From Ms Allum

Welcome back, everyone! It has been delightful to see just how smoothly the new school year has unfolded for all of our students K-12, staff and parents – albeit with some adjustments to our usual routines!

I am so impressed with the way our community has been following guidelines and advice in an effort to help keep everyone in our community safe; from students and staff undertaking twice weekly RAHTs, to staff and secondary school students wearing masks indoors. We are slowly starting to restart our usual range of activities in the School, although some of these are still slightly modified to ensure they are completed in a more COVID-smart way. Our Assembly held earlier in the week with some students in the Great Hall while others joined in digitally, and tomorrow’s Co-curricular and Music Expo to be held outdoors (weather permitting), are two examples of how we are settling into the life of the School in 2022.

If parents do need to visit the school, we would again remind you to sign in with the Services NSW QR code, located at each entry point to the School.

As we move into the term, I take this opportunity to highlight some measures for students and parents that will continue to help us maintain everyone’s health and safety.

When does your daughter need to isolate at home, and when can she return to school?

• If your daughter tests positive for COVID, she must isolate for at least seven days and not return to school until she tests negative and is symptom-free. If your daughter is still testing positive on day nine, please contact the School to make arrangements for a safe return to school.
• If your daughter has not had COVID but is a household contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID, your daughter must isolate for a full seven days, test negative and be symptom-free before returning to school. In the unfortunate circumstance that an additional (and any subsequent) household member test positive, the seven-day isolation period re-starts.

What to do if your daughter is away (including if she needs to isolate)?

• Please notify absences@sceggs.nsw.edu.au in the usual way, indicating if your daughter is sick or isolating due to being a household contact.
• If your daughter is unwell herself, please encourage her to rest and recover first before worrying about catching up on schoolwork!
• If/when your daughter is well enough to do some work at home, girls in the Secondary School can email their teachers directly to let them know they are feeling up to doing some work and the staff will guide them about the most appropriate tasks to try at home for that subject. Parents of girls in the Primary School can email their daughter’s class teacher for similar guidance.

Notification of positive cases within our school community

I had let you know previously that I would notify parents when a positive case had been onsite. Over the past few days, there have been a handful of new positive cases each day, as well as students who are staying home because they are household contacts, and then of course other non-COVID reasons. I have decided that I won’t email you each day to report new positive cases – I worry that I will just clog up your inboxes and that this will be unhelpful. You should all be super careful to monitor your daughters for symptoms each and every day, and keep them at home even if they have the mildest of symptoms. Please do continue to tell the School when you have a positive RAHT test or PCR test for your daughter (this is a requirement under law from NSW Health), so that we can monitor whether there is any change to the spread of the disease in our community and inform you accordingly.

The School is expecting another RAHT delivery next week. We will let you know as soon as they arrive and send them home with the girls as we did last week.

I will continue to update families as circumstances evolve and new information comes to hand. And as always, please contact any of us at school if you have questions or concerns.

Best wishes
Jenny Allum

2021 HSC Results

Please click here to view our 2021 HSC results.

Who’s Who at SCEGGS 2022 and 2022 Parent Information Booklets

The Who’s Who at SCEGGS and the Parent Information booklets for 2022 are now available for all current authenticated SCEGGS families to download from the SCEGGS Portal and we would strongly encourage all families to be aware of the important information contained inside. If you are not currently an authenticated user and feel you should be, please contact the ICT Department using this link: https://www.sceggs.nsw.edu.au/contact-us/contact-details/

In Who’s Who at SCEGGS you will find the names of our Leadership Teams, Form and Class teachers, student leaders, introductions on new staff and more! While the Parent Information booklet contains the most important logistical and organisational information for parents including:

• COVID-safe guidelines for parents
• School Attendance Information for all students K-12
• Arrangements for Before and After School Supervision
• Pedestrian Safety
• Students Driving to and from School and School Activities
• Students Riding Bicycles to and from School
• Food Allergy Awareness
• Student accident insurance
• School shop opening hours
• … and much, much more!

Both these booklets can be found in the “Useful Information” section.

From the Primary School

Welcome everyone, to a new school year! I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday, despite the continued disruptions presented by COVID. I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to all our new girls and their families; we hope you soon settle into life at SCEGGS quickly but please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions at all.

This year we also have number of new additions to our Primary teaching team, featured in the Who’s Who at SCEGGS 2022 booklet. 

We are very much looking forward to meeting you all at our Parent Information Evenings next week and the week after. These evenings are for all parents of girls from Kindergarten to Year 6. Parents will hear from their daughters’ teachers about aspects of the classroom programs, activities planned for the year and ways parents can assist their daughters at home. The K-2 sessions will be run in the girl’s nominated classrooms. However, the Year 3-6 sessions will be held in either the Lecture Theatre or the Auditorium to allow for social distancing.

We would ask that you ensure you sign into the school using the Service NSW QR code and that you wear a mask. In order to limit numbers of people on site, please could you limit attendance to one adult per family, if possible.

