From Ms Gyton

It was wonderful to share our beautiful Easter Festival with so many SCEGGS families in the Great Hall last night. This is always one of my favourite times of year, when we come together as a community and reflect on the Easter messages of forgiveness, renewal and hope.

And in wonderful news this week, we have just received our Occupation Certificate for the new Wilkinson House! 

We are all very excited – it is a truly beautiful space and a transformational addition to the facilities of the School.  I am extremely grateful to all those who contributed to the fundraising for this project. We couldn’t have done it without you! The adaptive re-use of a heritage building which was first built in 1928 has been an extremely difficult build, but Wilkinson House has been delivered well within budget and with the inclusion of additional features beyond the original conceptualisation.

So it has been lovely to walk through the building this morning with the staff and the students in the Secondary School … and Year 12 have also had a glimpse of their future in the new Year 12 Common Room. We are really looking forward to teaching and learning in Wilkinson House from the start of next term and providing some opportunities to share this new facility with our families too.

I know that many of us are ready for the Easter break and the school holidays that follow. Kindergarten and I agreed earlier this week that it has definitely been a big 10 weeks for us! Staff and students have worked hard, in the classroom and beyond. We have participated in so many co-curricular activities and tried to make a practical contribution through our social justice initiatives like our food donations at Harvest Festival, the Year 12 Cuts for Cancer fundraising and many other initiatives too. So there is a great deal to be proud of as we go to the holidays.

I hope the upcoming Term 1 holiday break is a restful time for all students, staff and families, and I look forward to welcoming the students back on Tuesday, 21 April for the start of Term 2.

Wishing you all peace, hope and happiness at Easter, and always.

Holly Gyton
Head of School

From the Chaplain

Happy Easter everyone! It has been a very quick and busy Term 1 and I hope that you all get to have a relaxing break.

A huge thank you to all those people that have brought in donations of food and toiletries over the last couple of months. It has made a huge difference to those that have received the meals, groceries and toiletries and your generosity has been greatly appreciated. The Term 2 dates for our Monday Food Delivery are now live. For those who need it, here is the link to sign up.

Take care and I look forward to seeing you all in Term 2!

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
School Chaplain

Reading over the holidays…

As the holidays approach, the Library and the English Department take the opportunity to share some reading recommendations from students and staff. We are fortunate to have many keen readers at the school and are trying to use our Wide Reading lessons and reading time in class to encourage students to share recommendations and develop the habit of reading.

Some of you may be aware that in 2026 the UK government launched the “National Year or Reading” – the biggest campaign in a generation designed to help more people (re) discover the joy of reading and make it a part of their everyday lives.

Here at SCEGGS, we are also acutely aware of the emotional and academic benefits that come from regular reading. A recent report on “What Kids are Reading” from Renaissance found that the middle years (Years 6 – 8) are a critical period when reading habits can either flourish or decline. The report found that a series can be a great way to hook students in this age bracket, developing engagement and reading stamina.

At SCEGGS, the following series are popular at the moment: Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games and Karen M McManus’ One of Us is Lying.

As the Year 11 students have all begun their ‘Reading to Write’ course this term, they have also been encouraged to read widely and expand the genres which they read from. Below are some reading recommendations from students and staff, as well as prize shortlists and updates to the SCEGGS library catalogue.

• SCEGGS Darlinghurst – new Senior Reading catalogue
• Children’s Book Council of Australia – ‘Notables’ for 2026
• The Carnegie Shortlist and medal winners
• John Newbery Medal

We hope everyone has a relaxing Easter with some enjoyable reading!

Jenny Bean (Head of English)
Alison Conliffe (Head of Library)

Blazer Pocket Awards

Blazer Pockets recognise excellence and achievement at the highest level in the Secondary School. Following the award of a pocket, the details of the activity and the year are then embroidered on the student’s blazer to recognise these achievements. Along with many other awards, these are announced at the End-of-Term Assembly which is always held on the last day of term. Further information about these awards and others is available in the 2026 SCEGGS Diary, p31.

Been awarded a pocket in Term 1, 2026?

Girls who have been awarded a blazer ‘Pocket’ for excellence and outstanding achievement in a co-curricular activity can only have their blazers embroidered during holiday periods. Blazers may be left at the Student Services or Reception any time before 1pm on Tuesday 7 April (the first weekday of the School Holidays). Students with previous awards that have not yet been embroidered can also leave their blazers at this time.

As above, blazers cannot be accepted after the cut-off time of 1pm Tuesday 7 April. Any late submissions will need to wait until the next School Holidays.

Embroidery and dry cleaning will be done during the holidays and the cost will be charged to your daughter’s account.

