In This Together

Long-term school closures: What can teachers and parents learn from our friends in Hong Kong about learning from home?

In the last fortnight, there has been a great deal of discussion in the community about the coronavirus and what strategies we might use as a country to help look after all Australians. This has included suggestions such as mandatory long-term school shutdowns which have already been enacted in other countries around the world, both this year and on previous occasions for outbreaks of other viruses. As we continue to think ahead about a whole range of different scenarios, Carol Saunders, our Head of Academic Support, shares experiences and reflections from parents and colleagues working in Hong Kong where schools are in the middle of a 3-month school closure.

I am so proud of my three kids and their cousin who managed to do home learning for 5 hours solidly today- amazing lessons set by teachers who are running virtual online classrooms and meetings. All the kids are getting lots of support. (Parent in Hong Kong)

I taught in Hong Kong for 13 years including during the SARS outbreak of 2003. As we all follow the worldwide impact of COVID-19, I’ve been fascinated to see how my colleagues, dealing with school closures, are reacting to this challenge. I spoke to teachers, parents and school psychologists to understand what education is like in this changed world of the coronavirus.

In Hong Kong schools closed at the end of January for the Chinese Lunar New Year and are not due to open until the end of the Easter holiday on 20 April.

From Kindergarten through to Year 12 classes are continuing. This has been a massive undertaking for all stakeholders: teachers challenged to prepare lessons suitable for online delivery, students working from home without the support of their classmates and parents with disrupted work lives finding unconventional ways to support their children.

Technology

One of the biggest differences between teaching at the time of SARS and now is the proliferation of technology and the array of tools available today. All the teachers I spoke with talked about the steep technological learning curve for both themselves and their students. As the realisation that schools weren’t going to open any time soon set in, teachers shifted from setting independent work for students to complete during lesson times to using online platforms and conferencing technology to create virtual classrooms. 

Teachers continue to deliver lessons in real time and students have their regular timetables, but in a very short time, everyone has had to become a proficient user of Zoom, Google hangouts, Padlet etc in order to adapt to their new classrooms.

A teacher writes, “I am setting all lesson content on Google classroom and Edpuzzle complemented by a live Zoom lesson so we can all chat face to face as a class. My lessons are now taken all over the word in multiple time zones as some students who have left Hong Kong log on from Canada, Australia, Japan, and the UK all in one online class.” 

Teachers have had to be become more inventive and creative. Teaching from home without access to the many physical resources of a school environment is challenging. I’ve heard stories from a drama teacher using vegetables as props for teaching mime and a PE teacher videoing herself doing exercises on the living room carpet.

The Importance of Relationships and Human Contact

Every teacher I spoke to emphasised the importance of relationships and how they were missing daily contact with colleagues and students. Students too are actively seeking connection with their peers and teachers. A teacher described how students were choosing to stay online and requesting that she stay online even in their study periods, so that they could see each other and gain reassurance.  She said this was more about emotional support than academic support and that students reported a sense of loss once cameras were turned off.  Online lesson attendance is high with similar or higher numbers of students present than on “normal” school days. A school psychologist comments, “Although there is a belief that our young people are most at home in the online world, that they ‘feel so connected’ in the virtual world, many students are realising what being at school, in the classroom with teachers and with peers, what hanging out with friends brings them. We have heard from so many students, even from some for whom being in school is difficult, commenting, ‘I never thought I’d say this, but I really miss coming to school’.”

Working in isolation takes its toll and some teachers are choosing to work from school rather than at home, “Seeing people, even if behind masks and across a few metres of corridor for the most apprehensive, became a joyful reunion.”

Physical and Emotional Wellbeing

School calendars and timetables run on predetermined, predictable patterns. The health uncertainties of COVID-19 and the extended delay in returning to school has eroded both teachers’ and students’ sense of personal agency.

