From Ms Allum

Welcome to Term 2 everyone!

I hope you all had a chance to enjoy some time for yourselves over the Easter break. While Term 2 is one of the shortest terms of the year, it is by no means short on activities and happenings! There are a couple of coming events I wanted to highlight in particular:

SPAN Event – Navigating the Mid-career Transition

SPAN is delighted to bring you our Term 2 event, Navigating the Mid-career Transition, with current parent Kellie Hush on 20 May. Kellie is considered one of the most influential people in the Australian fashion industry today and has used her experience in the media to transition her career from an editor to launch a retail business and a marketing consultancy. Kellie was also a driving force behind the 2020 We Wear Australian campaign. It is set to be an interesting evening as Kellie shares her insights and tips on how to diversify your career.

National Reconciliation Week

We will acknowledge and celebrate Reconciliation Week as a school community in the week beginning 24 May. Teachers will share further information with their classes in due course. I am looking forward to some whole school activities too.

Light Her Path Campaign

As I foreshadowed in assembly last term and published in Light Works (which families received during the holidays), the School is about to embark on a campaign to help raise funds for the redevelopment of Wilkinson House. I am so excited about how this space will be enhanced to facilitate 21^st century teaching and learning and look forward to sharing design plans with you later this term.

There will also be the regular gamut of excursions, incursions, exams, assessments, camps, retreats, sport competitions and carnivals offering rich learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom!

My best wishes to you all for a great Term 2!

Jenny Allum
Head of School

In This Together – Sexuality and Relationships

I know you will all be aware of the many recent conversations around consent, sexual harassment and abuse, and respectful relationships and conduct between young men and women. Schools have a part to play in making this world a safer and more secure place for our young women. And parents have an even more significant role to play – as the first and continuing educators of their children, having primary responsibility for bringing up their children and instilling values, beliefs and good conduct. But of course, this will all work best when schools and parents share the responsibility, taking complementary roles to ensure that our young people are supported and guided as they grow to adulthood.

In the spirit of working together, I thought I would pen some thoughts about the range of topics you, as parents of school-aged children, might consider talking about with your daughter. The list isn’t definitive, comprehensive, or absolute! You might agree with some of this, and not other parts. They are random observations and insights, conversation starters and ideas rather than the end point or a check list to be marked off. I know that every family at SCEGGS will have their own unique set of values and principles about what they want for their daughter, and that is what we value at SCEGGS so much. So take some of the ideas which follow, and pass over others. I write this in the spirit of being helpful and starting some conversations too. As always, please do contact me if there is anything here you would like to discuss, things you disagree with, or if you just would like a chat!

It isn’t easy, of course, to write one article which is relevant to parents who have very young children, as well as those who have teenagers or young women nearing adulthood. But it is important for all of us to engage in these matters, and so there will be parts of this article which are important for you to read and consider for your own family circumstance, whatever the age of your daughter!

And because there is so much to talk about, I will publish this in two parts – one this week, and the second instalment next week. This week focuses on sexuality, and next week, the focus shifts to be more about relationships.

Sexuality – some ideas and definitions

Sexuality is a normal and wonderful part of life. Children and young people are naturally curious about every aspect of sexuality – where babies come from, what are the various body parts – on their bodies and on the bodies of others, what sex is all about… And we want our children, when they are ready and mature enough to do so, to enjoy a good, positive, safe, and joyous start to sexual activity.

The World Health Organisation, in a report on Sexual Health from 2002, defined sexuality in the following way.

Sexuality is a central aspect of being human throughout life and encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles, and relationships. While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always experienced or expressed. Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, ethical, legal, historical, religious, and spiritual factors.

So, there are lots of things that you need to have talked about with your daughter by the time she is a young adult!

Some topics of conversations for parents of younger children:

As a young child, your daughter needs to know about:

• Male and female bodies and the various body parts and their biological and colloquial names
• Reproduction, sex, and where babies come from
• What is OK, and what is not OK
  • inappropriate touching etc, and what to do if she is uncomfortable about someone doing something which doesn’t feel right.
  • keeping one’s “private parts” private, one’s body safe, what sorts of behaviours are not right in public…
• What is happening and/or will happen to her own body – breast development and periods, but also awakening sexual attraction to others – girls, boys, teachers, friends…
• What is happening to the boys around her and their bodies, and their thoughts about sexuality too (in an age-appropriate manner).