The Joan Freeman car park will be open for parking from 5.30pm and will close promptly at 9.00pm on Monday 7 February. On Tuesday 15 February the car park will close at 7.30pm. The entry of the car park is positioned on St Peters Street which can be accessed via Forbes Street.

Parent Information Evenings

We urge you to come along and meet our wonderful team of teachers and to hear about the exciting things that will be happening at the school during 2022.

Year 3 – 6 Swimming Carnival

As mentioned in the Primary Sport news, the Years 3 – 6 Primary Swimming Carnival’s planning is full swing. We are busy putting together our annual carnival, to be held at Drummoyne Swim Centre, on Monday, February 14. Further communication on the Swimming Carnival will be sent out in the coming days.

Please note, unfortunately due to the current COVID situation, parents will not be able to attend the Carnival.

Helen Dempsey
Head of Primary

From the Chaplain

A reminder that from next week, we celebrate Harvest Festival, where each girl is asked to bring to school at least one non-perishable food item which will eventually be distributed to those in our city whose lives have been affected by misfortune. At the beginning of 2020, two million Australians relied on food relief and half of those are children. I am certain that these numbers have grown due to the pandemic that we have all experienced.

Many of these children often go to school without breakfast, or to bed without dinner. Harvest Festival recognises all of the good things that we have been given and the opportunity to give to those in need. We continue to pray for those affected and dealing with great loss and trauma.

We will continue to consider ways that we as a community may be able to help in the process of restoration, particularly in light of the last couple of years.

Below is a list of suggestions from Rough Edges:

Non-perishable foods

Do Not Include

• Perishable foods
• Food that requires cooking facilities (eg lentils, chickpeas)
• Packaging that requires tools to open (eg tin openers)

Each year, the Chapel is decorated beautifully with these items and other produce. Hopefully we will be able to celebrate in the Chapel but that is yet to be decided. At the end of the week the food will be given to Rough Edges for distribution. I appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness in these difficult times.

Rev Garry Lee-Lindsay
School Chaplain

Secondary Sport News

NSW All Schools Athletics Championships                                            

Congratulations to Coco Espie on her outstanding results at the NSW All Schools Athletics Championships that were held in December. Coco placed first in her four events and broke the Australian record for discus and shotput for her classification and age! At the completion of the competition, Coco was named in the NSW All Schools Merit Team. Coco has now qualified for the Australian Championships to be held in March. We wish her well as she continues to train in preparation for these championships.

Easts Touch

Round 1 commences this weekend on Saturday February 5. Teams and draws will be finalised and emailed to all students by Friday.

All other sports will commence next week. More information to follow.

SCEGGS Boarders Need You

We have several boarders at SCEGGS who need your help getting to sport on Saturdays. If your daughter has a boarder in her sports team and you live nearby, could we ask families to support and assist with getting the student to and from Saturday sport from the St Vincent’s College Boarding House in Potts Point.

Spectators at Saturday Sport

For the commencement of Term 1 Sport, we ask families to limit spectators to one person per student on a Saturday.

Wet Weather Arrangements for Term 1

SCEGGS Training sessions before and after school

Please check the @SCEGGSSport Twitter feed for the latest updates relating to cancellations.

IGSSA Wet Weather website

For all Saturday Tennis and Softball matches please refer to this webpage. Venue closures can be found on the top right hand corner of the page.

Easts Touch

• Eastern Suburbs Touch Association Facebook page.
• Wet weather number – 1 900 957 394

 Secondary Swimming Trials – Monday February 7

All students have been emailed the following details regarding the swimming time trials to be held on Monday at Lane Cove Aquatic Centre.

As you are aware we will not be conducting the Secondary Swimming Carnival due to Covid concerns. On Monday February 7 we will be conducting Swimming Time Trials to select a team to attend the IGSA Swimming Carnival on March 25. This will be aimed at swimmers who would normally place in the top 5 in each of our SCEGGS age finals.

We will be conducting time trials in 50m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke, 50m Breaststroke and 50m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle. We will be using electronic timing so any school records that are broken on the day will be valid. This will be your only chance to break any school records in 2022.

A bus will depart SCEGGS at 9am at the completion of assembly on Monday to travel to Lane Cove Aquatic Centre. It is anticipated that we will return to SCEGGS at approximately 12:45pm in time for period 4.

Please wear your PE uniform to school on this day. You will need to bring your own goggles, swimming cap, towel, swimming costume or race suit, lots of food and drinks.

The squad selected from this day will then be required to attend the MLC Invitational Carnival on Friday February 18^th for final selection.

Please click on this link to sign up for the events you would like to enter: https://forms.gle/8167YJGNSkdAVBdU8

You must sign up no later than 10am on Friday February 4. Anyone who has not signed up will not be permitted to race on the day.  If you have any questions, please come and speak with myself.

Ash Barty and the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup

We thought everyone might enjoy hearing a bit more about Daphne Akhurst and her connection with SCEGGS, following on from Ash Barty’s thrilling win in the Australian Open Ladies Singles Final on Saturday evening.  At the presentation you will have seen Ash being presented with The Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

Prue Heath, our SCEGGS Archivist, has provided some more information about Daphne. Daphne Akhurst, as a school girl, played tennis against SCEGGS students.

