Re-igniting the Light Her Path Capital Campaign

Over the last two years the COVID pandemic has upended lives, communities, the functioning of institutions, economies, global movement and trade.  Our SCEGGS school community has adapted and managed the changing circumstances to minimise the disruption to the education and social growth of our girls.  Many things have been foregone, but our commitment to the place of SCEGGS and the importance of a SCEGGS education endures.  To fulfil that commitment, we are reigniting the Light Her Path Capital Campaign.

SCEGGS has a compact and valuable campus in the thick of a bustling inner-city suburb that grounds our community.  SCEGGS girls have strong values and a commitment to learning and to the broader community.  We want the school facilities to continue to meet the demands of contemporary education and life.  While Wilkinson House has served the school well, it occupies a meaningful part of the campus and has considerable shortcomings.

SCEGGS has exciting plans to re-develop Wilkinson House and to also expand the School’s scholarship program.  To realise these plans, the Light Her Path Capital Campaign was launched and subsequently paused due to the pandemic.  However, despite these difficulties, generous supporters have contributed $6 million towards our goal of raising $20 million; $12 million for the redevelopment of Wilkinson House and $8 million to expand our means-tested scholarship program.  Despite the tumult of the last two years, the work to re-design Wilkinson House, to ensure SCEGGS’ neighbours understand the nature of the project and the work with NSW planning authorities and Sydney City Council to gain approval for the plans, has been methodically rolling forward.

As Ms Allum wrote in last week’s Behind the Green Gate, the plans for Wilkinson House have been submitted for final approval with a view to engaging builders and contractors to begin the carefully planned project towards the end of the year. Del Kathryn Barton, the renowned and celebrated Australian artist, has generously offered SCEGGS an artwork for the new building.  The extraordinary colours and embellishment of Del Kathryn Barton’s work will be a beautiful complement to the work of architect William Smart who has sympathetically and imaginatively re-invented Wilkinson House, an example of the work of renowned architect, Emil Sodersten.

Throughout the year, there will be many opportunities to engage with the community and we look forward to connecting with you! We hope that our whole community will support the campaign.  Every donation is valued (and will be recognised in the new Wilkinson House) and we encourage you to please give generously for you.  Together, we can bring the exciting next stage of SCEGGS to fruition to benefit your girls and generations of SCEGGS girls to come, as we have benefitted from prior campaigns that have built the SCEGGS experience we enjoy today.

See the proposed plans for Wilkinson House and pledge to the Light Her Path Capital Campaign on our website.  You may also call our Development Office on (02) 93321133 with any inquiries.

Michael Kotowicz
Chair of the Trust Board

Christy Boyce
Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee

From the Chaplain

Worrying About The World We Live In                                            

Since our return to school this year, there have been several conversations that I and others have had with students about current world events that have been unsettling and worrying for a range of reasons. The impact of the pandemic upon young people’s mental health in particular cannot be underestimated. We have seen a slow process of readjustment as we all trying to return to some form of “normal’ while continuing to face a wide range of issues. In the last couple of weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in anxieties as more tragic news has been reported. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the devastating floods hitting the east coast of Australia are just two examples of things concerning some of our students. I received this article from one of our School Counsellors recently which I found helpful in thinking about the way in which we talk to young people about world events and some strategies for managing exposure to such material.

While it can be difficult to discuss these issues, especially when we it is hard to see change or a solution, I think it is important that our children are given the opportunity to talk about these things in a safe and secure environment. I am sure that we all would appreciate that conversation from time to time. If you have concerns for your daughter and would like to talk to me, one of the school counsellors or one of the welfare team please let us know. During our Ash Wednesday Service yesterday, I said a prayer which went something like this:

Lord God

We pray for the people of Ukraine and all of those involved in the current invasion.

We pray for those who have lost homes, possessions, lives and loved ones.

It is hard to understand the chaos that we see and how or why these things happen.

