SCEGGS Annual Giving Day

Students are invited to wear plain clothes and asked to bring a gold coin donation on Giving Day – Wednesday 5 November. A BBQ lunch with their Houses will continue the celebrations!

This is the fourth annual Giving Day at SCEGGS and this year will raise funds for the newly announced Jenny Allum Scholarships with a particular focus on Indigenous and equity-based entry.

As we honour Jenny Allum’s legacy, Giving Day will be a unique opportunity for us to come together and make an enduring impact for generations of SCEGGS girls.

Christy Boyce
Chair, SCEGGS Trust

Festival of Speech 2025

The IGSA Festival of Speech was held on Saturday and, as always, it was a wonderful day of performance and communication. SCEGGS entered every section with a team of 14 girls. The girls who participated were:

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

The girls competed in public speaking, reading, poetry and more. A huge thank you to the girls and to Ms Dynielle Whitney and Old Girl Harriet Harper (2019) who prepared the girls for Religious and Ethical Questions and Current Affairs and Rev Garry Lee-Lindsay who helped select the pieces for the Readings.

All of our girls spoke beautifully and represented the School well, however a special congratulations need to go to Sadie Juneja who placed 5^th in Senior Soapbox, Olivia Phillips who placed 5^th in Junior Readings, Pippa Brenner who placed 4^th in Senior Poetry and Zara Perkins, Natalie Assaad and Georgia Cate Baker Woods who came 1^st in Current Affairs, coached by Harriet Harper.

SCEGGS placed 4^th in the Senior division and 5^th overall. 

Thank you to the girls and their parents for the work and support on the day.

Elizabeth Walsh
Speech and Public Speaking

From The Chaplain

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Our Festival of Lessons and Carols is being held this year on Wednesday 26 November at 7pm in the Great Hall. Everyone in and connected to our community is warmly invited as we celebrate the joy and meaning of Christmas. We take a collection at this service every year and the money donated always goes towards a local charity. I hope to see you there!

Christmas gifts collection

As part of our annual school Christmas Service, we ask each student to contribute towards a gift for either a boy or a girl, wrapped in cellophane, to donate to the Vinnie’s Community Centre in Redfern. These gifts will be distributed to children who may not otherwise receive anything at Christmas due to poverty or other family issues. There will be a greater demand this year due to the unsettling times that many families face from financial pressure and housing stresses. The feedback we get each year is that these gifts make a huge difference to children throughout our city, giving them the message that they are loved and cared for. We will be receiving those gifts up until Friday 28 November. More information will be delivered to students via their form or class teachers.

Mr Lee-Lindsay needs NEW Socks and Undies

For those new to our community, I would like to introduce you to our socks and undies drive. There are a number of welfare organisations that are always asking for NEW socks and undies for their clientele. This is a serious issue amongst the homeless in terms of hygiene and good foot care. It is a whole-school activity, and we would love to receive a variety of sizes for boys and girls, men and women. There is a basket outside the chapel where all donations can be delivered. I will be taking the items to various locations in the last week of school.

Urgent need for meal donations for the rest of Term 4

There are only four weeks left of our food delivery service this year, and each of the Mondays could do with some extra meals. Whether you have volunteered before or haven’t taken up the opportunity yet, your help would be greatly appreciated. All of the information and sign-up details can be found here.

The need for food in our city is noticeably growing, and your help in providing meals makes a big difference in people’s day-to-day lives.

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
School Chaplain

Drama News

Pippin

Pippin tells the story of young Prince Pippin, the child of Emperor Charlemagne, who is on a journey to find meaning and purpose in life. Various paths are navigated – war, hedonism, politics, and domestic life – but none seem to be fulfilling. The narrative is presented by a mysterious troupe of performers led by the charismatic Leading Players, who guide Pippin and the audience through the story.

When Pippin first premiered in 1972, America was in the throes of global social upheaval. The Vietnam War, the rise of the counterculture, the sexual revolution, the civil rights movement, the women’s liberation movement, and the search for spiritual renewal defined the era. Young people rejected the status quo and pursued alternative ways of living, seeking authenticity in communes, protest movements, and Eastern philosophies. Stephen Schwartz and Bob Fosse’s musical captured this restless spirit: a story about a young person who yearns for meaning.

We have created an engaging immersive experience which promises to be visceral and exciting, challenging actors and audience alike. Indeed, ‘we have magic to do!’

The SCEGGS students are joined by students from Cranbrook, Newington, and Sydney Grammar.

Running time is approximately 2 hours 15 minutes (plus interval).