Born in 1903, Daphne Akhurst was a student at the Normanhurst School in Ashfield (no connection to Loreto Normanhurst). She regularly played as part of the Normanhurst team on a tennis court then on the lawn in front of Barham. She was a friend and rival of SCEGGS student Muffie Wilson [1920] who always just failed to beat her. Daphne won the first three Tildesley Shield singles and first two doubles events, with Muffie runner-up in both in 1918 – 19.

In 1933 with Daphne’s premature death, SCEGGS remembered her life and achievements in Lux, recalling that “Her sincerity, her modesty in her many victories, and her gallantry in her few defeats, her charm of person and of manner, whether the courts or off them, combined to make of Daphne Akhurst one of whose personality her countrymen were rightly as proud as of her prowess.”

Although the language is perhaps old fashioned, the sentiments could also be applied to Ash Barty’s sportsmanship and behaviour!

Daphne Akhurst was a pioneer of Australian women’s tennis, winning five Australian singles and doubles titles, and the mixed doubles four times. In 1925, she was a member of the first women’s tennis team to travel overseas competing at Wimbledon

In 1934, the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup was donated by the NSW Tennis Association.

This year, with the centenary of IGSSA which now administers the Tildesley Shield, it is nice to also remember the opportunities institutions like these give students to not only participate, but sometimes to excel.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact myself on 9052 2721 or 0418 491 521. Alternatively, if you have any news or photos that we can highlight in the newsletters please email alisongowan@sceggs.nsw.edu.au

Alison Gowan
Director of Sport

Primary Sport News

Welcome to our 2022 Term 1 Sports season. All Primary Co-curricular sports have begun this week with much excitement and anticipation.

We look forward to concluding our trials this Saturday for IPSHA Football, IPSHA Water Polo and Year 3 Basketball, with competitions beginning Saturday, February 12.

An email has been sent to all parents with daughters enrolled in sports this term with start and finish dates and pick-up and drop-off information. These can also be found on Cognito in the Sport course (Parent Access).

In case of wet weather, please check the @SCEGGSport Twitter feed. This can also be viewed on the “Sport” course home page on Cognito. Please download and use the IPSHA App on your mobile device for Saturday matches. We will also post on the @SCEGGSport Twitter feed.

Please contact Tom Mitton or Alison Gowan if you have any questions.

Year 3 – 6 Primary PE Lessons

From the start of the year until our Primary Swimming Carnival (Monday 14 February), all Primary PE lessons for Years 3-6 will be swimming.

When your daughter has her scheduled PE lesson, please ensure she brings her swimming costume, a cap, goggles, large shirt and a towel in her PE bag. She will not be required to get into her PE uniform for these lessons.

Regular PE lessons in full PE uniform will commence from Tuesday 15 February.

Year 3 – 6 Swimming Carnival

The Years 3 – 6 Primary Swimming Carnival’s planning is full swing. We are busy putting together our annual carnival, to be held at Drummoyne Swim Centre, on Monday, February 14. Further communication on the Swimming Carnival will be sent out in the coming days.

IPSHA Football Years 4-6

IPSHA Football (Years 4-6) will conclude the third of its three trials at Moore Park, Saturday 6 February (8:00am – 9:30am).

A decision will be made on the final teams at the start of Week 3, Term 1, and training will commence on Tuesday, February 8, at Moore Park, Synthetic Turf Field (3.15 pm – 4.50 pm). Saturday games will start on Saturday 12 February.

For all Tuesday sessions, girls will catch the bus from SCEGGS and be picked up at 4:50pm at Moore Park or approximately 5:20pm outside the Sports Hall on Forbes Street.

Year 3 Basketball 

Year 3 Basketball will conclude the third of its trials this Saturday at the SCEGGS Sports Hall.

Teams and the draw will be released in Week 3 of Term 1, and training will commence on Tuesday 8 February at the SCEGGS Sports Hall (3.15pm – 5.00pm). Saturday games will begin on Saturday 12 February, with all games played at SCEGGS.

Girls will be ready for pick up outside the Sports Hall on Forbes Street at 5.00pm for all Tuesday sessions.

 
IPSHA Water Polo Years 5-6

IPSHA Water Polo (Years 5-6) will begin its regular team training on Tuesday 9 February at UNSW (3.15pm – 4.45pm). Saturday games will commence on Saturday 12 February.

Primary Sport Achievements

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, I 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.

Mr Tom Mitton
Primary PDHPE and Sport Coordinator

Visual Arts

We are so pleased to share recent news from the Art Department and some forthcoming opportunities to participate in the Visual Arts Co-curricular program that will commence next week.

ARTEXPRESS

At the end of 2021, we received news that SCEGGS students have been selected for ARTEXPRESS. Due to COVID, each school in NSW was limited to one candidate per 10 studying the HSC course and with 31 students in the class of 2021 we are thrilled that both Pei Xiang Deacon and Stella Middleditch have been selected for ARTEXPRESS. Pei’s work, Shutdown, and Stella’s’ work Where the land meets the sky, will be on view later this term at different venues around the state.