It is important, from the early years, that you stress that it is OK to talk to you and ask questions whenever your daughter wants to know something or wants to talk to about any aspect of sex, sexual identity or sexual activity and her feelings, relationships, and intimacy… You are always there to talk, to listen, and to answer questions…If you have been talking with your daughter since she was very young, answering her questions openly and honestly in an age-appropriate way, then she is more likely to come back to you with other questions later on. And similarly, the conversations you want to initiate with her when is older and more self-conscious will also be easier.

Some topics of conversations for parents of older children:

As your daughter gets older, you will want to have conversations with your daughter about:

• Types of sexual activity – oral sex, sexting, masturbation, etc…
• What information is available online – the good and the bad. Issues around porn online are very much at the forefront of community conversations. Discussions about what makes a loving and respectful sexual relationship, and how this is different from how sexual activity is often portrayed online, are topical. Issues around violence in sexual activity, coercion, and force need to explained and understood as not part of a normal healthy relationship.
• Sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and childbirth, and safe sex practices.
• All of the various types of contraception, how they are used, and how she might access them if and when she needs them.
• If you have religious beliefs, how those play out for you in relation to sexual activity, and your expectations around their behaviour within those beliefs.

Some ideas around important messages

There are some clear messages you will want to discuss:

• Girls have every right to expect good behaviour from the boys and girls around them. It shouldn’t be an added bonus. If someone assaults, harasses, coerces, manipulates, or otherwise pressures your daughter into doing something she is uncomfortable with, then this is unacceptable behaviour and should not be tolerated. Letting your daughter know that talking to you as parents if such a thing happens is the first course of action. Making sure that your daughters know that they can ALWAYS come to you as parents first if something like this happens to them is absolutely pivotal. And together, you can consider whether it is also a legal matter and something you would like to tell the school. SCEGGS will do everything we can to support you and your daughter, including working with other schools whose students have been involved in any incident, and working with legal and counselling authorities too.
• Sexual experiences and consent. Let your daughter know that it should always be OK to tell a friend, boy or girl, about what she is comfortable doing, and to tell them to stop when she feels uncomfortable about an activity or topic of conversation. You don’t find love, happiness, or intimacy through sexual favours with casual acquaintances or relationships that only address the preferences and desires of one person and not the other. Loving, sexual relationships are intimate and mutually enjoyable and pleasurable. A good solid respectful and loving relationships comes first, the sex comes second, and is all the better for the underpinning of love. It is OK to say no…or not yet. It is OK to tell a boy what you are comfortable doing and what you are not comfortable in doing. Only do the things you are comfortable in doing. Expect your consent or non-consent to be respected and acted upon, every time.
• When people drink alcohol, inhibitions are lessened, and good judgement is impaired. You should make it clear to your daughter that it is never a good idea to drink to the point you are so drunk that you don’t know what you are doing. It is also important to stress that, if this does happen, it never excuses or makes OK anything that anyone does to you. You hope she will always look after her friends if they have had too much to drink, and that they will look after her too.
• You will want to talk to your daughter about not taking photographs of herself in compromising situations, and not letting her boyfriend or girlfriend take photos of her either. The message should be: Never send photos of yourself naked or semi-naked to anyone else, even those you think you can trust. Mistakes can happen unintentionally; you don’t know what the other person might do once the relationship is over. Sadly, sexual images can also be taken of someone when they are unconscious and distributed without their knowledge or consent. To take or send sexual pictures against the wishes of someone (“image-based abuse”) is a crime in most states of Australia and can cause terrible anguish. However, if this does happen, it is never the fault of the person of whom the pictures were taken, but of the taker and distributor. Make sure your daughter knows she can talk to you if anything untoward has happened.
• Not everyone is having sex! Just do what you feel comfortable with and feel confident to say no, or stop, if things are happening too fast for you. Many, many girls in Year 12 are not sexually active, but many feel pressure to do so. We should always make it OK to not be sexually active!
• Girls need to support each other in a constructive fashion. In the last few weeks, I have heard too many stories of girls who have felt under attack from their friends when the girl was sexually assaulted by a friend. I have heard stories of girls pressuring their friends to engage in sexual activity before they were ready – about defining “cool” as early engagement in sexual activity. And I have heard too many stories of “slut-shaming’ and victim-blaming, instead of strong support and understanding for someone who has been abused. Looking after your friends and understanding their personal circumstances should be absolutely expected and delivered, every time!