Car parking will be open from 6.30pm.

Quote/Trivia

A common superstition amongst actors is that ghosts frequent their theatres and performances – and some theatre owners agree. The Palace Theatre in London long kept two seats permanently empty to make room for their resident ghosts. One was believed to be Ivor Novello, the Welsh actor after whom the Novello Theatre is named. The other was said to be an unknown ballerina. However, once Harry Potter and the Cursed Child became such a resounding success, they began selling the tickets for those seats once again.

Peter Eyers
Head of Drama

Year 11 Roughtober Sleepout

Last Friday night, 93 Year 11 students participated in this year’s Roughtober Sleepout and fundraiser. Not only did they exceed their fundraising goal of $20,000, but they also showed maturity, sensitivity, and compassion throughout the evening when they met with a range of Darlinghurst locals who have all had lived experiences of homelessness. The students and staff who were present were deeply moved by the stories they heard, developing connections and a greater sense of community through the experience. I congratulate the Year 11s on being so thoughtful throughout the night. They showed us what true SCEGGS spirit is—the ability to look beyond ourselves and a willingness to strengthen connections within our local community.

A huge thank you also to the staff who accompanied the students, as this initiative could not have happened without them. A shout-out to Ms Clare O’Gorman, Ms Lisa Thompson, Ms Louise Willems, Ms Andrea Pinnock, Ms Allison Harrigan, Ms Rachael Shields, Mr Richard Hainsworth, and Mr Brett Blinman!

The fundraising page will remain open for a few weeks should there be some last-minute donations.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to Rough Edges. It is greatly appreciated.

Dynielle Whitney
Head of Religious Education & Social Justice Coordinator

Class Parents 2026

Are you looking for a great way to be involved in your daughter’s year group, connect with other parents and bring your cohort together? Volunteering as a Class Parent offers you this and much more!

Class Parents are an important part of the School community and act as liaison between parents, the P&F Association, the Trust and the School. They create and organise opportunities for their Year Group to meet and get to know each other and provide invaluable assistance to the P&F.

Next year will be extra special, as 2026 is a Festival on Forbes year! Each year group plays a vital part in this wonderful event, contributing to stalls and activities that make the Fair such a highlight of the SCEGGS calendar. While the role is a little more involved, it is also one of the most fun and fulfilling experiences you can have as a Class Parent, bringing our whole school community together.

We generally find four Class Parents per year is about right.

To find our more information and to register for 2026, please click here.

Secondary Sport News

Term 1 2026 sport

Activity Selection for Term 1 2026 Sport will open at 12pm on Friday 31 October, in Clipboard.

To assist in the planning of all Sport for Term 1, we ask that current parents / carers sit down with students to submit the online form by Friday 7 November. New families will have until Friday 14 November to complete selections.

A reminder that all parents / carers must submit activity selections. Secondary students are not permitted to make their own co-curricular sport selections via Clipboard.

Please click on this link to enrol students for Term 1 2026 Co-Curricular Sport.

Additionally, see the link to the Co-curricular Commitment Policy for further information.

Gymnastics

The IGSA Gymnastics Championships were held last week at the Sydney Gymnastics and Aquatic Centre at Rooty Hill. SCEGGS sent 8 competitors, all of whom performed very well. 

The SCEGGS team placed 12^th overall out of 26 schools.

Highlights from the competition were as follow:

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Artistic Gymnastics

Equestrian

Congratulations to Scarlett Webber (Year 10)  who competed at the Australian Interschools Championships and finished 8^th in the EVA 95 eventing class. 

Last weekend in Tamworth at the Interschools Horse Extravaganza (ISHE) Scarlett finished 8^th in the CCN 1* Eventing and 1^st in the Novice dressage.

Tennis

Well done to our Senior 1^st Tennis team who has a close win against St Catherine’s on the weekend.

Indoor Hockey

Good luck to Maddison Soulos (Year 8) and Audrey Rivers (Year 10) who will be competing at the NSW U’16 Indoor Hockey Championships to be held in Orange at the end of November. Maddison has been selected in the SEHA U16 team, whilst Audrey will be representing the North-West Sydney team.

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.

All Clipboard notifications will now come through the SCEGGS Mobile App too, so if you have been receiving notifications from Clipboard (eg when sport is cancelled due to wet weather), you will need to download the SCEGGS Mobile App to ensure that you continue to receive these push notifications.