Lillian Neylon was also selected to show her Year 12 Body of Work at the Hazlehurst Regional Gallery. Hazlehurst is a regular venue for ARTEXPRESS and the gallery decided to open its doors to more student nominations due to the constraints in the ARTEXPRESS section numbers. Lillian Neylon’s Body of Work, Cortex, will be exhibited there later in the term. We were thrilled with every Visual Arts student’s accomplishments in 2021, not only their results, but their joy and pride in having made such outstanding work under such unusual circumstances, and we look forward to working with the class of 2022 as they begin their Bodies of Work.

Visual Arts Co-curricular program

The Art Department invites you to join our co-curricular program for Semester 1.

This semester we offer Darkroom Photography, Digital Photography, Observational Drawing and a Painting course. Tutors are experienced educators and highly regarded practising artists in their own field. Darkroom Photography is run by Ian Lever who is a professional photographer with several decades of national and international experience. His work is widely acknowledged, especially his social documentation of Sydney Life. Ian’s work is represented in the Collections of the State Library and the National Gallery of Australia. Chris Gleisner is also a practising artist and commercial photographer, with an incredible wealth of ideas and technical expertise to share with students. Lilli Stromland and Eliza Gosse are both Old Girls (Class of 2012) and Graduates of the National Art School. Both are exceptionally skilled artists who have established successful fine arts careers. Both have gained Gallery representation upon graduation and continue to build a strong critical and commercial following. Most notably in 2020, Lilli was a finalist in the Brett Whiteley Scholarship and Eliza was selected to hang in the Wynne Prize.

Classes are as follows:

• Monday: Drawing with Lilli Stromland. 3.15pm-4.30pm. Open to Years 7 to 12.
• Tuesday: Darkroom Photography with Ian lever. 3.15pm-4.45pm. Open to Years 9 to 12.
• Wednesday: Digital Photography with Chris Gleisner. 3.15pm-4.45pm. Open to Years 7 to 12.
• Thursday: Painting with Eliza Gosse. 3.15 pm- 4.30pm. Open to Years 9 to 12.

    OR

   Darkroom Photography with Ian lever. 3.15pm to 4.45pm. Open to Years 9 to 12.

Classes are capped at five for each session of Darkroom Photography and 15 for Digital Photography, Drawing and Painting. Art students are given priority enrolment in Years 9 to 12 with possible non-elective student enrolment available if space is available.

Further information and online enrolment can be accessed here and this link has been emailed to all Art students during week 1.

Enrolments close tomorrow. Please get your enrolment registered as soon as you can as classes are very popular and places fill quickly! If you do happen to miss out this semester or have other commitments, the program begins again in Semester 2.

Students are encouraged to find out more at the Co-curricular Expo on tomorrow at lunchtime where student representatives from each program will be available to talk further.

Classes commence in Week 3.

We are looking forward to another amazing year of fun with all our students!

On behalf of all the Art Department,

Heidi Jackson
Head of Visual Arts

Music Matters

2021 HSC NESA Encore Nominations                                                                      

Congratulations to the following students who have received a NESA Encore Nomination in the following:

• Astrid Girdis – Music 2 (Composition) and Music Extension (Performance)
• Madison Au – Music 2 (Performance)
• Isabella Habib – Music 1 (Performance)

This year, we are proud to announce that Madison Au has been selected to perform a work from her Music 2 Performance program in this year’s NESA ENCORE Concert. 

2021 was a challenging year for our Year 12 students and we are proud of our students’ achievements in the Music courses.

Secondary Music Ensemble Rehearsals in Week 3

Rehearsals for ALL ensembles will formally begin next week. Please look in your email for communication from your ensemble director.  Students who are taking Music as an elective study MUST participate in at least one Music Ensemble. If for whatever reason you cannot attend your rehearsal, please do the courtesy of letting your conductor or Ms Chow know ahead of the rehearsal.

City of Sydney Eisteddfod – Piano Solo

Congratulations to Rebecca Colwell (Year 10) who was awarded second place in the Chopin 15 years and under section for Sydney Eisteddfod.  Rebecca also received Highly Commended for the 18th Century 15 & 16 years section. Well done Rebecca!

Practice-a-thon

In preparation for the upcoming SCEGGS Eisteddfod the Music Department will be holding a practice-a-thon in Weeks 3-7.

Practice trackers will be available from music tutors and classroom music teachers. Use the tracker to monitor your daily practice. We are aiming to see how long our best practice streak is. Earn a Bronze award for a 7-day streak, a Silver award for a 14 day streak, a Gold award for a 21 day streak and a Platinum award for a 28+ day streak. The awards will be distributed along with your Eisteddfod award.  

SCEGGS Eisteddfod

• The SCEGGS Music Eisteddfod is a competition open to all musicians currently taking private lessons, inside or outside of school.
• Entry into the Eisteddfod is FREE.
• All Elective Music students are preparing for participation.

