From The Chaplain

Thanks for Keeping Others Warm!

There has been a steady stream of donations coming in for our drive of hoodies, trackies and blankies! I have taken two truckloads of items to some of our local agencies and still have quite a bit of stuff to deliver. I can honestly say that your generosity is well appreciated, and it is helping to make winter a bit easier for those who sleep rough in our local community. My final delivery will be on the last day of term (Friday 23 June) so if you are intending to donate, please make sure your items come in before then. They can be left in my office or in the basket outside of the Chapel.

The SCEGGS Podcast “Walk The Mile” Episode 38: Art For Art’s Sake!

SCEGGS has had a long tradition of producing accomplished female artists and encouraging all students to create and explore through their own artistic ability. Some would argue that it is not only important to education but to life itself. Heidi Jackson is the Head of Visual Arts at SCEGGS and has a deep passion for her subject that goes well beyond her role as a teacher. She even has an exhibition coming up in the next couple of weeks with some other members of her department. Our conversation considers the value of art, what it tells us about ourselves and why it is important to society. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

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

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
Chaplain

Drama News

Ladies In Black

The SCEGGS Musical for 2023 signals our first foray back to a large-scale musical presented at an external venue, since Covid. A period that changed the way we negotiated school productions. What a time that was! We were in rehearsals for Ladies in Black in February 2020 when the Covid pandemic brought a halt to theatre production around the world. Our production of Ladies in Black has been shelved since then, awaiting a time when we could confidently bring the story to life.

That time is finally here and in the coming week audiences will be thrilled to the talents and imagination of our cast and creative team, as they are transported back to Sydney in 1959.

Ladies In Black by Carolyn Burns and Tim Finn

Peter Eyers
Head of Drama

Music Matters

Music Week Concert featuring ‘Legendary Jazz singer’ Emma Pask – Term 3 Week 2

We are pleased to announce that Emma Pask, Australia’s legendary Jazz singer will be joining us in our Music Week concert next term.  Emma was spotted by renowned Australian Jazz great James Morrison to join his band as lead vocalist.  She was only 16 years old at the time!  She then toured with James Morrison and his big band around the world for 20 years.  Some of Emma’s performance highlights have included performing at the wedding of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, singing for the late Diana Princess of Wales and Princess Mary of Denmark.  Emma is also the ‘Mo’ award winner for Jazz Vocalist of the year.  She has also received Aria nominations for Best Jazz Album of the Year in 2014 and 2016.  Emma has also opened for the Grammy award winning American vocalist Kurt Elling on his 2018 Australian tour.  During the 2020 COVID-lockdown, Emma was also chosen by The Sydney Opera House to launch the first of their live streamed concerts.

Emma and her musical director Mr Kevin Hunt will be coming to SCEGGS from Tuesday of Week 2 of Term 3 to workshop scat techniques with our Elective Music classes.  She will also be coming to workshop with some of the featured ensembles who are performing in this special Music Week concert. 

To secure your seats to this free concert – please use the TryBooking link here. We look forward to sharing a very special evening of Jazz with you next term.

SCEGGS 2023 Inter-House Music Competition – Friday 23 June

As the term is counting down to the final two weeks, the preparation for the Inter-House Music Competition is at an all time high!  This year’s theme for the competition is Songs that Changed the World.  Each House has been extremely creative with their interpretation of the theme, and we look forward to seeing the hard work of each House coming to fruition.

City of Sydney Eisteddfod: Bugles, Clarion and Holst Wind Band

Congratulations to the Primary students of Bugles band and the secondary students of Clarion and Holst Wind Bands.  Last week, the students from these ensembles took place in the City of Sydney Eisteddfod in Chatswood’s Concourse.  Bugles performed in their section on Tuesday 6 June, while the two secondary bands performed on Wednesday 7 June.  The results for the competition are as follows:

• Bugles – 2^nd Place
• Clarion – 2^nd Place
• Holst Wind Band – Highly commended

We are extremely proud of our students’ achievement in their section of the Eisteddfod.  It was an excellent performance opportunity for each ensemble.  A special thank you to Mr Michael Tierney (Director of Bands) and to Ms Alison Ryan (Conductor of Clarion band) with their preparation and direction of their respective ensembles.  Well done to every student who has worked hard for the preparation of these events!

