COVID Update

As we near towards the end of Term 1, please see the information and guidelines below about the continued management of COVID in our community.

RAHTS

Surveillance testing continues to be an essential tool for the School, so I would like to continue the twice-weekly testing regime until the end of this term. Please give your daughters a RAHT test on Monday and Wednesday next week, as this is an important tool in catching instances of the virus before it comes into the school itself.  

As many families will be interacting differently and perhaps travelling in the school holidays, we would also ask every student to do a RAHT test on the morning of Wednesday 27 April before coming back to school for Term 2.

It is important to make sure that you follow the instructions carefully for any RAHT test that you have, but in particular, the requirement to not have ANY food or drinks for 30 mins prior to using a saliva test. This is the key to ensuring that these tests are at their maximum effectiveness.

Vaccinations

As we move into the cooler months, we would encourage all SCEGGS families to help us all maintain a high level of protection against serious illness in our community by increasing the COVID vaccination rate at SCEGGS.

Children aged 5 to 11 years are eligible to receive their first dose and many may now be available for their second dose, generally eights weeks after the first. In addition, people aged 16 years and over are eligible for their booster if they received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least three months ago. NSW Health also provides advice about when to get these booster vaccinations if a student is recovering from COVID too. For most people this is around 4-6 weeks after infection.

If you have any concerns about the vaccinations, we strongly encourage you to speak to your GP or other health professional. Educationally, we know that vaccines reduce potential disruptions to learning through absences and allow girls to continue to attend school and extracurricular activities too.

Ongoing Monitoring

Please remember that staff and students cannot attend school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. If symptoms occur at any time, your daughter should not attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test. Even if she tests negative on a RAHT, please keep her home for 24 hours and then test again.

Even if multiple COVID tests (RAHT and/or PCR) come back negative for COVID-19, students should not return to school until all symptoms of the illness have gone.

NSW Health advice is that students who are sick – whether with COVID or any other illness such as the flu or a cold – should always stay home to rest and recover and avoid putting other students and staff at risk of getting sick.

Isolation

There have been a couple of changes to health rules recently, so here are the amendments to the answers to two questions commonly asked of us:

What happens if a student who has recovered from COVID-19 comes into contact with someone with COVID-19 within 12 weeks after they are released?

The Public Health (COVID-19 Self-Isolation) Order was updated on 28 March 2022 to amend the isolation requirements for household contacts who have previously tested positive to COVID-19. Specifically, a household contact is not required to self-isolate as a contact if the person previously had COVID-19 and it has been less than 12 weeks since the person ceased self-isolating as a case (this was previously 8 weeks).

Does a household contact need to recommence their isolation if another member of the household subsequently tests positive?

A household contact is not obligated to self-isolate as a contact if they are subsequently notified by another household contact and it has been no more than 14 days since the contact completed their self-isolation period. This means a household contact does not need to self- isolate as a contact more than once in a 21-day period unless the person is diagnosed with COVID-19, in which case they will need to self-isolate again for 7 days as a confirmed case. If more than 14 days has passed since a household contact completed their self-isolation and they are notified of a new case within their household, they will need to isolate again for 7 days unless they have previously tested positive, and it has been no more than 12 weeks since they ceased self-isolating as a positive case.

Jenny Allum
Head of School

SCEGGS Flood Relief Appeal for Lismore South Public School and the flood affected communities of QLD and NSW

We have witnessed unprecedented levels of flooding in Queensland and closer to home in NSW, especially around the  Lismore area.

With the flood waters reaching 14.4m, thousands of homes and business have been lost. The clean-up efforts are now only able to begin and these communities are still facing the possibility of more floods.

The community of South Lismore has been devasted quite significantly, with the local primary school in the area un-operational right now. The students at Lismore South Public School will hopefully be returning to school for the start of Term 2. However, they have very little in the way of equipment to return to.

Here at SCEGGS, we would like to respond to what is happening in South Lismore and all flood affected areas in general through a flood relief appeal.

In Week 11 we are holding three initiatives that we would love you to consider donating to!

The Primary School

Students in the Primary School are asked to bring in new packs of pens, textas, coloured pencils, lead pencils and exercise books that will be sent up to Lismore South Public School for the start of Term 2. Primary students will also be writing letters to the to let them know that we are thinking of them during this difficult time. The letters will be delivered with the stationery equipment.