General Office

Creative Writing Success and Opportunities

Congratulations to Taylor Yaldwyn (Year 12) on her Shortlisting for the 2025 Red Room Poetry Competition. Her poem “Renewal” powerfully captures the inspiring and uplifting qualities of the natural world, drawing upon Romantic traditions to capture the notion of transcendence. Her personification of the natural world is particularly evocative, and I loved her description of the way that:

“Against proud moonlight, black branches hug the stars
Their stretching limbs weld into the earth’s rusted heart.”

Her poem can be read here.

We are always keen to encourage our students to submit their work into external competitions. As we move towards the holidays, we wanted to share some of the links below. Many of these websites also have incredible resources for passionate poets and writers.

External Writing Competitions

The What Matters Writing Competition is open to students in Years 5 – 12. This competition asks students to write personally on a topic which they are passionate about. Entries are due by Friday 15 May. More information can be found on their website.

The Mosman Youth Awards in Literature invites writers in Years 7 – 12 to submit poetry or creative fiction pieces. Entries for this competition close on 31 May 2026 and more information on these awards can be found here. 

The Dorothea Mackellar Writing Competition is one of Australia’s most prestigious poetry awards for young people. This year’s theme is “The Traveller.” The school has registered an account for this competition and your daughter will be able to check with her teacher about entering before the due date of Friday 30 June. More information can be found on their website. 

The Insight Writing Competition is open to students in Years 7 – 12. Students are invited to compose creative pieces (short story, poem, script) of up to 1,400 words. The theme for this year is “Ignite” This competition is open until 1 September. More information can be found here. 

Red Room’s Poetry Forest Competition encourages students to compose poems which have a positive message on climate change. This competition is not yet open, however, there are a wealth of resources on the Red Room website and the competition regularly closes in September. More information can be found here.

The Hachette Australia prizes are yet to open for 2026, however, include prizes for Creative Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction and Poetry. There are wonderful resources that can be found on their website. 

The English Department wishes everyone all the best for the Easter break – what a wonderful time to read a book and get back to writing for pleasure!

Jenny Bean
Head of English

Emotionally Intelligent Parenting During Adolescence

Are you interested in joining a parenting program that aims to help you and your child manage the many emotional challenges of adolescence?

Tuning in to Teens® is a six-week program, run one evening a week at SCEGGS for two hours, specifically for parents of students in Years 6-8. 

This program will teach you how to manage your own and your adolescent’s emotions in ways that help you to remain close and keep communicating. By learning these skills, you are less likely to have as much conflict within your family and your teen is more likely to talk to you about the challenging issues they face.  These are factors that have been found to reduce the risk of mental health and emotional problems.

Would you like to find out more?

This is a great opportunity to learn some skills to assist your relationship with your daughter, and also to connect with other parents in a relaxed and comfortable setting.

The program will run each Monday for six weeks, for two hours each session, starting on Monday 4 May and finishing on 15 June.  It will be held at school between 5.00pm–7.00 pm.

Please email  by Wednesday 22 April to participate or if you have any questions.

Some Feedback received from SCEGGS parents who have previously attended Tuning in to Teens:

I highly recommend this program to anyone with teens as you never know what is around the corner, and having a toolkit available to use is most helpful.

It has given (us) the opportunity to be more aligned in our parenting styles and how we deal with certain situations.

Practical examples/strategies, listening to others experiences (was helpful).

Family is calmer.

The practice we got in the class really helped.

What is Emotional intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is about using your emotions to guide you through the world.  It is about being able to use your own knowledge of emotions to make decisions, to calm yourself down, to manage anger and conflict, to help you in your relationships with people, to understand what is happening in social situations, and to assist you in any aspects of life that involves you and another person.

Why is Emotional Intelligence important?

Research has shown that young people with greater emotional intelligence:

• are more aware, assertive and strong in situations of peer pressure
• have greater success with making friends and are more able to manage conflict with peers
• are more able to cope when upset or angry
• have fewer mental health and emotional difficulties
• have more stable and satisfying relationships as adults
• have greater career success – Emotional Intelligence may be a better predictor of academic and career success than IQ!

When parents focus on helping their teen learn about emotions, the young person is more likely to have higher emotional intelligence. In this parenting program we will teach parents what to do to help these skills develop, and in doing so we expect teens to manage adolescence better.

Melissa Saxton and Caroline Blyth
School Counsellors

Webinar: Understanding Anxiety & Depression to Foster Resilience (Part I)

Missed the SchoolTV webinar, Anxiety and Depression to Foster Resilience?

