We are looking forward to seeing you at our P&F Welcome Cocktail Party on Friday 3 March. Please RSVP by Monday 27 February. We look forward to celebrating the start of the school year with you on this evening!
Thanks again to all of those who were able to donate food to our Harvest Festival drive. We literally had a truckload of food to take to the Vinnies Redfern Community Centre and they were very appreciative. The number of people that are using this centre has increased dramatically over the last 12 months, so it was good to be able to restore their food shelves. Unfortunately, there are still items that they are in desperate need of as more and more people are struggling financially. Over the next few weeks, I would like to collect toiletries to provide to the centre. These items include toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, body wash, sanitiser, combs or brushes, sanitary pads etc. The other area of need is pet supplies. A number of people who use the centre have pets that are often their only companion and provide comfort and love, especially during tough times. Some of these people live on the street or by themselves in public housing. Again, many of these people can’t afford to buy the essentials to look after their animals and this becomes another point of frustration and worry for them. I am asking for donations of pet food (including birdseed) and pet accessories (eg. bowls, collars, leashes, beds, etc. New or used but in good condition) to be given to the centre for distribution amongst their clientele. There will be two separate baskets outside of the chapel, clearly labelled, where donations can be left. If items could be brought in by Friday 24 March that would be fantastic.
Garry Lee-Lindsay
School Chaplain
Part of a SCEGGS education is offering students opportunities to learn life skills beyond the classroom. These experiences are designed to inspire and challenge and are offered across a variety of subject areas and cultural disciplines. While the pandemic prevented these over the last two years, we are now able to get school trips (international and domestic) back up and running. To give families an idea of what is on the horizon, we have prepared the following table. Obviously, the further away the timeframe, the less certain are the plans, but we hope this is helpful information.
Other opportunities during Term time and weekends include the annual Years 10 – 11 Visual Arts Camp to Bundanon, usually held on a weekend in early Term 3 and the French Exchange for Year 10 students whereby SCEGGS students go to France for six weeks during the summer holidays and students from France come here at the end of Term 2 for six weeks. Also in the pipeline are trips to Melbourne for an Upper Primary Choral/Band/Strings Tour and a Years 7 – 9 Drama Tour in 2024.
Further details about each opportunity will be provided closer to the date.
Year 7 and Year 10 students are able to receive free vaccinations through the NSW School Vaccination Program offered by NSW Health.
SCEGGS Vaccination Clinic dates for 2023 are as follows:
From 2023 parents can provide consent online for their child’s routine school vaccinations.
Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received.
Consent for Year 7 students’ vaccinations were due Wednesday 15 February.
If you would like your Year 7 student to be vaccinated through the school program please provide consent as soon as possible if you have not done so already.
If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form directly from your child’s school.
For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit here.
If you require information in your language, please visit here.
If your child misses a school vaccination clinic, the school immunisation nurses will try to catch them up at their next visit. Alternately, you can speak to a GP or pharmacist about catching up on vaccination.
For more information on school vaccination visit here or if you have any questions, please contact South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit on 9382 8333 (Ext 2).
From February 2023, only one dose of HPV vaccination is required to be fully vaccinated. Previously, Year 7 students were offered two doses of the HPV vaccine in the NSW School Vaccination Program. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has reviewed recent international evidence and has advised that a single dose of the HPV vaccine gives the same protection as two dose course.
If you have already consented to your child receiving two doses of HPV vaccine, they will only receive one dose.
If your child is in Year 8 or above and previously missed their second dose of HPV vaccine, they are now considered fully vaccinated and do not require a second dose.
A small number of students who are immunocompromised are still recommended to receive a three-dose course of HPV vaccine. If your child is immunocompromised, it is important to discuss their immunisation needs with their GP.
Sarah Walters
Director of Administration
Earlier this week we welcomed Dana, the founder of URSTRONG, all the way from Canada to work with the girls in Years 2 – 5, teaching them the skills to become “friendship ninjas”!
URSTRONG is a whole school friendship strategy that works to create kinder environments and empower the girls to play an active role in effectively managing their friendships. SCEGGS has been implementing the URSTRONG processes for over 7 years now and we have certainly seen the benefits of it across the school.
Many of the foundations of the program are the same, no matter what age the girls are. This includes the Four Friendship Facts, which are revised each year.
At the Friends and Fuzzies workshop with Year 2, the girls discussed what respect looks like and sounds like in a friendship. Dana encouraged the girls to stay true to themselves and be “Friend-o-leaders”. Asking them to do what feels right for them, no matter what their friends or other people around them might be doing. When exploring what a healthy friendship is, the girls were asked to share words that describe a friendship in the “green zone”. Libby shared “kindness”, Emily shared “love” and Vivi shared “warm”.
