5 March 2020 - 5 March 2020
In This Together

In This Together

What Does Good Nutrition and Healthy Eating Look Like?

Good nutrition benefits us all in many ways, and a healthy diet improves our overall quality of life and wellbeing. However, establishing what good nutrition is can sometimes be more difficult than it seems.

There are so many varied opinions on what the key to healthy eating is, and our knowledge is continually changing. Paleo, flexitarian, vegan, intermittent fasting and keto are just some of the words and labels we constantly hear regarding healthy eating, and with Instagram and other social media platforms now becoming the main source of nutritional information for many teenagers, the messages being received every day on what, when and how we should and shouldn’t eat are often contradictory and unsustainable.

The truth is, if we followed all nutritional advice we received throughout our lives (particularly from strangers on the internet), the “rules” would be simply impossible to follow. So, what does this mean for our students, what does a healthy and balanced diet look like for our girls, and what are the important messages we should be promoting?

In PDHPE at SCEGGS, we teach our students from Kindergarten about the importance of good nutrition. Students come to understand that a healthy diet will fuel their body to complete everyday tasks, assist in building and repairing body muscle and tissues, protect us against chronic diseases and that it is essential for growing bodies. They also learn about the Australian Guidelines for Healthy Eating, gain experience in creating meals that meet their individual needs as children, explore the place of nutrition in athletic performance and identify the many factors that influence their food choices. As part of our Year 9 program, we also have a dietitian from The Biting Truth visit our students to cover the latest topics and science in nutrition. We find that our girls love learning about food and nutrition, and that their curiosity drives a deep exploration into many different areas within the topic.

Our aim as PDHPE teachers is to provide our students with the knowledge to make positive food choices. We do not dictate exactly what their diet should or shouldn’t look like, because we know that there isn’t just one way to eat well. Instead, we focus on supporting our girls to gain the skills and knowledge to make their own informed decisions. We want our students to understand the importance and benefits of different nutrients, be able to interpret nutritional information, be conscious of nutritional claims and fad diets, but most of all, be confident and pragmatic about how they eat and what their bodies need.

To achieve this, the main messages we give to students regarding nutrition as a broader community must be clear and consistent, and they should provide a foundation upon which our girls can build their own views on healthy eating. Nutrition is complicated, and at times professional advice and guidance is required. However, some key nutritional principles and guiding values can help to develop healthy, consistent and balanced long-term eating behaviours.

 

Encourage Eating “Real Foods”

We can often overcomplicate our eating when we place specific labels on it. By encouraging children to eat “real foods”, that is eating unprocessed, whole foods and natural ingredients, we can simplify things significantly. Although there may be times when the specific nutrients within our foods need to be considered, a diet that focuses primarily on foods that are as close to their natural form as possible will optimise long-term health and wellbeing. This includes eating fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy unrefined cooking oils, unprocessed meats, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, seeds and wholegrains, and if needing to reach for a packaged food, make sure it includes whole ingredients only.

Make It Sustainable

Completely eliminating specific food groups, placing rigid rules on what and when you eat, and attaching guilt to situations when we eat differently to what we believe is “right”, are simply unsustainable ways to achieve good nutrition. Healthy eating needs to be part of a person’s overall lifestyle. Giving ourselves and our children permission to indulge from time to time is okay, and it is important that we do not allow this to spiral into feelings of guilt. Instead, we need to accept that indulgences are part of life (and a great part too!). A diet that includes mainly “real foods” with some treats throughout is more likely to have long-term success than one that includes strict rules and expectations.

 

Focus on Inner Changes

Too often the focus of healthy eating falls to its relationship with our outer appearance, and again social media tends to have a large influence on this with young people. However, good nutrition will result in many inner changes that will impact our overall wellbeing, such as improved sleep, reduced stress levels, increased energy levels and better digestion. By focusing on these changes and concentrating on food being a source of energy and fuel, we can create a much more positive relationship with eating.