The Secondary School Sale of School Uniform Donations

There are donations that have been made to the School Shop that we have been unable to sell. Rather than send these items to be recycled, we are selling items for $5 each and all the money will be donated to the Australian Red Cross Flood Appeal. Items include shorts, tunics, sports uniforms, and jumpers. Not only will you be donating to a very worthwhile cause, but you will also be helping our environment by preventing these items ending up in land fill. Come to the lawn at lunchtime on Wednesday 6 April and Thursday 7 April of Week 11. EFTPOS payments will be available.

Donations from the sale of muffins in the Canteen and online orders in Week 11

Throughout all of Week 11 the sale of muffins will be $4 with the extra $1 being donated to the Australian Red Cross Flood Appeal to help the flood affected communities in NSW and QLD in their recovery efforts right now. Muffins may be purchased from the canteen or ordered online.

As a school community we would like to show in some very practical ways that we are thinking of the communities affected by the floods and hope that they are able to get back on their feet as soon as possible and we thank you for your support for the Flood Relief Appeal for Lismore South Public School and NSW and QLD.

Dynielle Whitney
Social Justice Co-ordinator

Easter Festival

The SCEGGS community is invited to this year’s Easter Festival on Thursday 7 April, starting at 7pm in the Great Hall. This is always a wonderful event which focuses on the meaning and significance of Easter, with readings, prayer and music provided by the School Choir, the Madrigal Ensemble, Cantare (Year 4), The Years 5 & 6 Choir and the Amati String Ensemble. The following day the whole school will be involved in our Easter Service. At both services, a collection will be taken to support Rough Edges Community Centre, a local organisation which addresses the needs of our city’s hungry and disadvantaged. Students have been asked to bring a monetary donation to go towards their form class’s Lenten offertory in support of this cause. We look forward to welcoming many parents and community members to this special service at this very special time of the year.

From the Primary School Library

It is with great pleasure that I announce the launch of the 2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge!

The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition or a fundraiser, but a challenge to each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely.

Kindergarten to Year 2

The students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 will participate in the Challenge at school. Their online Reading Logs will be completed by Mrs McBride.

Year 3 to Year 6

The Year 3 to Year 6 students are invited to participate in the Challenge by reading 20 books, 15 from the PRC booklist and 5 of their own choice. This is followed by the completion of an online Reading Log.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge concludes on 19 August 2022. All students who complete the Challenge will be presented with a personalised certificate in Term 4.

Please visit the PRC website for further information, or do not hesitate to contact me at karenmcbride@sceggs.nsw.edu.au

Karen McBride
Primary Teacher Librarian

Year 7 Camp

Here are some reflections from our students who attended Year 7 camp earlier this term.

What a way to start your high-school journey on a three-day Year 7 camp in the beautiful wilderness with your peers and teachers! There was bike-riding, cooking, raft-building, high ropes, giant swing, game challenges, dancing and more! These were all the fun activities we experienced at camp, showing us that education is not only about lessons within the four walls of the classroom – we learnt so much about ourselves and each other at camp. Camp allowed us to explore our own capabilities, strengthen our emotional skills, develop confidence and learn about respecting others and stepping outside of our comfort zone. It was a safe space for personal growth and exploration, problem-solving, developing independence, negotiating risk and developing stronger social and emotional skills.

“There is no Wi-Fi in the mountains, but I promise you’ll find a better connection.” This quote summed up how we felt about Year 7 Camp as it refers to the connection we had with nature and the beautiful clean air and countryside at Wombaroo as well as the connections we developed with our peers.

There were a lot of ups and downs in those three days: some rain, a lack of sleep, smelly toilets and plenty of mud, but truly, we will laugh about them in the future. The best part about camp was the new experiences and creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Evelyn Li

We went on a muddy path towards the high ropes, our harnesses dangling between our legs. As soon as we got there, we were briefed on how to belay properly. The instructor made sure we got plenty of time to practise before doing it for real.  We all got strapped into the harnesses and began climbing. There was fear in the air, but we all faced it head on, climbing carefully across logs and tightropes. Then it was my turn! Going up the ladder sent shivers down my spine. When I finally got up, I made the mistake of looking down. I was terrified. Once completed, I felt very happy to be on the ground and began to help the rest of my team belaying. One lucky person got to do the high ropes twice. It was so much fun to face my fear of heights and help others to get over their fears too.
Alice Fleming