Give those that continue to suffer what they need to get through such a tragedy.

May those that make decisions in government or military have a change of mind and heart,

that a longing for power and destruction be replaced by spirit of peace and restoration.

Likewise we pray for those who have been impacted by the floods in Queensland and New South Wales recently.

We thank you for those who have reached out to help those trapped and left isolated,

give them patience and perseverance as the recovery takes place.

May our governments treat this disaster as a high priority

And give people hope as they get their lives back on track.

This we ask in Jesus’ name

Amen.

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay

From the Primary School – Book Café 

With great excitement and enthusiasm, the Years 3 to 6 girls arrived at the Book Café last week, all ready for their annual “book tasting” experience in the Primary Library.

The space was magically transformed to imitate a real-life café, with attractive menus, table numbers, tasty treats, and a large selection of brand-new fiction and non-fiction books.

After the final course, there was a flurry of activity as the girls decided who was going to borrow the books that had been sampled at their table.

The Book Café is a highlight of the calendar in the Primary Library, as we celebrate Library Lovers’ Month during the month of February.

Until next year, a rather exhausted “Chef Mac” is hanging up her hat! Bon appetit!

Karen McBride
Primary Teacher Librarian

Acknowledgement of Country and the SCEGGS RAP

One of the school goals for SCEGGS in 2022 is to continue working on reconciliation. Many of you are aware that SCEGGS has a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). At SCEGGS we have a staff RAP committee and a student RAP committee.

At the start of this year, we have put a focus on Acknowledgement of Country. Traditionally, both Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country protocols have been used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as part of a process of ensuring safe passage and respectful conduct while on Country. This protocol has been used for over 65,000 years. Welcome to Country is given by an Elder, Traditional Custodian, or recognised spokesperson of the local Aboriginal community.  It is given to open proceedings at an event by welcoming you to Country (the land you are on). In contrast, an Acknowledgment of Country is said when people visit Country. It is said as a mark of respect and may be said by an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person.

It is hoped that at SCEGGS we will continue to develop our understanding of the significance of acknowledging Country. SCEGGS staff and students are continuing to learn how to write these Acknowledgements, so that they can be used in meetings, classes and at other appropriate gatherings. Many have been written already.

The Primary School has a plaque with their Acknowledgement of Country.

The following Acknowledgement has been on the Vivi screen in each classroom.

Year 7 wrote this Acknowledgement and then used it at their Year meeting:

I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation and extend my respect to Elders past, present and emerging, on whose land most of us meet today. I continue to recognise your connection with the land, sea and community in this Country. I stand by you and support you in your fight for equality. I am grateful for the opportunities your land has provided us and I will continue to educate myself and listen to your community to better the lives of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

One Form class in Year 8 wrote:

8Cg would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather and from whom we continue to learn – the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.

We are grateful to be able to learn more about such a rich culture that has continued for over 65,000 years and we pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging. We appreciate the opportunity to learn from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within our school community.

We apologise for the injustices that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to face, and we honour the resilience and strength that continue within communities today. 8Cg is committed to the ongoing journey of reconciliation. We promise to take care of the land, waterways, seas, and wildlife.

We thank you for sharing this land with us.

And the Science Department has written:

The SCEGGS Science Department acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of this land. They were Australia’s first scientists and innovators. In particular, we pay respect to the Gadigal people who for thousands of years have lived harmoniously in and around Warrane (Sydney Harbour). They have an unbroken connection with the land where we educate our students. We acknowledge the damage done to this land since European settlement. First Nations people have always studied and observed the land, sea and sky to understand and manage resources sustainably.  To pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging, we strive to learn from the traditions and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to educating future generations.

If you would like more information about writing an Acknowledgement of Country or the RAP, you can visit the Narragunnawali website.

Jola Cumming and Aileen Grattan-Smith for the SCEGGS RAP Committee

A Year in the Life of SCEGGS Darlinghurst

Our 125th Anniversary book is now available to purchase from the School Shop.

