Thinking Allowed

Building a Culture of Reading

One of the most joyful aspects of catching up with former Year 12 students at the beginning of this year was hearing about the books they were reading. With a little more time on their hands, and the pressures of the HSC behind them, these young women spoke excitedly about how they were reading all of Ishiguro’s novels after encountering the Booker winning novelist in their Year 12 course, how they were enjoying some escapist thrillers by Jane Harper, or about how they were reading Sylvia Plath’s diaries after being fascinated by their study of her poetry.

“Reading for enjoyment has been shown to be positively associated with enhanced academic performance at school and enhanced mental health. Another recent study found that reading for enjoyment has social benefits and can improve students’ sense of connectedness to the wider community as well as providing an insight into human nature and decision-making.”

Unfortunately, we also know from the most recent international 2018 PISA report that there is a significant increase in the number of students who “read only if I have to.” As teachers and parents, I think that we are all too aware of the way the many distractions of the modern world can make it difficult to prioritise the immersion in fiction. One of the central foundations of the new Year 7–10 English Curriculum is encouraging reading for “challenge, interest and enjoyment.”

The English Department is committed to finding effective strategies to re-engage students with literature. As a department, we strongly believe that wide reading develops a student’s understanding of texts and their ability to compose their own powerful written work.  We are carving out time and space in our classrooms to really prioritise reading and are considering how we might promote books and create a sense of dialogue about literature around the School.

The role modelling and support offered at home is often central to building a strong reading practice, and so we are keen to engage each of you in our crusade to build an excitement for reading. Reading requires time and space, and it is often those times at home on the weekend, in the evening before bed, or during the school holidays where students have the opportunity to get “hooked” by literature.

We are so fortunate at SCEGGS to have a passionate and knowledgeable Library team who we collaborate with as we recommend novels to students and help them to access audio books as well as written texts. While there are countless websites and resources which can recommend novels for particular ages, over the year we would also like to share some of our own “reading recommendations” from a variety of staff and students – in the hope that this might spark some interest and discussion in your household. Our first recommendations for the year can be found below. Don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know if you have any recommendations that your family would love to share with the SCEGGS community!

	Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura This beautiful Japanese novel follows seven students who learn how to navigate the difficulties they face in their own High Schools after forging social bonds in a magical realm. Appropriating well known fairytales, this magical realist novel is compelling and sensitive in its exploration of the challenges of adolescence. I found this book hard to put down and was completely engaged by the struggles of Kokoro and her peers. “Lonely Castle” is an uplifting read which ultimately celebrates the power of friendship and empathy. Ms Bean Head of English
	Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis The ‘Thieves’ Gambit’ by Kayvion Lewis is about Rosalyn Quest, a young girl raised by a legendary family of thieves, who only have one rule: trust no one. After planning to leave the world of heists and stealing, she takes on what she thought to be her last job but ends up leaving her mother’s life hanging on a thread. Desperate to save her family, Rosalyn must enter the Thieves Gambit, a famous international competition with a big prize but a big challenge. She will have to overcome backstabbing competitors, old friends, life-threatening games and even some love interest. This book is a roller coaster of emotions with many plot twists and is an action and romance jam-packed book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a book they can’t put down.  Zoe Butcher (Year 9)
	The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave ‘The Dance Tree’ by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is set in Strasbourg in the boiling summer of 1518 where a plague strikes the women of the city. First it is only one woman dancing alone in the town square, but as more and more women join her, the authorities declare an emergency, stating “The devil will be danced out of these women.” I really liked this book; usually I’m into Sci-Fi so this was a nice change. It follows a woman who continually loses children trying to carry a child for a husband she doesn’t love, but more for herself than him. I liked how the focus was on the protagonist’s life and the people around her. It felt quite insular, her life’s restricted to very few people, but those few people are a world within themselves. It was a really interesting read. There are some adult themes in the novel, but nothing too graphic or terrible. Jemima Lowe (Year 10)
	The Midnight Library by Matt Haig These holidays I read “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig. I really enjoyed this book because it was very light-hearted, but also an interesting read that I was able to get through quickly. It explores the possibility of a liminal space between life and death and the infinite possibilities of our lives, which I was personally really intrigued by. I think it would appeal to anyone in Year 7-12 who is interested in a philosophical or literary exploration of the big questions, and would be worth a read for everyone. Daisy Singleton (Year 12)

Jenny Bean
Head of English

From The Chaplain

The SCEGGS Podcast “Walk The Mile” Episode 50: What Do You Think?