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Beatboxing Workshop

On Monday 5 June, the Music Department took part in Beatboxing workshops. Students from Years 3-6, and the Senior Choir all learnt from Connor Malanos, a professional beatboxer who taught us to use our voices to create amazing sounds and rhythmic patterns.

We were able to become our own drumkit, using the consonants B, P, T and F to emulate the bass drum, snare and high-hat and keep the beat all together.

Connor has an incredible talent, and he made unusual and unexpected sounds like a cricket chirping, bird calls and even the sound of a finger tapping the keys on the phone and the ‘sent message’ whoosh!

All the year groups were most engaged as he asked us to listen to the sound around us and recreate them using only our mouths. 

Beatboxing requires lots of practice and skill to perfect, and we are implementing what he taught us in music classes to create soundscapes that tell a story of the world around us.

Lanneke Jones
Primary Music Teacher

Upcoming Music Events

Term 2

Term 3

Refugee Week Charity Drive

As we have done in past years, we are reaching out to the SCEGGS community to support Refugee Week during Week 9. The theme this year is that of freedom. The Refugee Council of Australia describes freedom as: 

To live without the fear of war, to have your basic human rights upheld, to live in equality and without the fear of persecution are just some of the examples of what freedom can entail. Every day millions of people across the world embark on dangerous journeys for the sole purpose of finding safety and freedom. From Australia to nations across the globe, settling into a new environment after experiencing the perils of a refugee’s journey can also provide the opportunity to live, to love and to dream.

Click here for more information about their work.

Our Christian tradition through the example of Jesus teaches us that we are all born with inherent dignity and it is through this that we come to understand that we have a responsibility to care for another through compassion and love, welcoming those who we may call strangers and showing hospitality as we do. A very practical way in which we can show this generosity of love is through the donation of pantry items to help newly arrived migrants and refugees begin their lives and experience freedom here in our local community of Sydney.

We are asking that students bring in the following items for our annual collection of goods that will go to the House of Welcome at Granville, which “exists to welcome, shelter and empower people seeking asylum and refugees regardless of their age, gender, sexuality, nationality or religion.” Click here for more information.

Secondary students please take the items to the basket outside Chapel during Week 9 and primary students, please take these to your classroom teacher. I have visited the House Of Welcome a number of times and each time I have gone, the volunteers express such deep and heartfelt thanks to SCEGGS for their kind donations. The food and items donated are very much needed and appreciated.

Please note: We pay particular heed to the wishes, habits and palates of those receiving our donated goods and respectfully request that you do not supply soup, baked beans or tinned spaghetti.

Thank you for your generous and kind support of Refugee Week and the House of Welcome goods drive. Year 9 student Zara Perkins shares her reflection on Refugee Week here.

Dynielle Whitney
Head of Religious Education
Social Justice Co-Ordinator

Science News

Year 6 Science Club

This term has had a wonderful start for some of our newest Science Club members. Some enthusiastic Year 6 students have joined us in the High School Science labs for our Friday lunch sessions. They had an induction by fire (literally!) by learning how to hold fire on their hands.

Then they joined in the crystal growing fun, finding the perfect seed crystal. After a little tutoring, they learnt to use a Bunsen burner, beaker, stirring rod and other scientific equipment. Then they grew and cultured their crystals over the following weeks.

They have also had a wonderful opportunity to interact with our Year 12 Science Leaders and learn some pearls of wisdom from the older girls. We look forward to seeing them more often in our labs!

Mia Sharma
Science Teacher

Refugee Week

The SCEGGS Amnesty Club have been reviewing Refugee Week. Here is a reflection from Zara Perkins.

Refugee Week is from Sunday 18 to Saturday 24 June this year, and Amnesty has been looking at several ways that we can help asylum seekers in Australia and educate people on the humanitarian refugee crisis. 

A refugee is someone who’s been forced to leave their country to escape anything from war to natural disaster. They have a well-founded fear of persecution, for reasons including race, religion and/or political opinion. Refugees are people who leave their country not because they want to (like an immigrant), but rather because, if they remained, they’d face serious harms and are scared to do so. Every day, thousands of people make the difficult decision to leave their homes in search of a safer life in an unknown country. Over 100 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide as of May 2022, and 70% of these people come from just five countries – Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Myanmar and South Sudan. Although refugees should be protected under international law, there are tens of millions of people who are unable to find a better life in a new place due to countries creating barriers that leave today’s asylum seekers in drawn-out limbo.