How to start some conversations

Now I know it isn’t easy for some of us to talk about sex. It can be daunting and uncomfortable. For some of us, we don’t know how to start the conversation, we don’t know quite the correct language to use, and we don’t know when we have said enough. We are worried that we going to go red in the face and show discomfort and embarrassment. Don’t give up or run away from conversations! You don’t want your daughter to interpret any awkwardness in the conversation as a sign that you’d prefer she didn’t ask you these things moving forward. So be open and say “I do feel a little embarrassed but I know how important these conversations are for both of us”. It does get easier. 

You might start some of the conversations because of something you have both seen on TV or in the movies. A friend or relative might be pregnant. A friend of your daughter might have a first relationship. Or your daughter might raise the topic first. Be open to conversations when they occur naturally and do your best to show that you welcome conversations about relationships and sex with your daughter – whether you are her Mum or her Dad. Try to keep the conversations at an age-appropriate level, with a balance between factual information, your own opinions, and values, and lots of listening to your daughter and what she thinks! Do ask her about how she feels about her friends who have boyfriends and girlfriends, or when she sees sexual activity on TV, or about contact she has with boys. Good, thoughtful and non-judgemental conversations about sex and respectful relationships are some of the most important ones you will have with your daughter! So prepare well for them.

Support available for parents from the School

The School does a lot to educate your daughters about relationships and sex education – in PDHPE and in our pastoral programs. The SCEGGS P and F will be holding a parent forum at our Term 2 meeting to talk about all of this – what the school can do, what parents can do, and also to explore what more we can all do too. The meeting is on June 1^st at 7.00pm in the school Lecture Theatre. The Panel will consist of a couple of members from the external consultancy ConsentLab, and members of the school staff too. So, if you would like more information, I encourage you to come to that meeting. More information about that meeting will be provided in the Behind the Green Gate in the weeks ahead.

You might also want some quite specific and personal advice – about a Christian perspective, for example. Please do contact our Chaplain Garry Lee-Lindsay, one of the senior staff or myself and we would welcome a chat with you. You could also seek help from one of our school counsellors. I can put you in touch with one of them if you are not sure who to talk to. And I will be publishing information about other external sources of support, and additional resources, in this column in coming weeks.

Well, there is a lot to unpack there! Take it slowly, having conversations with your daughter when you can. Let her know that you are always there to help and support her, to listen and to guide when she asks. And as I said at the beginning, please do ring me and chat if you would like to discuss anything raised here. Good luck!

Jenny Allum
Head of School

ANZAC Day

Below is the reading from our ANZAC Day service held on Tuesday, commemorating the contributions of Old Girl Esme Tombleson (LAWSON Class of 1935) CBE, QSO to the war effort.

SCEGGS Old Girls served in many ways during both WWI and WWII. One such Old Girl was Esme Lawson.

Described as “a force to be reckoned with” and having a “tremendous memory and sharp intellect”,  Esme was born in Sydney in 1917, two years after the Gallipoli Campaign. A member of Barton House, Esme attended SCEGGS between 1930-1933. Whilst at SCEGGS, Esme was a member of the record-breaking junior relay team that competed at the Inter-School Athletics Sports Day of 1931, helping SCEGGS claim the junior championship at this event! A passionate practitioner of the performing arts, as a child Esme toured Australia performing Shakespeare recitations! After leaving SCEGGS, Esme went on to study ballet in London, becoming a professional dancer, as well as being involved in theatre and radio.

When WWII broke out, Esme joined the newly formed Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps. Esme was also involved with the New Zealand Auxiliary War Unit of NSW, which looked after the welfare of New Zealand forces in Sydney during the war.

As the war continued, contemporary editions of Lux wrote that Esme was doing “very special war work.” At a time when many men were fighting overseas, Esme was involved in ensuring that key industries at home had enough workers to sustain the war effort.

Esme described this “very special war work” in the March 1943 edition of Lux:  

First of all my official title is Manpower Executive Officer, for the Timber Control Office. This position means that I handle the manpower problems of the Timber Industry, working in conjunction with the National Service Officers-Releases from Military Service, Transfers within the Industry, Military exemptions, employment, and a heap of other things.

At the same time I am fortunate in being secretary to several Manpower Committees: State Committee of Advice, Timber Control Advisory Committee, Building Trades Advisory Committee, Pastrycooks’ Advisory Committee, Waterfront Watchmen’s Committee.

