From Ms Allum

I am writing this for the last Behind the Green Gate of the term. What an amazing term it has been! As I penned the words for the first Behind the Green Gate of the year, how could any of us have known what was to come? In the first newsletter, I wrote words of welcome to new parents and students:

Most importantly, SCEGGS is a community of people who look after each other. If you do have any questions at any time, please do not hesitate to ask any of us – we really do want you to feel part of our community and know that we care that you get as much as you can out of a SCEGGS education.

Well, I think we demonstrated that care and commitment very much, everyone to everyone, in all areas of the school. I must admit, though, it wasn’t ways I was expecting!

Life has its uncertainties, and these can make us anxious and worried. I know we all have to learn to live with uncertainty, now more than ever. We need to focus on the things that we can control, and put aside the things that we don’t know about the future, the things that worry or concern us. I can see how hard this is for many in our community, and I pray that you can find some peace in the next few weeks, whist we have school holidays. I pray you feel held in the palm of God’s hand…

So, here is a list of things to do over the holidays!

1. Be kind to yourself. Look after yourself. Be gentle. Be accepting. Find little things which you know will slow you down…
2. Have some fun and laughter. What’s your “thing”? Funny cat videos? Slapstick movies? Bad ‘Dad’ jokes? Laugh out loud!!
3. Connect with others. Do something for someone else. There is nothing like helping others to put a smile on your face, and theirs! It might be ringing someone you haven’t heard from for a while, or someone who you know is house-bound. Can you shop for essentials for your neighbour, or mow their lawn?
4. Be active. Go for a walk. Kick a ball in the backyard or the local park with your family. Try an exercise video or a yoga session on-line.
5. Keep your body and your mind healthy. Sleep and eat well. Drink lots of water. Have lots of non-screen time. Have lots of time away from news and information updates on Coronavirus too.  And no phones in the bedroom at night!
6. Be grateful for what we have. Count your blessings. Remember the things we have and the things we can do, rather than focusing on the things we can’t do, or the things that we don’t have at the moment.

I don’t know what will happen in Term 2 with learning. Maybe we will be back together with on-campus learning. Maybe we will be doing more at-home learning. Maybe the city will be in complete lock-down. I don’t know the answers to these questions. I do know that we will do everything we can to look after girls and their learning, whatever the circumstances and context. I know we will look after the well-being of all in the school community, as much as we can, with love and concern, compassion, kindness and empathy. And we will communicate with you all as much as you can, so that you know what is happening.

In the meantime, I pray that you will all be safe over the school holidays. Enjoy the small things in life. Be grateful for what we have.

Lots of love to you all.

Jenny

From the Chaplain

I am sure I am not alone in saying that this past week has been one of the strangest, most tiring and intense weeks that I can remember. It has been lovely to see some of you online and to find out how things are going but there is definitely something missing here at school. I am guessing there is a varying degree of schoolwork being done, all being impacted by a variety of issues and situations. Ultimately, I do hope you are all ok, that you are finding the connections you need and that we will all find the strength and comfort that will get us through this.

Someone asked me recently how I made sense of everything that is going on in terms of my own religious views. It seemed too trite for me to say something like “God will look after us”. Even though in the back of my mind I really believe this, it doesn’t recognize the anxiety and confusion that comes with being human. At the same time, I believe it is important to examine where we do place our trust in unstable times.

You may be familiar with the story of Jesus stilling the storm. It begins with Jesus and his disciples heading out on a very calm lake. Then this happens:

As they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. Suddenly a strong wind blew down on the lake, and the boat began to fill with water, so that they were all in great danger. The disciples went to Jesus and woke him up, saying, “Master, Master! We are about to die!” Jesus got up and gave an order to the wind and to the stormy water; they quieted down, and there was a great calm. Then he said to the disciples, “Where is your faith?” But they were amazed and afraid, and said to one another, “Who is this man? He gives orders to the winds and waves, and they obey him!” (Luke 8:23-25)

We are in the middle of huge global storm, one that few of us, if anyone, has ever experienced. Like the disciples, it has created a frenzy and whipped up fear in a very short time. Some of us might even be calling out to God right now asking for Him to stop this terrible outbreak. We might be angry with God for the situation we find ourselves in, it may even enhance our unbelief. But what then do we or can we believe in?

When Jesus asks the question “Where is your faith?” it is sometimes interpreted as an admonishment, as if He couldn’t deal with their worry and telling them to snap out of it. I like to see it from another perspective. I think Jesus is challenging the disciples to consider where do they place their faith, what do they trust in when things get tough. The coronavirus has shaken our world in ways unimaginable a few weeks ago. What we all want is some stability again, particularly in a physical or material sense. I am praying that will come soon. But what about our own emotional or spiritual stability? Where does that come from? For some of us is might be religion as we know it, a belief in something greater than us and the circumstances we find ourselves in. That might not be the case for others and I totally respect that. I believe we all need to find something that gives us hope and meaning in times such as this. If you haven’t got it yet, I pray that you will.

