From Ms Gyton

Celebrating Our New Prefects and House Leaders

We are delighted to congratulate the students who have been appointed as our new School Prefects and House Leaders for 2026-2027.

These leadership positions recognise not only individual leadership qualities, but also the character, integrity, and commitment that each student has demonstrated throughout their time at the School. Our student leaders are role models who embody our values and contribute positively to the life of the School through their service, initiative, and care for others.

True leadership is never about titles, badges or privileges. It is about service, using one’s strengths to support and encourage others, building community, and helping every student to feel known, valued, and included.

2026-2027 School Prefects

  Prefects

  House Officials

As Prefects and House Leaders, these students will have the opportunity to shape the culture of the School, lead by example, and work alongside staff and students to create a positive and vibrant environment. We know that each of you will bring your own unique gifts and perspectives to the role and are looking forward to working with you! We encourage you to lead with humility, courage, compassion, and authenticity, and to embrace the opportunities and challenges that leadership will undoubtedly bring.

Congratulations again to all of our new Prefects and House Leaders. We wish you every success as you begin this important chapter of leadership within our School community.

Holly Gyton
Head of School

Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

A case of whooping cough (pertussis) has been reported in the Secondary School. Whooping cough usually begins with cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, mild fever and cough. The cough then gets worse, and severe bouts of uncontrollable coughing can develop. Boosters for whooping cough are recommended for adults every 10 years (particularly parents or people who work with children), as well as women who are in the third trimester of pregnancy, preferably at about 28 weeks.

More information is available here.

If you are at all worried about your own health or the currency of your own vaccinations, or you notice any symptoms of whooping cough, please see your GP as soon as possible.

Phil Rogers 
Director of Administration

From the Chaplain

Welcome to the final term of 2026. This year has flown by but there is still much to do. You will be hearing about our usual Christmas drives (plus a new one) and other events in the weeks to come. Thinking of all of our Year 12 students this week as they embark on the final chapter of their HSC and school life. Wishing you all the best for now and the years ahead.

The SCEGGS Podcast “Walk The Mile” Episode 71: The Thing You Should Never Talk About with Ellie Howse

You might know the old saying “Never discuss politics or religion in polite company.” Albert Einstein once said “Those who believe that politics and religion do not mix, understand neither.” In this conversation, not only do we talk about both, but explore some common threads. Ellie Howse (Class of 2005) has had a passion for politics for as long as I have known her. She has worked in a variety of government agencies and has had significant leadership roles throughout her short career. For many people (myself included) politics can be confusing and frustrating. I hope that this discussion might help you to look at it in a different way.

And a reminder that we are published on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other popular platforms 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.

Term 4 Dates for Monday Food Delivery

Term 4 dates for our Monday Food Delivery can be found in the SignUp app. All of the information you need is there but if you have any questions, please contact me. Thanks again to everyone within our community for your continued generosity. I can assure you that every meal is very well appreciated. We have had a few brothers of our students take part as well. This can help with their own school’s community service programs and I welcome any other siblings that might like to get involved. If it is for a program that needs someone to sign off for them, I can do that too!

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
School Chaplain

Changes to Your Flexischools Account

As you may have seen in emails sent by Flexischools directly to families, there have been changes to the Flexischools fee structure following the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) decision to prohibit card payment surcharges from 1 October 2026.

Please note that these changes have been independently implemented by Flexischools and are not determined or controlled by SCEGGS.

What has changed from 1 October 2026?

• No card surcharges will apply when topping up your Flexischools wallet or making payments using a credit card, debit card, EFTPOS or PayPal.
• The minimum wallet top-up amount will increase to $10. Students may continue to make purchases of any value, and any unused wallet balance will remain available for future purchases. Parents may also request a refund of unused funds at any time.
• Purchasing in person with a SCEGGS student card: Purchases made using a student card linked to a Flexischools account will attract a $0.18 transaction fee. According to Flexischools, this fee helps cover the processing costs associated with topping up student card balances.
• Ordering online: The Flexischools online ordering fee will increase by $0.06 per order, bringing the total cost to 39c per transaction.

What Does This Mean for Families?

The overall impact will vary depending on how frequently a family:

• Tops up their Flexischools wallet;
• Places online canteen or uniform shop orders; and
• Uses a student card for purchases.