Applications

• This year our applications will be collected through a Google Doc form.
• The Google Doc form will be available in Weeks 5 & 6 (Monday 21 February and Friday 4 March) 
• No entires will be accepted after 4 March

Heats – Week 7 (Vocalists & Yr 12), Week 8 (all other heats)

• Vocal heats and Year 12 instrumental heats will be held in Week 7 (Friday 11 March).
• Instrumental heats will be held in Week 8 (Monday 14 March – Friday 18 March) during regular Music class lessons for Primary students, Year 7 students and Elective Music students.
• All other heats will be held during regular class lesson time.
• Students will perform for the external, specialist adjudicator in a music studio – there is no audience.
• Due to timetabling restrictions, adjudicators do not provide written reports or any other feedback.
• TIME LIMIT: 5 MINUTES

Highlights Concerts

• Adjudicators select between 15-20 performers to perform at each Highlights concert (Primary & Secondary).
• Primary Highlights concert: Friday 25 March at 4:30pm
• Secondary Highlights concert: Friday 25 March at 6.00pm

A variety of awards are made at these concerts:

1. Outstanding Musician of the Primary School/Secondary School
2. Wran Prize for Up and Coming Vocalist (Secondary only)
3. Acknowledgement Awards

Any questions please contact Ms Heidi Jones.

Peripatetic Music Program

Many students have resumed their instrumental and vocal lessons this week. It is wonderful to hear music coming from the studios again, and to see some tutors who have not been onsite since June 2021!

It’s not too late to apply instrumental or vocal lessons at SCEGGS – please fill out this form.

Waiting lists exist for Piano, Violin, Cello & Guitar.

A reminder about the scheduling of instrumental and vocal lessons:

• Music lessons take place during regular class.
• ALL students must have a rotating lesson time. Please do not request a fixed lesson time.
• Preference for out-of-class lesson times is given to Senior and Elective music students.
• Students can expect to attend one 30-minute lesson each.
• Secondary students are absent for less than half of a regular 80-minute class lesson.
• Secondary students will advise their classroom teachers that they will be absent for a music lesson prior to it taking place and catch up on any missed work in their own time.

Voice Lessons

A message from Miss Harrigan:

Every week I hear students say every “I love singing but I’m not very good at it.“

Here is your opportunity to get better at something you love doing.  Have singing lessons and take your voice out of the shower and onto the stage.  Learn how to breathe like a singer, how to control your voice, get more volume and increase your range.  Learn what sort of voice you have and what songs suit you best.  SCEGGS has a limited number of vacancies for singing students to learn at school. 

If you wish to take voice lessons at SCEGGS, please fill in the application form at the bottom of the Peripatetic Guidelines document.

Voice tutors

Read more about our four Voice teachers, Jo Burton, Leonie Butler, Eloise Evans & Helen Saltos.

Heidi Jones
Accompanist & Performance Coach

Ms Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Drama News

Hello!

Welcome back everyone to a new year of Drama at SCEGGS. Honouring “the show must go on” tradition, we will be doing our best to ensure that the Drama Department is able to deliver an exciting year of projects and experiences that will inform, engage, and celebrate the creativity in us all.

We have planned a Junior (Years 7-9) Production in Term 2 and a Senior Production (Years 10-12) for Term 4. House Drama will take place in week 6 of Term 1. Our Drama Trip to Melbourne is set for the mid-term break in June, as well as assorted excursions and experiences throughout the year.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at school regarding any of our activities. Students might also communicate their Drama thoughts through our Drama Captain. I welcome Allegra Sintras (Year 11) to this important role.

HSC Drama

Congratulations to the class of 2021 who were rewarded with stellar HSC Drama results. They employed terrific resilience and humour in navigating a precarious year. We look forward to their dramatic pursuits and accomplishments in the year ahead.

House Drama

Students will return to school to be met by House Leaders who have been working hard since last term, developing scripts and concepts that will form their entries into this year’s House Drama festival. Auditions will take place early in this term and then focussed rehearsals will fill lunchtimes and some after school sessions.

It is an exciting way to begin the year as older students welcome new arrivals to SCEGGS and guide them through a captivating project and a wonderful tradition.

House Drama takes place on Thursday 3 March.

Lend Us Your Ears

Students from Years 7, 8 and 9 will have the opportunity to audition for a play in week 3.

We will be presenting Lend Us Your Ears by Tony Taylor. The play is a Shakespearean romp which sees some of the Bard’s plays visited, when two Gamers are transported back in time to Elizabethan London.

An information session will take place tomorrow, Friday 4 February between 3:30pm and 4:30pm in The Playhouse. Please see Mr Eyers if you have any questions.

The Deb

Year 10 Drama students will be attending a performance of a new musical entitled The Deb on Sunday 15 May at 5.00pm. The excursion will inform a Theatre Review task for the course. Please put this date in your diaries.

Griffin Young Ambassadors

Congratulations to the following students who have been given a place in the Griffin Theatre Ambassador program. The students will be provided the opportunity to attend the Griffin season of plays and attend workshops with students from around the city:

Georgia McCormack, Eliza Newton, Anne-Marie Aroney and Isla Dawson-Damer.