The book features over 1,500 photos from our 2020 photographer in residence, Chris Gleisner, and will cost $77.

We hope that you enjoy this beautiful keepsake from a momentous year!

Cuts for Cancer

On Thursday 10 March (in one week) at lunch time Year 12 will be cutting their hair for cancer through the World’s Greatest Shave which works together with the Leukemia Foundation to “shave the world free from blood cancer.” We know this cause is one close to the hearts of many members in the SCEGGS community. It is those people we hope to support most in the undertaking of our Cuts 4 Cancer initiative.

We have already fundraised over $5000 and would love to keep this figure rising. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.

This cutting of course cannot happen without hairdressers; the Murphy Gozzard Salon on Oxford Street has offered to organise some of the cutting and the donations of the actual hair. This is greatly appreciated by the whole year group.

The hairdressing salon is running a campaign SCEGGS has been involved with in the past called “Share the Dignity.” To thank Murphy Gozzard Salon for their help we would love also to support this charity, we will have a box in the Sports Hall on the day of the cut for donations of menstruation items for women across Australia.

We still need a few more hairdressers – if anyone knows anyone who could help, please contact Ms Rodda.

There are lots of ways Year 12s can help – volunteering to have their hair cut, or collecting money on the day, being involved in behind the scenes organisation and promotional activities, or encouraging support for the Leukemia Foundation or Share the Dignity. And everyone in the community can be involved by supporting one of these two great charities (or both!).

We are all so excited to build momentum behind this event and generate as much positivity from it as we can. To do this we will be running a CRAZY hair day on 9 March and we would love everyone to get involved and try and make their hair as crazy as possible (without coloured hairspray.)

Thank you so much in advance for all the support.

The SCEGGS Prefects

International Women’s Day 2022

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) is “Breaking the Biases”.  The IWD website explores what this, in our real-life setting means.

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 #BreakTheBias.

As a SCEGGS community, we wish to join in with both an acknowledgment of the gender biases that have and currently exist in our world, as well as take some time on this day to celebrate women and men who have and do work to challenge the many biases within society.

Year 11 and 10 will be attending a talk given by our guest speaker Marlee Silva. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A from the students.

Year 7, 8 and 9 will be learning more about some impressive women who with various backgrounds and experiences have all challenged gender biases in their own lives. You can have a look at the resources on the IWD website .

Each Form will also be encouraged to take their own photos striking the #BreakTheBias pose accompanied by a message of motivation or change that will be displayed on the TVs around the School in Week 7.

Additionally, at lunchtime on IWD 7,  March Ms Boyes and Ms Quirk will be giving a presentation in the Lecture Theatre at lunch. This will serve as the first session of History Club for the year.

We hope that the resources on the IWD website, the work of the students in the History Club and Amnesty International, as well as the presentation by Marlee Silva, help us as a community to reflect on what biases need to be looked at and recognise how powerful we can be when we do challenge these.

Dynielle Whitney
Head of Religious Education

Zoe Thompson
Head of Social Sciences

Secondary Sport News

Secondary Inter-House Cross Country – March 8 (International Women’s Day)

Picture this: early mornings at Centennial Park, the rare sight of actual SCEGGS correct sports uniforms, the angelic sound of Ms Thompson’s whistle in the distance during a fartlek, the weekly check-ins to late duty and being stranded at the park as the bus forgot to pick us up yet again. What could be better than this?

Cross Country is now into Week 6 with all students training hard and enjoying their early morning runs in the park – if you are interested and would like to try Cross Country, it’s not too late – please contact Ms Thompson for details on how to trial or join the squad.

Inter-House Cross Country is coming up on Tuesday 8 March, which also happens to be International Women’s Day. Please be at Queens Park, Baronga Rd at 6.45am for a 7am start. The races are 3km, so everybody is encouraged to participate either trialling for a spot on the IGSA team, earning a House point for their House or showing support for International Women’s Day.  So wear your House colours with a touch of purple to support this important event. I hope to see many of you there.