In addition to considering the purely academic outcomes of school closure, educators are focusing on the mental and emotional wellbeing of their communities and how to put well-being initiatives in place. Schools are encouraging more play, less work(sheets) for their students and for their teachers

A key challenge is that family homes have become places of quarantine, work and learning. Colleagues talked about the stress of not having the physical separation of home and work and how finding the physical and mental space to relax was a crucial factor in maintaining emotional health and resilience.

Parenting

Home schooling has challenged parents, especially parents of younger children, to manage their own work and childcare commitments. Parents are more actively involved in their children’s education often finding unique ways to foster and support creativity at home. A friend writes, “My son has built a hovercraft, a crossbow and a winged glider so being at home has been a big plus for him.”

The parents I talked to were effusive in their praise of the quality of work being given to students:

Conquering the Challenge of Change

Teaching in the time of the COVID-19 poses enormous challenges. Hong Kong schools have had to adapt and find flexible, creative solutions. They have embraced this extraordinary situation as an opportunity to promote personal and professional growth. Teachers, students and parents alike have been pushed out of their comfort zones but have found new spaces to confront and conquer the challenge of change.

I would like to thank my friends in Hong Kong – teachers, parents and school psychologists who contributed their reflections. My personal and professional admiration goes out to you all.

Carol Saunders
Head of Academic Support

Thinking Allowed

Building Students’ Capacity to Learn – Using the Learning Pit as an analogy for the learning process

When was the last time you endeavoured to learn something new? How did you approach this task? Did you quietly persist until the task was mastered? Perhaps after numerous failed attempts you became frustrated and gave up. Maybe you felt so overwhelmed that you went to great lengths to avoid engaging in the task. Learning isn’t meant to be easy. The process of learning requires you to live on the edge of not knowing as you work towards making sense of unfamiliar concepts. It’s this challenge and uncertainty that makes the process of learning so exciting!

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Alvin Toffler

An unpredictable future awaits the young people of today and indeed the young people of any generation. As educators, we are continually challenged to think about how we can best prepare our students to flourish and thrive as competent, responsible citizens in an everchanging world. The content knowledge our students will try to memorise during their 13 years of schooling is unlikely to help solve the problems of the future. Memory is an ineffective strategy for developing the deep understanding and skill transferability that is required to solve unfamiliar problems. In recent years, much focus has centred on the development of 21^st century skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. Underpinning the foundation and development of these 21^st century skills lies the ability to learn. It will be the young generation’s ability to learn that will ultimately enable them to develop the skills and key competencies required to survive an unknown future.

Learning to learn is very learnable.

Guy Claxton

Empowering young people with the ability to learn is perhaps the most valuable outcome of education. Not only do teachers need to be masters of teaching content knowledge, they also need to be masters of building each student’s capacity to learn. Guy Claxton, author, cognitive scientist and educational reformer, talks about the “split-screen thinking” approach as a way to stretch and expand students’ learning capacity. On one side of the “screen” teachers are thinking about how they can impart curriculum content knowledge. “Playing” at the same time on the other side of the screen, teachers are thinking about what specific learning dispositions students will need to develop and utilise in order to successfully engage in, and learn from, the curriculum content. This split-screen approach ignites discussions about the process of learning as learning dispositions become increasingly visible and ultimately transferable.

We want our children to be competent, capable, life-long learners who have the confidence to take charge of their own learning both now and in the future. By understanding themselves as learners, students can talk openly and honestly about their learning, they can make decisions about their learning goals and they can assess and evaluate their learning. The Learning Pit, as described by educational expert James Nottingham, is an analogy that can be used to help students understand and take control of their own learning.