The number of refugees today are reaching historic highs. The international refugee regime, guided by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, provides life-saving assistance to emergency situations. However, it has been challenging to give long-term, meaningful support to people seeking asylum. People who’ve been displaced and the communities that support them face challenges as many governments create anti-refugee policies. There are several reasons that finding asylum has become so challenging for refugees. Firstly, there is a public perception that refugees are dangerous and are foreigners that would compete with residents for jobs. There is also a perception that refugees draw too much on the welfare state at the expense of residents of the country. Politicians have capitalised on these sentiments by conflating refugees and migrants and advocating for sealed borders for all. Also, refugees can also be misclassified as an economic migrant, dismissing their claims of seeking asylum. In any case, the outlook is similar – countries have made it difficult for refugees they host, have prevented refugees from entering and have retreated from their obligations to protect asylum seekers.

Offshore processing or detention centres hold thousands of refugees seeking asylum in Australia. Conditions in refugee detention centres are very poor – extreme temperatures, inadequate medical care and frequent preventable deaths are common. The emergence of disturbing reports and images from the centres add another troubling layer to countries’ anti-immigration policies. In Australia, immigration detention is indefinite – no laws restrict how long someone can be detained for. This leads to the average refugee spending over two years in a detention centre. Organisations such as the Royal Australasian College of Physicians have recommended that the government close all detention centres, abolish mandatory detention and ensure people receive flexible casework that allows access to healthcare, family welfare and education.

There are several ways that you can help refugees. For Refugee Week at SCEGGS, we will be supporting the charity House of Welcome. It aims to shelter and empower people seeking asylum, regardless of their age, gender, sexuality, nationality or religion. By advocating for justice and promoting independence, they foster a holistic approach to nurture hope and dignity. We’re asking each year group to bring in a specific item that House of Welcome can distribute to refugees. Other ways you can help include sponsoring a refugee, volunteering at places such as the Australian Red Cross, connectin with refugees and helping them to have a greater sense of belonging in the community.

Thank you for supporting asylum seekers this Refugee Week!

Zara Perkins
Year 9 Student

Primary Sport News

Primary Athletics Carnival

What a perfect day we had on Friday 9 June for our Primary Athletics Carnival at ES Marks Athletics Track. It was incredible to see all girls from Kindergarten to Year 6 participate enthusiastically in the day’s track and field and novelty events. Well done to all the students who tried new events, striving for their best, cheered, supported and encouraged those around them.

Thank you to all the primary staff and coaches for their support in judging, marshalling, taking photos, recording, giving out ribbons, supervising the Houses, and recording distances and heights in the field events. Without them, the day would not have gone ahead.

Thank you also to the parents who attended the Athletics Carnival and cheered on the girls, it was lovely to have such a great atmosphere at the track. Well done to the parents who also got involved in the Staff vs Parents Egg and Spoon Race. With three teams of parents entering, it was great to see their competitive side come out.

The Open Primary Championship was the day’s final race, where the 10 fastest girls in the Primary school fought it out to see who the fastest was. Congratulations to Ava Pepper (Year 6 Langley), who came away with the win for the second year in a row over a strong field of runners from Years 4, 5 and 6.

In next week’s edition, we will release the results from the Carnival. 

NSWCIS Cross Country

Last Thursday, Beatrice Emanuel (Year 4) and Anna Slack (Year 6) represented IPSHA at the NSWCIS Cross Country at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre.

Well done to Anna, who ran in the 3km and finished 11th out of 94 competitors in a time of 11mins 32sec. 

Beatrice finished 1^st overall in the 2km, beating out 105 other competitors in a time of 8mins 42sec. This amazing achievement sees her move on to the NSWPSSA Cross Country Championships on Friday 21^st July, at Sydney Motorsport Park.  

An incredible achievement, girls. We are so proud of you both!

Term 3 Saturday Sports Trials

With Saturday Sport for Term 2 finishing up this weekend, we turn our heads towards term 3 sport.

Tuesday 20 June, we will have our Term 3 Saturday Sport trials for Year 3 Minkey (Modified Hockey), IPSHA Touch Football Year 4-6 and IPSHA AFL Years 4/5/6.

