mindsets and progress towards equality as an ongoing process, saying “systems are reflections of mindsets, and the systems can only change once mindsets do.” This is a crucial reminder that we all have the capacity to act now against larger societal issues, and to strive to make important changes, one discussion at a time. I’m certain that all the students who went on the Cape York trip are excited to share the knowledge they’ve learnt and their unforgettable experiences. I cannot recommend this trip enough to students in the upcoming years.

Laura Davies
Year 11

Drama News

pretty. strange.

Our Senior production of pretty. strange. opened last night to a thunderous ovation. The audience were enthralled by the storytelling and the triumphant accomplishment of the cast, crew, and creative team.

pretty.strange. has been written by SCEGGS alumnus, Olivia Satchell after a commission by Ms Inga Scarlett for SCEGGS Drama.

The play is set in an Independent girls’ school and is a modern reimagining of the Greek myth: Persephone in the Underworld. The story deals with rebirth and decay and is centred around a group of teenage misfits who come together to save another and reconnect with the natural environment. The play digs into themes of loss and disconnection. It examines a daughter’s need to individuate from her mother; and her personal exploration and journey to self-empowerment and fulfillment.

Like the ancient Greek theatre, a large chorus narrates and guides the audience throughout, emphasising important lessons along the way.

Cast members include Ava Nunley, Eleanor Lawson, Maddie Tudehope, Billie Palmer, Zara Ibrahim, Allegra Sintras, Sophie Gallagher-Horne, Astrid Hooper, Bianca Rozsa, Susannah Sheumack, Sienna Taylor, Chiara Weaver, Alexandra West, Josephine Robson, Camille McCarthy, Julia Piazza and Gemma Ashton.

pretty.strange. is presented in St Peter’s Playhouse. There are 3 performances remaining. Thursday 10 and Friday 11 November at 7pm and Saturday 12 November at 1pm.

Bookings via the TryBooking link.

Season 2023

The SCEGGS Drama season for next year has been announced:

The Appleton Ladies Potato Race by Melanie Tait
Years 10-12 Play
Wednesday 17 May to Saturday 20 May
Directed by Ms Vivienne Rodda
SCEGGS Black Box Theatre
AUDITIONS: 16 and 17 November

Ladies in Black by Tim Finn and Carolyn Burns
Years 9-12 Musical
Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 June
Directed & Choreographed by Mr Aaron Farley
Venue: The Rebel Theatre, Walsh Bay
AUDITIONS: Sunday 27 November

Green Patch (an original musical) by Samantha Millin and Peter Eyers
Years 7-9 Musical
Directed by Mr Peter Eyers
Wednesday 22 to Saturday 25 November
St Peter’s Playhouse

“Acting is a sport. On stage you must be ready to move like a tennis player on his toes. Your concentration must be keen, your reflexes sharp; your body and mind are in top gear, the chase is on. Acting is energy. In the theatre people pay to see energy.” ~ Actor, Clive Swift

Peter Eyers
Head of Drama

Science News

Halloween Periodic Table

There was great excitement in the lab last week as a gathering of students came to practise their scalpel skills and create the best Halloween decoration ever – a Periodic Table! But not just any periodic table: a light-up, carved Periodic Table made out of oranges (like Periodic Pumpkins, but better!).

Students chose their favourite elements and then carved the Chemical Symbol onto the orange using their scalpels.

Then they arranged them into the Periodic Table.

Later, students placed tea-light candles into the oranges and created eery, glowing elements.

Mia Sharma
Science Teacher

Music Matters

Musicale 4

Our final Musicale for 2022 will take place on Thursday 17 November at 6pm in the Great Hall (Week 6).  The ensembles featured in this concert are:

• String Power
• Primary String Octet
• Bugles
• Training Band
• Glennie Percussion
• Van Reyk Percussion
• Contemporary Strings
• Clarion Band

Letters (see a copy here) have been sent to secondary students and families from both secondary and primary school with further information about this performance.  The concert is free, and we invite all parents to come and enjoy the music.

Gondwana National Choirs

Congratulations to Eva Harris (Year 12) and Olivia Flanagan (Year 5) who have both successfully auditioned for Gondwana National Choirs.  Hundreds of young choral singers from all over Australia go through a rigorous audition process of performance and sight singing for these highly sought after places. Both girls are looking forward to working with some of Australia’s best choral conductors and finest young singers on challenging choral music.  