St Peter’s Players

Our co-curricular program, St Peter’s Players, will begin in week 3. The classes available to secondary students are listed here. An enrolment form should be submitted to Mr Eyers.

The Primary program will be taught by Ms Poppy Lynch. Years 5-6 will take place on Monday afternoons and Years 3 -4 on Thursday afternoons. Primary parents should email Mr Eyers direct regarding classes as there is currently a waiting list.

Framed

You can still catch the junior production Framed!! created in isolation during 2021. Though we commenced rehearsals “on the floor”, working towards a staged performance, lockdown meant we had to be creative. We are so proud of what was able to be achieved using technology, imagination and terrific creativity.

Inter-school Performances

There are a number of SCEGGS students involved in upcoming inter-school perfomances. Congratulations go to:

• Lulu Thompson and Georgia McCormack who will be joining the cast of Dead White Males at Cranbrook School.
• Samantha Millin, Juliette Clark, Eva Harris and Jessica Millin have been cast in Shore School’s production of The Music Man.

Did you know?

Shakespeare’s Globe is the only building in London allowed to have a thatched roof since the Great Fire in 1666.

Peter Eyers
Head of Drama

SCEGGS Scholarships

A reminder for parents that most applications for scholarships for 2023 close on Monday 7 February 2022. The Iris and Angela Hale and Elizabeth Pilcher Scholarships will close on Friday 25 March 2022.

Registrations for Year 7 Academic Scholarships are being taken online through the ACER website. Applications for all other scholarships are downloadable here.

Any questions should be directed to the Enrolments Office on 9332 1133.

Sonja Richards
Registrar

Upcoming workshop for 12-18 year olds: How to Manage Stress and Worry

This year, The Kidman Centre at UTS will continue to provide free workshops online for children, teenagers and parents. These workshops provide excellent practical, evidence-based psychological skills for participants. 

On Monday, February 7 from 4.30-5.30pm, they will be running a workshop for young people aged 12-18 years about ways that they can manage their stress and worry. While stress and worry are very normal experiences, especially when starting a new year in the current circumstances, this workshop can provide some helpful information and strategies for beginning the year.

This workshop will be facilitated by Clinical Psychologist Jennifer Hawken and young people can log in using their own device. For bookings please phone (02) 9514 4077 or email kidmancentre@uts.edu.au or jennifer.hawken@uts.edu.au

Laura Connolly
Acting Director of Pastoral Care

Debating

Welcome to SCEGGS Debating for 2022! I hope that 2022 will be a year where we see lots of new and old faces in our debating program. Debating is a great activity that helps you to think on your feet, builds your confidence speaking in front of people, and teaches you how to understand and construct arguments. SCEGGS is involved in a number of inter-school debating competitions, but we also welcome girls who would like to attend training without debating competitively.

For Year 7, there will be Introduction to Debating sessions on Friday 4, Monday 7, and Friday 11 February, from 3:10-5:30. These will cover the basics of debating, while also making sure all students get a chance to experience thinking of, writing, and delivering arguments.

Training for Years 7-10 will be held on Monday afternoons from 3:10pm-5:30pm. If you can’t make this time, but would still be involved, please get in touch.

You can sign up for debating at the Co-curricular expo, or by attending the next training session. There is also lots of information about debating at SCEGGS on the Debating Cognito page.

Imogen Harper
Debating Co-ordinator

Public Speaking – Speech Tuition

Speech Lessons are open to girls in Years 3 – 12. These follow the ASCA (Australian Speech Communication Association) Syllabus with graded examinations up to the Diploma of Communication (Year 12). The group lessons focus on all aspects of oral communication.

If you would like your daughter to continue with her Speech Lessons or commence lessons this year please click the relevant link below:

Years 3-6

Years 7-12

If your daughter has already submitted an enrolment form via email, there is no need to re-submit again.

Sandra Carter
Speech and Public Speaking Co-ordinator

Go Greener

Welcome to Go Greener for 2022!

For people new to our school community, this is a weekly section in our newsletter discussing environmental issues, highlighting sustainable successes achieved by SCEGGS and giving tips on sustainable living. Contributions to this column come from staff and students involved in the Secondary Maailma committee and the Primary Enviro Girls. If you are passionate about sustainability or work in an environmental area, we would welcome articles from our parent body as well.

Occasionally, Go Greener will highlight a photo around the School to keep you in touch with nature. This photo of the fishpond is located on the top of the Primary School. The water lilies have just begun to bloom.

Sustainability at SCEGGS is a combined effort from students and staff in the school. The following staff members are responsible for organising the student environmental committees and have been asked to comment on their interest in environmental issues.

Primary Enviro Girls has been running for five years. Laura Tennant and Diane Jackson guide the girls in their environmental endeavours.

Diane Jackson

I have been a Science and Technology teacher at the school for 25 years, and have had the pleasure of engaging girls with ideas related to sustainability and environmental awareness during that time. Teaching young people how to appreciate the natural world and the importance of protecting our environment has always been a main foundation in my teaching. It is very rewarding to watch the girls develop their voices of concern and ability to work communally towards a better world. Their strength and passion is very inspirational!