When a learner steps outside their comfort zone, then they begin to wobble. That is what learning is all about: wobbling.
James Nottingham

For students to experience growth, they need to engage in challenging tasks that take them to the edge of their knowing and understanding. Providing a platform for a shared language, The Learning Pit helps students to conceptualise the process of learning. Stepping into the Pit requires students to take risks and to recognise and accept that challenge is a good thing. Once in the depths of the Pit, students need to do the hard work of learning for themselves. When it comes to learning, there are no shortcuts! All learners, regardless of ability, should expect to experience discomfort in not knowing an answer. If you are doing something that you can already do, then you’re practising. Learning requires you to step out of your comfort zone and into the zone of proximal development. The zone of proximal development, as described by the famous Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky, represents the “sweet spot” when an appropriate level of challenge results in maximised learning potential. As students grapple with a challenging task, they need to demonstrate attributes such as curiosity and imagination as they explore and make sense of the problem. Good learners are comfortable with feeling “stuck” when they’re at the bottom of the Pit. They recognise this as a necessary part of the learning process. Embracing a positive mindset, students utilise different strategies that enable them to think deeply and flexibly about the problem. Mistake making is an important process. Instead of responding emotionally to mistakes, good learners embrace their errors and critically analyse these. They seek and act on feedback and try different approaches as they work towards bridging the gap between not knowing and knowing. In ascending the steep sides of the Pit, good learners demonstrate attributes such as resilience and persistence until they finally reach the point of deep understanding. Learning has triumphed!

Across the Primary School, you will hear girls and teachers engaging in conversations about learning. With the aim of embracing a common language of learning, we want our classroom walls to speak “learnish”. Learning Pit wall displays provide a powerful visual image that girls can use as a ready reference for the process of learning. They can situate themselves at different points in the Pit and can actively reflect on their setbacks and successes. In helping girls to independently persist when they are at the bottom of the Pit, classrooms have developed their own strategies to help learners become ‘unstuck’. It can be nerve-racking to step into the Pit. Taking the first brave step to learn something new requires a spark of curiosity. Our learning spaces strive to nurture children’s curiosity and we actively encourage our girls to take time to wonder as evidenced by our Wonder Walls. Each classroom represents a community of learners who work together to benefit their own and each other’s learning. Our girls are challenged to think about the type of learners they want to be and which learning dispositions they need to work towards developing. The open and honest conversations we have about the learning process within the classroom continues to enhance the power the girls have over their own learning.

By focusing on the process of learning through initiatives like the Learning Pit, we aim to nurture self-aware, competent and confident life-long learners. When learning is visible, classrooms become engaging, interactive hubs of deep, hard thinking and excitement! This is what we want for our girls here at SCEGGS.

Cristi Wilsmore
Head of Teaching and Learning K-6

SchoolTV

This month on SchoolTV – Happiness & Gratitude

At a time where there is increased anxiety around climate change, the recent bushfire emergency, and COVID-19, helping young people to see the many things in their life for which they can be grateful is extremely important. This month, SchoolTV has some excellent resources on gratitude and happiness, including interviews with leading psychologists and researchers.

Happiness is a term that captures a huge variety of positive emotions such as humour, serenity, optimism, joy, pride, inspiration, love and hope. Happiness means different things, to different people and is essential to your understanding of emotional literacy. Throughout history, philosophers, religious writers and poets have pondered on the meaning of happiness and how it might be achieved. In the last few decades, scientists and psychologists have researched this further by studying a field of science called positive psychology. The result of this research suggests there is a strong correlation between gratitude and greater happiness. Practising gratitude helps you shift your focus to positive memories or experiences, noticing the good in your life. Over time, this will re-wire your brain to create new neural pathways, increasing your state of happiness and overall wellbeing.

Here is the link to this month’s edition.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback. And, if you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please feel free to contact the School, or seek medical or professional help.

Bethany Lord
Director of Pastoral Care

From the Primary School

International Women’s Day in the Primary School: An equal world is an enabled world

What better environment to celebrate the first International Women’s Day of the decade than SCEGGS!

The Primary girls embraced the opportunity to recognise this important day and acknowledge the range of strong and influential women in their life. It was wonderful to see the big smiles on the girls’ faces as they were welcomed to school on Monday morning by the Year 12 Prefects, who are such great role models within our community for the younger girls.