 

Be Careful and Be Informed

We all need to be cautious when it comes to the nutritional opinions we hear, as not all information we receive will be accurate or will relate to our own specific needs. Therefore, it is important that we are informed and critical consumers of nutritional claims, and that we have reliable sources of information and professionals to call upon when we need it. Teaching young children to be discerning decision makers is critical, and we believe that nutrition education in PDHPE at SCEGGS is fostering this approach within our girls.

For more information regarding nutrition and healthy eating please see the following resources:

 

Sarah Carter
Teacher PDHPE

School Cafeteria Update

School Cafeteria Update

Improving our School Cafeteria

As a result of parent feedback and SRC Student Survey recommendations, we are pleased to advise that we have commenced a refresh of the Cafeteria, including measures to ensure that the menu and products offered are aligned with the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy as well as the opportunity for feedback and self-examination during the year. 

Many people have been working hard on amending the School Cafeteria over the past few months. We have been, and will continue to look at the menu offerings, quality, service and environmental impact. 

We have fantastic new staff including Mel, our Catering Site Manager who is supervising Cafeteria operations, as well as our talented Chef Phillipe who has been getting to know the students while working away on creating their favourites (like the egg and bacon rolls and gourmet muffins!)

As part of our continual improvement strategy, we will maintain efforts to ensure that our students have the best possible food and beverage options. To date, we have made a number of amendments in the Cafeteria including:

  • A strong emphasis on promoting healthier food choices for the students through marketing (use of screens and labelling on all our items advising students which items are every day or occasional foods)
  • An overhaul of how we package our lunches, reducing  single use plastics
  • A threefold increase to our menu and food items by concentrating on Gluten Free and healthier grab-and-go options including more vegetables and fruits
  • Improved signage and clearer pricing
  • Staff training, particularly in relation to following the NSW Healthy School Canteen guidelines
  • Strengthening relationships with our suppliers to provide better products
  • Developing fun and themed days for the kids (Groovy 60s day will be held on Wednesday 11 March )
  • Working on reducing food wastage and adhering to the School’s recycling policy
  • Better communication with students regarding menu preferences as well as feedback on improvements they would like to see in the cafeteria

As well as purchasing food and beverage items on campus, parents and students can take advantage of the Flexischools online ordering system or download the Flexischools App (see instructions below). 

 

Getting started with Flexischools 

If you’d like to start ordering online, it’s super simple to get started. 

Set up your account  

  1. Download the Flexischools App

Download the app from the App Store or from Google Play. 
Note: for iPhone and iPad please select ‘Allow’ notification 
 

  1. Register

Open the Flexischools App and click ‘Like to register?’, enter your email address and click ‘Register’. You will be sent a registration email. Follow the instructions in the registration email to finish setting up your account. Once your account is set up, login to the Flexischools App, select the Profile icon on the grey navigation bar, select Student and ‘Add a student’, search for their school name, select their year level and class and enter their details. 
 

  1. Top Up Your Account

To make ordering fast and simple, you can set up automatic top ups. 

 

Order  

  1. Place your order

In the Flexischools App, swipe up and down to find the service category you are interested in, swipe left and right to find the service you are interested in and select the green ‘Order’ button. 
 

  1. Make your selection

Select the items you wish to order. 
 

  1. Make payment

Select your payment option and complete payment to place your order.  

 

Sarah Walters
Director of Administration

From the Primary School

From the Primary School

Co-curricular activities are always popular in the Primary School. This year, we have on offer a broad range of experiences for the girls.


2020 Co-curricular in the Primary School

We have three Art Clubs and two Drama Clubs running after school on a weekly basis. Our Visual Arts teachers and Drama tutors run these programs. Each of these clubs targets different year levels and the students participate in age-appropriate drawing, painting, collage, mime, role-playing and improvisation exercises.

Our Music Co-curricular program is also quite extensive and runs before, after and during school hours. Groups include several string ensembles, a Bugles Band, a Percussion Ensemble and the Year 6 Ukulele Group. Our Years 4 to 6 girls also have the opportunity to participate in the Cantare Choir. Our Cantare girls gather each Thursday and perform at a number of school events such as the Easter Festival and our K-12 Christmas Service.