The recording is available until Monday 4 May via this link. Don’t forget to download the KEY points flyer to support conversations at home.

We look forward to delivering Part 2 of the Webinar Series in Term 2.

Laura Connolly
Director of Student Wellbeing

Music Matters

Musicale 1

Congratulations to the members of Training Band, Bugles’ Band, Cantare, Primary Percussion Ensemble, Sinfonia, Primary String Orchestra, Clarion Concert Band, Emma Pask Jazz Band, Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, Cremona Strings and the Edwardes Percussion Ensemble who performed at Musicale 1.

Thank you also to the Music Department staff – our conductors, tutors, accompanists and assistants. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a passionate and dedicated team who work tirelessly to prepare and present such a rich variety of musical experiences each year.

I would also like to thank the many SCEGGS staff who support the Music Department behind the scenes: the Maintenance Team, Eddi Goodfellow, the General Office, Gabriela Grocott who assists with all primary school logistics, as well as After School Care and Sport. It truly takes a village to bring a “cast of thousands” together on stage, and we are very grateful for your collaboration. We also thank the SCEGGS Executive Team for the high value they place on Music Education.

Musicale 2

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.

Clipboard 

All co-curricular music ensemble schedules are now available on Clipboard. For any issues with Clipboard set-up, contact our Music Administrator.

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular)

Drama News

As Term 1 comes to an end, I thank the Drama staff and students for their creative and focused work this term. In addition to academic study, we have completed another successful House Drama Festival and commenced rehearsals for GIRL ASLEEP.

Here are some highlights from this week:

• • HSC Drama
  • Term 2 Excursions
  • Girl Asleep Technical Crew
  • Here’s The Thing

HSC Drama

The 2026 Year 12 Drama class recently completed their second Drama assessment.

They are studying the topic – THE VOICE OF WOMEN IN THEATRE and their assessment consisted of a performance from Caryl Churchill’s ‘Top Girls’ followed by a viva voce presentation. The girls presented excellent work, crafting terrific characterisations and content from this seminal play.

Term 2 Excursions

During Term 2, Drama students from Years 9 to 12 will have opportunities to join theatre parties to attend performances of Disney’s THE LION KING, Suzie Miller’s PRIMA FACIE and ENGLISH by Sanaz Toossi.

Permission letters will be provided in the fortnight preceding the excursion.

Girl Asleep

Here’s The Thing

Shakespeare’s plays will go down in history as some of the most masterful works ever written. Still, many don’t know that he created many of the words himself. A mixture of portmanteaus and switching nouns to verbs or vice versa gave us many words we still use today. These include bubble, assassin, advertising, exposure, and hobnob.

Phrases invented by Shakespeare that we use today include:

• be all and end all
• catch a cold
• clothes make the man
• disgraceful conduct
• give the devil his due
• it’s Greek to me
• method in his madness
• neither a borrower nor a lender be
• the course of true love never did run smooth
• the milk of human kindness
• too much of a good thing
• wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve

See you in Term 2!

Peter Eyers
Head of Drama

Public Speaking

The Rostrum Voice of Youth competition is a regular event in the Term 1 Public Speaking calendar and SCEGGS had a very successful first round. Six girls represented the school: Year 8’s Annabelle Dempsey, Bianca Elias and Siena Walsh, as well as Sofia Tzouganatos (Year 10), Jessica Gallie (Year 11) and Pippa Brenner (Year 12).

Each student delivered polished, thoughtful and engaging speeches.  Bianca, Siena, Sofia and Pippa won their heats and will now represent SCEGGS at various regional finals early in Term 2. This is an outstanding result. 

Congratulations to all the competitors, it is a huge amount of work and you all did an excellent job. 

Public speaking continues in Term 2 with the Dame Enid Lyons Oratory Award, a new competition which our very own Celia Watson (Class of 2025) won last year and the Plain English Speaking Award. 

Elizabeth Walsh
Speech and Public Speaking Co-ordinator

Secondary Sports News

In Secondary School sports news this week read about:

• Water Polo
• Tennis
• Touch Football
• Athletics
• Swimming
• Basketball Holiday Clinic

Congratulations to the following teams who won their finals on the weekend.

Water Polo

• SCEGGS 1 defeated St Vincent’s 1 (8-7) in a thriller to win S03
• SCEGGS 2 defeated Ascham 4 to finish in 3^rd place in S07

Tennis

• SCEGGS 5 defeated Pymble 13 to win J02
• SCEGGS 6 lost to Tara 5 to be runner up in J04
• SCEGGS 7 defeated Tara 6 to win J07
• SCEGGS 8 defeated Ascham 15 to finish 3^rd in J11

Touch Football

Year 7 enjoyed a highly successful Touch Football season, highlighted by outstanding Grand Final performances in the Easts competition. Teams 15 and 16 both claimed premiership titles, each securing hard-fought wins in tightly contested matches. Across the season, all teams demonstrated impressive commitment, resilience and development of skills, often competing in challenging heat and, at times, with limited numbers on the field. Their perseverance and team spirit were a credit to their efforts.