Gabriella Ibrahim
Cross Country Captain

Water Polo

Congratulations to Sienna Green who has been selected in the Australian Women’s Water Polo Team! Sienna has been training in Queensland with the squad and has now flown to Lima, Peru where the team will compete in the FINA World League Intercontinental Cup from March 7-13. This is the first major international competition since the Tokyo Olympics and will give up and coming players like Sienna a great opportunity to compete at the next level. We wish Sienna well and will be cheering her on back here in Australia.

Sailing

Several SCEGGS students competed in the ACT teams Racing event held in Canberra on the weekend.  Representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron teams some our SCEGGS sailors battled through lots of rain and windy conditions. This is a sport that is not for the faint hearted. Isobel Payne (Year 9) and Michaela Docherty (Year 7) had a great regatta and were coached by SCEGGS Old Girl, Gretel Payne (Class of +2021). Michaela was racing in her first regatta with her team placing third overall!

NSW Junior Track and Field Championships

Several SCEGGS students and alumni competed over the weekend at the NSW Junior Track and Field Championships that were held at SOPAC, Homebush.

Well done to Coco Espie who won each of her U15 events: 100m, 400m, 800m Wheelchair races, as well as the seated Discus and Shotput.

Congratulations to Ruby Fry who placed 8^th in a time of 10:34 in the 3000m and won Bronze in her first 2000m steeplechase race. Ruby has now qualified for the NSW team in both events.

Old Girl Laura Roderick (Class of 2021), continues to shine on the track by winning the U20 3000m and placing third in the U20 1500m.

Surf Lifesaving

Congratulations to Bella Buckley who competed at the recent Surf Lifesaving Branch Championships whereby she represented North Bondi in various beach events including U13 Sprints, Flags and two relays (Girls and Mixed).  She achieved third place for the U13 Girls Relay.

Bella was subsequently selected to participate at the NSW State Nippers Championship Titles held last weekend at Manly Beach. Weather conditions were extremely poor over the weekend; however, Bella managed to successfully run her sprint race and compete in the U13 Girls relay.  Unfortunately, due to poor weather and water quality, officials suspended all remaining events for that day which resulted in the entire competition being cancelled.

Indoor Hockey

There was some spirited Indoor Hockey hosted at SCEGGS in the Sports Hall last week as part of the Sydney Indoor Hockey Schools competition.

On Wednesday evening SCEGGS 1 played a tough match against Ascham 2 which ended in a 4-4 draw. Meanwhile SCEGGS 2 were defeated by Queenwood 14 – 2.

On Thursday evening SCEGGS 3 played SCEGGS 4 in a very close game. The SCEGGS 4 team, consisting of all Year 12 players, narrowly won 4-2.

Wet Weather Arrangements for Term 1

New IGSA Fixtures, Results and Wet Weather

There is a new IGSA website and platform for accessing wet weather and team results. You do not need to register or sign up to be a member to access this site.

SCEGGS Training sessions before and after school

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

Easts Touch

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

If you have any questions, 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 me.

Alison Gowan
Director of Sport

Primary Sport

IPSHA Swimming

On Tuesday 1 March, our SCEGGS Representative Swimming Team competed at the IPSHA Swimming Championships held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. A big congratulations to the 19 girls selected to compete on the day! We are incredibly proud of how you represented the school and yourselves on this monumental day.

Congratulations to the following girls who received ribbons on the day for placing in their heats:

A special congratulations also goes to Pippa Dodwell, who has been selected to represent IPSHA at the CIS Swimming Championships in the 50m Backstroke. This is a fantastic achievement, and we look forward to having her compete on Thursday, 24 March 2022.