As an example, if your daughter currently uses her SCEGGS student card and visits the cafeteria two or three times during a lunchtime, you could encourage to purchase all her lunch items in one transaction to minimise the impact of these transaction fees over time.

We encourage families to review their Flexischools usage and refer to communications issued directly by Flexischools for further information regarding these changes.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Adrian Craig
Business Manager

Year 7 Vaccination Clinic

On Monday 9 November (Week 5), Year 7 students will be offered the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines through the NSW Health School Vaccination Program.

We ask that Parents of Year 7 students complete their online consent form by Friday 23 October.

These vaccinations will only be provided at school if consent has been received.

How to provide consent:

1. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit the NSW School Vaccination Portal: health.nsw.edu.au. The Vaccination Portal works best on Google Chrome.
2. Follow the steps to log in to your existing ServiceNSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you don’t have a ServiceNSW account, refer to ServiceNSW to create one.
3. Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required.
4. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:
   1. Enter your child’s personal details
   2. Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
   3. Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement
   4. Provide consent
   5. More detailed instructions can be found on the NSW Health website. This includes instructions for how to withdraw consent.
5. You will receive a text and/or email when your online consent has been completed.

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper consent form from SCEGGS Student Services or Reception.

If you have given consent for your child to be vaccinated at the school clinic, but they are absent on the day of the clinic visit, the school immunisation nurses will try to catch them up at the next clinic. Alternatively, you can speak to a GP or pharmacist about catching up on vaccinations.

For more information on school vaccinations, click here, or if you have any questions, please contact South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit on: 9382 8333 (Ext 2).

Phil Rogers
Director of Administration

Betty Behan and Gwen Cockell English Prizes

SCEGGS has a rich history of fostering creative writing and each year SCEGGS invites students in Years 7–10 to submit their creative fiction and poetry writing into the Betty Behan Memorial Prize for Short Story and Gwen Cockell Prize for Creative Writing (awarded for Poetry). Named in honour of an Old Girl and former English teacher, these prizes are awarded at Speech Night and are a wonderful way of celebrating the writing of our students. Winning entries and extracts of commended pieces of work are also published each year in the Lux yearbook.

Students are invited to submit work that they have completed in class, or which they have worked on independently over the year. Each year we are thrilled to have so many entries from the talented writers at SCEGGS. The closing date for entries is Term 4 Week 2 (Friday 23 October). Students have been emailed instructions for submitting this work and this year they are invited to submit printed copies of their work to the English Department.

Jennifer Bean
Head of English

Music Matters

In Music Matters this week, read about:

• Commitment to Co-Curricular Music
• Clipboard
• Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival
• Australian National Band and Orchestra Conference (ANBOC)
• AMEB
• Bugsy Malone
• Term 4 Event Overview

Commitment to Co-curricular Music

Term 4 is full of important and prestigious performance opportunities for SCEGGS musicians. A reminder that we expect you to practice your ensemble music.

A reminder to secondary students to re-read the Commitment Policy at the start of this very busy term.

Clipboard

A reminder that Clipboard is the one-stop-shop for all rehearsal and performance information during this busy term.

Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival

Congratulations to the Primary String Orchestra who gained a Gold Award in the Brett Dean Premier Event for Primary School String Ensembles at the Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival at the end of last term.

Two of our younger SCEGGS primary string ensembles participated in ASBOF with an online entry this year also achieving wonderful results:

• Sinfonia String Ensemble – Gold Award
• Stringalong String Ensemble – Gold Award

Performances of this nature, in front of a large audience with adjudication from experts in the field provide a wonderful opportunity for growth and reflection for young musicians. Special thanks to all the primary string performers for working so hard to prepare their programs for ASBOF and to the parents for their support and encouragement at home.

Primary String Orchestra	Ivy Zhang & Georgina Sharp from PSO receiving the Gold Award

Australian National Band and Orchestra Conference – ANBOC

Amati Strings was invited to be the demonstration string ensemble at the Australian National Band and Orchestra Conference and performed at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music during the school holidays. Amati Strings performed a Lunchtime Concert for Conference delegates from around Australia, with the world premiere of two new works written by Australian female composers, including SCEGGS Old Girl Jayne Groves was commissioned to write a piece for string orchestra and percussion called A Distant Song Awakens. Amati Strings performed this wonderful piece at Assembly this week, telling the story of the extraordinary musical phenomenon that occurs during the humpback whale migration when each year a new song emerges among the whales on the west coast of Australia and passes from voice to voice until whales on the east coast are singing the same song. Amati Strings also collaborated with wind, brass and percussion players at ANBOC under the baton of Dr Joanna Drimatis from the Australian Music Centre to perform new works for symphony orchestra by Australian composers. Congratulations to all the string players and vocalists involved in ANBOC who represented SCEGGS so well at this prestigious national music conference.   