Thanks to all the people that have suggested different ways of caring for those within and beyond our immediate community. There were too many to name all of them, but I did want to mention a few ideas. Many of the women’s shelters are in great need as they prepare for the possible consequences due to the rise of domestic violence. The type of thing that they are looking for are:

• Gloves
• Hand sanitiser (small packs)
• Paper towels
• Antibacterial wipes
• Masks
• Toilet paper
• Hand soap (pump only)
• Tissues
• Cleaning products
• Glen20
• Bleach
• Disinfectant
• Nappies
• Non-perishable food items (canned goods)

The best way to approach this is to look up where the shelters are close to you and work out delivery directly. Women’s Community Shelters is a good place to start. Meals on Wheels need volunteers now to help deliver food to those most isolated. Places like the Wayside Chapel and Hope St Woolloomooloo need donations such as clothes, blankets, towels etc as we enter the colder months. I have become aware of the families within our school community where unemployment has struck or those in the hospitality industry that have taken on a whole new burden. There are many health professionals that are working in environments where the intensity and fear has risen, and they are increasingly exhausted by public demand. There are a variety of ways that we can support these people and I encourage you all to reach where possible and enquire as to the specific needs of these people. Some SCEGGS parents created some food hampers this week for all our staff to share as a token of appreciation of the effort that we are making to keep school going. That gesture was extremely well received and showed how support and kindness can be relayed in the simplest of ways. We all need support and I hope we can graciously receive it as much as we are willing to give.

Take care everyone and stay safe.

Rev Garry Lee-Lindsay
Chaplain

Learning at Home

Here are some photos of  our students and teachers learning at home. Click on each thumbnail below to view the full image.

Creative Writing News and Other Writing Opportunities

Writing Workshops with Margot Lee                                                  

This term the English Department were delighted to welcome back Margot Lee (Class of 2019) to help run some creative writing workshops with Ms Sarah Hawkins. For the 20 students from Years 7 – 11 it was a wonderful opportunity explore new texts, practise their writing and workshop their own pieces.

Having participated in several International Creative Writing courses herself, Margot was able to share with students the effect of techniques like free indirect discourse, or the difference between slant and half rhyme in poetry. Amelia Board (Year 11) commented that the workshops taught her about “the importance of creating rich imagery and description.” Jessica Millin (Year 9) said that she “really enjoyed listening to Margot’s advice about perspective and how it can be used in writing.”

A big part of the experience was having the opportunity to share your work and “workshop” it with other young writers. It was so lovely to see students from across a range of Year levels working together and sharing ideas.  Scarlett Cooper (Year 9) said that she “enjoyed how everyone had the chance to read other people’s writing and creative pieces.” The students were given wonderful feedback from their peers and from Margot and Ms Hawkins which we hope encourages them to forge ahead with their Creative efforts.

Other writing opportunities…

I know that recently in the English Department we have spent a lot of time reflecting on the solace of literature in difficult times. It is wonderful to see a range of on-line resources and opportunities being opened up for students around the globe; Audible’s free audio books for children, libraries and institutions like GERRIC (Gifted Education) uploading free resources.

In our English classes we’ve been encouraging students to try to take the opportunity over the next month or so to read widely and from new genres. We know that the library was thrilled to have its record day of borrowing on the day that the school moved to “At home learning!” We’ve also advertised a number of writing competitions which students might be interested in participating in (see below). If you come across other opportunities or resources, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Red Room Poetry Object Competition

Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards

Mosman Council Youth Awards

Ms Jenny Bean
Acting Head of English

From the Senior Library

“125 Years in 125 Days” – Welcome to our third week of counting down our School’s birthday!

This week in the Library we have been having a great time looking at past photographs of School productions and House plays. We have featured an old and new example each day. We have loved the contrast between Christian House’s 1953 Apple Pie Order and their winning production of Coraline in 2018. Can you guess what year this early School production of Trachiniae was performed?

In the week before Easter we are featuring items relating to important or interesting School buildings.

• Do you know what year the Chapel was first opened?
• When did the School acquire the Playhouse?
• Which famous Australian Nobel Prize winner had his first play performed at the then Bryant’s Playhouse, in 1935?
• St Peter’s church was acquired by which Head Mistress?
• When was it first used as the official assembly hall?
• What year was the Auditorium opened? 
• When was the Diana Bowman Centre completed?
• The OG Building has had several names over the years.
• Do you know any of them and in which decade was it first opened?

If you don’t know, or are unsure of any of the answers, stay tuned for our next update and all will be answered.

Answers to last week’s questions:

• Of course, the well-known Australian and Old Girl featured in the 1936 winning relay team is Margaret Whitlam (DOVEY 1930-1937).
• The Crusaders’ camp photo was taken in 1978, which many Old Girls guessed on their Facebook page and Audrey Gathy (BARAT 1966-1979) is sure she took the actual photograph.
• Old Girl Kerrie Ikin (BEARD 1966-1971) was correct in saying Beck won the first House Cup for Sport, in 1926.
• The first recorded winner of the House Drama Festival was Beck, in 1950, as the 1949 inaugural Drama Festival awarded no winners.
• Between 1950 and 2020, Docker has easily won the most House Drama cups.
• The J., B. and P. Wootton Cup is awarded to the Head House at Speech Night each year.
• Finally, the House named Head House the most times is Barton, who first won it in 1930 and lastly in 2019.