Many of our Year 6 girls are keen debaters and for 2020 we have entered teams into the ISDA competition. This competition sees the girls debating against like-aged students from other Sydney independent schools on a Friday afternoon. Commencing in Term II, a number of the Year 6 pupils will also join the IPSHA competition which will see the girls debating well into Term III.

Concurrent with all of the aforementioned interest areas, our PE Department offers the girls a plethora of sporting and physical activities covering pursuits such as gymnastics, basketball, swimming, water polo, soccer, netball, games readiness, cross country, tennis and yoga. These experiences run both before and after school and many of them also involve a Saturday commitment. Groups such as the Years 4 to 6 Football Team participate in the IPSHA competitions as well and the children compete against students from other schools on a regular basis.

Another club in the Primary School is the Years 3 to 6 Science Club. Every Tuesday, our budding scientists investigate scientific phenomena in a fun environment and conduct hands-on experiments to develop their understanding of how things work.

The Years 4 to 6 Enviro Girls help look after the environs of the Primary School. This team of students runs environmentally friendly activities such as monitoring each class’s contribution to our wrap-free lunch arrangements and reinforcing the school’s message of minimising energy wastage and conserving water. These pupils are regular speakers at our Tuesday morning assemblies, reminding the girls of how they can help to care for our school and contribute to making the world a better place.

Our Year 5 girls always enjoy their Wednesday lunchtimes as they form the basis of the Dance Club. The children learn new dance steps, match movement to music and perform routines for the rest of the Primary School at key points throughout the year.

We also have some new initiatives on the 2020 landscape. These include the Kindergarten to Year 6 Kindness Club and the Years 2 to 5 Chess Club. The Kindness Club strives to build a kinder and more caring Primary School. Special focus events have included ideas such as the “Be Inclusive Week”, where the girls promoted an ethos amongst their peers of treating others with kindness and of making sure that each person feels cared for and included as a member of our community. On a different note, our Chess Club is facilitated by the Sydney Academy of Chess. Each week, the girls get to learn new strategies and then put them into action in a competitive game environment.

We have striven to cater for the broadest possible range of our girls’ interests and needs, and to offer them new and challenging activities. All of our programs are filled to capacity and it is reaffirming to witness the commitment of so many of our students. If you have any questions regarding the Primary School Co-Curricular arrangements at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

 

Paul McGrath
Deputy Head of Primary School

 

Year 1 and their Green Thumbs

You may have already heard about the new Primary School vegetable patch. The vegetable patch has been designed to allow all girls in the Primary School the opportunity to experience gardening and growing, within the context of the curriculum. This semester, as part of their Science and Technology unit, Year 1 have been investigating Living Things. As part of this program “How does your garden grow?’, they have been responsible for getting our vegetable patch up and running. This has included transporting enough soil to fill the two garden beds from the playground to the patch, filling both beds full of soil and then planting our very first seeds. We can’t wait to hopefully watch them sprout over the next few weeks. Great work Year 1, it’s been an exhausting effort!

 

Helen Dempsey
Head of Primary

Span Event

Span Event

There are very limited tickets left to our first SPAN event for 2020, In Conversation with The Hon Julie Bishop.

 

Old Girl, ABC Journalist and news presenter Celina EDMONDS (1988) will interview the former Minister for Foreign Affairs as she shares her insights on leadership, equality and how to support all women.

 

Please join us for drinks and a light supper:

When: Thursday 19 March
6.30pm – 8.30pm
Where:  The SCEGGS Great Hall
Cost:  Tickets are $50 each. Please click here to secure your ticket
Secondary Sport

Secondary Sport

This week we celebrate International Women’s Day as well as achievements in softball, swimming and Touch and talk sport choices and trials for Term II.                  

 

International Women’s Day Run (Walk)

To celebrate International Women’s Day the SCEGGS Cross Country Team has organised a fun run tomorrow, Friday March 6.

This event is open to all parents, staff, students, and old girls who would like to join in. We will meet at 6:45am at the pavilion in Mackay Oval, Centennial Park.

Current students who would like to attend need to sign up on the Sports Noticeboard so we can arrange bus transport back to school at the completion of the event.