To celebrate the end of the season, students took part in the customary Beach Touch session at Maroubra Beach. Playing in mixed teams, they experienced the added challenge of sand-based competition, quickly discovering just how demanding and enjoyable this format can be. The session concluded with a spirited Coaches vs Champions match, with the coaches taking the win in a fun and memorable finale.

Congratulations to all players on a fantastic season. Students interested in continuing their Touch Football journey will have the opportunity to explore Beach Touch again in Term 3 – keep an eye on upcoming sports options for more details.

Lisa Thompson
PDHPE/Sport Teacher

Athletics

Good luck to the following athletes who will be representing NSW and competing at the Australian Athletics Junior Championships to be held in Brisbane over the holidays: Nancy Newton (Year 12), Lily Cooney (Year 12), Matilda Emanuel (Year 12), Sarah James (Year 12), Annabelle Jessup (Year 10) and Stasia Serafin (Year 7).

Swimming

Good luck to Kate Hawkins (Year 10), Gemma Munro (Year 10), Chloe Yule (Year 12) and Georgia Baker Wood (Year 12) who will be competing at the Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast over the holidays.

Well done to Mariah Barlin (Year 7), who competed at the NSW Youth State Long Course Meet at Olympic Park last weekend. This was Mariah’s first NSW competition, and she competed in the U’12 50m freestyle, as well as the freestyle and medley relays for Newington Swim Club.

Basketball Holiday Clinic

Dates: Tuesday 7 April – Friday 10 April 2026
Location: SCEGGS Darlinghurst Indoor Basketball Court

Mark Handel, Head Coach of SCEGGS Basketball, and Sydney Basketball Coaching are back for 2026. We’re excited to invite girls from both Primary and Secondary to be part of our fun, energetic program. 

Enjoy expert coaching from accredited professionals, with small group skill development in a positive and supportive environment. Players of all levels will build confidence, improve their game, and most importantly, enjoy basketball.

Daily prizes and giveaways in a fun, inclusive setting.

9:00am – 11:00am
SCEGGS Girls (14 –17 years) | Boys (13 –16 years)

11:00am – 1:00pm
SCEGGS Girls (8 –13 years) | Boys (7 –12 years)

All abilities welcome, come along and bring a friend!

Register here.

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 Alison Gowan.

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

Alison Gowan
Director of Sport

P&F Class Parent Events

Your Class Parents have been busy planning some wonderful events to bring together different cohorts across the school.

Events include:

• Year 5 Parent Drinks & Dinner
• Year 8 Mother’s Day High Tea for Mums, Carers and Daughters
• Year 11 Parent/Daughter Film Screening
• Year 12 Mother/Carer & Daughter Afternoon

Year 5 Parent Drinks & Dinner

Date:    Thursday 23 April

Time:    6.30pm – 10.30pm

Venue: The Royal Hotel, Paddington

Cost:    $59.00 per person, includes food (canape based) and drink on arrival

RSVP:  Thursday 16 April via Trybooking.

Year 8 Mother’s Day High Tea for Mums, Carers and Daughters

Date: Sunday 3 May

Time: 3.30pm – 5.30pm

Venue: Burnt Orange, Mosman, 1108/1109 Middle Head Rd, Mosman

Cost: $85 (includes bubbles) / $75 (non-alcoholic/daughters)

RSVP: by 30 April via Trybooking.

Year 12  Mother/Carer & Daughter Afternoon

Date: Sunday 3 May

Time: 1.00pm – 4.00pm

Venue: Centennial Homestead, 1 Grand Drive Centennial Park

Cost:  $100 per adult, $90 per teen – includes one glass of sparkling wine on arrival (for adults), a light lunch and lawn games!

RSVP: by Thursday 15 April via Trybooking

Year 11 Parent/Daughter Film Screening of the Devil Wears Prada 2

Date:  Wednesday 6 May

Time:  6.15pm – 8.30pm

Venue:  Randwick Ritz Cinema, 45 St Pauls Street, Randwick

Cost:  $20 per person

RSVP: by Wednesday 6 May via Trybooking

Careers Corner

Careers Corner

Please click here to read this week’s Careers Corner Newsletter.

Andrea Pinnock
Careers Advisor