Years 3 and 4 in The Heart of Friendship workshop focussed on the importance of courage within a friendship, amongst many other things. Courage is particularly important when the girls need to sort out a “Friendship Fire” and confront the issue that has caused the disagreement. This was a nice follow on from the girls’ work with Kimochi’s in Years K – 2 where they learnt to “put their brave in front”. Working through friendship fires isn’t always easy, so Dana gave the girls some tips on how they can tackle this when there are bumps in the road. A large portion of this involved learning about the importance of body language and tone of voice when interacting with friends. Did you know that 93% of how we communicate with others is non-verbal!
At the Friendship Fires workshop, Year 5 explored friendship groups and the influence for better a group can have on each other. The girls learnt about “circle” and “horseshoe” groups and were encouraged to be a part of a “horseshoe” group, one that is open and aware of others around them. Online communication was referenced and how the use of emojis can be helpful in being clear on the tone a message is intended. The acronym ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) was also a focus in Year 5 and the girls discussed how to squash these ANTs if they appear in their mind. A large theme in this session was on self-compassion and the importance of being kind to yourself!
If you’ve been a member of the SCEGGS community for some time now, we hope you are well versed in “The Language of Friendship”. If not, ask your daughter what it’s all about!
Sarah Johnstone
Deputy Head of Primary – Student Wellbeing
On Friday 17 March, our Year 12 students will be cutting and donating their hair to the “World’s Greatest Shave” – a campaign aiming to contribute funds towards the Leukaemia Foundation.
Each day, over 50 Australians are diagnosed with blood cancer – Australia’s second most diagnosed cancer – it is crucial that adequate services and treatment are made available to these individuals. The Leukaemia Foundation is an organisation that supports over 135,000 Australians living with leukaemia, and their families by providing accommodation, support groups and transportation, and other services. Ultimately, the Leukaemia Foundation’s mission is to achieve 0 lives lost to blood cancer by 2035, and the World’s Greatest Shave provides crucial funding to ensure this vision can be achieved.
When someone volunteers to shave or cut their hair for the World’s Greatest Shave, they foster an ongoing message of hope and show solidarity to those whose lives have been impacted by leukaemia. Longer hair donations can be used to create wigs to maintain a sense of normalcy during an individual’s treatment, whilst trimmings can be used to clean up oil spills in the ocean – regardless of the amount of hair contributed, both assist environmentally and socially conscious actions!
On lunchtime of Friday 17 March, all students are welcome to come to the sports hall to watch the Year 12 students having their hair cut, with a gold coin donation for entry going toward to the Leukaemia Foundation. This is a great chance for students to support their friends and a wonderful cause!
As a year group, we have set a goal of $5000 and we have already achieved half of this! We would appreciate any contributions to this wonderful cause, so please tell friends and family about this initiative!
The donations page can be accessed via this link, which can be used to sponsor your friends or show your support for the entire SCEGGS team.
Year 12 Cuts for Cancer Committee
Well done to each of the SCEGGS Swimmers who competed at the MLC Invitational Swimming Carnival last Friday evening. SCEGGS placed 3rd overall and faced some strong competition from Wenona, MLC, St Scholastics, Santa Sabina and Danebank. We are so proud of the SCEGGS spirit on display and the way all students conducted themselves. The SCEGGS Swimmers who competed:
Audrey Rivers (Year 8), Jess Weatherall (Year 9) and Eva Ancher (Year 8) competed in the Hockey NSW Centre of Development Regional Challenge in Newcastle on the weekend. They played more than 10 short games each over the 3 days (in the scorching heat!) and had a great time developing their skills and meeting hockey players from all over NSW.
Congratulations to all of our SCEGGS students who represented Easts Touch at the Junior State Cup in Wagga on the weekend. All teams played in very hot conditions throughout the weekend.
Sophie Davis (Year 12), Emma Juneja (Year 12) and Olivia Ward (Year 12) played in the U’18 Easts team who lost an absolute thriller in the Grand Final against Canberra Brindie. The final score was 7-6. It was fabulous to be able to watch some of the games online via the livestream.
Julia Machliss (Year 10), Lily Cooney (Year 9) and Sadie Juneja (Year 9) played in the U’16 age group that reached the round of 16. In their quarter final they were defeated by Wollongong 7-2. Rosie Pallett (Year 8) was our lone SCEGGS competitor in the U’14 age group.
Congratulations to our SCEGGS team of runners who competed at the World Cross Country Schools Challenge that was held in Bathurst on the weekend. All four runners performed brilliantly: Ruby Fry (Year 10) 2nd overall, Nancy Newton (Year 9) 6th and Matilda Emanuel (Year 9) and Annaliese Stackpool (Year 9) close behind.
Ruby ran again on Sunday in the Age Championships and came placed 3rd overall in the 15-18 year age with a time of 16:17.