 

Softball 

Our softball teams were hard at play on the weekend. Our senior team won a close match 11-9 against Abbotsleigh whilst the Juniors had a tough game against Loreto Normanhurst going down 15-5.

 

Swimming

Good luck to our SCEGGS Swimming team who will be competing at the IGSSA Swimming Championships at SOPAC on Friday.

Well done to Elizabeth Shin (Year 7) who competed at the 2020 Speedo Sprint Series. She placed 8th in the 50m Freestyle (Girls 11 years old) and 5th in the 50m Butterfly (Girls 11 years old) in NSW. She broke her own Personal Best times in both races!

 

 

Queens Park Touch Finals – Tuesday March 3

Well done to both the SCEGGS Junior 1sts and Senior 1sts who competed in the Queens Park Touch Competition over Term 4 and Term 1.

The Junior 1sts lost their final  7-8 in a close battle with Brigidine College Randwick. The girls came home strong however and scored more tries than Brigidine in the second half.

The Senior 1sts defeated Ascham 3-0 in their final. The team took control of the game early in the first half and continued their excellent teamwork and formations through to the end of the match.

A big shoutout and thank you to all the SCEGGS students who came out to watch the matches and support the girls despite the drizzling rain throughout the afternoon.

Congratulations to Abby Burge (Year 11) who was named the Best & Fairest for the Senior A Grade.

 

 

Sports Choices

The Primary Sports Choices for Term II are now due. An email was sent to all parents on Tuesday.

The Secondary Term II & III Sports Choices have also been emailed out to all students. We are asking that you complete both Term Choices together so we can prepare for the two terms ahead. Please note that there are now two terms of Saturday competition for Basketball and Soccer. (We are anticipating that we will move to two terms of Netball and Hockey in 2021).

Student should not commit to a team sport if they have outside commitments that clash. We expect full commitment from all our students.  A reminder that parents are to write to request leave from Ms Allum or Ms Dempsey if they need to miss Saturday sport.

 

Buses to Frensham

We will be organising buses to take students to matches at Frensham once again in 2020. Our first buses will depart on March 14 and 21. Parents will receive an email advising of the details. Miss Xanthe Axford will be co-ordinating all bus bookings.

 

Sports Trials for Term II

SCEGGS Secondary Basketball

Tuesday 10 March – SCEGGS Sports Hall

  • Junior 1sts and Senior 1sts     6:45am – 8am

 

Saturday 14 March – Moore Park Basketball Courts, Robertson Rd Moore Park

  • Years 7, 8 & 9              12:30pm -2pm  
  • Years 10, 11 & 12        2:15pm – 3:45pm

 

SCEGGS Secondary Football

Saturday 14 March – Parade Grounds, Centennial Park

  • Years 7, 8 & 9              12:30pm -2pm
  • Years 10, 11 & 12        2:15pm – 3:45pm
 

SCEGGS Boarders Need You

We have several boarders at SCEGGS who need your help getting to sport on Saturdays. If your daughter has a boarder in her sports team and you live nearby could we ask families to support and assist with getting the student to and from Saturday sport from the St Vincent’s Boarding House. Xanthe Axford in the PDHPE Department will co-ordinate the schedule.

 
 

Sports News

Do you have news to share about your daughters’ sporting activities? Please email any relevant news to alisongowan@sceggs.nsw.edu.au. We love hearing about what our students are doing outside of school and seeing some photos.

If any parents have a great photo from Saturday sport that you would like share with our community please email them to myself.

 

Alison Gowan
Director of Sport

Primary Sport

Primary Sport

This week we commend the IPSHA Swimming Team and provide information for Netball and Minkey trials.

 

IPSHA Swimming

25 excited and noisy girls boarded the bus outside the Sports Hall at 6.30am on Wednesday 4 March on their journey to Homebush for the IPSHA Swimming Carnival. There was plenty of cheering and support for all team members. Congratulations to all girls who competed, we were so proud of your efforts.