Thanks to everyone that has had a listen to the podcast over the years. This episode is significant because it is our 50^th edition! Who would have thought? I have had so many enriching and interesting conversations over the last few years since we have been doing it and I am always amazed when people tell me that they have been listening. My initial objective was to create a platform that would serve the community in some way. I really hope that it has been helpful for you.

I often hear people say they overthink things. But when can you do too much thinking? This conversation is with a former student, Eleanor Gordon-Smith (Class of 2009). Eleanor is a philosopher, academic and has been writing an advice column for the Guardian Australia for the last four years. She has also published a book titled “Stop Being Reasonable”. We discuss the value of thought, the nature of advice and why we seek it and the place that doubt has in our beliefs. It might all sound pretty deep but I can assure you that there are plenty of examples and anecdotes that makes this conversation easily accessible.

And a reminder that we are published on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcast and Deezer, so you can access it easier from your preferred device. I always welcome your feedback or any ideas you may have for further episodes. You will find each podcast as they are produced in this newsletter and on the other platforms as well as our website.

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
Chaplain

P&F Welcome Cocktail Party

It’s not too late to book your tickets for a wonderful evening at the P&F Welcome Cocktail Party tomorrow from 6.00pm – 8.00pm.

We hope to see you there!

Traffic in Forbes Street

Managing afternoon pick-up traffic in Forbes Street

SCEGGS is constantly monitoring the flow of traffic in and around the School to make sure the pick-up of students is as safe and pain free as possible and, just as importantly, to ensure there is minimal inconvenience for our neighbours.

Unfortunately, we are seeing significant congestion on Forbes Street during afternoon pick-up. While we understand there will always be a degree of congestion during the peak pick-up time, there are ways and means to keep traffic flowing which benefits all parents and carers in the pick-up line.

With that in mind, we ask you to:

1. Encourage your daughter to use public transport wherever possible. Buses and trains provide a reliable service to SCEGGS and may be a good option for your daughter;
2. Also consider car-pooling if possible which would reduce the number of cars in the pick-up line.
3. Ensure your daughter knows to be ready for you at the pick-up point and that they enter the car as quickly (and safely) as possible.
4. Please obey instructions from our Traffic Controller who is there to keep traffic moving; and
5. If possible, consider delaying pick-up for 10 or 20 minutes. Every day, we see the traffic congestion cleared by 3.30pm. Your daughter is very welcome to go to the Library straight after school to do her homework or research and she is also welcome to remain “behind the green gate” with their friends to await pick-up after 3.30pm. We know this is not always possible due to after-school commitments but it is a great way to reduce the number of cars at the peak times of 3.10-3.25pm.

Thank you for considering the above options and for working with the School to make sure afternoon pick-ups are as stress free as possible.

Adrian Craig
Business Manager

Peer Mentoring

Our group of Peer Mentors has been working with the Form class 7D. We began this year, with the Year 7s on the first day of school, where we, the Peer Mentors, got to greet the Year 7s and run some ice breaker games and activities. We learnt the names of the students in this Form class and began to know more about them. We also ran them through some of our tips and tricks of SCEGGS, such as a tour of the school, how to set out their diaries and the way that their timetables work. A week later, we ran a newspaper fashion show with Year 7 where each Form class competed to see who could make the most creative fashion items. Most recently, we spent some time with the Year 7 students, in rotations discussing and answering any questions about general SCEGGS skills, e.g., items necessary for class, using OneNote and printing.

During our time with Year 7 we have been able to participate in so many fun activities with them, for example the newspaper fashion show that we held with them! We got to know the girls in our Form and share so many fun and silly ideas to create an amazing newspaper outfit. Our models then walked down the Great Hall runway with amazing speakers introducing them, this activity was so good to let us build both teamwork and friendships in the form group.

Our third and most recent session with Year 7 was conducted on Friday. Our aim was to grow 7Ds knowledge on a few basic skills such as organising their diaries, learning how to properly format an email, and how to use OneNote. We had 7D split up into groups of three, and each Peer Mentor would rotate around the groups, teaching the Year 7s a specific skill we think is important to learn as a SCEGGS girl. This was a fantastic opportunity to help them improve on these skills, get to know everyone better, and gave us time to reflect on how the first four weeks of the term was going. We formed deeper connections and had great conversations with our wonderful Form.