All classes enjoyed getting crafty and creating their own symbol to wear to show their support, with glimpses of purple seen in every direction. Mrs McBride selected a range of fantastic literature written by accomplished female authors to share in Library lessons and stories of women’s successes from around the world were shared in discussions. Classes also took the opportunity to reflect on the achievements of women throughout history, including gaining the right to vote, participate in the Olympics and the first all-female spacewalk just last year. 

Maths lessons on Monday were also in line with the theme, with classes exploring the mathematical concept of equivalence. The girls enjoyed discovering the origins of the equals sign and applied their knowledge to find items to balance a scale, calculate missing values and solve algebraic equations.

The Year 2 girls helped their Kindergarten buddies think about what type of woman they wanted to be when they grow up. Choices included: “A brave woman”. “A kind woman”. “A strong woman”. If these are anything to go by, the future of SCEGGS is looking bright!

So, here’s to strong women. May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them!

Sarah Johnstone
Head of Student Wellbeing K-6

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

The P&F held its annual general meeting on Tuesday night and many thanks to those who were able to attend. 

Penny bravely put up her hand to take on the President’s role after reading my “ad” in BTGG last week, and after some encounters with me at the Welcome Drinks and subsequent meetings.  Already I am impressed by Penny’s preparations for the role, her attention to detail and her willingness to work hard.  I cannot thank Penny enough for volunteering to steer the P&F for the next two years, and to bring her own very substantial flair and abilities to the P&F.  Please do congratulate Penny when you next see her and thank her again from me.

I would also like to thank Sam Brampton, Alex Lock and Nicole Sorby who have all now stepped down from the P&F.  Alex has worked extremely hard over the last almost three years running the Treasury, putting rigorous processes in place and keeping on top of the accounts, not to mention being the very last person to leave the Festival on Forbes late that night after all the finances were complete.  Sam is the outgoing Company Secretary and has been keeping us all informed of where to be when, taking copious notes and preparing minutes etc, and always with a smile.  Nicole has done a wonderful job as Secondary School Events Co-ordinator.  Many of you will know her from this role – she answers your emails, helps you with bookings and gives you all the advice you need, and always promptly and with good humour.  Our deepest gratitude.

Your P&F for 2020 is:

The P&F’s audited accounts are now available, so please do not hesitate to contact Peter Girdis, Treasurer, through the General Office, should you like a copy.

Thank you so much to all our School community for your many years of help and support.  It has been my pleasure and honour to lead the P&F over recent years and I look forward to bumping into you all from time to time.

Fondest farewell,
Penny Gerstle

LITTERARTY Schools Waste Art Competition     

There are more than 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean. It is drowning in plastic!

A group of Maailma girls, with some help from the Primary Enviro girls, have created a sculpture called Drowning in Plastic for the new Litterarty competition as part of the Bondi Ocean Lovers Festival from March 17 – March 22. Information about the festival can be found at the following website. The sculptures will be on display at the Bondi Pavilion.

We have created a 100% recycled sculpture from salvaged materials based around a broken surfboard. Our aim was to use these materials to represent the natural beauty of the ocean. Wildlife are also at risk when rubbish ends up in our waterways. We have used some old netting to comment on the threat to wildlife. We want our work to create awareness regarding the harm humans are causing the ocean wildlife and environment. We want to promote thoughtful disposal of rubbish as well as raising awareness of the wider impact litter has. We want everyone who sees it to think more carefully about their consumption and disposal of waste and to know that even the smallest changes will make a difference. 

Jane Goodall, the world renowned environmentalist said:

Maailma Environment Group

Secondary Sport

Do you have news to share about your daughter’s sporting activities? Please email any relevant news – we love hearing about what our students are doing outside of school! Parents, if you have a great photo from Saturday sport that you would like share with our community please email them also.

Secondary Inter-House Swimming Carnival

Friday 13 March, 9.30am – 2.30pm
Drummoyne Swim Centre

Travel Arrangements
All girls must come to school (by 8.15am) in correct sports uniform and travel on the buses to the Carnival.