Good luck to all the SCEGGS students who will be completing at the NSW State Nippers Championships this weekend. Please send in your results (with photos) to myself at the end of the competition.
Congratulations to Ilana Patkar (Year 11) who competed at the Rhythmic Gymnastics State Trial #1 at Valentine’s Park, Glenwood held on Sunday 19 February. Ilana acheived 7th Hoop, 10th Ball, 9th Clubs, 11th Ribbon and 10th Overall at Level 9.
Ilana will continue her competition season throughout February and March – Best of luck!
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
Please check the @SCEGGSSport Twitter feed for the latest updates relating to cancellations and wet weather.
The IGSA website and platform for accessing wet weather, fixtures and team results can be found at here.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact myself on 9052 2721 or 0418 491 521.
Alison Gowan
Director of Sport
Congratulations to Sara Malavich (Year 6), who represented SCEGGS at the IPSHA Tennis Trials last Friday 17 February, at Pymble. Coming up against tough competition from other IPSHA schools, Sara played some fantastic matches across the day. Despite not making the team, she should be incredibly proud of her efforts. We are very proud of you, Sara!
Well done to Alexia Marskell (Year 5) and Pippa Dodwell (Year 6), who trialled for IPSHA Basketball at St Pius on Monday 19 February. We are so proud of the SCEGGS spirit on display and how they trialled. Alexia was selected for the IPSHA Team, with Pippa making the shadow squad. We wish the best of luck to Alexia, who moves on to the CIS Trials on Friday 10 March at the Hills Basketball Stadium.
Does your daughter compete in any sport outside of school (for example, at a representative level or a sport we do not currently offer)? If so, we would love to celebrate their achievements by recognising them in this newsletter!
Please email any information (and photos, if possible) to Tom Mitton. These will be included in newsletters throughout the year.
We look forward to our Years 3-6 Primary cross-country carnival, which is happening on Tuesday Week 6 this term. Before the carnival in PE classes, we will be working on improving our fitness with the help of our amazing cross-country coaches. This is the first event this year in which you can earn points for your house. Above all, it is a day for you to challenge yourself to work hard and give it your all!
In preparation for this, we also invite all families from Years 3-6 (and 4-legged friends) to our Cross-Country Carnival preparation sessions on Friday 24 and Friday 3 March at 6.45 am at McKay Oval in Centennial Park. A bus will be provided for students to return to school at the session’s conclusion at 7.40 am.
Thanks already to the families who have signed up! We can’t wait to see you there!
If you are interested, please fill out this short form, so we know you are coming!
SCEGGS’s Exclusive Tennis Coaches Justin and Vince are hosting a SCEGGS Primary School tennis program this upcoming school holidays.
All standards and welcome and are programmed for; Beginners, Intermediate, and Frequent Players.
What to expect through both days :
| Date | Monday 24 April and Tuesday 25 April |
| Time | 9.00am – 1.00pm |
| Who’s eligible | SCEGGS Students Years K – 6 |
| Cost | $210.00 Two-Day Price / $110.00 One-Day Price, plus GST |
Note: Justin and Vince are the long-time and current coaches of the SCEGGS Tildesely Tennis Team and run certain PE tennis classes for SCEGGS Primary School.
Please take a look at the attachment below and feel free to contact us if you have any questions/inquiries.
To help your child have the best experience on game day, it’s important for them to arrive at the venue 30 minutes before the start of the game. This extra time allows them to warm up properly, join in the team’s preparation, and be ready to play their best. Being on time also shows respect for their teammates and coaches and demonstrates their commitment to the sport. Your child will be fully prepared and ready to have fun on the field by arriving early. Thank you for supporting your child’s love for sports!
As we also head into the season, a quick reminder for all parents and supporters taken from the IPSHA rules.
Please ensure your daughter is at the venue ready to start 30 mins before her game so that there is time to complete a full warm-up as a team. Girls must arrive in the correct uniform, have a full water bottle and bring all other sports-specific equipment required to play (e.g. shin pads for football).
For Years 4-6, please download and use the IPSHA App on your mobile device for Saturday matches. All match locations are posted through the app. Any wet weather will also be posted on the @SCEGGSport Twitter feed.
| Wednesday 1 March | IPSHA Swimming and Diving Championships |
| Tuesday 7 March | Primary Cross Country Carnival |
| Saturday 1 April | IPSHA Cross Country (chosen from Primary XC Carnival) |
Tom Mitton
PDHPE and Sport Coordinator: Primary
A fortnight ago Ms Allum and Ms Gyton were asked during the Year 7 Parent Information Evening to assist in making a creative problem for an Art student to solve using the key values and attitudes taught in the SCEGGS Art classroom such as:
Here is Ms Allum’s and Ms Gyton’s work:
And here is Imogen Zimmerle’s response:
What is so impressive about Imogen’s drawing is that beyond its technical skill, meticulous execution, and the sensitive use of the media, is the resourcefulness and confidence to transform a few lines on a blank field of paper into such evocative imagery that is so compelling for the viewer!