Click here to see performance of A Distant Song Awakens.

Amati Strings ANBOC	Amati Strings on stage ANBOC

AMEB – Term 3 AMEB Examination Involvement

We congratulate the following students who recently completed their AMEB exams:

Year 1

Year 3

Year 5

Year 6

Year 8

Bugsy Malone

Congratulations to Annabelle Coonan in Year 7 for her wonderful performance as Snake Eyes in the Leichhardt Teatro production of Bugsy Malone. Annabelle showcased her singing, dancing and acting talent amongst a cohort of wonderful young people who have rehearsed all year to prepare for the production. Brava Annabelle!

Term 4 Event Overview

Music beyond the Green Gate

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

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular) 

Years 2–6 Swimming Carnival

Get ready to make a splash!

The Years 2–6 Swimming Carnival will be held on Wednesday 18 November at Lane Cove Aquatic Leisure Centre, commencing at 9.00am.

Please read the following information:

• Parent and Spectator Seating
• Arrangements for the Day
• Swimming Events and Registration
• Years 3 to 6 Registration
• Sun Safety
• Food and Drink
• Selection for the 2027 SCEGGS Swim Team
• Co-curricular Activities on Wednesday 18 November
• Wet Weather Arrangements

Parent and Spectator Seating

Parents and spectators are warmly invited to attend and may sit in the balcony viewing area at the northern end of the pool or behind the students in the tiered stands.

Students must remain in their designated House areas throughout the Carnival, so parents and spectators are asked not to sit with them.

Entry for spectators aged 16 years and over is $3.50.

Arrangements for the Day

Students should arrive at school by 8.15am, wearing their PE uniform with swimmers underneath, and attend Form Time as usual. Chartered buses will depart SCEGGS at 8.30am.

Students are encouraged to show their House spirit by wearing decorated hats, coloured socks, T-shirts and other House coloured accessories. To minimise waste, pom-poms and paper streamers are not permitted. Students must wear their PE uniform correctly when travelling to and from school.

At the conclusion of the Carnival, students will either return to school by chartered bus or be collected from the venue by a parent or carer.

If you intend to collect your daughter from the pool, please provide written permission to her class teacher in advance. Students returning by bus will arrive at school in time for normal car-line collection.

All students are expected to remain for the entire carnival. Early departures require prior approval from Mrs Dempsey.

Swimming Events and Registration

Years 4–6

All students will automatically be entered in the following events:

• 50m Freestyle
• 50m Breaststroke
• 50m Backstroke

Students who attend squad training and can confidently complete the distances within an appropriate time may also enter:

• 50m Butterfly
• 100m Freestyle
• 200m Individual Medley

Students wishing to compete in these additional events must register via Clipboard.

Year 3

All Year 3 students must register their events via Clipboard.

Students may choose to compete in either 25m or 50m races in Freestyle, Breaststroke and Backstroke. We encourage students to challenge themselves with the 50m distances where appropriate, while recognising that confidence and enjoyment are equally important.

Please discuss the options with your daughter and select events suited to her swimming ability and confidence.

Year 2

Year 2 students will participate in 25m Freestyle and Backstroke events.

This provides an opportunity to experience their first Primary Swimming Carnival, develop confidence and contribute to their House. From Year 3, students will be able to participate in a broader range of events.

Years 3–6 Registration

Please complete the 2026 Primary Swim Carnival form via Clipboard.

The carnival program will be available in Week 5 through Behind the Green Gate (BTGG) and the SCEGGS App.

Sun Safety

As the pool at Lane Cove is outdoors, sun protection is essential.

Students must:

• Wear a T-shirt when not competing.
• Wear a hat while seated in the stands.
• Bring sunscreen and reapply it regularly throughout the day.

Students should wear their SCEGGS swimsuit and are also encouraged to wear rash shirts or other sun protective swimwear.

Food and Drink

Students should bring sufficient food for the day, including recess and lunch, along with a large water bottle.