Girls are NOT permitted to make their own way to the pool in the morning.

Girls are to go to their Form room and wait for instructions to move to the buses. Form Teachers will travel on the bus with their class.

The Carnival will finish at approximately 2.30pm. All girls will travel back to school on the buses unless a written permission note has been given to the Form Teacher. If parents are present at the Carnival, 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 school on the day of the Carnival. They may change into other decorative House attire at school or at the pool. No girl is to travel to or from school in any clothing other than correct sports uniform.

A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen must also be brought to the Carnival. If it is particularly hot, we would also strongly recommend a light long sleeve top for further sun protection when not swimming.

Girls are only permitted to swim in the SCEGGS swimming costume or approved race suit, and House swimming cap (available from the School Shop).

Lunch and refreshments
There will be no canteen facilities available. All girls must bring enough food and drink for the day. This includes plenty of water!

Parents and spectators
There is an entry fee of $4.00 for parents and other spectators. Parents are advised to bring a fold‐up chair.

General
Mobile phones, Tablet PCs and chewing gum must NOT be brought to the carnival.

Girls are to move to their allocated House area when they arrive at the pool.

Attendance at the Carnival is compulsory. Girls unable to attend on the day are required to submit an explanatory note to their Form Teacher.

The most important contribution on the day is each girl’s support of her House.

Girls must adhere to the pool rules – no running, pushing, bombing, unsafe or disruptive behaviour. The wading pool is out of bounds.

Wet Weather
Be fully prepared for wet weather – bring umbrella and/or raincoat.

In the case of extremely wet weather or thunderstorm/lightning, a decision will be made at school on the morning of the Carnival. All girls should have some basic equipment with them (eg some paper and their pencil case) to participate in Day 5 lessons in the event the Carnival does not proceed.

Please Note:
On the morning or afternoon of the Swimming Carnival, there will be NO Secondary co‐curricular activities.

International Women’s Day Run – # Unity in the Community

SCEGGS kicked off International Women’s Day with a fun run in Centennial Park last Friday. A crowd of girls, staff, parents and even the family dogs participated in a fun run around the park before an early morning “purple” muffin for breakfast. Thank you to Ms Thompson and our Cross-Country Captains Laura Roderick and Amelia Board for organising the morning which was enjoyed by everyone.

Touch

On Saturday morning our touch teams got into the spirit also as they played their final rounds of touch before the semi finals and playoffs this week.

Please check Cognito for all Touch semi-finals and play-offs for this weekend.

IGSSA Swimming Carnival – March 6

On Friday SCEGGS had 18 representatives attended the IGSSA Swimming Carnival at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. SCEGGS performed well on the day and placed 2^nd in Division 3 and 16^th Overall out of 26 schools.

A special shout out to Elizabeth Shin who won two bronze medals on the day in the 12 years Breaststroke and Butterfly.

Division Ribbon winners and Highlights from the day

Sports Choices

The Primary and Secondary Sports Choices for Term 2 are now due. An email was sent out last week. Term 3 Secondary Sports Choices will also be sent out in the coming days.

Student should not commit to a team sport if they have outside commitments that clash. We expect full commitment from all our students.  A reminder that parents are to write to request leave from Ms Allum or Ms Dempsey if they need to miss Saturday sport.

Sports Trials for Term 2 – Saturday March 14

SCEGGS Secondary Basketball

Moore Park Basketball Courts, Robertson Rd Moore Park

Years 7, 8 & 9              12:30pm -2pm  

Years 10, 11 & 12        2:15pm – 3:45pm

SCEGGS Secondary Football

Parade Grounds, Centennial Park.

Years 7, 8 & 9              12:30pm -2pm

Years 10, 11 & 12        2:15pm – 3:45pm

Alison Gowan
Director of Sport

Primary Sport

This week we discuss details for the Inter-house Cross Country and the Year 3 and Years 4-6 IPSHA trials as well as congratulate State Nippers Championship competitors and Year 1 & 2 Co-curricular swimming lesson participants.