Allison Harrigan
Director of Choirs

AMEB String Examinations

Congratulations to the 16 string players who recorded video submissions for their AMEB examinations recently. These national music exams require thorough preparation and students are to be congratulated for working hard to prepare so well. Special thanks to Ms Stephanie Holmes and Ms Heidi Jones for accompanying the girls in rehearsal and for the recordings and to the string tutors Ms Dominique Gallery, Dr Lerida Delbridge, Ms Evelyn Drivas and Ms Bonita Williams for their tireless efforts.

Congratulations to the following girls:

Year 7 Strings Lunchtime Concert

The string players from Year 7 hosted a delightful lunchtime concert in the Great Hall this week. Each girl brought a non-string playing friend and performed a short piece for her peers, accompanied by Ms Heidi Jones. Congratulations to the girls for their performances and enthusiasm for sharing their music making with each other and to Ms Jones for rehearsing carefully with each girl and her sensitive musical support in the performance.

The performers were:

• Pui Wai Evelyn Li – violin and cello
• Caitlin Cameron – violin
• Mia Chang – violin
• Camille Asher – violin
• Jasmine Cohen – violin
• Ashley Diec – violin
• Hannah Peacocke – violin
• Amelia Wilcsek – violin
• Josie Grayden – viola
• Alexis Monahan – viola
• Ruby Peters – cello

Primary Cello Ensemble

Congratulations to the Primary Cello Ensemble for their very entertaining performance of “Boil Them Cabbage Down” for the Year 3-6 Assembly last week. Cello tutor Ms Amelia McCluney performed with student cellists Elizabeth Teoh, Georgina Auld, Victoria Lincoln, Akansha Singh, Olivia Roberts, Giselle Wharton and Ying Huang for this toe-tapping tune. Well done, girls!  

Week 5’s Assembly Performance Lux Strings

Lux Strings is a chamber ensemble of students in Year 9 who perform unconducted and the girls worked hard to prepare “Summer” from “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi which they performed at the Year 3-11 Assembly. The girls then performed it again for hundreds of delegates from all over Australia at the Positive Schools Conference in the city this week. Congratulations to Bondi Barlow, Sophia Barry, Emma Chang, Zara Clarke, Scarlett Stapledon and Cassandra Davies. See it on Vimeo here.

Mrs Anne Sweeney
Director of Strings

Brass Ensemble – Remembrance Day Service

Congratulations to members of the Brass Ensemble who played for the Remembrance Day service at Paddington Woollhara RSL last Sunday.  The Brass Ensemble consists of: Annie Furness (Trombone) (Year 11), Samantha Millin (French horn) (Year 9), Maggie Harper (Euphonium) (Year 10), Christine Chen (Year 9) and Lucy McInnes (both Trumpets) (Year 9).  The girls played a series of hymns for the service, providing musical accompaniment to the laying of wreaths by members of the community.  Special guest vocalist, Eva Harris (Year 11) joined the Brass ensemble and was accompanied by them as she sang the National Anthem.  A special “shout-out” to Lucy McInnes who also performed both the Last Post and Reveille at the service.  Big thank you to Mr Michael Tierney for his organisation and direction of the performance.  Well done to everyone!

Primary Percussion Soiree – Lunchtime Concert

Congratulations to the primary percussionists and ensemble who performed in their lunch time concert last Friday.  The students were accompanied by our percussion tutor Ms Jayne Groves and the performance also featured special guest artist Mr Michael Tierney (Director of Bands) on trumpet!  Well done to the girls who performed the following pieces:

• Annabelle Dempsey (Year 4) – Mercy Mercy Mercy (Zawinul)
• Alice Chandler (Year 2) – Welcome to New York (Taylor Swift)
• Lily Withers (Year 5) – Enemy (Imagine Dragons)
• Annabelle Kariappa (Year 5) – Dynamite (Taio Cruz)
• Olive Hunt (Year 5) – Stressed Out (Twenty One Pilots)
• Pippa Dodwell (Year 5) – All Star (Smash Mouth)
• Zoe Coudounaris (Year 5) – Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)

Term 4 Music Calendar

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

ICAS English Competition

Congratulations to all students who participated in the ICAS English Competition. We are very excited to announce that Rebecca Colwell (Year 10) was awarded a medal – topping the competition in her year level. Across the school, 8 students were awarded High Distinctions, placing them in the top 1% of participants. There were also 36 students who achieved a Distinction, placing them in the next 10% of participants. These students have been listed below.