Our Friday quiz: Do you know the name of this fabulous School Production and what year it was performed?

Email your answers to alisonconliffe@sceggs.nsw.edu.au

Dorothy Wilkinson Memorial Library and Archives

Maailma Environment Committee

Last week we talked about bread being one of the most wasted items in households.

Some ideas to re-purpose and save the bread include:

• Make some breadcrumbs by whizzing up the older bread/crusts in a food processor. These can be placed in containers and frozen
• Make some croutons. These are particularly successful if you use older/stale thickly sliced sourdough bread. Cut or tear the bread into bite sized pieces. Place them on a baking tray and spray with olive oil. If you would like to add more flavour, season with salt, chilli flakes or dried or fresh herbs from your garden. The crouton will stay fresh for several days in an airtight container. Croutons are great in a soup or salads.

Earlier this week, the 1 million women website produced a list of Environmental movies and series you can watch if you are in lockdown. The list includes:

• Tiny House Nation series (available on Netflix)
• 2040 (go to the website to buy or rent)
• Biggest little Farm. This featured at the Sydney Film festival last year. (Go to the website to buy or rent)
• A Plastic Ocean (available on Netflix)
• Anything and Everything by David Attenborough. It is worth revisiting any of his amazing programs

Maailma Environment Committee

125th Anniversary portraits by Visual Arts students

In preparation for the School’s 125^th Anniversary celebrations Ms Chow, Head of Music, commissioned Art students to portray significant women from history as a visual accompaniment to a specially commissioned piece of music.

Samantha Klein and Ella Walters-Adams in Year 10 and Lara Feller, Uma Rogers and Elenarose Plaister in Year 12 were selected in 2019 and completed these portraits in their own time submitting them recently before our closure. The subjects for these portraits are all women who have distinguished themselves through their compassion, ingenuity, hard work, integrity, ideals and attitudes and outstanding accomplishments in their respective fields.

• Ella painted Jessica Watson
• Elenarose drew Dame Quentin Bryce
• Samantha Klein volunteered to complete two portraits for which we are immensely grateful. Sam painted Gill Hicks (twice!) and Barangaroo
• Uma Rogers sketched Vivian Bullwinkel
• Elenarose Plaister drew Quentin Bryce
• Lara Feller painted Judith Beveridge

All students undertook independent research and sourced their own photographs or in the case for Barangaroo, conceived of a sensitive depiction of an Aboriginal Woman (when images of the deceased must not be displayed.) Furthermore, there are of course no photographic images of Barangaroo only a few poorly considered colonial sketches of her and her husband Bennelong. So Samantha Klein had to work especially hard to honour such a formidable figure who looms large in our historical consciousness as a woman of immense integrity, powerful intellect and cultural strength.

The portraits were a major part of the visual material for the anniversary concert and would have been displayed behind the live performance of the commissioned musical item on stage at the Town Hall. Additionally, the original works would have been on display in the Town Hall Foyer. We hope that there will be another opportunity to exhibit these outstanding contributions from our dedicated young artists later but for now here are their works….

Heidi Jackson
Head of Visual Arts

Music Matters

As you may have seen from last week’s Behind the Green Gate, the school’s 125^th Birthday Concert at the Town Hall on 18 June has been cancelled.  The workshops that were scheduled for Monday 27 April and Sunday 14 June for the preparation of this concert will also be cancelled.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the composers who have been a part of this project. The composers include: Mr Stephen Chin, Ms Alice Chance, Miss Georgiana Thomas-Pedell, Ms Jayne Groves, Ms Georgia Scott, Ms Aristea Mellos and Ms Elena Chernin.

We also have some wonderful artwork by students that we had hoped to display alongside the performances of the musical items. I would also like to acknowledge the work of the following students: Lara Feller, Juleena High, Samantha Klein, Elenarose Plaister, Uma Rogers, Ella Walters-Adams and Emily Weaver.  Thank you for your talent and hard work!  Thank you also to Ms Heidi Jackson, members of the Art Department, Ms Caroline O’Sullivan, Ms Anne Rumpler from the Design and Technology Department, Ms Tina Mavritsakis and Ms Eddie Goodfellow for their continued support and assistance.

There are some beautiful and exciting pieces of music that are waiting to be shared with the school community.  We sincerely hope that we will have an opportunity to do so.

Creativity and Connection

Continuing to play your musical instrument at home and in Zoom lessons with your instrument tutor is a great way to improve skill on the instrument as well as providing a therapeutic creative outlet. The Music staff have been working hard to ensure that lessons continue remotely. The tutors have so enjoyed connecting with the girls online and hearing their progress through video lessons. The school holiday period is a wonderful opportunity for girls to practise at home.

Please encourage your daughter to play her instrument every day over the coming weeks, even for just a few minutes.

Pauline Chow
Head of Music