Years 3-6 Cross Country Carnival

The Cross Country Carnival, in which all girls in Years 3-6 are involved, will be held on Tuesday 17 March at Queens Park opposite Moriah College, Baronga Ave, Queens Park.  The girls will be leaving SCEGGS at 8:30am, with the first event starting at 9:00am. The girls will return to school mid-morning, with lessons taking place as usual for the rest of the day.

The program has been organised with approximate times as follows:

Please note “age” is the age each student is on 31 December 2020.

The first six girls in each age group will be selected to represent SCEGGS at the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival. Additional entries may be invited subject to meeting a required standard.

In special circumstances where a girl is unable to run at the school carnival, a time taken at Cross Country training may be used at the discretion of the Sports Co-ordinator.

The IPSHA carnival will take place at The King’s School on Saturday 4 April 2020.

IPSHA Yrs 4-6 Minkey and Yr 3 and Yrs 4-6 Netball Trials

Trials for Term II sports will be held after school on Tuesday 31 March and Tuesday 7 April at Moore Park Netball courts and Moore Park fields, Robertson Road, Moore Park. A bus will take the girls to the venue and return outside the Sports Hall at approximately 5:20pm. Pick up from the venue is at 4:50pm.

If you are car pooling, please email Sue Phillips to advise who the students will be going home with. 

State Nippers Championships

Congratulations to Rosie Pallett (Year 5), Antonia Neal (Year 4) and Jaime Currell (Year 5) who competed at the State Nippers Championships on Saturday 29 February in Newcastle. Rosie’s mixed under 10 relay team were placed first as was Antonia’s U10 girls relay. Jaime competed in the grueling board and board relay event. A fantastic achievement for all the girls.

Year 1 and 2 swimming lessons

We have had an eager group of Year 1 and 2 girls involved in the Learn to Swim program on Monday after school this term at NCIE pool Redfern. All girls are working hard to improve their stroke development and water confidence.

Sue Phillips
Primary PDHPE and Sport Co-ordinator

Music Matters

2020 SCEGGS Eisteddfod News – Heats Under Way!

The heats for the 2020 SCEGGS Eisteddfod started this week.  It has been lovely to see the careful preparation undertaken by students for this annual event. Students who have been selected for the Highlights Concerts will be notified by email at the conclusion of the Heats.

Primary Highlights Concert – Tuesday 17 March 4.30pm, SCEGGS Great Hall

Secondary Highlights Concert – Tuesday 24 March 5pm, SCEGGS Great Hall

SCEGGS Open Morning – Basie Jazz Band

Many thanks to members of the Basie Jazz Band who performed for new parents and visitors at the school’s Open Morning on Friday 6 March.  The Jazz Band performed many musical numbers including “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “Georgia On My Mind”.

“Georgia On My Mind”

The music was a lovely way to welcome the visitors to the school.  Many thanks to Mr Peter Jewitt who prepared the students and directed the performance that morning.  Well done Basie Jazz Band!

Endangered Instrument “Try-outs”

It was wonderful to be greeted by a crowd of enthusiastic Primary students who wanted to have their “first-hand” experience of French Horn, Trombone, and Tuba!  The Viola and Double Bass were also eagerly embraced by many curious students who wanted to learn the difference between instruments to their Violin and Cello counterparts.

At the conclusion of last week’s “Try-outs”, students will be taking a form home to their parents to indicate the instruments that had their interest.  We encourage a discussion to take place at home to see whether a routine of regular practice and learning can be part of the school and family routine.

Students who wish to pursue lessons on one of the instruments that were on offer must return their forms to the Primary Music room or to the Primary Office by Friday 13 March.

Music Tuition Reminders:

What to do if you decide to DISCONTINUE lessons?

A gentle reminder that if you decide to discontinue lessons with your current tutor, it is important for parents to check the cancellation period that they have agreed with their daughter’s tutor.  In most instances, most teachers request for a 4-week cancellation period.