Parents are asked not to purchase or bring takeaway food for their daughters.

The venue café will be available to parents and spectators only. Students are not permitted to purchase or consume food or drinks from the café.

Selection for the 2027 SCEGGS Swimming Team

Carnival results will contribute to the selection of the 2027 SCEGGS Swimming Team for students in Years 3–6, who will compete at the Junior IGSA Swimming Carnival.

Students who are absent on the day, along with all students entering Year 3 in 2027, will have an opportunity to attend time trials early next year. Further details will be provided closer to the date.

The final team will be selected taking into consideration times recorded at the School Carnival, subsequent time trials and current Swimming NSW results. This will be at the discretion of the Sports Department.

We encourage all students to participate enthusiastically, challenge themselves and strive for their personal best.

Co-curricular Activities on Wednesday 18 November

• Sinfonietta: The before school rehearsal will be cancelled.
• After school sport: Activities will proceed as usual, although attendance is optional. If your daughter will not be attending, please notify the relevant Sports Coordinator or email sport@sceggs.nsw.edu.au.

Wet Weather Arrangements

In the event of inclement weather, a decision regarding cancellation will be made by 7.30am on the day and communicated via Clipboard and the SCEGGS App.

We look forward to a wonderful day of swimming, participation and House spirit!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Mr Adrian Hammond
Primary Sport Coordinator

Secondary Sport News

In Secondary School sports news this week read about:

• SCEGGS Basketball
• Golf
• Equestrian
• NSW All Schools Athletics Championships
• Concussion in Sport
• IGSA Fixtures, Results and Wet Weather

SCEGGS Basketball — 2026 Season Wrap-Up

What a fantastic three terms of basketball for SCEGGS!

Our girls have shined week after week, showing incredible commitment, enthusiasm and team spirit throughout the season. There have been so many exciting games, memorable moments and individual highlights, far too many to mention but what stood out most was the way our teams consistently competed, supported one another and gave their best every week.

Across the three terms, many of our teams reached the playoffs with several grades going all the way to claim Championships, a wonderful achievement and a reflection of the hard work put in by our girls and coaches.

We also said a special farewell to our Year 12 girls, thanking them for their outstanding contribution to SCEGGS Basketball over the years. They have helped shape our program and leave behind a fantastic legacy for the girls who follow.

A huge thank you to our fantastic coaching team, coordinators and dedicated supporters who have been there week after week, helping our girls develop, compete and enjoy their basketball.

From myself, a very big thank you to everyone who has been part of SCEGGS Basketball in 2026. It has been a pleasure watching the girls grow, improve and, most importantly, enjoy playing the game they love.

We can be proud of what we have achieved together and we’re already looking forward to an even bigger and better 2027!

Mark Handel
Head Basketball Coach

Golf

Congratulations to Sondrine Bethke (Year 11) who recently won the Jack Newton 2026 Fore Golf Junior Matchplay for 16 years and over. This event matched the top eight players in NSW in a matchplay event over four rounds in two days. See results here. 

Equestrian

A special shout out to Isla Oxley (Year 10) who competed at the Australian Interschools Equestrian Championships that were held in Victoria over the holidays. Isla and her horse Enbarr, produced some outstanding results and achieved two second places in the Small Tour Classes – Prix St Georges and Intermediate 1. Isla and Embarr also finished as Reserve Champions Overall. Isla then partnered with Jake Parbery in the Pas de Deux, where they were crowned Champions with an incredible score of 88% for their routine! 

Well done also to Scarlett Webber (Year 11) who competed in the holidays at the “Equimillions” where she placed first on her horse, The Nomad, in the 80 Eventing Junior event. This is a fabulous achievement! Scarlett will be back in action at the Tamworth Interschools next weekend. 

Congratulations to Hannah Doolan (Year 12) who has continued to balance her studies and equestrian career. Hannah was part of the winning Australian U21 team who won both the competition and series against New Zealand. Hannah also recently had the opportunity to attend the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in Germany as reserve for the Young Rider team. We wish Hannah all the best as she embarks on her HSC studies.

NSW All Schools Athletics Championships

The school holidays got off to a flying start for 11 SCEGGS athletes from Years 7-12, who competed against the state’s best at the NSW All Schools Athletics Championships. 

Our students showcased outstanding determination, talent and sportswomanship across a range of track and field events, returning home with an impressive medal haul of eight gold, two silver and one bronze. The SCEGGS Athletics community is incredibly proud of the commitment and hard work these athletes put into both their preparation and competition. 