Camp is one of the most memorable experiences of school life. You make lifelong friends, explore your capabilities, and make memories that will last for years to come. We all set off on the bus early in the school day.  I remember singing on the bus (and being told to stop singing) eating a lot of candy and connecting with the people around me. When we got there, we were handed our rain gear, also known as the notorious “blueberry suits” because of their bright blue colour. I remember being on the giant swing, one of the main attractions. I felt like I was flying. Everything was peaceful and serene and it felt like all my worries had left me. At the beginning, I felt like camp didn’t really meet my expectations, but as the day went on, I began to realise it didn’t need to be a five-star attraction to have fun. To conclude, if I were to sum up my camp experience in a few words I would say “a character-building experience.” If you ever get the opportunity to camp, or to go on camp, take it up, because you never know what might happen.
Juliet Luschwitz

Year 7 Camp was a great way to start Secondary School. Students were able to connect with each other while engaged in various activities.

First, we went on a bus ride which was so much fun that we didn’t even notice how quickly the time passed! Once we arrived at camp, we were served tacos which everyone seemed excited to eat! We were then arranged into House groups and had a quick getting to know you game before moving on with the physical activities. 

In my opinion, the best part about camp was the performance night held on the last night of camp. Perhaps the teachers decided to save the best part of camp for last! It was fantastic, students were dancing and singing. I never knew the Year 7s could dance like professionals! Once the event ended, we were sent to our tents to sleep for the night and we had to wrap up in lots of warm clothes! I thought it might be a bit daunting for us to leave our parents for a couple of days but trust me in the end it was all worth it. The girls cared for each other and the teachers supported you and gave you a hug when you need it! Before you knew it, we were on the bus back home. I thought about what a lovely time I had had at camp.  
Eva Litosh

Drama News

Lend Us Your Ears

The SCEGGS Junior Production is deep into rehearsal as we near the end of term. We are running the show and refining moments as we prepare for the additions of set, costumes, lighting, and sound elements in Term 2. Students from Years 7-9 are having a great time as many of them are experiencing their first time on stage.

The production will play:

• Wednesday May 4^th @ 7pm
• Thursday May 5^th @ 7pm
• Friday May 6^th @ 7pm
• Saturday May 7^th @ 1pm

Bookings are now open.

Drama Tour – Melbourne

It is with great pleasure that we announce a Drama tour to Melbourne for girls studying Drama in Years 9, 10 and 11. The trip will take place over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June. Students will attend productions of Cinderella, Harry Potter and the Australian Ballet’s Kunstkamer.

Students have been emailed itinerary and booking form.

This will be the Drama Department’s fourth attempt at running a Drama tour, without interruption from COVID. Wish us luck!

St Peter’s Players – Playwriting Workshop

During Term 2, students will have the opportunity to participate in a 7-week playwriting course with Director/Playwright, Liv Satchell. The course will be conducted over zoom and times will be designated to accommodate all participants.

Interested students should email Mr Eyers.

Theatre is a verb before it is a noun, an act before it is a place…

 Peter Eyers
Head of Drama

Visual Arts

This week’s banner is a monoprint from a series on the Australian Landscape developed by Year 11 student Bronte Burke.

Year 10 artwork

We are thrilled to share some recent Year 10 works that were submitted as part of their Semester 1 assignment on Modernism. In this task, students wrote essays about a Modernist movement of their choice, discussed an artist associated with the movement and analysed 2 of their works, investigating how art practice at this time was informed by the exciting and dynamic changes of early to mid-20^th century life. Students focused on the experimental and innovative nature of Modernism, linking it to the rapid, permanent and ground breaking changes that affected the cultural context of artists at this time. Students have aimed to reflect this sense of creative adventure in the practical component of their assignment too.

Entries now open 2022 Mosman Youth Art Prize 

Receipting day Tuesday 3 May, 8.30am-6pm

The 2022 Mosman Youth Art Prize entries are now open.

Open to 12-21 year old students across junior and senior categories, artworks can be submitted in a variety of media including: painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, video, photography and ceramics.

We encourage all art students to submit an entry for consideration. Finalists will have the chance to display their work at Mosman Art Gallery and be in the running for over $8,000 in cash and other prizes.