A special congratulations to the following girls and to Pippa Dodwell (Year 3)  and Coco Espie (Year 6) who will compete in the IPSHA team at the CIS swimming carnival to be held on Thursday 26 March at Homebush. A fantastic achievement!

 

8 Years 50m Freestyle Heat 1 2nd place Pippa Dodwell
10 Years 50m Freestyle Heat 5 4th place Francesca Orth
11 Years 50m Freestyle Heat 3 2nd place Stella Dodwell  
11 Years 50m Freestyle Heat 6 3rd place Zoe Argyrides  
12 Years 50m Freestyle Heat 4 3rd place Georgia Baker Wood
8-13 Years 50m Freestyle Multi Class 3rd place Coco Espie  
8-10 Years 50m Backstroke Heat 4 4th place Francesca Orth  
11 Years 50m Backstroke Heat 3 2nd place Zoe Argyrides  
8-13 Years 50m Backstroke Multi Class 3rd place Coco Espie  
11 Years 50m Breaststroke Heat 3 2nd place Stella Dodwell  
12 Years 50m Breaststroke Heat 2 1st place Georgia Baker Wood
8-10 Years 50m Butterfly Heat 4 3rd place Charlotte Thomson
12 Years 50m Butterfly Heat 2 2nd place Georgia Baker Wood
             

 

IPSHA Yrs 4-6 Minkey and Yr 3 and Yrs 4-6 Netball Trials

Trials for Term II sports will be held after school on Tuesday 31 March and Tuesday 7 April at Moore Park Netball courts and Moore Park fields, Robertson Road, Moore Park. A bus will take the girls to the venue and return outside the Sports Hall at approximately 5.20pm. Pick up from the venue is at 4.50pm.

If you are car pooling, please email Sue Phillips to advise who the students will be going home with. 

 

Sue Phillips
Primary PDHPE and Sport Co-ordinator

 

 

Drama

Drama

The House Drama/Music Festival was held yesterday and it did not disappoint!                              
                                                                                          

House Drama/Music Festival

The House Performing Arts competitions have been given a new format in 2020. Owing to the spectacular Music concert being staged in June, celebrating the School’s 125th anniversary, the House Music Festival this year has been combined with House Drama.

This celebration of the Performing Arts took place on Wednesday March 4th in the Great Hall and a very enthusiastic school population cheered on the dynamic presentations presented by each of the 6 houses. The theme this year was a performance to be inspired by The Bard – William Shakespeare. The repertoire presented included a clever treatment of Hamlet (The Kangaroo Queen), Romeo & Juliet (Wet Side Story) and the frustrations of a young woman wanting to be an actor in the Elizabethan London. The festival was adjudicated by 3 Industry professionals who were delighted by the offerings. Director/Lighting Designer Alex Berlage, Music Theatre Leading Lady Rachel Beck and Song Company Baritone Mark Donnelly.

House Drama/Music Adjudicators

 

The successful House for Drama on the day was Barton. The winning House for Music was Docker.

Congratulations to all of the students who entered the spirit of competition and celebrated the arts in this annual festival.

 

Ladies in Black

The SCEGGS 2020 Musical production Ladies in Black has now been cast and it commenced rehearsals last week.

The audition panel saw 37 girls for the roles in the show. Congratulations to the students who have been cast. A big thank you also to the girls who were not successful.

Each show has its specific ensemble requirements and unfortunately we are sometimes not suited to that particular brief. That’s not to say that we are devoid of ability, skill or talent. Casting is a challenging process for the creative team too. They search for a cast who will assist them in serving the material, in the manner of their creative vision.

I encourage you to think of your audition as a learning experience. In life we frequently nominate ourselves for activities, but circumstances do not always permit participation. Hopefully you feel like you presented your “best self” on the day. Seek feedback if you require it, so that you might focus on developing necessary skills and to understand a process like casting in order to approach your next experience with renewed confidence and presentation.

And don’t forget to seek out the next opportunity to perform. Auditions for our November play, Pretty.Strange, will take place in Term III.

 

Drama Tour USA

Our Drama Tour to Chicago and New York is fast approaching, departing in April. A pre-departure meeting for participating students and families will be held on Thursday March 5 at 6.00pm in The Playhouse.