Silver medals were awarded to Lily Cooney (Year 12) and Beatrice Emanuel (Year 7) and Bronze to Nancy Newton (Year 12). 

A special congratulations to all students who competed, represented SCEGGS with pride and achieved personal successes at this event. 

We are delighted to share that five students have qualified to go through to next level of competition… the National Athletics Championships! Year 12’s Lily, Matilda, Coco, Sarah, and Year 7’s Bea and Stasia. These events will take place in Perth in December or April 2027 in Brisbane depending on age groups and events. We wish them every success in future competitions and can’t wait to follow their journeys! 

Ms Axford 
Assistant Director of Sport 

Concussion in Sport

The Sports Department have compiled this practical and helpful resource for parents, teachers, coaches and students to help identify and manage concussion in sport. Please click here to access the latest guidelines, courses, resources and providers.

IGSA Fixtures, Results and Wet Weather

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

SCEGGS at Play

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

We love seeing our students being active and want to celebrate their passion and enjoyment amongst the SCEGGS community. Please send in any action shots from the weekend and any other interesting sporting highlights to alisongowan@sceggs.nsw.edu.au

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

Alison Gowan
Director of Sport

Primary Sport News

Term 4 Sport Commences

The Year 3 Football, IPSHA Basketball, and IPSHA Tennis competitions commence this Saturday. All the best to all teams for their first round!

A few reminders for the term:

• Please check Clipboard for all fixture details.
• Students are expected to uphold the SCEGGS Sports Values for all games and trainings.
• Students are expected to be at the venue 30 minutes prior to game time.
• Any absences due to injury/illness to be communicated to the relevant coordinator as early as possible.
• Any other absences for Saturday fixtures need to be approved by Mrs Dempsey at least one week prior to the game.

Student Achievements

In the school holiday, Georgina Sharp (Year 6) travelled to Werribee in Victoria with her pony to compete at the Australian National equestrian interschools competition. It was an amazing week away with over 400 children from every state and territory from both primary and secondary schools. She represented NSW in the Primary Open Show Horse section and came away with overall Reserve Australian Champion. Georgina also won the riding class phase for the second year in a row. Congratulations to Georgina for her efforts.

Avery Sharma (Year 1) has been working hard with her Gymnastics and recently was invited to train in the Level 1 Gymnastics squad at her gym. She also recently placed 2nd overall in her division at EGA. Keep up the fantastic work, Avery!

Sydney FC Primary Schools Cup

At the end of last term, a combined Years 5 and 6 team competed at the Sydney FC Primary Schools Cup. The team won their first game and then narrowly went down to a very strong Sans Souci team 3-5, with Rose Johnston (Year 6) scoring all three goals. The last two games ended in defeat, but the team showed tremendous spirit and determination throughout the tournament, were highly competitive and represented themselves exceptionally well. Congratulations to the team for their efforts.

Concussion in Sport

The Sports Department have compiled this practical and helpful resource for parents, teachers, coaches and students to help identify and manage concussion in sport. Please click here to access the latest guidelines, courses, resources and providers.

Important Sport Dates

• Saturday 17 October: Round 1 commences for IPSHA Basketball, IPSHA Tennis, and Year 3 Football (check Clipboard for locations and times)
• Thursday 29 October: Years 3-6 IPSHA Gymanstics Championships (selected students only)
• Wednesday 18 November Primary Swimming Carnival (Years 2-6)

Have a wonderful week at sport!

Mr Adrian Hammond
Primary Sport Coordinator

Careers Corner

Click here to read this week’s Careers Corner Newsletter.

Andrea Pinnock
Careers Advisor

P&F Class Parent Events

Here are our current Term 4 Class Parent events: 

• Year 2 End of Year Parent Dinner
• Year 8 Parents and Carers End of Year Drinks

Year 2 End of Year Parent Dinner

Date: 11 November

Time: 7.00pm

Location: Matteo, Double Bay

Cost: $80 per head

RSVP: by 4 November via Trybooking. 

Year 8 Parents and Carers End of Year Drinks

Date: Wednesday 25 November 2026

Time: 6.00pm – 10.00pm

Venue: The Four in Hand, Paddington

Cost: $60 per person

RSVP: 10 November 2026 via Trybooking