Heidi Jackson
Head of Visual Arts

Music Matters

2022 SCEGGS Eisteddfod Highlights Concerts (Primary and Secondary) – Friday 25 March Great Hall

Well done to all students who were selected to perform in the Primary Highlights Concert and the Secondary Highlights Concert. The standard of the performances was very high, making the adjudication difficult for our guest adjudicators Ms Melanie McLoughlin (instrumental) and Ms Donna Balson (instrumental/vocal). 

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded Highly Commended:

Primary Highlights

• Hana Yao (Year 1) – Violin
• Olivia Tan (Year 2) – Piano
• Angelina Wang (Year 5) – Piano
• Lucinda Morgan (Year 6) – Violin
• Lily-Mae Cook (Year 6) – Piano
• Lilly Zadgan (Year 6) – Voice

Secondary Highlights

• Pui Wai Li (Year 7) – Violoncello
• Zara Perkins (Year 8) – Piano
• Rebecca Colwell (Year 10) – Piano
• Nicola Allen (Year 11) – Voice
• Charlotte FitzSimons (Year 11) – Trumpet

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded the following prizes:

Overall Winner of the Primary Eisteddfod 
Anara Murugesan (Year 4) – Oboe

Wran Prize for “Up and Coming Vocalist”
Elizabeth Lapham (Year 11)

Overall Winner of the Secondary Eisteddfod 
Madison Au (Year 12) – Oboe

My sincere thanks to Ms Heidi Jones and Ms Stephanie Holmes – both of whom were heavily involved in the organisation and administration of the Eisteddfod. These two staff members were also responsible for accompanying students in the various heats as well as supporting students with their final rehearsals for the Highlights concerts.

Thank you to the School community, the Music Department and instrumental/vocal staff with their support and contribution in making this year’s event such a success. 

Assembly Performance – Contemporary Strings and Charlotte FitzSimons (Highly Commended from Secondary Highlights Concert)

Well done to members of Contemporary Strings who performed series of musical items for Week 10’s Assembly.  The students played an arrangement by Brian Balmages of You Are Amazing, accompanied by Ms Heidi Jones on the Piano.  They also performed excerpts from “Donegal’s Fiddles” arranged by Tim Carrick as the entrance and recessional items.  Thank you to Mrs Anne Sweeney for her direction of these performances.

Congratulations also to Charlotte FitzSimons (Year 12) who was one of six performers who were awarded Highly Commended in the 2022 SCEGGS Eisteddfod – Secondary Highlights Concert.  Charlotte performed on the Trumpet, the Adagio from Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo and was also accompanied by Ms Heidi Jones on the Piano.  Well done Charlotte!

Easter Festival – SCEGGS Great Hall Thursday 7 April 7pm

Join us next Thursday 7 April for the school’s Easter Festival service.  As noted in the Easter Service article, this is a special service featuring the beautiful voices of the Secondary Choir, Madrigal Ensemble, Years 5 and 6 choirs and Cantare.  The vocalists will be accompanied by Amati Strings, selection of Primary string players and by Mr Kurt Ison on the Organ.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Secondary Sport News

In Secondary Sport news this week, we congratulate the students who participated in the IGSA Swimming and Diving Championships, our Captain of Softball shares her thoughts on why softball is a great sport to get involved in and there is information about Term 2 and 3 sport nominations and trials.

IGSA Swimming and Diving Championships – March 25

21 students represented SCEGGS at the IGSSA Swimming and Diving Championships.

Diving

Elida Gil competed in the 14 years Springboard Diving and placed 7^th overall. This was a wonderful effort competing in her first ever diving competition.

Swimming

Highlights of the days were:

Finals

Division 3 Winners (SCEGGS placed 2^nd Overall)

Softball

 Softball at SCEGGS offers girls the chance to develop important skills while simultaneously providing an opportunity to enjoy themselves. The SCEGGS softball community is one of the kindest and most welcoming you will find!

As a game that is centered around teamwork, softball inspires players of all ages to not only individually develop their skills, but also develop important connections between players and coaches that will be carried throughout their school journey. Speaking from experience, after joining the softball community in Year 8, I can say that I have not only developed my skills in the sport, but I am also now able to call many girls (spread through different years) teammates AND friends!

Last weekend, the Senior Firsts played at Frensham accompanied by a large amount of mud and a lot of slipping over. The team made some amazing plays, including outfield catches, tagging runners out at home plate, big outfield hits while we were batting and lots of aggressive baserunning!