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

Sydney FC Primary Schools Cup

SCEGGS recently entered a Year 6 team into the inaugural Sydney FC Primary Schools Cup and played some excellent games. The first game was very close and finished 0-0 with Loretto. SCEGGS had some good chances but just couldn’t convert them into goals. The second game the team managed a 3-0 win against St Mary’s Cathedral College. Daisy Grice scored two goals and Klemintine Chylek scored one goal. The team could have scored more if it wasn’t for some excellent saves by the opposing goalkeeper. Game three was against Mater Dei and the team lost 1-2.

The team played well, but the opposition were just too strong on this occasion, and despite being up 1-0 with a goal from Ali Buchanan, the team conceded in the last few minutes. The last round game was against Shire Christian. The team were down 0-2 but never gave up, and two goals from Alice Beaumont and one from Daisy Grice helped the team to a 3-2 win. SCEGGS had a final playoff game for 3^rd and 4^th. The team drew 1-1 with Shire Christian after a goal from Daisy and went to penalties, where they won 2-0.

Congratulations to the team for an excellent competition and special mention to Eliza Wilcsek and Daisy Grice for their performances on the day. Also, thank you to Mr Bradley and the team of coaches for supporting the girls.

Student Achievements

On Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October, Stasia Serafin and Beatrice Emanuel in Year 6 competed at the NSWPSSA Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre. Despite the extreme heat on the day, both girls did a fantastic job in their respective events and qualified for the finals. See below for their overall results from both days of the competition. Congratulations to both Beatrice and Stasia for absolutely outstanding performances!

Beatrice Emanuel  

Stasia Serafin

Emily Lansdown (Year 6) recently represented SCEGGS at the Berry Interschools riding competition over the October long weekend. She rode a different horse called Toohie, a very little but feisty pony, rather than her own horse Digby. Emily came home with a second place ribbon in the Primary School 45cm jumping competition and two third place ribbons for Primary School Dressage in two different preliminary dressage tests. She also thoroughly enjoyed the competition. Congratulations to Emily!

Term 1 2026 Sport

Activity Selection for Term 1 2026 Sport will open at 12pm on Friday 31 October, in Clipboard.

To assist in the planning of all Sport for Term 1, we ask that current parents/carers sit down with students to submit the online form by Friday 7 November. New families will have until Friday 14 November to complete selections.

A reminder that all parents/carers must submit activity selections

Please click on this link to enrol students for Term 1 2026 Co-Curricular Sport.

SCEGGS Co-curricular Commitment Policy

Regular physical activity is an essential part of promoting positive health and well-being. Building relationships, fostering sportsmanship and teamwork is another element to co-curricular sport. We expect full commitment to all co-curricular sporting activities at SCEGGS. Students should be respectful of the impact that any absence has on team sport: their teammates, the opposition, the coach, and the reputation of the school.

Students are expected to be fully committed and attend all scheduled training sessions, trials and matches.

All absences must be communicated to the PDHPE Department using the following guidelines:

• Parents and guardians are to request written permission for leave from Ms Allum (Secondary) or Mrs Dempsey (Primary) at least a week in advance from a sporting fixture or Saturday trial
• If a student is sick on a Saturday, a parent/guardian must email or message the relevant coach and Sport Coordinator, or Director of Sport, prior to the match explaining the absence.
• If a student is unable to attend a weekday training or trial session, the student, or a parent, is to notify the relevant Sports Co-ordinator as soon as possible on the day.
• In case of a clash with school co-curricular activities e.g. Musicale, Sports Training, Duke of Ed Hike, the student is to liaise with both Co-ordinators to negotiate an acceptable outcome.

Primary Swimming Carnival

A reminder, the Primary Swimming Carnival (Years 2-6) is taking place on Monday 17 November (Week 6). For further information on the day, please see the link for further information.

Important Sports Dates:

Have a wonderful week.

Mr Adrian Hammond
Primary Sports Coordinator

Primary and Secondary Music

Musicale 4

Musicale 4 will be held on Wednesday 19 November in the SCEGGS Great Hall. The Primary Concert will run from 5.00pm – 5.45pm (approximately) and the Secondary Concert will run from 6.30pm – 7.30pm (approximately).

Primary Ensembles performing at the 5pm Concert

Year 3 Discovery Band, Bugles’ Band, Primary Percussion Ensemble, Cantare, Stringalong, Sinfonietta, Chamber Strings, and Primary String Octet.

Please note that there will be no Year 2 students performing in this concert due to the Year 2 Camp.