Laura Tennant

I am an ex-SCEGGS girl and enjoyed re-joining the SCEGGS family as a staff member three years ago. My experience in teaching stretches for 16 years, including three years teaching in London. I became passionate about the environment almost four years ago and have enjoyed exploring sustainability within my lifestyle. Being part of Enviro Girls at SCEGGS has been a wonderful experience to share this passion with the students and to help foster their interest in sustainability. I am always looking for further ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle and positively influence those around me. 

Maailma has been operating for over 30 years in the Secondary School. The name comes from the Finnish word meaning “world”.

Maailma is supervised by Angela Pizzinga and Sue Zipfinger.

Angela Pizzinga

Listening to the opinions of students who are passionate about sustainability seeing the difference that they are making in their own environment at SCEGGS is so encouraging. The drive and ambition of the girls today is inspiring and follows a long tradition of forward thinking, active students that set up the original club in 1990. I am excited by the changes that our girls can make beyond SCEGGS!

Sue Zipfinger

I came to SCEGGS in 1990 and during that time has held several different positions in the school. This year, my role will focus on developing and implementing SCEGGS’s sustainability plan. My children sparked my passion for environmental sustainability many years ago. I have been involved with Maailma for 8 years and enjoy working with our secondary girls on a variety of sustainable issues important to them. I try to lead by example and feel that any change, no matter how small, can make a difference to improve our world.

We hope you enjoy reading Go Greener and look forward to communicating with you throughout the year.

Diane Jackson, Angela Pizzinga, Laura Tennant and Sue Zipfinger

Student Health Information

Year 7 Immunisation Program                                                                                        

NSW Health offers all school students free vaccinations recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). These vaccines are important and protect students through to adulthood. NSW Health has implemented COVID-19 health measures around the school vaccination program.

At SCEGGS all Year 7 Students will be offered the following vaccines on the following dates:

• Visit 1: Friday 23 March
• Visit 2: Wednesday 9 November
• Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine as a booster dose for all students
• Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine 2 dose course

Further information will be provided in 2022 Parent Vaccination Information Kits and is also available now in many languages at: www.health.nsw.gov.au/schooltranslations  

A Record of Vaccination Card will be given to the student at the time of each vaccination at each school clinic. Please keep these cards for your records and provide a copy to your GP.

If a student is absent for any of the clinics, they will have the opportunity to catch up at the next school visit.

Consent Forms

When available, all Year 7 students will receive consent forms for parents to complete and return to Student Services. Only return the consent form if you wish your daughter to receive the vaccines.

Please note that the consent forms for Year 7 students will need a parent or guardian signature for each vaccine requested. The nurses will not be able to vaccinate any student if their form is not signed.

Sarah Walters
Director of Administration

School Shop – Click and Collect Summer Uniform Essentials

Welcome to a new year of shopping at the School Shop!

For your convenience we will be continuing with the Click and Collect service for summer uniform essentials.

Click on this link to place your order.

To collect the same day, order before 12.00pm. Girls and parents alike are welcome to collect the orders from the School Shop. Orders for the Primary School will be delivered to the child’s class. Enquiries are welcome via email.

Clare Reid
School Shop Manager

Years 11 and 12 “Father”/Daughter Breakfast

All Years 11 & 12 students and their “fathers” are invited to join the special guest speaker Ms Elizabeth Miller (Class of 2011) for breakfast in the SCEGGS Great Hall.

Currently a Liaison Officer with the Office of the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, Elizabeth Miller (2011) has amassed an impressive array of skills and experience in the decade since leaving school. Graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History and Archaeology in 2016 and a Juris Doctor in 2019, Elizabeth served two years on the University’s governing body, the Senate, was Campus Director for the Sydney University Law Society and a Member of the Sydney Uni Sport and Fitness Management Committee.

Not afraid of responsibility, Elizabeth was also a Senior Resident Assistant at The Women’s College and has served as a Pilot Officer with the Australian Air Force Cadets for over seven years now.

To hear more about her time at Sydney University, as well as her experiences studying abroad, join us at the Years 11 and 12 “Father”/Daughter Breakfast on Friday 18 February.

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Year 7 Welcome Picnic                                                                                 

Year 7 families are warmly invited to the Year 7 Welcome Picnic. Details are:

Date: Sunday February 6

Time: 11.30am – 2pm

Venue: Lachlan Reserve, Centennial Park

BYO food, drinks, picnic gear. No share plates please. Will reschedule in the event of (very) wet weather.

We hope to see you there!

Class Parent Information Evening

Class parents are invited to the Class Parent Information evening. Please RSVP via the link provided in the email invitation.

Date: Tuesday 8 February

Time: 6:30pm for a 7pm meeting start

Venue: Lecture Theatre

New Parent Dinner – Save the Date

Dear New Parents,

Welcome to SCEGGS!

Each year the SCEGGS Trust takes great pleasure in formally welcoming our new parents into the school’s vibrant community. It is also a great opportunity to meet fellow parents, SCEGGS staff members and members of our Boards and Committees.