Despite the conditions, everyone enjoyed themselves in what might possibly have been our last game of the season!

Sarah Farrow
Softball Captain

Sports Nominations Terms 2 & 3

By now all students have selected their Sports Nominations for Term 2. New for 2022, IGSA are offering the four winter sports of basketball, football, netball and hockey across Terms 2 & 3. The competitions will be individual competitions in each term, like our IGSA Tennis, Water Polo and East Touch comps in Terms 1 & 4. 

Students will have the opportunity to play their favourite sport across both terms or change sports in Term 3 if they prefer. We will not be making students choose a winter or summer sport if they wish to try alternate sports. Term 3 Sports Nominations will be sent out early next term.

Upcoming Sports Trials for Term 2 Secondary Sport

IGSA Hockey Trials

Tuesday April 5 – Seniors Yrs 10, 11, 12

3:10pm-5pm at David Phillips Sports Complex

Final Triall/Training Session

ALL Students will be required to attend a final trial / training session. This will be held on Tuesday 26 April at the David Phillips Sports Complex. 8AM-12PM (training timeslot TBC). Students need to make their own way to and from the venue.

IGSA Football Trials

Friday April 1 – Cook & Phillip

6:45am – 7:50am             Junior 1^st

Please check emails from Mr Crawford.

Basketball Trials

All students playing in IGSA Term 2 will continue trials in Week 11.

• Monday 4 April- Senior Teams and Junior A and B
• Thursday 7 April- Juniors C, D and E and Year 7

All trials will be held at Sydney University from 6.30-7.45am. A bus will bring students back to School following the session.

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 plus Saturday Sport

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

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

Primary Cross-country Carnival

We are less than one week away from the Primary Cross-country Carnival for Years 3-6!  On Tuesday, 5 April we will be travelling to Queens Park opposite Moriah College, Baronga Ave.  Students will be leaving SCEGGS at 8.30 am, with the first event starting at 9.00 am. The girls will return to school as usual for the rest of the day. The program has been organised with approximate times as follows:

Please note “age” is each student’s age on 31 December 2022.

 Term 2 Saturday Sports Information

Thanks to those students who attended the Term 2 IPSHA sports trials. See below for some photos of the girls in action!

A reminder that if your daughter cannot attend any of the Term 1 trials due to illness or absence, please get in touch with TomMitton@sceggs.nsw.edu.au to allow relevant information to be passed on to the coaching staff.

IPSHA Minkey Years 4-6

Training sessions will be held during weeks 10 and 11 of Term 1 as follows:

For Tuesday sessions, students will catch the bus to and from SCEGGS and the venue. Students may be picked up at 4:50pm from Banks Ave Daceyville, or approximately 5:20pm from outside the Sports Hall doors on Forbes Street.

IPSHA Netball Years 4-6

Trial sessions will be held in weeks 10 and 11 of Term 1 as follows:

Girls will catch the bus to and from SCEGGS and the venue for all Tuesday sessions. Girls can be picked up at 4:50 pm from Moore Park or approximately 5:20 pm outside the Sports Hall on Forbes Street.

Year 3 Netball

Trial sessions will be held in weeks 10 and 11 of Term 1 as follows:

Girls will catch the bus to and from SCEGGS and the venue for all Tuesday sessions. Girls can be picked up at 4:50 pm from Moore Park or approximately 5:20 pm outside the Sports Hall on Forbes Street.

Reminder: Permission Requirement for all Primary Sports

Permission notes (or an email) are required for all students being picked up from a sports activity or training session by another parent/carer, including nannies and babysitters. Parents may provide one permission email for the term if arrangements are reoccurring. Permission emails need to be received by SCEGGS Sports Staff before 11:00 am, for the coaching staff to be communicated.

IPSHA Cross-Country Team

Congratulations to the following girls who have been selected for the IPSHA Cross-Country team.

• Beatrice Emanuel
• Clementine Finlayson
• Emily Snow
• Sofea Davey
• Evie Thorpe
• Gabriella Orth
• Sarah Reif
• Victoria Poniros
• Anna Slack
• Anja Baker
• Chelsea Fallshaw
• Georgina Auld
• Ava Pepper
• Annabelle Jessup
• Gemma Shennan
• Charlotte Thomson
• Sacha Tehan
• Sophia Carroll

The carnival will take place on Wednesday 4 May at The Kings School. Thank-you to all the girls that came out for the trials on Friday 11 March.