Primary parents who need care for their daughters before the event can book into After School Care using the Xplor Childcare App. If you are using the service for the first time or need account details, please email after school care for an enrolment link and more information, including any fees. Make sure bookings are completed by Friday 14 November.
When booking, please note that your daughter is in Musicale 4, so we can ensure she is escorted to the Great Hall by 4.30pm.

Sport

The Sport Department has given permission for all Primary girls who normally have off-site sport to miss the session this afternoon. You can either collect your daughter at the end of the school day or book her into After-School Care as per the arrangement above.

Students with on-site sport (gymnastics) should attend the start of their session as usual. A member of the Primary staff will arrive at 4.15 pm, at which time girls should have a snack and change back into their school uniform. 

Please make sure your child has enough food to eat before the performance. All Primary performers must arrive at 4.30 pm.

Secondary Ensembles performing at the 6.30pm Concert

Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, Tour Choir, Clarion Concert Band, Holst Wind Band, Emma Pask Jazz Band, Rock Bands, Van Reyk Percussion Ensemble, Edwardes Percussion Ensemble, Glennie Percussion Ensemble, Cremona Strings and Amati Strings.

Secondary arrangements for Wednesday afternoon – 19 November (Secondary rehearsals)

Amati Strings and the Holst Wind Ensemble will rehearse from 3.15 pm to 4.15 pm (finishing 30 minutes early).

Sport or other co-curricular activities

Secondary students should attend their usual Wednesday afternoon co-curricular activity. All Secondary performers must arrive at 6pm.

String Studio Concerts

Last week, 60 Primary string players performed in Studio Concerts held over three afternoon sessions. All performers are to be congratulated for their confident performances, which were warmly received by a very appreciative audience of parents, grandparents and siblings. Special thanks to Ms Stephanie Holmes and Ms Catherine McKay for accompanying some of the performers. Performances of this nature, in a safe and supportive environment, are vital for a young musician’s development. The next opportunity for solo performance will be at the SCEGGS Eisteddfod in Term 1 next year. All students are encouraged to choose a piece in their lessons with their tutor this term that can be performed at the Eisteddfod in Term 1.

Term 4 Overview

Please refer to Clipboard for information regarding Term 4 rehearsals and performances. It’s a very busy term as we prepare for the K–2 Concert, Musicale 4, Festival of Lessons and Carols, Speech Night, Music Tour, and several community performances outside school hours.

Secondary students are reminded that they must communicate with their conductor or ensemble director in advance, if they are unable to attend a rehearsal.

Beyond the Green Gate

We love hearing about ways our musicians are involved in music-making outside of school. Please send details to Heidi Jones.

Clipboard

All co-curricular music ensemble schedules are now available on Clipboard. If you haven’t set this up yet, please follow the provided instructions. For any issues with Clipboard set-up, contact our Music Administration Assistant, Miss Alice Kotowicz.

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular)

Secondary Library News

November is International Games Month! The Secondary Library will host games in the library at lunchtime on Monday and Friday each week in November. If you love Jenga, Uno, Pick Up Sticks, Exploding Kittens, Chess, Checkers etc. come to the library to play a game and maybe win a prize. Alternatively, if you have a game you love to play and would like to teach it to others, please bring it with you – we love to learn new games!

Tamsin Hughes
Library Technician

Fresh Fruit Friday

Fresh Fruit Friday is an initiative led by the SRC and a way for SCEGGS families from across both the Primary and Secondary school to donate fresh fruits and vegetables to local charities.

This is a great opportunity for the SCEGGS community to come together and support others in our local community.

If you’d like to participate, students are asked to bring in this produce on Friday mornings before school of Weeks 4 and 6 to the Jacaranda Gate (if secondary) and the Primary Gate (if primary).

These will then be taken to local charities. It is an easy and small gesture but one that is highly appreciated.

We hope to see as many of you as possible dropping off your donation in these coming weeks.

The SRC

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Festival on Forbes

We are thrilled to introduce the 2026 Festival on Forbes Committee! Led by Fair Convenors Niamh Brosnan and Carrie Roberts, the Committee already have exciting plans underway to make the 2026 Fair our biggest and best yet!

For those new to the SCEGGS community, the Festival on Forbes, hosted by the SCEGGS Parents & Friends Association, is a beloved biennial event that brings together students, parents, Old Girls, staff and friends for a wonderful day of fun, food and connection.

We can’t wait to share more details soon and work alongside our families to bring this vibrant celebration to life!

Rob Jessup
President, P&F Association

Yirranma Place Community Open Day

The SCEGGS community are warmly invited to the Yirranma Place Community Open Day,
on Saturday 29 November, 10am-12pm.

Click here for more information.