Georgia Cate Baker Wood, Olivia Davis, Ingrid Fairbairn, Sarah James, Frances O’Donnell, Mia Sparks, Zara Torrance
Peer Mentors for Year 7D

Secondary Music

Assembly Music

Thank you to Caitlin Cameron (Year 9) for playing the intro and outro for Ms Allum this week.

SCEGGS Eisteddfod

Song Writing Sessions

Free song writing sessions start on Thursday 29 February, from 3.30pm – 5pm in DB 3. You can come along for as long or as little time as needed. There will be information for beginners, as well as help for those who have already started to write songs.

Our new tutor is Benny Davis. Benny studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, before touring internationally with The Axis of Awesome for more than 10 years. The Axis of Awesome recorded seven albums, performed regularly at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe, and have had millions of views on YouTube. Please see Mr Gresham if you have any questions.

David Gresham
Head of Music Curriculum

P&F Cocktail Party – Basie Jazz Band

The Basie Jazz Band under the direction of our new Head of Music Curriculum, Mr David Gresham, will entertain guests at the P&F Cocktail Party on Friday 1 March. There will be no morning rehearsal on Friday 1 March, instead, the ensemble will rehearse from 3.30pm – 4.30pm before their performance from 6.00pm–6.45pm. Please collect your daughter from the DB Centre at 7.00pm.

Open Day – Woodwind Ensemble

The Woodwind Ensemble, under the direction of Ms Nicole Barrett, will play a short selection of music ahead of the Open Day on Friday 8 March. Please arrive at 8.00am and be ready to play from 8.30am – 9.00am.

New Parent Dinner – Lux Strings

Lux Strings, under the direction of Ms Eliza Sdraulig, will play a selection of music as guests arrive for the New Parent Dinner on Thursday 21 March. Before the performance, this ensemble will rehearse from 5.15pm – 6.00pm. They will perform from 6.50pm – 7.25pm and can be collected from the DB Centre around 7.30pm.

Musicale 1 

Please be aware that the date in the school diary is incorrect.

The following secondary ensembles will be performing at Musicale 1;

• Contemporary Strings
• Clarion Concert Band
• Van Reyk Percussion Ensemble
• Glennie Percussion Ensemble
• Years 7-10 Choir
• Years 7-10 Madrigal Ensemble

Further details can be found in this note.

Tutors in Concert 

We are very fortunate to have Lerida Delbridge teaching a number of our senior elective music students Violin here at SCEGGS. Lerida Delbridge is Assistant Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Click here to find more about her.

Lerida is also performing in a concert for Hunters Hill Music on Sunday 24  March – Beethoven’s letters with John Bell and Tinalley String Quartet. Tickets are very reasonably priced for students at only $10. Further details can be found on the website.

Important Dates 

Term 1

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular)

Primary Music

SCEGGS Eisteddfod

Primary music students are practising their instruments in preparation for the SCEGGS Eisteddfod. They can log their practice sessions on the Eisteddfod Practice Tracker sheet which was handed out to tutors and students last week. Awards will be given once the Eisteddfod has finished.

Musicale 1 – Thursday 11 April 6.00pm, Great Hall

Please be aware that the date in the school diary is incorrect.

The following ensembles will be performing at Musicale 1:

• Sinfonietta
• Chamber Strings
• Primary String Octet
• Bugles’ Band
• Cantare
• Stage 2 Choir

Further details can be found in this note.

Sydney Youth Orchestra

Congratulations to Monica Zhang (Year 3) who will be part of Stage 1 Strings in the Sydney Youth Orchestra this year. Monica is passionate about the violin and hopes to work her way through the many ensembles that the Sydney Youth Orchestra runs.

We are always happy to hear about ways our primary musicians are involved in music-making outside the school. Please send details to Heidi Jones.

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular)

Secondary Sport News

Touch

Well done to Lily Cooney (Year 10) and Ava Weekes (Year 10) who represented Easts Roosters at the Junior State Cup in Wagga Wagga (16-18 February). Their team made the semi-finals of the U16 competition before losing to Penrith 7-4.

Tamsyn Rogers (Year 12) represented the Tassie Bears at the Tasmanian Junior State Cup (16-18 February). Her team was successful in winning the Grand Final!

A special congratulations to Lily Cooney who was selected in the Southern Rebels training squad to compete at the U’16 Nationals. Emma Juneja and Sophie Davis (Class of 2023) were also selected in the Southern Rebels U18 squad.