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 8 March at Queens Park opposite Moriah College, Baronga Ave, Queens Park.  The girls will be leaving SCEGGS at 8.30 am, with the first event starting at 9.00 am. Girls will 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 2022.

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

According to IPSHA regulations, five girls in each age group will represent SCEGGS at the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival. In exceptional circumstances where a girl is unable to run at the school carnival, the final team selection will be at the discretion of the Director of Sport and Primary Sports Coordinator.

The IPSHA Cross Country Carnival will take place at The King’s School on Saturday 26 March 2022.

Please note due to wet weather the Carnival may be postponed. This decision will be made in the coming days and will be communicated via email, Twitter and through class teachers. If the carnival is unable to go ahead, a regular timetabled day will occur.

Other sporting achievements

Well done to all the girls who took part in the NSW Nippers State Championships held at Manly on 24 February 2022. Congratulations to Antonia Neal (North Bondi) who placed second in the Under 12 Beach Relay.

Tom Mitton
Primary PDHPE and Sport Co-ordinator

Visual Arts – SCOPE Editorial team and Year 10 Excursion to Matisse

We are thrilled to announce the SCOPE Art magazine editorial team for 2022!

Semester 1

• Editor: Matisse Asher
• Sub Editor: Akira Nicholson
• Special Features Writer: Leyla Bensan

Semester 2

• Editor: Janet Zheng
• Sub Editor: Bianca Rozsa
• Special Features Writer: Jemima Hanning

Editorial meetings have already commenced and there is great excitement about shaping the issues for this year, particularly as we have been unable to visit galleries and museums and contact with the artworld has been seriously curtailed for the past 2 years. SCOPE is still looking for writers so if students are interested please get in touch with Matisse Asher to find out more about the magazine.

Art Excursions!

it has been absolutely incredible to be able to get back to seeing works of art in real life. We have realised how important this aspect of our learning is and how fortunate we are at SCEGGs to be able to visit Sydney’s major institutions within a lesson. Year 8 have already been up to the Australian Museum and to Yiribana Gallery at the AGNSW as part of their studies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art practice and Year 7 have had excursions to the Australian Modernist Galleries at AGNSW where they have actively engaged with investigations into different forms of portraiture. We hope to reschedule our Sydney Sculpture walk with Year 9 that was sadly rained out last Friday…and Year 10 visited Matisse: Life and Spirit at the Art Gallery of NSW last week.

Here is what Charley Masnick, Zara Buchen and Leyla Bensan in Year 10 had to say about their excursion to Matisse last week…

Over the past couple weeks in art, we have been learning about all things Modernism and Modernity. From Impressionism to Cubism, we have had to opportunity to learn about how the world dramatically shifted in the late 19^th to the early 20^th century and how this impacted and changed the art world at the time. After studying Post-Impressionism and the key changes from Impressionism, we were lucky enough to go see Matisse: Life and Spirit at the Art Gallery of NSW. It was so enlightening to be able to see one of the pioneers of Fauvism and his individual ideas of what modernism was and how that is reflected in his work. It was so great to see it in real life after not being able to go to the gallery for nearly 2 years. The exhibition allowed us to see Matisse’s change in style throughout the years as the world around him changed. Walking through the gallery I was able to implement what I have learnt in art over the past 5 weeks and think about what makes Matisse such a significant Modernist artist. His use of bold colour reflects the invention of synthetic paints and his change in subject matter shows the shift from agricultural working life to an increase in leisure time due to the Industrial Revolution. His thick, painterly strokes show the change from fine realistic brushstrokes to more abstract broken brush marks. Charley Masnick