It would be helpful for parents to contact their daughter’s tutor in the first instance and to encourage their daughter to let their teacher know that they have made the decision to cease tuition.

A reminder for ALL students who are part of the Music Tuition (instrumental and voice) program to do the following:

Secondary Students must:

1. advise their classroom teachers, at least 48 hours in advance, that they will be absent for a music lesson;
2. understand that the class teacher has the right to ask the student to change their music lesson time if an excursion, incursion, test or assessment task is scheduled during that lesson;
3. catch up on any missed work in their own time.

After School Care for Primary Highlights Concert and Musicale 1

A reminder for all Primary parents to book in your times if you require after school Care for your child before the following two events:

1. Primary Highlights Concert – Tuesday 17 March 4.30pm, SCEGGS Great Hall
2. Musicale 1 – Thursday 26 March 5pm, SCEGGS Great Hall

It is important that you have registered your child for the After School Care program prior to enrolling them for the afternoon that you require.  The program cannot accept your child’s enrolment for the afternoon without your prior registration.

Upcoming Events:

SCEGGS Eisteddfod Heats – Week 7 (check the noticeboard in the DB Centre and Cognito for your heats)

Primary Highlights Concert – Tuesday 17 March 4.30pm, SCEGGS Great Hall

Secondary Highlights Concert – Tuesday 24 March 5.00pm, SCEGGS Great Hall

Musicale 1 – Thursday 26 March 5.00pm, SCEGGS Great Hall

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Visual Arts

Exciting new holiday program of performance and art making at the National Art School (NAS)

The National Art School’s Future Makers programs provide young people with opportunities to engage with artists, artmaking and other forms of creative production on site at NAS. Structured workshops, drop-in activities, performances in theatre and music, and art trails will underpin the format of each day during the school holiday periods across the year.

As well as art making workshops, exciting new Performance Makers holiday workshops in partnership with Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) and THE HOUSE THAT DAN BUILT will combine experimental performance techniques, music and vocals, set and costume design and visual art. 

Don’t forget – Creative Kids vouchers are eligible on all NAS Programs for Young People. Find out more about Creative Kids vouchers and how to redeem them through NAS.

Work from the art classrooms this week…

Heidi Jackson
Head Teacher Visual Arts

Debating

Congratulations to the both the Primary ISDA teams, the Year 7-10 ISDA teams, and the Year 7-9 Eastside teams, who all won their debates last Friday.

This Friday there is no ISDA debating. Eastside Debating will take place at SCEGGS, and we will be competing against Scots. Debates will be held in the Old Girls’ Building, and supper will be served in the cafeteria.

Imogen Harper
Debating Co-ordinator

1:1 Laptop Program Update

At this time of year it is timely to remind Secondary Students of a few simple things they can do to ensure their experience with laptops is a really good one.

Avoiding laptop damage

Treat the laptop with respect. It is a really useful piece of technology, but it is also quite fragile and needs to be treated as such.

Always use the case provided whenever the laptop is being carried. This is mandatory because it is the most effective measure in protecting laptops and avoiding damage. The case should be used while travelling to and from school and between classes while at school.

Students need to be aware of where laptops are left. Leave them in a safe where they won’t be stood on and where the rain can’t reach.

Turn the laptop off immediately if liquid is spilled on it. Don’t turn it on again and instead take it to the IT Service Desk.

What should you do if your laptop is damaged or faulty?

Come to the IT Service Desk as soon as you can. We will repair the laptop and return it to you within a day or two. If the fault is covered under warranty, then there will be no charge. If it is not, then there will be a charge of up to $300.

Need a second charger?

We expect students to charge their laptop at home each evening. If home is more than one location, then we can loan a second charger. Come to the IT Service Desk and we’ll allocate a second charger straight away. This can be returned at the same time the laptop is returned.

Thank you for your support.

Ken Emeleus
Director ICT