The Touch Football season has kicked off splendidly, blessed with favourable weather and remarkable sportsmanship from all participants. Teams are displaying great commitment to their training sessions, and noticeable improvements are evident on the field each week. Notably, Naylise Thompson, one of our Year 11 students, has been contributing significantly to Team 17 every Wednesday afternoon, offering invaluable assistance. She is not only proving to be a great asset but also honing her coaching and refereeing skills, collaborating with coaches Lily Helene and Anwen Kidston on game days. Witnessing the thrilling try action unfold throughout the season has been an absolute delight.

Click here to see some of our teams in action.

Tennis

Well done to all our tennis players who dodged the rain on Saturday morning. We had a mixed bag of results at IGSA tennis.

A special shout out to Team 4 who were on the bus to Mittagong in the early hours of the morning to play against Frensham, coming away with a win.

Team 5 had a surprise spectator in Mrs Crawford.

Football

This year SCEGGS is competing in the NSWCIS Football Cup and played their round 1 match against St Luke Grammar on Monday at Moore Park. It was a very closely contested match and SCEGGS were the eventual winners 1-0. Frida Radford scored the winning goal after some excellent teamwork and passing.

The team will now progress to the second round against GOAL College (formerly SEDA).

Triathlon

Three students from SCEGGS competed at the NSW All Schools Triathlon Individual event last week that was held at the Sydney Olympics Regatta Centre.  Unfortunately, heavy rain and storms in the lead up forced organisers to cancel the swimming leg due to poor water quality at the Regatta Centre. This resulted in the event becoming a Duathlon consisting of running and cycling. SCEGGS did not participate in the Teams event the following day due to the conditions.

On a hot and humid day, the three Year 8 students did incredibly well and are to be congratulated for their triumphant efforts on the day and in the lead up to this event. Results from the Junior Individual Age Group with NSWCIS:

Gemma Shennan – 11^th

Annabel Lavery – 23^rd

Isobel Weston – 25^th

Well done to Gemma Shennan (Year 8) who competed at the Husky Triathlon Festival on the weekend. Gemma spent many hours training over the Christmas holidays in preparation, and her hard work certainly paid off. In the Super Sprint Triathlon, Gemma placed 2^nd in her age group and 7^th out of 225 in the open female category. An amazing result for a 13-year-old in an open female event.

SCEGGS International Women’s Day Run

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is #InspireInclusion.

Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #InspireInclusion.

Come and celebrate women athletes and applaud when equality is achieved in pay, sponsorship, and visibility.

Here is the link to the website.

Please join us in our annual SCEGGS International Women’s Day run. Students, parents/carers, dogs ALL welcome as we run through the streets of Darlinghurst and Woolloomooloo down to the Botanical gardens.

International Women’s Day belongs to everyone, everywhere. The day marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

Our Cross Captain Francesca Emblin (Year 11) and friends strike the #InspireInclusion pose.

Let’s step forward in solidarity and collectively, let’s #InspireInclusion for women and girls everywhere.

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.

SCEGGS Training Sessions Before and After School Plus Saturday Sport

Any cancellations or adjustments will be made in Clipboard and families will receive a notification or email when changes are made. Please ensure you have notifications enabled.

IGSA Fixtures, Results and Wet Weather

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

Primary Sport News

Huskisson Triathlon

Well done to Holly Shennan (Year 6) and Cleopatra Norman (Year 3) who competed in the Huskisson Kids Triathlon over the weekend. Both girls were involved in the event alongside family and friends. What a fantastic way to be involved in physical activity.

Years 3-6 Running Training

The Years 3-6 Running Training continues at Centennial Park each Friday morning. Please note the session on Friday 8 March is SCEGGS annual International Women’s Day run, which will depart from the SCEGGS Sports Hall at 6.45am. All students, parents, carers, and friends are welcome to join. Let’s step forward in solidarity and collectively, let’s #InspireInclusion for women and girls everywhere.

IPSHA Swimming and Diving

Good luck to all students competing at the IPSHA Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 5  March at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. A reminder that all relay participants are expected to attend a training session on Monday 4 March at NCIE Swimming Pool, commencing at 6.30am.