When I realised that our visit to the Matisse art excursion would require a mad dash to the bus through torrents of rain, followed by a lengthy period of standing in an air-conditioned gallery dripping wet, I must admit – I was less than enthusiastic. But the moment I entered the gallery, breathed in that unique gallery aroma and opened my eyes to the array of colour and vibrancy, I was entranced. After a year of lockdown, the opportunity to visit an art gallery was amazing. To see Matisse’s work before my eyes was truly overwhelming. This was the first art exhibition I had been to in over a year, and I had forgotten how inspiring it is to see such significant works we had been studying in real life like Blue Nudes II and his final self-portrait The Sorrows of The King. Over the past couple of weeks, we had been studying the radical transition from traditional works to modernist works in the late 19^th century. Seeing this progression in Matisse’s practice, as he moved from Impressionist to post-Impressionist to Fauvist works, was eye-opening, bringing art lessons to life right in front of me. In short, seeing such a renowned artist’s work after half a year at home was a truly amazing experience, despite the unfortunate weather and slightly wet socks at the end of the day.
Zara Buchen

Going to see an artist you’ve studied in class is almost like meeting them. You see their brushstrokes, you read their life story, you see their artmaking progress. It’s by far one of the most precious parts of studying art, we revere in the beauty of artworks and the genius of their creators, and when our research comes to a close, on the rare occasion, we go to a gallery and see it all in person. Quite honestly, it’s moving and emotional. Matisse is one of the most well-known artists of all time, and a true master. He shifted the course of art history permanently, and without him the art of today would be completely different. Viewing the progression of him discovering his identity and signature as an artist shows how us as students can learn to find our own voice in art and shift the norm of what art is and what it means.
Leyla Bensan

This week’s banner is a Year 7 Group work underway as part of their study of portraiture.

Heidi Jackson
Head of Visual Arts

Music Matters

P&F Cocktail Party – Basie Jazz Band                                                                   

Congratulations to members of Basie Jazz Band who performed at the P&F Cocktail Party on Friday 25 February.  The students performed in the Great Hall providing a wonderful array of musical entertainment for the Years 7 to 10 parents who gathered in the venue.  Thank you to Ms Alison Ryan who has taken Basie Jazz band and who is the new conductor of the ensemble.  Despite the limited opportunities the ensemble had to rehearse regularly over the past two years (some of which were delivered online), the ensemble provided an excellent performance that evening.  Well done Basie!

Musical Item – Primary Assembly 

Congratulations to Anara Murugesan (Year 6) who performed in Week 5’s Years 3-6 Primary Assembly.  Anara performed Scherzino by Herman Adolph Wollenhaupt on the piano.  Well done Anara!

Primary Jazz Combo

Primary Jazz Combo is a new ensemble that has started this year under the direction of Ms Louise Horwood.  Ms Horwood is part of our studio of peripatetic tutors and teaches Trumpet to both primary and secondary students.  We are really excited about this new ensemble which is helping our students to develop skills in jazz improvisation.

Musical Opportunities – Organ Scholarships, Margot Anthony Budd “Beyond the Curriculum Award” and Band Discovery Fellowships                           

Fantastic opportunities are available for students who would like to pursue the following. All applications close on Monday 7 March.

Organ Scholarships

Applications are invited for two Organ Tuition Scholarships for 2022 – 2023.

The Organ Tuition Scholarships will be made available to foster girls’ interest in learning and playing the organ. It is hoped that the student organists will be involved with services, assemblies and special events held in the SCEGGS Chapel and the Great Hall.

Please see here for further information.

Margot Anthony Budd “Beyond the Curriculum Award”

The Margot Anthony (Budd) Beyond the Curriculum Music Award will be awarded annually to two students. The award consists of a monetary amount awarded annually for students in Years 8 to 11 who study Elective Music. The Award is to be used by the student to support their continued involvement in musical activities, which serve to facilitate the development of their musical potential.

Please see here for further information.

Band Discovery Fellowships

The Music Department is offering TWO Band Discovery Fellowships to successful applicants from Year 7. Please fill out this form if you would like to apply. The form also outlines the eligibility criteria.

If successful, you will receive: 

– Fully funded private tuition for one year.
– Fully funded instrument hire provided by the School for one year.