 

War Horse

A combined Theatre Club and keen participants from Years 7-10, saw 50 students attend the spell-binding production of War Horse, now playing at The Lyric Theatre.

The play, inspired by the children’s book by Michael Morpurgo, focuses on the very special relationship between a boy and his horse. The arrival of World War 1 brings a separation and gives us a first-hand experience of the trauma of this war placed on men, women and animals.

It is a challenging story that is ultimately uplifting and which employs incredible theatricality to transport us to the various locations around Europe.

The next outing for Theatre Club is Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s No Pay, No Way at The Sydney Theatre Company on Thursday March 12.

Student Theatre Review

On Thursday night, SCEGGS Theatre Club attended the fabulous production of War Horse playing at the Lyric Theatre in Pyrmont. The way the show was staged was amazing.

With incredible puppetry and visuals, the skilled puppeteers portrayed horses, foals and geese. These were brought to life and the audience forgot that they were puppets at all.

We were all mesmerised by the show which followed the tale of a man and his horse, separated by war. Our emotions ran high. Experiencing everything from laughter to tears, we were truly at the edge of our seats and couldn’t get enough.

The opportunity to be able to attend the theatre with a group of peers and teachers is a special one and we are very grateful. Through the club, we can not only attend live theatre but be part of a community through which we can analyse and discuss. This experience is so much richer than simply viewing a show, as we all experience the show differently and can learn from the range of audience perspectives and reactions.

Molly Murray and Polly Allchin (Year 10)

 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Shore

Bookings are now open for The Shore production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The show features several of our girls; Emily Gyton (Year 8), Sienna Best (Year 10), India Poiner (Year 10), Jessica Millin (Year 9) and Eva Harris (Year 9).

The girls report that they are having a fun time in rehearsals.

 

 

Urinetown at Newington

Congratulations to Imogen Holmes (Year 10) who performed in the Newington musical last week. The show, Urinetown, enjoyed a terrific season at the Parade Theatre, NIDA.

 

Catch Me If You Can at Scots

We have several students in rehearsal for the Scots musical production of Catch Me If You Can – Amelia Biggs (Year 11), Annika Deitz (Year 11), Isabella Morgan (Year 9), Lizzie Lapham (Year 9) and Scarlett Pearce (Year 10).

The show is sourced from the film of the same name featuring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The season is scheduled for April 29, 30, and May 1 and 2.

 

All the best performers bring to their role something more, something different than what the author put on paper. That’s what makes theatre live. That’s why it persists.

Stephen Sondheim

Peter Eyers
Head of Drama

Music Matters

Music Matters

The House Music/Drama Festival

The SCEGGS Great Hall was the setting for the first ever combined House Music/Drama Festival yesterday!

Congratulations to the following Houses for achieving the following places in the competition:

  1. Docker – “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’”
  2. Badham – “If I Were a Boy”
  3. Barton – “Hakuna Matata (She’ll Be Right)”

Well done to all the Houses for their behind the scenes work and their preparation for the competition.  There were many wonderful performances and everyone should be proud of what they have presented for the day!

 

2020 SCEGGS Eisteddfod News – Week 7 Heats Schedule

The schedule is released this week – please check the Music Department and Cognito for the time of your heats.

 

Adjudicators for 2020 SCEGGS Eisteddfod

We have been most fortunate to secure the following musicians to be the adjudicators for the 2020 SCEGGS Eisteddfod.

Vocal & Secondary Highlights adjudicator – Christine Logan

Secondary Heats & Highlights adjudicator – Judy Hellmers

Primary Heats & Highlights adjudicator – Kathryn Phillips

Primary Highlights adjudicator – Diana Springford

We look forward to sharing our students’ performances with our 2020 adjudicators.

 

2020 Margot Anthony (Budd) “Beyond the Curriculum” Award

A reminder that the applications for the Margot Anthony (Budd) “Beyond the Curriculum Award” must be submitted to the Head of School by tomorrow, Friday 6 March 2020.