Years 3-6 Dance for Fitness

Years 3-6 Dance for Fitness continues to grow in popularity and takes place each Friday lunchtime in the Old Gym under the guidance of our expert dance instructor Joel Peisley. Students involved in this are not expected to wear their sports uniform. They are welcome to pop on their sports shorts and take off their school shoes for the session.

Years 3-6 Cross Country Carnival

The Cross Country Carnival, in which all girls in Years 3-6 are involved, will be held on Tuesday 12 March at Queens Park opposite Moriah College, Baronga Ave, Queens Park.

Students are to come to school in their sports uniform and change into their school uniform when they arrive back at school. Students will need to ensure they have a drink bottle, hat, sunscreen and healthy snacks packed for the morning inside of their SCEGGS sports bag. Please make sure that all items of clothing are clearly labelled.

Girls will leave SCEGGS from 8.30am, with the first event starting at 9.00 am. Girls will then return to school mid-morning, with lessons as usual for the rest of the day.

The program has been organised with approximate times as follows:

Please note “age” is the age each student is on 31 December 2024.

Spectators are welcome to attend but are asked to remain around the perimeter of the cross-country track.

For selection to the IPSHA Cross Country team, up to five girls in each age group will represent SCEGGS at the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival. In exceptional circumstances where a girl cannot run at the school carnival, the final team selection will be at the discretion of the Director of Sport and Primary Sports Coordinator.

There is always the chance a carnival may be postponed due to various conditions. If so, communication will be provided as early as possible and distributed via email, and by class teachers.

Upcoming Sports Dates:

Mr Adrian Hammond
Primary Sports Coordinator

Visual Arts

We are thrilled to announce that Isabelle Flower (Year 9) has been appointed the Lead Editor for SCOPE art magazine for Semester 1. Isabelle has written for SCOPE in the past and brings to the position a deep engagement with the Visual Arts as both a writer and a maker. We are very much looking forward to seeing how she will shape the magazine this year.

Students who recently signed up during the co-curricular expo or are keen to contribute can expect Isabelle to be in touch over the next few days as she begins to build her team and plan for SCOPE 14.

In case you missed last year’s publications, here they are, and all copies of SCOPE can be found on Cognito.

• SCOPE 13
• SCOPE 12

Mosman Youth Art Prize Online Entries Now Open

Mosman Youth Art Prize is back for another exciting year!

The Youth Art Prize is open to artists aged 12 – 21, working across all mediums.  

Entries are now open and they will close on Monday 18 March at 5.00pm.  

This year, entries will be online so you will need to submit an image of your artwork, (300 dpi and under 32 MB – phone photos will suffice).

Make sure you read the T&Cs and FAQs before submitting. 

Entries are only open to those who are in the Sydney Metropolitan region.

Young Archies

The Art Gallery of New South Wales invites young artists between the ages of 5 and 18 to submit a portrait for the Young Archie competition.

The portrait must be of a person who is special to you – someone who is known to you and who knows you and plays a significant role in your life.

There are four age categories:

• 5-8 year olds
• 9-12 year olds
• 13-15 year olds
• 16-18 year olds

Last year we had Imogen Zimmerle (Year 11) selected with her stunning portrait of Ms Allum.

Visit the website for further details!

This week’s banner is a monoprint work by Year 11 student Ottilie Ewington.

Heidi Jackson
Head of Visual Arts

Year 6 Canberra Excursion

Last week, Year 6 visited Canberra to complement their learning of Australian democracy and citizenship in History. The excursion spanned three days and two nights with a busy itinerary that ensured the girls made the most of this valuable learning experience. 

On Monday, our Canberra excursion began with an in-depth look at the history of Australian democracy at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) at Old Parliament House. Through the program People Power and Making Change, the girls explored the stories of significant events in Australia’s history, including the legacy of past Prime Ministers. A highlight of the MoAD was the opportunity to sit in the House of Representatives. The girls experienced history by sitting in this historic chamber of Old Parliament House and learnt more about parliamentary roles and procedures. Following this, we then visited new Parliament House and were taken on a tour of the House of Representatives and the Senate. During this tour, the girls learnt about the function and purpose of Australia’s democratic system of government by exploring how laws are made through Australian Parliament, the responsibilities of members of parliament, the formation of government and how the government is kept accountable. In the Parliamentary Education Office, the girls had the opportunity to become members of parliament and debate a bill in the House of Representatives. Complete with Aerin Murphy as Prime Minister, Claire Tesvic as Opposition Leader, Eve Parker as Speaker, Charlotte Randall as Clerk and Matilta Tatlow as Serjeant-at-Arms, the bill about the advertisement on free-to-air television was hotly debated by the very passionate and articulate parliamentary members!