Congratulations also to the 82 students who achieved Credit Certificates and the 36 students awarded Merit Certificates. These awards were presented in class. An impressive achievement from our English scholars!

High Distinction and Medal:

• Rebecca Colwell – Year 10

High Distinction:

• Year 5: Erica Lansdown and Charlotte Lowe
• Year 7: Caitlin Cameron, Isabelle Flower and Ruby Peters
• Year 8: Natalie Assaad
• Year 9: Gabrielle Cheung

Distinction:

• Year 3: Eva Geha, Mila Gupta, Eliza Wilcsek, Aleisha Yeung
• Year 4: Serafina Kwok, Aerin Murphy, Anara Murugesan, Claire Tesvic
• Year 5: Zara Anderson
• Year 6: Perri Lawrence
• Year 7: Rachel Li, Ella McHugh, Alexis Monahan, Eloise Phillips, Yang Zhou
• Year 8: Georgia Cate Baker Wood, Louise Bein, Juliette Clark, Zara Eade, Catherine Jenkins, Sienna Kaddour, Jemima Lowe, Zara Perkins, Jessica Weatherall, Madeleine Wilson
• Year 9: Sophia Barry, Lila Eversgerd, Bianca Hardge, Simran Murphy, Isobel Payne, Elizabeth Shin, Celia Watson
• Year 10: Zara Buchen, Beatrix Rivers, Ilaria Roncolato, Janet Zheng

Jennifer Bean
Head of English

Primary Sport News

Parent communication

A big thank you to the parents who continue communicating with the relevant sports coordinators or Tom Mitton regarding their daughter’s non-attendance at before/after school training and Saturday sports matches. A reminder that your child is expected at all training sessions unless communicated otherwise; this is done to ensure coaches can plan for the sessions; most importantly, we want to know your daughter is safe! It is asked that communication regarding non-attendance be sent through as early as possible to ensure information can be passed on to relevant coaches and teaching staff.

A further reminder that permission notes (or an email) are required for all students being picked up from a sports activity or training session by another parent/carer, including nannies and babysitters. If arrangements are reoccurring, parents may provide one permission email for the term. Permission emails must be received by SCEGGS Sports Staff before 11am for the coaching staff to be communicated appropriately.

Years 2-6 Swimming Carnival

We look forward to a fantastic day for our Years 2-6 Swimming Carnival in Week 7 on Monday 21 November, at Lane Cove Leisure Centre.

As usual, girls must be at school by 8.15 am on the carnival day. All girls will travel by hired bus and leave SCEGGS at 8.30 am to take students to Lane Cove Leisure Centre. Upon the event’s finish, girls will either return to school by bus or can be collected by a parent from the venue. Written permission must be sent to their Classroom Teacher if a student is being collected from the carnival. The school will conclude at the usual time of 3.10 pm.

Girls should come to school in PE uniform with their swimmers on underneath. At the carnival, the girls may wear decorated hats, coloured socks, t-shirts, and the like in House colours. There are to be no pom-poms or streamers to be brought to the carnival in our efforts to minimise any adverse impact on the environment. PE uniform must be worn correctly to and from school.

The pool at Lane Cove Leisure Centre is an outdoor pool. While there is ample undercover seating, girls must wear t-shirts and sun hats when not swimming and are expected to bring and apply sunscreen throughout the day. Girls may wear any sun-protective swimwear for the day if preferred. We ask that the girls bring enough food and drink for the day. 

Excitingly, we also welcome parents back to attend the carnival! Parents may sit near the students’ seating area or on the balcony overlooking the pool’s finish line. While the canteen facilities are open to parents, we ask that parents not purchase food or drinks for their children.