There are two awards given each year to Elective Music students from Years 8 to 11. Students need to demonstrate a developing musical interest in an area outside of their classroom studies. They also need to have a record of music tuition and successful examination results in at least one instrument or voice.

To apply, students can access the information and application form on Cognito.

 

P&F Cocktail Party – Basie Jazz Band

Congratulations and thanks to members of the Basie Jazz Band who provided a lovely backdrop of musical accompaniment for the P&F’s Cocktail Party last Friday, February 28.  Many thanks to Mr Peter Jewitt who prepared the students and directed the performance that evening. 

 

Bushfire State Memorial Service

Annika Deitz (Year 11) sang with the Sydney Children’s Choir at the Bushfire State Memorial Service at Qudos Arena on Sunday 23 February.  The memorial service honoured the lives of the 25 victims who were killed in the bushfires since October 2019.  Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian were among the dignitaries who attended the service.

 

Endangered Instrument “Try-outs”

It was wonderful to be greeted by a crowd of enthusiastic Primary students who wanted to have their “first-hand” experience of French Horn, Trombone, and Tuba!  The Viola and Double Bass were also eagerly embraced by many curious students who wanted to learn the difference between instruments to their Violin and Cello counterparts.

At the conclusion of this week’s “Try-outs”, students will be taking a form home to their parents to indicate the instruments that had their interest.  We encourage a discussion to take place at home to see whether a routine of regular practice and learning can be part of the school and family routine.

Students who wish to pursue lessons on one of the instruments that were on offer must return their forms to the Primary Music room or to the Primary Office by Friday 13 March.

 

Music Tuition Reminders:

A reminder for ALL students who are part of the Music Tuition (instrumental and voice) program to do the following:

Secondary students must:

  1. advise their classroom teachers, at least 48 hours in advance, that they will be absent for a music lesson;
  2. understand that the class teacher has the right to ask the student to change their music lesson time if an excursion, incursion, test or assessment task is scheduled during that lesson;
  3. catch up on any missed work in their own time.

 

Upcoming Events:

SCEGGS Eisteddfod Heats – Commence Weeks 7 (check the noticeboard in the DB Centre and Cognito for your heats)

Primary Highlights Concert – Tuesday 17 March 4.30pm, SCEGGS Great Hall

Secondary Highlights Concert – Tuesday 24 March 5.00pm, SCEGGS Great Hall

Musicale 1 – Thursday 26 March 5.00pm, SCEGGS Great Hall

 

 

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Seeking Library Leaders

Seeking Library Leaders

We are offering a unique leadership opportunity!

Being a Fan Club member is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the school community, to acquire new skills, which will be useful for future employment and to develop new friendships.

The Library Fan Club is a staged participation program aimed at immersing students in the library and building their confidence and knowledge of library practices.

We are holding an information session for prospective members and would like to invite you to join us while we discover what being a library leader is all about.

  • When: Friday, 6 March 2020 at 1:15 pm
  • Where: Secondary Library – Seminar Room

Light refreshments will be provided.

Feel free to invite any friends who may be interested in finding out more!

 

Ewa Stepasiuk
Audio Visual Manager

Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Local Prize Open!

The purpose of the Waverley Youth Art Prize is to encourage creativity in young artists from Sydney’s Eastern Beaches. It is an open prize and all entrants are hung so they get to experience the joy of being an exhibiting artist and seeing an audience appreciate their work and talents. While there are prizes awarded, the joy of being hung is the real prize.

The 2020 Waverly Youth Art Prize theme is…

Drum roll please….. Applications are open for the 35th Waverley Youth Art Prize (not so young anymore!)  Young artists are invited to enter FRAMED. Create an artwork about someone that inspires you. Your “sitter” may be distinguished in art, letters, science, politics or the playground. The sitter might be an everyday icon, a loved member of your life, a local personality or hero. This is not limited to a painting prize so surprise the judges with your portrait in any media. It could be a sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, textiles, video or animation – or something else entirely! Over $5000 in prizes including workshops, art materials and experiences on offer.