Further details will be sent in the Term 3 Saturday Sport enrolment letters on Friday.

Holiday Tennis Clinic

SCEGGS’ Exclusive Tennis Coaches Justin and Vince are hosting a SCEGGS JUNIOR SCHOOL ONLY tennis program these school holidays.

All standards are welcome and programmed for; Beginners, Intermediate and Frequent Players.

Justin and Vince are the long-time and current SCEGGS Tildesely Tennis Team coaches,  PE tennis classes for SCEGGS junior school.

Reminder: Permission Requirement for all Primary Sports

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 need to be received by SCEGGS Sports Staff before 11.00 am for the coaching staff to be communicated to.

Primary Sport Achievements

Does your daughter compete in any sport outside of school (for example, at a representative level or a sport we do not currently offer)? If so, I would love to celebrate their achievements by recognising them in this newsletter!

Please email any information (and photos, if possible) to Tom Mitton. These will be included in newsletters throughout the year.

SCEGGS Training sessions before and after school, plus Saturday Sport

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

Tom Mitton
PDHPE and Sport Coordinator: Primary

Secondary Sport News

NSWCIS Cross Country

Well done to all our SCEGGS runners who represented IGSA at the NSWCIS Cross Country Championships that were held at Eastern Creek last week. Highlights of the day were:

• Matilda Emanuel (Year 9) – 2^nd in the 15 years
• Nancy Newton (Year 9) – 5^th in the 15 years
• Lily Cooney (Year 9) – 9^th in the 15 years
• Ruby Fry (Year 10) – 5^th in the 16 years

Congratulations to all 4 competitors who have qualified to attend the NSW All Schools Championships.

Figure Skating

Well done to Madelyn Hung (Year 8) who has been dazzling on the ice. Madelyn represents the Ice Zoo Skating Club in Alexandria. Madelyn competed at the Hollins Trophy Championship Series that was held on the Central Coast over the June Long Weekend. Madelyn placed 18^th overall in the Preliminary Girls Category. We look forward to hearing more about Madelyn’s achievements throughout the year.

AFL

Congratulations to Emma Juneja (Year 12) who has been selected in the Allies (State) AFL team to compete at the Australian Championships.

NSW U15 Hockey Championships

Well done to Zara Grace (Year 8), Audrey Rivers (Year 8) and Eva Ancher (Year 8) who represented the SEHA Hockey Association at the NSW U15 Championships that were held over the long weekend. Their team placed 3^rd in Division 2.

Jess Weatherall also represented SEHA in Division 1 and her team was successful in winning the Gold Medal. Congratulations!

Artistic Gymnastics

Congratulations to Alexa Falzon (Year 7), Jamilla Yamani (Year 7) and Annalise Zimmerle (Year 8) who all competed at the Country Capital Cup in Tamworth over the long weekend. All three students produced some wonderful results in the Level 7 category. This is a lead in competition for the State trials and State Championships coming up in July and August.

Results were as follows:

Frensham Matches

SCEGGS sent 3 buses of basketball and football players to Frensham on June 3. It was a chilly morning but lots of fun was had by everyone and SCEGGS came away with several wins.

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

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

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

Debating

Congratulations to the Year 7B, Year 8B, Year 8A, Junior, Year 9, Year 10, and Senior teams for winning their Round 5 Archdale debates on Tuesday evening. Archdale Debating resumes in Week 2 of Term III, with Round 6 taking place at SCEGGS against Abbotsleigh.

Congratulations also to Beck for winning the Senior Interhouse Debating Competition. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of all debaters for this competition, and the Grand Final between Badham and Beck was lots of fun for all those who attended – well-done to both houses for their exception performances.

Imogen Harper
Debating Coordinator

School Shop

Lost Property Reminder

We have accumulated a collection of Lost Property items during the course of the term in the School Shop.

All secondary students with identifiable items in Lost Property are encouraged to collect them before the end of term. We also have a collection of water bottles, lunch boxes and un-named non uniform items. These will be on display outside the School Shop on the last week of this term, ready to be claimed.

The School Shop will close Friday 23 June and reopen Wednesday 19 July.

Have a safe and enjoyable term break.

Clare Reid
School Shop Manager

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Class Parent Events