For students attending before-school and after-school activities, before school swim squad is cancelled, Art Club will be cancelled for the day, and Years 5 and 6 Drama Group will run as usual. All after-school sports activities will be on, but attendance is not compulsory.

As this is the second Swimming Carnival for the year, the day’s emphasis will be slightly different to that of Term 1. This year’s carnival will be used to select next year’s IPSHA Swimming Team. It is aimed at being a fun celebration for the girls and does not count towards House Cup points, nor will age champions be given out. Ribbons will still be given to race winners on the day. We encourage all girls to get involved in all events and strive for their personal best! From next year, we will be holding our Primary Swimming Carnival in Term 4 of each year, and all awards will be given as usual.

Any students who are absent and do not attend the carnival and wish to trial for the IPSHA Swimming Team will be able to do so in early 2023. This date is yet to be confirmed.

We are all looking forward to a beautiful day. In the case of inclement weather and the need to cancel the carnival, a decision will be made by 7.30 am. Please check the SCEGGS Sports Twitter feed for updates.

Parent / Daughter Camps

This is a reminder that all students must still fulfil their Saturday morning sporting commitments with the upcoming parent/daughter camps for Year 4 and Year 6 in November.

Saturday Sport

Well done to our Year 3 Football teams who competed on the weekend at Kambala. It was great to see such sportsmanship and great gameplay from all three teams.

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Sophia Carroll (Year 6), who has been selected to play for UNSW Under 14 in an interstate Water Polo Carnival in Canberra over the weekend. We wish her the best of luck for the tournament! We can’t wait to hear how it goes.

SCEGGS Training sessions before and after school plus Saturday Sport

Please check the @SCEGGSSport Twitter feed for the latest updates relating to cancellations.

Cancellation Due to Adverse Weather

Weekday sports training cancellations are posted on the @SCEGGSSport Twitter feed, and Primary parents will receive an SMS when their child’s activity has been cancelled or adjusted for that day.

 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on 0435 138 037. Alternatively, if you have any news or photos that we can highlight in the newsletters, please email TomMitton@sceggs.nsw.edu.au

Tom Mitton
PDHPE and Sport Coordinator: Primary

Secondary Sport News

SCEGGS Striders in Action

IGSA Gymnastics Championships

When I was in kindy, my mum enrolled me into rhythmic gymnastics. With no real idea of what I was doing, I enjoyed skipping around the gym with different apparatus and dancing to the various music being played. It was simple, fun and I loved it. It isn’t until now as I enter my final year of high school that I truly understand my passion for this sport. Despite the stereotypical sport that has been painted in the media, rhythmic gymnastics is much more than sparkly bedazzled leotards and colourful ribbons. I won’t lie, rhythmic gymnastics is a very difficult sport. Doing multiple different routines with various apparatus, while simultaneously dancing and staying in time to different styles of music, all while emoting and telling a story and to top it all of trying to catch flying apparatus while not looking utterly stressed all, at the same time, is safe to say pretty challenging. But there is a great sense of achievement that I gain from this. Yes, it is difficult but working hard to achieve my goals in this sport makes the ten plus hour training week, never ending soreness and injuries absolutely worth it in the end. Twelve years in rhythmic gymnastics has taught me quite a lot, from perseverance to discipline, courage, determination, resilience and much more and I owe this to my coaches Rachel, Emma, Jesse, Evie, Charlotte and Aisha who have all helped me become the person I am today!

The Friday 28 October marked the first IGSA carnival since 2019. Split across the two venues of PLC for artistic and Abbotsleigh for rhythmic for the very first time, the day was very exciting and rewarding for everyone. Beginning our day with a 6:15am bus drive, out to both venues, both teams were buzzing with excitement. Getting to the venues felt almost surreal, we were finally back at IGSA and for some of us for the very first time. The results from both rhythmic and artistic were pleasing and everyone who competed should be very proud of themselves. I look forward to seeing the upcoming end of year concerts, displays and celebrations being prepared at the moment!

Results

Madison Liew
SCEGGS Gymnastics Captain

SCEGGS at Play

Do you have any sporting news to share in the Green Gate? Do you have some photos of your children at sport?

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 alisongowan@sceggs.nsw.edu.au

SCEGGS Training sessions before and after school plus Saturday Sport

Please check the @SCEGGSSport Twitter feed for the latest updates relating to cancellations.