Imogen has illustrated (literally) that the act of making art develops so many essential skills, particularly problem solving and the ability to come up with ideas and develop them. These are not only valuable assets in the Art classroom but across all learning areas at school and especially sought after in the 21st century workplace.
Imogen has, through her drawing, invoked our curiosity and engaged our thinking and imagination. Her work captures the leap from the prosaic to the sublime which we hope all of our art students experience as they create work.
We look forward to sharing some examples of Year 7 work in Behind the Green Gate soon!
This week’s banner is from Imogen Zimmerle (Year 10).
Heidi Jackson
Head of Visual Arts
This week’s banner is from one of our Secondary Trumpet players and their tutor.
The music committee is a group of five students, each holding an individual role associated with a type of ensemble at SCEGGS. Starting from last week, over the next few weeks, each member of the committee will share a little bit about themselves and why they love music! This week, Rochelle Wang (Year 12), our 2023 String Captain, shares her musical journey.
My name is Rochelle Wang, I am in Year 12, and I am honoured to be your String Captain for 2023. My main instrument is double bass which I have been playing for over 8 years now. However, I was first introduced to the wonderful world of music when I was just 3 years old through piano. Since then, I have been on many regional and international tours outside of SCEGGS, participated in the most incredible performances, and been able to share the joy of music to many. The experience of the SCEGGS music program can only be described by one word: unparalleled. As a member of the Amati Strings, the ability to play music with my peers from every year group has made my time at SCEGGS that much more memorable. Outside of SCEGGS, I am a part of the Sydney Youth Orchestra’s Philharmonic. Music is a large part of my life and I cannot wait to share it alongside the amazing music committee this year to the rest of the SCEGGS community.
Congratulations to Zara Perkins (Year 9) who played the hymn “In Christ Alone” and excerpts from Mozart’s Nine Variations in D K.573 for entry and recessional. Well done, Zara!
Accompanying the school’s singing of hymns in assembly is a wonderful way for student pianists to extend their skills. There are further opportunities coming ahead for interested pianists to perform. Please come and speak to the Head of Music for further information.
Interested Piano students of AMEB Grade 5 standard are invited to apply for the SCEGGS Organ Scholarship.
One scholarship is awarded for the duration of 2 years (e.g. 2023 – 2025).
Applications opens on Thursday 23 February and close on Friday 3 March to the Head of Music.
Please see the following information for details for application here.
The SCEGGS Music Eisteddfod is a competition open to all musicians currently taking private lessons, inside or outside of school.
Eisteddfod entries opened on Monday 20 February and close on Friday 3 March. No late entries will be accepted.
It is the responsibility of Primary parents to fill in the entry form/s for their child.
It is the responsibility of Secondary students to fill in their own entry form/s.
You may enter more than once provided you are currently having private lessons on that instrument or voice.
Please see the Information Sheet if you have any questions.
Elective Music students are now invited to apply for the Margot Anthony Budd “Beyond the Curriculum” Award.
Two Elective Music students are awarded this prize to explore their passion for Music beyond the classroom. The recipients of the prize will be announced at the Eisteddfod Highlights Concert.
Applications need to be submitted to Ms Allum – Head of School by Monday 13 March 2023. Information and application form can be found here.
Instrumental and vocal lessons are in full flight now, with 326 lessons happening each week with our visiting music tutors in voice, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium and piano! Students have begun the Eisteddfod Practice Challenge and are recording each day’s practice to be eligible for a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum Award in the lead up to the Eisteddfod Heats in Week 7. All girls should have chosen their Eisteddfod solo piece, after discussion with their tutor. Happy practising!
Pauline Chow
Head of Music
The first external public speaking competition, Lions Youth of the Year, took place on Sunday with Nicola Allen (Year 12) representing SCEGGS. This competition involves an interview where students speak about their experiences and community involvement and answer a range of questions about current events. The students then compete in a Public Speaking round where they present two short impromptu speeches and one longer prepared speech on a topic of their choice.
There is a Public Speaking winner and an overall winner and it is with great pleasure that I announce that Nicola won both awards. She will go on to compete against the winners from the other Sydney Lions Clubs on March 5.
This a challenging competition which requires a student with a range of skills, experience, and community involvement. Congratulations to Nicola on her victory and we wish her well for the next round.
Elizabeth Walsh
Public Speaking Co-ordinator
| P&F Welcome Cocktail Party |
Date: Friday 3 March |
Year 3 Family Picnic |
Date: Sunday 5 March |