Seems a horrible mouthful, doesn’t it? Naturally the work is very interesting and I love every moment of it, but still for all that, I would prefer to be producing my ballet, “Grand Central,” on the Theatre Royal … Still, this war can’t last for ever, and when it is over —.  I can hardly wait for the day when I’ll be back again, working on a dream that practically materialised.

After the war ended, Esme continued to dedicate her life to service in her new home in New Zealand. After marrying New Zealander Tom Tombleson, she moved to a farm near Gisborne, New Zealand, where she taught children ballet, before becoming the first female to represent Gisborne as a Member of Parliament from 1960 to 1972. When elected in 1960, she was the only woman on the Government benches.

Alongside her political career, Esme co-founded New Zealand’s National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society in 1961 and was president of this society for seven years. Since 2002, the annual “Esme Tombleson Caregiver of the Year Award” has been awarded by the Society to recognise exceptional caregivers to people with MS and to honour Esme Tombleson for the many years of valuable work and commitment she made for people with MS.

When Esme died in 2010 at the age of 92, she was remembered by her friends for being “kindness itself.”

Today we remember Esme and her service.

Lest we forget.

ySafe Year 7 and 8 Cyber-safety Workshops

On Day 1 of Term 2, all students in Years 7 and 8 attended a workshop run by Yasmin London from ySafe focusing on online wellbeing and managing screen time, cyberbullying, and taking and sharing explicit images, especially in relation to consent and the law. These interactive sessions encouraged students to reflect on their technology use through real-life case studies. Yasmin spoke about the positive role of technology in their lives and encouraged students to reflect on how their use of social media and other forms of technology can impact others and also themselves. They examined the different forms of cyberbullying and discussed some helpful strategies for dealing with it, including where to go for support. Yasmin spoke about making the right choices around what they post and empowered the girls to take action if they see something that makes them feel uncomfortable online.  She spoke about the amount of time spent on their screens and the importance of setting boundaries around this.

The girls found the workshop engaging and helpful as reflected by their comments:

If you are a parent of a Year 7 or 8 student, we would encourage you to talk to your daughter about the session they attended, and to engage regularly with them about their online life. We would also suggest all parents continue to look at the eSafety Commissioner website for parents on a regular basis  to help guide discussions you have at home, to keep up-to-date with new apps your daughter might be using, and explore ways that you can assist your child to navigate the online world safely and respectfully.

Michelle Demaine (Year 7 Coordinator) and
Olivia Matthews (K-7 Counsellor)

From the Primary School

Kindergarten – Year 3 Parent Evening with Paul Dillon                                           

SCEGGS is looking forward to welcoming Paul Dillon, director and founder of DARTA (Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia), to speak to the parents of girls in Kindy to Year 3. You may ask … Why should I be worrying about alcohol now?

In Paul’s presentation, he will shine a light on how getting your parenting right now can help ensure your daughter makes healthy decisions around alcohol in the future.

All parents want their children to have healthy attitudes towards alcohol. Evidence suggests that the earlier you start, the greater the chance you have of having a positive influence in this area. This presentation will examine the importance of parenting style and its impact on a child’s attitudes and behaviours during adolescence and beyond. It will also discuss issues around parenting in the “age of entitlement” and the challenges that they may face during the primary years. The development of effective parent networks will be encouraged and the talk will end with 10 practical tips that parents can put into place to help ensure their children make better choices around alcohol as they get older.

A reminder that in line with COVID-19 Safety Guidelines we ask that no parents attend who are displaying cold or flu like symptoms and ensure that appropriate hygiene and social distancing is maintained for the duration of the event. Parents will also be required to sign in upon arrival.

Sarah Johnstone
Deputy Head of Primary (Student Wellbeing)

Study Without Stress

In Term 2 we will be offering a Study Without Stress group program for Year 11 and Year 12 students to assist with studying and performing in exams, assessments, and homework more effectively and with less stress.

Study Without Stress is a psycho-educational program developed by Macquarie University’s Centre for Emotional Health. It has been designed to equip students with knowledge and practical tips on how to approach and overcome the stress associated with workload and exams in their final high school year. The program uses Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) techniques to help participants get the most out of their final year at school whilst keeping stress to a manageable level.