IGSA Fixtures, Results and Wet Weather

The IGSA website and platform for accessing wet weather, fixtures 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

Go Greener

Fashion, textiles, and sustainability

How sustainable is your favourite fashion brand? Is it protecting their workers and paying them fairly? How ethical are they? A few weeks ago, the Baptist Fashion Guide was released rating 600 fashion brands and each company was given a score between 1 – 100 in an effort to make their activities more transparent. They were rated on the following criteria:

• Trace beyond final stage
• Remediate exploitation
• Pay a living wage
• Listening to workers
• Use of  sustainable fibres
• Commitment to Climate Change

It has been estimated the fashion industry is responsible for 10 percent of the world’s carbon emissions.

This is due the production and manufacture of clothes and includes the disposal of fast fashion as highlighted in the documentary Dead White Man’s Clothes screened in 2021 on the ABC.  This is an issue that affects all of us. Below are some things to consider before purchasing new clothes:

• Only buy what you need and love
• Research the sustainable/ethical credentials of the company from whom you are purchasing the new garments
• Buy garments of high quality and made from sustainable fabrics
• Purchase items that are classic and can be used in years to come
• Buy clothes that will mix and match with what you already have.
• Avoid double ups of clothing
• Consider buying second hand clothes instead of a new item.

If you would like to congratulate a company on their environmental successes or send them a message to do better, you can message them on the Baptist Fashion Guide website. Click on the name of the company to see their ratings and at the bottom of the page is a yellow box labelled Speak out to this brand.

During Science and Technology lessons, Mrs Wilsmore and the Year 1 girls have been learning about the properties and uses of different materials. To investigate the sustainability of different materials, they buried a sample of cotton fabric and a sample polyester fabric into one of our garden beds. After 4 weeks, they dug up the fabric samples and found that the worms in the garden had started to eat the cotton fabric. However, the polyester fabric remained untouched and there was no evidence of this material breaking down or deteriorating. Year 1 were left wondering how long it would take for the polyester to decompose. The images below show their findings.

Sue Zipfinger
Sustainability Coordinator

Summer Vacation Care

Dear Families

With the Summer holidays fast approaching, we would like to take the opportunity to share our Summer Vacation Care Program with you.

The service will be operating from Monday 5 December – Wednesday 21 December, and Monday 16 January 2023 – Monday 30 January 2023, with school returning on the Tuesday 31 January 2023.  The service is open for current Primary SCEGGS girls and their school aged siblings only.

The vacation care program for December – January has a wonderful variety of excursions and incursions and exciting in-house days at the centre for all children to enjoy.

If you would like to book your child into Vacation Care, please follow the TryBooking link here to generate your tickets.

Please note, that if you have not yet enrolled your child into our After School / Vacation Care Service through the OWNA website or you are a new family joining SCEGGS in 2023, you will be required to fill out enrolment documentation prior to booking. This can be accessed via the link here.

Please reach out if you have any inquiries about Vacation Care, please do not hesitate to contact me at afterschoolcare@sceggs.nsw.edu.au

Fran St John
After School Care Co-Ordinator

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

P&F Term 4 Meeting – Panel Discussion on Emotionally Intelligent Parenting

Join us for an insightful discussion on Emotionally Intelligent Parenting on Tuesday 15 November at 7.00pm in the Lecture Theatre.

Our Director of Student Wellbeing Laura Connolly and two of our School Counsellors, Janet McEwen and Olivia Whelan, will lead a dynamic discussion that will resonate with all parents and carers of pre-teens and teenagers. Discussion and topics will include research and strategies for communicating with, understanding and helping your children to manage their emotions, plus there will be an opportunity for Q&A at the end.

This event is free of charge, but for catering purposes, an RSVP is greatly appreciated!

Class Parents 2023

Class Parents are an important part of the School community and act as liaison between parents, the P&F Association, The Trust and the School. They create and organise opportunities for their Year Group to meet and get to know each other and provide invaluable assistance to the P&F.

Being a Class Parent is a great way to be involved with your daughter’s year group. The P&F are now asking for volunteers for 2023. Please click on this link to view more information and to register to be a Class Parent in 2023.

Class Parent Events