If selected you will be able to choose to learn either the French Horn, Euphonium, Trombone, Tuba, or Bassoon. You will be able to try this instrument before making a final selection, but please research the instruments before applying. 

Parents of successful applicants will be contacted by Mr Tierney (Director of Bands).

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

Applications for the SCEGGS Eisteddfod are now open.

There is no need to complete the application if your daughter learns at school – this will be done by her music tutor.

If your daughter learns music outside of school, please complete the application via the appropriate link:

• PRIMARY INSTRUMENTAL
• SECONDARY INSTRUMENTAL
• PERCUSSION
• VOCAL

Primary vocal applications must be discussed with Mrs Bronwyn Cleworth or Ms Lanneke Jones.

No entries 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

We are actively seeking enrolments for the following instruments – French Horn, Euphonium, Trombone, Tuba and Bassoon.

We also have spaces in our vocal program for budding young singers.

Waiting lists exist for Piano, Strings, Clarinet, Saxophone & Guitar.

Please apply through this link.

Peripatetic Guidelines

A reminder about the policies around requesting a change of tutor or discontinuing lessons from the Peripatetic guidelines:

• Parents may request a change of tutor at any time throughout the tuition year.
• Tutors require four weeks’ notice if lessons are to be cancelled.
• If a place with an alternate tutor is not available, students will be added to the waiting
• It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the tutor of their decision to change tutor or discontinue lessons.

AMEB String Examinations

We are excited that SCEGGS has again been approved as an external examination venue to host AMEB national music exams this year, after a successful two days of string exams on-site in Term 2 last year. 32 string players have been enrolled to do face-to-face exams on Saturdays in May and June, exact dates TBC. The girls will have two rehearsals with accompanists Ms Holmes and Ms Jones prior to the exams and perform in the familiar environment of the Primary Music Room when we welcome the AMEB examiner to SCEGGS. The girls enrolled range from Year 1 to Year 9 and will present the syllabus on violin, viola, cello and double bass from Preliminary to Grade 8 AMEB level.

Mrs Anne Sweeney
Director of Strings

String tutors

Read more about our Cello & Double Bass tutors; Mrs Amelia McCluney, Ms Eliza Sdraulig & Ms Bonita Williams and the wealth of performing and teaching experience they bring to our program.

Heidi Jones
Accompanist & Performance Coach

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Debating

Congratulations to our Secondary School ISDA teams who all won their debates against Newington last Friday. This week ISDA debates are taking place via Zoom, so SCEGGS teams will remain at SCEGGS for the evening. Debates will end at the same time: Year 6 at 6:45pm Years 7-9 at 7:45,pm and Years 10-12 at 8:45pm. We will be negative against St Andrew’s.

Eastside debates will also take place at SCEGGS, but our teams will be debating against Reddam House in person. Parents are welcome to watch these debates, which will be held in the Old Girls’ Building.  All adults attending are asked to sign in using Service NSW’s QR Codes, to socially distance as much as possible and are encouraged to wear a mask if not able to spread out.

All debaters will need to bring a substantial supper, along with paper and pens.

Best of luck to all debaters for Friday!

Imogen Harper
Debating Co-ordinator

Go Greener – Clean Up Australia Day 2022

Clean Up Australia Day is an annual event, where communities and individuals are invited to help reduce Australia’s rubbish problem by donating their time to clean up local areas and preserve Australia’s environment. This year the event will be held on Sunday 6 March.

Australia has a large plastic problem, where we produce 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, equating to 100kg of plastic per person. Of this plastic, 84% is sent to landfill. 130,000 tonnes of plastic consumed leaks into the marine environment every year. It is predicted that by 2025, 99% of seabirds worldwide will have ingested plastic.