The dinner is scheduled to be held in the SCEGGS Great Hall on Thursday 17 March, starting with drinks at 7pm, followed by dinner at 7.30pm. Please save the date and the Trust will be in touch with a formal invitation in the coming weeks. 

If it is not possible to host it in March due to COVID, the Trust will certainly look to host it later in the year.

I look forward to meeting you all as the year progresses!

Daisy Bahen
Director of Development

Dorothy Wilkinson Memorial Library

The Library is open to Secondary Students at the following times:

Hours
7.30am – 6.00pm     Monday to Thursday
7.30am – 4.30pm     Friday

1:1 Computer Program

SCEGGS is continuing the 1:1 Computer Program in 2022. Every girl in Years 4 to 12 will have their own convertible laptop. Kindergarten to Year 3 have access to class sets of iPads. A number of laptops are also used regularly in these years. The parent information sessions run during the first part of Term 1 will include information on the 1:1 program.

The girls will receive their laptops during the first weeks of school. Parents and girls will also be provided with important information about using and caring for the computer, as well as other essential information, such as cyber safety, ergonomics and accessing the technical support services at School.

If you have any questions about the program at SCEGGS, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Internet Usage

Typically both at school and home your daughter now has access to a technology-rich environment. Effective and appropriate use of the powerful tools within the IT sphere requires responsible behaviour to accompany use of the computers, mobile phones and the internet. Of real concern to us as a school, however, are some instances where there is reported inappropriate use of the internet by some students. The School has put in place a number of strategies to ensure our students use available technologies to achieve suitable and productive outcomes but there are some ways in which you can assist your daughter to make effective use of the internet within the home environment.

Important information and advice for students and parents about laws and other information relevant to the internet can be found in the front section of the School Diary. Students in Years 7-12 and their parents are asked to familiarise themselves with the Internet and Network Users Agreement. This agreement clearly states our belief that students should be responsible for their own actions and goes on to outline the conditions under which access to the internet and the School’s network is allowed. As a parent, you are asked to sign the agreement to ensure that your daughter understands the agreement and to make you aware that use of the internet and School’s network is conditional.

The School takes other measures to ensure that our students’ online experience is productive, safe and appropriate. Web filtering is used so that our students do not access, intentionally or otherwise, inappropriate websites. Websites on block and allow lists are updated regularly and placed into categories that the School may choose to apply. At present the sites that are blocked fall into the following broad categories: ads, adult, aggressive, audio-visual, drugs, forums, gambling, hacking, pornography, proxys, violence, virus-infected and more. We are able to (and do) block other unsuitable sites not included in these classifications.

Students should treat their login passphrase as an important personal credential and keep it confidential, as they would a PIN for a bank account. If a student suspects that someone else knows their passphrase, or that it has been compromised in any way, she should immediately change it or request that it be changed by visiting the ICT Service Desk. Students must necessarily assume responsibility for any use of a computer accessed via their login name and password.

The School takes these measures to help ensure that each student’s experience on the internet is positive and productive but, unfortunately, it is not always possible to ensure that all students will use this resource properly. In the past some students have posted, from home and from school, unacceptable material on the internet. Students must understand that matters on the internet are accessible to the entire world and that, as a result, care must be taken not to malign other people, or institutions. Any such activity can be subject to legal redress. Parents should be aware that it is not realistic to monitor or control such activities from school computers or, of course, from home computers. Combating this type of activity requires persistent and continuing efforts on our part as well as by you, at home.

Because students’ access to the Internet is not confined to their time at school, it is important that you participate in the partnership with the School in educating your daughters about the use of the Internet. The Australian Communication and Media Authority has published several useful articles and tips for parents and students. These can be found here. I strongly recommend that you read this and other sections of the site where you will find tips for children of different ages. Discussing these with your daughter and adopting some of the suggested strategies would be one practical way in which you could support the School in encouraging more appropriate internet use.

The internet can be a powerful and constructive technology that provides great educational benefits. Like many other technologies, the internet also has a negative side. Students need on-going education about internet use and the dangers and pitfalls present as well as the many benefits. Parents are encouraged to join with the School to ensure that the Internet continues to deliver positive educational and social outcomes for all.

Ken Emeleus
Director of ICT

Health Alert in the Secondary School

There is an important Health Alert pertaining to the Secondary School this week.                                                                                             

Head Lice

There has been a case of head lice reported in the Secondary School. Head lice are very common in schools, and it is important that all parents check their daughter’s hair regularly and follow the necessary procedures if needed. For further information, please refer to the NSW Health Department.

Free workshop for parents and supervisors of learner drivers

Ensure your learner driver has the best possible introduction to driving; their life could depend on it!

The City of Sydney aims to improve road safety with a workshop for supervisors and parents of learner drivers.

Tuesday 8 March 2022

12noon to 1pm

Online

This one-hour lunchtime workshop will provide pertinent practical advice regarding:

• laws for learner and P-plate drivers.
• how to use the Learner Driver Log Book
• how to plan on-road driving sessions and supervise learner drivers
• understanding the benefits of supervised on road driving experience

Bookings are essential

For more information email lmcconnell@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au