Topics covered will include:

• Understanding stress (including causes, symptoms and the role of the stress response)
• Goal setting
•  Managing expectations and beliefs about exams
• Creating effective timetables
• Learning how thoughts can affect performance
• Challenging negative or unhelpful thinking patterns
• Understanding perfectionism
• Understanding procrastination
• Tips to deal with work avoidance
• Building good study habits
• Procedures for problem solving
•  Exam preparation

The program will be run across seven sessions starting in Week 2 of Term 2, with a group limited to 12 students. If there is demand for more places, we will aim to run the program again in Term 4. Each participant will be provided with a workbook and handouts, and will be required to spend a little time each week between sessions practising their skills or completing short tasks to facilitate their learning.

The group will be run by Melissa Saxton, registered Clinical Psychologist and David Scott, Academic Support.  

Further information on the program is available from the Macquarie University website.

If your daughter would like to participate in the Study Without Stress program in Term 2, she should email melissasaxton@sceggs.nsw.edu.au by Monday 26 April 2021.

Dr Melissa Saxton
School Clinical Psychologist

From the Chaplain

Welcome back to Term 2 and I hope you all had the opportunity to get some sort of a break over the Easter period. A special welcome to those students and their families that may be starting their SCEGGS journey this term. Its great to have you as part of our community and I hope that you feel like you belong here very quickly.

This week’s episode of “Walk the Mile”, our school podcast, is a discussion with one of our English teachers, Dr Nina Cook, about the topic of shock. I found that last term we had to deal with a number of incidences that took us all by surprise as a community and the impact and consequences of such events were far reaching. Please be aware that some of the topics that are discussed in this episode may be sensitive or triggering for some people so please listen to it with discretion. I hope that it is of some help to you. As always, if you would like to discuss anything from any of the podcasts further, if you have any feedback or if you would like to be part of the podcast, I would love to hear from you.

Take care
Garry Lee-Lindsay

Secondary Sport News

Snowsports                                                     

Sydney Interschools Snowsports – July 5 -9 at Thredbo

If any families are wishing to join the SCEGGS Snowsports Team for 2021 there is still time to sign up. I will be finalising the team over the next two weeks. Events are open to all girls from Kindergarten through to Year 12. The emphasis is on participation and fun. Competitors do not need to be outstanding skiers or snowboarders, just capable of getting down a “blue run” unassisted.

Families will travel to Thredbo and arrange their own accommodation/lift passes. Families will be responsible for students at all times. I will organise all teams and parent team managers prior to the competition and will be onsite during the competition to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Students will compete in their school year groups:

Division 1 – Years 11 & 12

Division 2 – Years 9 & 10

Division 3 – Years 7 & 8

Division 4 – Years 5 & 6

Division 5 – Year 3 & 4

Division 6 – Years K-2

Competitors and Managers will have access to discounted lift passes for their day of competition only. You should book any additional tickets and accommodation immediately if you haven’t done so already.

More information can be found on the Interschools website.

I will be sending out further information to families who have already signed up over the next week.

Event Schedule

Please note that Moguls and Cross-Country events will be held later in August at the State event.

If you would like more information, please contact me on 9052 2721 or 0418 491 521.

Australian Track and Field Championships

Well done to Laura Roderick who represented NSW at the Australian Track and Field Championships over the holidays. Despite a foot injury preventing Laura from training in the 4 weeks leading up to the Nationals last week, Laura still competed and was very competitive. She made the U’20 1500m final, placing 7th and was 9^th fastest in the U’20 800m.

If families have any sporting news and achievements, please send details to alisongowan@sceggs.nsw.edu.au. We love hearing about what our students are doing outside of school.

Alison Gowan
Director of Sport

Primary Sport

Term 2 co-curricular Sport is up and running this week. Years 4-6 IPSHA Netball and Minkey starts this Saturday 24 April. An email has been sent to all parents with daughters enrolled in Sport this term with information on how to access start and finish dates, Team lists and draws as well as pick-up and drop-off information. To view and download Team Sheets for Saturday Sport Competitions, go to the Sport Course on Cognito.  Information is listed under each sport heading in the Modules tab.

Year 3 girls playing Netball this term will have a training session on the Top Court at SCEGGS from 8.00am-9.30am. Please ensure your daughter has applied sunscreen before arriving at school and has a full water bottle. As this is a training session parents are asked to drop their daughters off at the Sports Hall and not stay and spectate.

Should you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Sue Phillips or Xanthe Axford.

IPSHA Cross Country

Congratulations to the following girls who competed in the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival on Wednesday 21 April at The Kings School. It was a lovely day and the girls all ran so well.