The next morning, we headed to the National Electoral Education Centre to understand more about the electoral process. This was a firsthand experience in which the girls ran their own election in a dedicated polling venue. The four candidates were Orange, Apple, Peach and Banana! The girls were fully immersed in the election day process including posting a vote, guarding the ballot box, counting votes and preferences, and scrutineering the official counters. We had two polling venues in operation with the winning candidate being Peach! It was then onto the Australian War Memorial. The We Will Remember Them program encouraged the girls to think about the reasons for our continued commemoration of the service and sacrifice of Australian servicemen and women. The girls listened to stories of servicemen and women and learnt about the significance of symbols of commemoration including the poppy. A change of pace was had once we arrived at Questacon, Australia’s National Science and Technology Centre. Engaging, hands-on activities filled every floor.

The final stop for the day was the Australian Institute of Sport. We were treated to a tour of the AIS facilities including the gymnastics centre, volley centre, weights room (which was bigger than our entire Sports Hall!) and swim training complex. The girls then got right into the spirit of Australian sport to find out what it takes to become a high performance athlete. In the Sportex exhibit, the girls tested their skills at a range of different challenges including virtual downhill skiing, rock climbing, football penalty shootouts, reaction speed and flexibility tests.

On our final day, we visited Government House, the official residence of the Governor-General. This completed our exploration of Australian democracy and citizenship in seeing where Prime Ministers and Ministers are sworn into office and where the achievements of Australia’s most outstanding citizens are officially recognised. Set over 130 acres, it was a beautiful residence to visit, full of traditions and history, including a formal dining table that seats 50 guests for official occasions hosted by the Governor-General. To our surprise and delight, the girls were greeted by the Governor-General himself, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). He was very generous with his time to share stories about his work and allowed the girls to ask him questions – of which they had many! Meeting Australia’s Head of State is sure to be a memory the girls will treasure for years to come. Our final destination was the National Gallery of Australia. Working in small groups, we were taken on a guided tour to explore and study the artworks of many famous artists. We had an opportunity to sit on portable chairs (which was appreciated by our weary legs!) and carefully analyse each artwork. This was a lovely way to end our Canberra experience.

A special thank you to Mrs Gloor, Miss Schwartz, Ms Tamminga, Miss Senes and Mrs Gardner who accompanied me on the excursion and did a brilliant job looking after the girls for three days. I look forward to seeing the girls build on this learning experience back in the classroom.

Cristi Wilsmore
Deputy Head of Primary (Teaching and Learning)

Years 3-6 Book Cafe

School Shop Notice

Summer Shorts Available for Primary Students

For students in the Primary School we are pleased to offer Summer Shorts to be worn as an alternative to the tunic.

They are available in sizes Youth 4 up to Youth 12 and will retail for $35.

Parents are welcome to order on line here or via email to Clare Reid and of course in person during our shop hours 8.00am-3.30pm Monday-Friday.

Clare Reid
School Shop Manager

Year 7 and 10 Vaccination Clinic Dates and Online Consent

If your child is in Year 7 or Year 10 in 2024, you will need to provide consent online for school vaccinations offered by NSW Health’s School Vaccination Program.

SCEGGS Vaccination Clinic dates for 2024 are as follows:

• Year 7 – diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines 
  – Friday 22 March
• Year 10 – meningococcal ACWY vaccine 
  – Friday 2 August

Vaccinations will only be provided at school if consent has been received. Online consent will only be accepted if provided through the NSW Health School Vaccination Program portal.

We ask that Parents of Year 7 students complete their online consent form by Monday 11 March.

How to provide consent:

1. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit: health.nsw.gov.au
2. Follow the steps to log in to your existing ServiceNSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you don’t have a ServiceNSW account, refer to ServiceNSW to create one.
3. Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required.
4. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:
   1. Enter your child’s personal details
   2. Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
   3. Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement
   4. Provide consent

Detailed instructions can be found on the NSW Health website.

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper consent form from the school.

The benefits of providing consent online:

• easily update your child’s details
• receive SMS and/or email notifications when vaccinations are given
• faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)

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

For more information on school vaccinations visit here.

or if you have any questions, please contact South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit on:
9382 8333 (Ext 2).

Phil Rogers
Director of Administration