Maailma is organising a SCEGGS clean up event after school on Thursday 10 March, where students are invited to pick up rubbish in areas around the school from 3:30 – 5pm. Gloves will be required to participate, so bring along any gloves you have at home, such as gardening gloves. Please do not bring any plastic/disposable gloves – we do not want to be adding to the problem! If any students know of an area that desperately needs cleaning around the School, please let Ms Zipfinger or Ms Pizzinga know. This afternoon can be used for community service hours.

We also encourage students to participate in Clean Up Australia on the Sunday as well in their local areas.

India Poiner
Maailma Captain

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

It was simply wonderful to see so many parents and staff at our Welcome Cocktail Party – the first after two years! The community relished the opportunity to form new friendships and re-connect with old ones. Our sincere thanks to all those working behind the scenes to produce such a memorable event. We look forward to hosting more events that offer our parents the opportunity to meet and mingle!

P&F AGM

The SCEGGS Parents’ and Friends’ Association warmly invite all parents and carers to their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 8 March.

Updated arrangements: Due to the extreme weather conditions on Tuesday, the P&F AGM will be held online instead, commencing at 7pm. Please contact Angelique Cooper in the General Office for Zoom meeting details.

Class Parent Events

Careers Corner

Issue 28 of the Careers Corner Newsletter is now available.

There are also lots of opportunities detailed below for students to explore their career options, from leadership and diplomacy to visual arts and more!

UN Youth NSW State Conference 2022

When:   Friday 11 March 2022 (late afternoon) to Sunday 13 March 2022 at 5:00pm (overnight event).
Where: The Collaroy Centre, 22 Homestead Ave, Collaroy NSW 2097, with the Sunday to be held in the Sydney CBD.
Who:     For New South Wales High School students in Years 9 to 12.

UN Youth New South Wales’ State Conference 2022 will see up to 200 high school students from across the state meet at Collaroy Centre (Collaroy, New South Wales) to learn about leadership, diplomacy and advocacy and to take part in the global conversation about international law. At the State Conference, you will form friendships with a diverse array of students from all around New South Wales and become inspired to deliver change in your community and globally. The 2022 State Conference spans across two and a half days, giving you a whole weekend to make new friends from across the state! Delegates (students) will spend the first day of State Conference meeting each other and getting to the heart of the international law interactive workshops, a speaker panel, and by tackling a simulated Interactive Problem Solving activity. The final day of State Conference is your chance to emulate a member state of the United Nations in Model UN committee debates. Get into a diplomat’s shoes for a day and do your best to pass resolutions that will benefit the global community and align with your national interests – not always an easy task. If this sounds interesting, you can head to our registration form HERE!

National Art School – NAS Drawing Art Club Term 2 2022

When:   Wednesday 27 April to Wednesday 15 June 2022, 4.00pm to 6.00 pm
Where: NAS Darlinghurst
Spend Wednesday afternoons developing your skills in this drawing fundamentals program, covering Still Life, Portraiture, and Experimental Drawing.

National Art School – NAS Photo media Art Club Term 2 2022

When:   Monday 2 May to Monday 20 June 2022. 4.00pm to 6.00pm
Where: NAS Darlinghurst
Spend Monday afternoons developing your skills in this photo media fundamentals program, darkroom, photograms, studio compositions and digital photography techniques.

 Medical Work Experience for Year 10 and 11 Students

Gaining medical work experience as a student can be extremely difficult. Projects Abroad offers secondary school students a safe, guided experience into the world of medicine through their High School Special Projects. The medical internships abroad for high school students focus on experiential education, so you learn by doing. You can expect to:   

• Shadow doctors and other medical professionals in busy hospitals and clinics
• Attend medical workshops and seminars
• Get first-hand insight into the healthcare challenges people face everyday
• Participate in community healthcare outreaches that serve people in need
• Learn essential medical skills like measuring blood pressure and blood sugar levels

Hour of Code

The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify “code”, to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. Check out the tutorials and activities. Supported by over 400 partners and 200,000 educators worldwide.

Andrea Pinnock
Careers Adviser