• Georgina Auld
• Anja Baker
• Sondrine Bethke
• Audrey Borges
• Lucinda Carroll
• Sophia Carroll
• Chelsea Fallshaw
• Darcey Farrell
• Sarah Ibrahim
• Annabelle Jessup
• Alexis Monahan
• Gabriella Orth
• Ava Pepper
• Anjola Petrie
• Gemma Shennan
• Anna Slack
• Charlotte Thomson
• Evie Thorpe
• Jessica Venetoulis
• Scarlett White

It was wonderful to see the spirit, enthusiasm and support the girls gave to each other and to other schools. 

A special congratulations to Anna Slack who came 12th in the 10 Years age group and will progress on to CIS on Thursday 10 June at Eastern Creek Raceway. 

The following girls placed in the top 40 out of 26 schools competing at the carnival.

• Anja Baker
• Stella Dodwell
• Chelsea Fallshaw
• Annabelle Jessup
• Alexis Monahan
• Gabriella Orth
• Ava Pepper
• Anjola Petrie
• Gemma Shennan  

Athletics

Athletics training starts today at Hensley Athletic field. Girls will be training in sprints, middle distance, jumps and throws. We still have spaces available for girls who would like to participate either on Monday at ES Marks field or Thursday at Hensley Athletic Field. Please contact Xanthe Axford or Sue Phillips for more information.

1500m

For those girls who wish to compete in the 1500m, this race will be held on Monday 24 May at ES Marks Field, not as published in the school diary.

Water Polo

Here are some photos from last term’s IPSHA Water Polo.

Sue Phillips
PDHPE & Primary Sport Co-ordinator

Drama News

In Drama News this week, read about the Year 9 & 10 Excursion to Melbourne, the Year 7 & 8 production Framed and find out how you can book tickets to see SCEGGS girls in The Scot’s College production of We Will Rock You.

Year 9 & 10 Drama Excursion to Melbourne

I am delighted to announce that students in the Year 9 and 10 Drama classes will be given an opportunity to participate in a Drama Tour to Melbourne during the Term 3, mid-term break in August.

We will be taking in a host of cultural experiences offered by marvellous Melbourne including an AFL game, a tour of the Victorian College of the Arts and attendance at both parts of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the historic Princess Theatre.

Information brochures and booking forms have been distributed. Completed forms should be returned to Mr Eyers by 7 May to register participation.

Year 7 And 8 Production – Framed – Information Afternoon and Auditions

A production featuring students in Years 7 and 8 will be presented in Term 3. An Information Afternoon will be conducted on Tuesday 27 April (T2W2) for interested students. This is an opportunity to meet the Director, hear about the production and learn what to prepare for audition. Auditions will be conducted on Friday 30 April with rehearsals commencing on Tuesday 4 May.

Please note that rehearsals will be conducted on Tuesday and Friday afternoons and cast members must be available for all rehearsals.

Production dates are Thursday 2 September and Friday 3 September.

The play being produced is Framed by Carla Moore. The narrative takes place in an Art gallery where famous paintings from history are being stolen. Four of the greatest detectives are summoned to solve the crime.

‘Framed will be directed by St Peter’s Players Tutor, Ms Romy Bartz.

The Removalists by David Williamson – Excursion

Year 11 and HSC Drama students will attend a production of The Removalists on Sunday 2 May. The play is being produced by the New Theatre in Newtown and will support the girls in their study of this play under the topic of ‘Theatrical traditions in Australia’.

We Will Rock You

The Scots College, in conjunction with various schools, are producing the Queen musical – We Will Rock You at the NIDA theatre in Kensington until Saturday 24 April.

SCEGGS is delighted to have representation in the cast from the following students:

Eliza Newton, Maggie-Rose Dunlop, Jessica Millin, Eva Harris, Samantha Millin, Isabella Morgan, Lucia Habib and Elizabeth Lapham.

We wish the girls the very best for their final weeks of rehearsal, as the show is pulled together for presentation to an excited audience.

More information can be found on the Scots website.

Movies will make you famous; Television will make you rich; But theatre will make you good. Terrence Mann (Actor)

Peter Eyers
Head of Drama

Visual Arts

Welcome back to another fantastic term full of adventure and new possibilities for SCEGGS Art students.

This week’s banner is from HSC Art student, Lucia Chapple. Lucia is currently exploring domestic architecture of a personal nature in an extensive Body of Work in both Drawing and Painting.