Student achievements

Congratulations to Pippa Dodwell (Year 5), who competed at the NSW CIS Primary Swimming Championships on Thursday 24 March. Pippa competed in the 50m Backstroke, where she came fourth in the Backstroke Final. What an incredible achievement!

Well done to Beatrice Emanuel (3L) and Emily Snow (3R) who represented Bronte at the Sydney Branch Championships. Congratulations to Beatrice who won a bronze medal for the under 9s girls’ sprint. The two girls were recognised by their club at the end of season awards with Beatrice winning first place as the under 9s girls Club Champion and Emily coming in third place! A huge effort from both girls who were terrific all-rounders competing in flags, sprints, surf swims and boards throughout the season.

Tom Mitton
PDHPE and Sport Co-ordinator: Primary

From the Primary School – Xanthorrhoea Tree comes to SCEGGS

The common name for this plant is the Gadi tree or the Grass tree. The Gadigal people are known as the people of the grass tree and SCEGGS is located on Gadigal country. This tree was very important to the Indigenous peoples of this area.

Wednesday morning, March 9, the Kindergarten girls arrived in their bright yellow raincoats to witness the planting of the tree. They said a beautiful Acknowledgement of Country over our Grass tree, but the three weeks of torrential rain meant the garden bed on top of the Primary school was too sodden for a successful planting.  The skies were grey last Wednesday. The rain held off for our second special planting and ceremony with the Kindergarten girls.

This time they came armed with knowledge about the special qualities of the tree for the Gadigal people. Some of the things they remembered were:

• A drink was made by mixing the flowers with water
• The seeds could be ground to make a flour
• The fronds were soaked in water and then used for making dilly bags
• The base of the tree was used as a glue
• These trees attract wildlife and are good for insects
• It grows at 1cm a year

The girls were so respectful of the tree. They repeated their wonderful Acknowledgement of Country and blew kisses for a safe journey of growth and success in its sunny position on top of the Primary school roof. They are coming back, in 2034, when they are in Year 12 to measure the Gadi tree’s growth. Hopefully, they will remember this special day and it will become part of their Old Girls’ reunions!

Heidi Anderson (Kindergarten Teacher) and Sue Zipfinger (Sustainability Co-ordinator)

Go Greener – The Environmental Impacts of Tea

Anyone that knows me well knows that I am a big tea lover. I need a cup to wake up in the morning and sip on cups throughout the day as I find it calming and relaxing. But have you ever stopped to think about the environmental impact of tea?

Tea bags are typically made from paper sealed with polypropylene- which is in fact a plastic. A 2010 Which? Gardening study in the UK showed that teabags from the top manufacturers were only 70-80% biodegradable. Luckily, due to public awareness increasing in relation to plastic, many companies have set targets for removing the plastic from their tea bags.

When you think about the environmental impact of tea, there is more to it than just the actual teabag. Resources used for growing, process and transporting tea need to be considered. Did you know that over 300 litres of water are used to grow tea for 25 teabags? This can place stress on the environment, especially in areas where water is scarce. There is also a high impact on the environment from the use of pesticides and fertilisers – this can cause water pollution, contributes to deforestation and create problems for biodiversity. Lastly, transporting of tea requires fossil fuels – which of course contributes to climate change.

What can you do?

• Use loose leaf tea instead of teabags
• Buy plastic free tea bags in minimal packaging. Where possible, choose certified compostable teabags
• Dispose of your teabags with your food waste (but remember it may take teabags longer to break down than food waste)
• Look out for fairtrade tea that has been produced to high environmental standards
• Choose certified organic tea that has been grown without synthetic fertilizers

Laura Tennant
Co-ordinator Primary Enviro Girls

SchoolTV Special Report – Vaping & E-Cigarettes

Vaping is becoming a trendy pastime that is growing in popularity across Australia, especially among teenagers. It is the act of inhaling a vapour created by an electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette. Many teenagers are succumbing to peer pressure around this risk-taking activity due to the ease of accessing and hiding vapes. They are often cheaper than conventional cigarettes, making it more cost-effective and attractive to young people.