Year 8 Excursion to La Perouse

We look forward to hearing about the Year 8 excursion to La Perouse in next week’s edition of Behind the Green Gate and imagine they are truly enjoying the beautiful coastal environs with their local guides today, learning about connection to Country, some weaving techniques and expanding their understanding of Aboriginal Culture and Art.

Drawing Festival at NAS

Explore your love for drawing and learn new skills over a weekend at the National Art School (NAS) – there’s something here for every level of ability, with a series of hands on, fun and informative workshops led by artist educators.  

Presented as part of the NAS Festival of Drawing 2021. Please click on the link for further information.

Heidi Jackson
Head of Visual Arts

Music Matters

ANZAC Day School Service                                                        

Congratulations to members of Holst Wind Band who performed in whole school services commemorating this year’s ANZAC Day.  This is very different to last year where students were invited to play the “Last Post” and “Reveille” at the end of their driveways due to COVID restrictions.  Well done to Charlotte FitzSimons (Year 11) who performed “The Last Post” and “Reveille” in this year’s assembly.  Special thank you to Mr Peter Jewitt (Ensembles Co-ordinator) who helped to prepare and conduct the students’ performance in this moving ceremony.    

Musicale 2 – Wednesday 28 April 5pm The Great Hall

We are pleased to be presenting our second ensemble performance on Wednesday 28 April at 5pm.  The following ensembles will be performing in the Musicale 2 Concert:

• String Power
• Training Band
• Stringalong
• Edwardes Percussion
• Brass Ensemble
• Contemporary Vocal Ensemble
• Bugles
• Amati Strings
• Holst
• Choir
• Madrigal
• Primary Cello Ensemble

Performers will need to arrive at the Diana Bowman site promptly at 4:30pm to warm up in readiness for the performance.

While restrictions have relaxed somewhat, we are unable to open the performance to the parent audience due to the person per square meter rule for school events.  Online access to the concert is available through a Vimeo link.  Please access this link to view the concert on the evening or after.

A reminder for families of Primary school students who will require Afterschool Care to make their bookings.  Students who are performing will be collected by members of the Music staff from ASC around 4:15pm.

Peripatetic Music program

Want to learn an instrument or voice? Applications for lesson are accepted all year round; however, waiting lists may apply. The form can be accessed here.

Upcoming Events:

Musicale 2 – Week 2 Wednesday 28 April 5pm

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Our first Maailma Captain and Earth Day (22 April)

We are pleased to announce that India Poiner, in Year 11, has just been appointed our first Maailma captain. She was chosen from an impressive list of candidates and we look forward to her leading the Maailma girls, promoting sustainability at SCEGGS and education our community on environmental issues.

Maailma had its 31st birthday this year. When Alex Kopra (class of 1993) went to Finland on exchange, she came back passionate about the environment. Maailma, Finnish for “earth” or “world”, was born with the help of Miss Lean (Deputy Head) and a young teacher called Miss Pizzata (who is now Mrs Pizzinga). The Maailma Environmental committee continues to be an organisation in the school, working on sustainability at SCEGGS and informing the community about environmental issues.

This week, Earth Day is being celebrated on Thursday April 22. This day commemorates the beginning of the modern environmental movement started in 1970. Twenty million Americans took to the streets to protest about the ravages of 150 years of industrialisation on the planet. Earth Day went global in 1990 mobilising groups in 141 countries. This gave a huge boost to recycling and led to the 1992 Earth Day summit in Rio De Janeiro. The Paris Agreement was signed on Earth day in 2015. This was adopted by 196 parties with the goal or reducing global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial levels. This week, April 22-23, President Biden is hosting a virtual summit with world leaders to revisit the discussion of the Paris Agreement. Australia has also been asked to be at this summit.

The theme for Earth Day 2021 is Restore our Earth. Click on the Earth Day link to learn some more information about Earth Day or test your environmental knowledge through quizzes located on the site.

Susan Zipfinger
Joint co-ordinator of Maailma

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Sixty-five years ago, His Royal Highness Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh, established The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the UK and three years later it was introduced to Australians. Since then, it has been offered in more than 130 countries and territories, equipping and empowering millions of young people to build the skills, confidence and resilience they need to support their communities and be ready for the world. 

Peter Kaye, the Australian CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award says:

The International Award family mourns the loss of our inspirational Founder. Prince Philip’s belief in the infinite potential of young people, coupled with his championing of non-formal education and learning, positioned him as a leader and thinker of truly global stature. 

Through the personal leadership and involvement of Prince Philip, the Award that bears his name has transformed the lives of millions of young people since it started in 1956 and well over 750,000 in Australia.   As young people face exceptional challenge and change in the wake of the current pandemic, this “do-it-yourself growing-up kit”, as he described it, is even more relevant today than ever.

I would like to express the sadness of our loss, but also my thanks to His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh for pioneering the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.  As a Gold Awardee, whose involvement led to me becoming a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Leader, I am grateful for the wonderful experiences I have had over more than thirty years. It is a privilege to see young people climb their way up the steep slope that leads to adulthood, garnering confidence from a connection with the outdoors, as well as the other activities such as the Community Service. His Royal Highness was a great advocate for adventure and remote spaces, and because of his vision and commitment he has left an extraordinary legacy with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

I am sure that His Royal Highness would have been impressed with the efforts of our students over the Easter holidays, when we ran two gold expeditions, one around the Hawkesbury and the second in the Blue Mountains. The girls had to deal with rain, shortened autumn days and windy, cool nights, whilst covering the greater distances required at the Gold level. As always, they applied effective teamwork, planning, resolve and good humour to throw aside the challenges. Congratulations to all, especially those who have now completed their Qualifying Expedition and can get on with the other components to achieve Gold.

Joanne Bower
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Leader
and
Doric Swain
Expedition Coordinator

English Workshops

In Term 2 the SCEGGS English Department is delighted to welcome Dr Felicity Plunkett to run an after school creative writing workshop series.

Dr Plunkett is an award-winning poet and critic. She has a PhD from the University of Sydney and was Chief Examiner of NSW English Extension 1 and 2 for five years. Her first collection, Vanishing Point (UQP, 2009) won the Arts Queensland Thomas Shapcott Prize and was short-listed for several other awards. Seastrands (2011) was published in Vagabond Press’ Rare Objects series. She edited Thirty Australian Poets (UQP, 2011). Her new collection is A Kinder Sea (UQP). 

The workshops will take place over two consecutive weeks on Wednesday 2 June and Tuesday 8 June 2021. Each workshop will run for 90 minutes (from 3:30 – 5pm). In these workshops, students will explore inspiration and practical advice designed to nurture and extend their creative practice. After a range of exercises designed to access and deepen ideas and to shape and edit drafts, we will workshop poems by each participant, using an online space to develop discussion of each draft. Over the course of the workshops, we will consider creative energy, editing, giving-and-receiving feedback and developing a drafted work. The workshops will be interwoven with a rich array of resources and approaches to explore. 

These workshops are open to secondary students across all year levels, experience, and abilities.  Students who sign up MUST be able to participate on BOTH dates. Places are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.  Please email Sarah Hawkins by Monday 3 May with a brief expression of interest if you would like to be involved. In this expression of interest you should include:

• Your name
• Your year level
• Your English teacher
• A brief outline of why you would like to be involved in these workshops.

Dates for the workshops to run AFTER SCHOOL (3:30-5pm):

• Wednesday 2 June 2021 (Week 7)
• Tuesday 8 June 2021 (Week 8)

Sarah Hawkins
English Teacher

Debating

Welcome to debating for Term 2! The Eastside and ISDA Debating competitions will recommence this Friday, and the preliminary rounds will be completed on Zoom over this and next week. After that, any teams progressing to the finals will be debating in person – the ISDA Octo Finals will be held at SCEGGS on 7 May, and the Eastside Semi Finals will be held at SBHS on 14 May. Family will be allowed to attend the Eastside finals, but not the ISDA finals.

The Archdale Debating Competition also begins this term, and debates will be taking place in person. Family will be allowed to watch the debates at SCEGGS, but they will not be allowed to watch debates at other schools. A full draw for the season can be found on the Debating page in your daughter’s Cognito. When there are away debates a bus will take all debaters to the host school. Junior debates begin at 5:30pm, and Senior debates begin at 6:30pm. A bus will return to SCEGGS at the conclusion of the senior debates. The Archdale season begins on Tuesday 11 May.

Imogen Harper
Debating Co-ordinator

Careers

Issue 15 of the Careers Corner Newsletter is now available. Click here to find out about University Information Sessions, Cadetships as well as to view career videos from a range of health care professions.