Although under 18s are not legally allowed to purchase any type of e-cigarette or vaping product in Australia, teenagers are finding ways to access them online. Australia has strict regulations in place for nicotine-containing products, and attempts are being made to regulate vaping and ban the importation of them. Many of the flavoured liquids associated with vaping contain not only high levels of nicotine, but other potentially harmful additives. Many of these “e-liquids” contain chemicals that are likely to be toxic, that when inhaled or vaped repeatedly, can cause severe damage to the lungs.

Vaping is often marketed as being the “healthy” alternative to smoking. However, doctors strongly advise that if you do not smoke, then you should not start vaping. Most teenagers are unaware of the associated risks and potential impact vaping can have on their development and overall health. Parents are encouraged to discuss the dangers of nicotine addiction and include e-cigarettes in the discussion alongside alcohol and drugs.

This Special Report highlights the facts around vaping and e-cigarettes and what are the potential risks. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report.

Laura Connolly
Acting Director of Pastoral Care

Senior Inter-house Speaking Challenge Results

Congratulations to all the students who participated in this year’s Senior Inter-house Speaking Challenge. We are pleased to present the results below:

Individual Results

Results by House

Festival on Forbes – 21 August 2022

Thank you to everyone who has already reached out to volunteer and make donations for the Fair!

We are now looking for donations for the Silent Auction, raffle and various stalls. If you have something big or small, bespoke or in bulk we would love to hear from you. We can be contacted by email or you can call 9332 1133 to ask for our mobile contact details.

Bree Parker
Fair Convenor

Debating

Congratulations to the ISDA Primary A, Primary B, Year 7, Senior B, and Senior A teams for winning their debates on Friday. Congratulations also to all our Eastside teams who won their debates.

This Friday is the final round of debates for ISDA. Debates will be held at Barker College. The bus will leave straight after school, so all ISDA debaters should come straight to the Green Gate courtyard. This means it is especially important that ISDA debaters remember to pack palm-cards/paper and pens that morning.

Parents who wish to attend their daughter’s debate at Barker, or pick their daughter up, can park under the Rosewood Centre on Unwin Road (Gate 6), and then follow the signs to debating, which will be in the Kefford building. The carpark will be open for entry between 5:30-8:15 –– those arriving outside that time will need to park on the street.

The bus will return to SCEGGS at the conclusion of the senior debates. This means we will leave Barker at approximately 9:15.

A reminder also that the Year 7 Eastside team has their make-up debate against SGHS this Friday. The debate will take place on Zoom and will be finished by 7:15pm.

Debating resumes next term in Week 1. Round 6 of Eastside will be held at SCEGGS on Friday 29 April, and Year 10 and Year 11 have their make-up ISDA debates on Zoom.

Imogen Harper
Debating Co-ordinator

Cape York Immersion Trip 2022

We are very excited to announce we are planning an immersion to the Cape York Peninsula this year. It is scheduled to take place in the September school holidays from Friday 17 September – Sunday 26 September. Again, the trip will be organised by Red Earth and we will be visiting two Indigenous communities in Cape York. While visiting these homelands the students will spend part of the time participating in community service, such as assisting with building projects or environmental conservation, based on the needs of the communities we stay with.  

This immersion and community service experience is available for all students in Years 10 and 11. However, the group will be limited to 50 students based on transport restrictions and the communities we visit.    

Important Date:

Wednesday 6 April – Parent evening in the Lecture theatre from 6.00pm – 7.00 pm.
All Year 10 and 11 parents are welcome to attend the presentation from Red Earth and learn more about the trip and what it entails. Students are not required to attend. We look forward to seeing interested parents at the presentation as we begin to prepare for this exciting experience.  

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to email me.

Lisa Thompson

Cape York Trip Co-ordinator 

From the Business Office

The Term 2 tuition fee invoice will be emailed to parents/guardians on 13 April 2022.  The due date for this invoice will be the first day of Term 2 (27 April).

Thank you to all parents and guardians who have paid their fees.  Timely payment greatly assists us to manage cashflow allowing us to provide the best possible education for SCEGGS girls.

If you do have a balance owing on your account, we kindly request payment before the issue of the next invoice on 13 April.

Remember that you have access to your full fee account history on the parent portal which includes any current balance as well as historical fee invoices and record of payment.

As always, please feel free to contact the Business Office with any fee related queries (accounts@sceggs.nsw.edu.au or 02 9332 1133).

Adrian Craig
Business Manager

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Class Parent Events                                                                               

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.

Laura Connolly
Acting Director of Pastoral Care