 

 

How to enter

To submit works to the Youth Art Prize at the Waverley Library Gallery, you must first complete the online application form.

For full terms and conditions please visit the Waverly Library website or drop by the Art Staffroom as we have fliers to give away. Entries are due: 22 May.

 

We encourage all SCEGGS students to enter, especially our Year 7 art students who are currently working on some very impressive self-portraiture!

 

 

 

Work from the art classrooms this week…

Heidi Jackson
Head Teacher Visual Arts

Debating

Debating

Congratulations to the Primary B, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 ISDA teams, and the Year 7 and Year 11 Eastside teams, who all won their debates last Friday. 

This Friday ISDA will at Ascham, and Eastside will be at Reddam. A bus will leave SCEGGS after school for both competitions, but there will be no bus returning to SCEGGS at the end of the evening. 

 

Imogen Harper
Debating Co-ordinator

Gratitude, Prayer and Service

Gratitude, Prayer and Service

Thank you to everyone who donated food towards our Harvest Festival collection!

We were able to fill almost 70 boxes with non-perishable food. This was taken to St John’s Anglican Church, Darlinghurst, and will be distributed through the Anglicare Welfare Program that operates from there. I spoke to one of the staff members at St Johns’ who said that they have people coming into their offices almost every day looking for food. He went on to tell me about a man in his 50s in between jobs and not having any income. He spoke of an elderly woman who had just come out of St Vincent’s hospital post-surgery that had no food at home and no one to look after her. And then there were the large number of lonely, underprivileged and marginalised that have been doing it tough for years. There is a great need in our city to help the most vulnerable in the most simplest of ways. We have such a great opportunity due to our location to be involved in our local community and connect with those less fortunate!

 

SCEGGS Prayer Network

Being in such a large and diverse community, there are always a variety of issues that concern us and also a huge amount of things we can be thankful for. We currently have a network of people that consistently pray for our community and other specific issues. If you would like to be part of that network please let me know and I will add you to the list of people that receive our occasional prayer letter via email. If you ever have any concerns that you may like prayer for please let me know as well. We also have a prayer meeting at the end of each term which is open to any parent, old girl, staff member or friend that would like to be involved.

Our first meeting for the year will be held on Thursday 19 March at 1:50pm in the staff sitting room next to the chapel. I would love to see you there so please let me know if you intend to join us. 

 

Volunteer opportunities for mums

Last week I met with the manager of Lou’s Place (a day refuge for women in Kings Cross) to talk about some possible opportunities for us to be involved in. A number of the programs suggested needed some volunteer help from other women, particularly mothers. There are programs to help women subject to domestic violence and the issues surrounding such damage and despair. There is also a program called “Always Mum” which aims to help those mothers that may have had to give up their children to care outside of the home. It offers support and mentoring around ways for mothers to stay connected to their children and develop good parenting skills. If anyone is interested in being involved as a volunteer please either contact myself or the Lou’s Place manager Nicole Yade.

 

Garry Lee-Lindsay
Chaplain

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

P&F AGM

A reminder that the P&F’s AGM will be held on Tuesday 10 March from 7:30pm to 9:00pm in the Joan Freeman Lecture Theatre.  All are most welcome.  Several P&F roles will be newly filled from the AGM as several committee members’ daughters left the School at the end of last year.  We are therefore looking for new committee members and would love to hear from you.  No qualifications required other than enthusiasm and a willingness to contribute.  There’s a role for everyone so please consider joining us.

On a similar note, the P&F are keen to talk with anyone who might be interested in becoming its new president. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me on 0408 291 196 or on penny@gerstle.com.au if you are interested. 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

SCEGGS Online Platforms

There are still a number of parents who have not accepted the invitation to join the SCEGGS Organisation, which gives parents access to the School’s online platforms such as the Parent Portal and Cognito, as well as the class parent email distribution list.

Please contact the SCEGGS IT Department by phone (9332 1133) or by clicking here to organise an invitation to join the SCEGGS Organisation.

 

Tuesday 10 March

7:30pm

Lecture Theatre

AGM P&F Association Term I Meeting – all welcome

 

Friday 20 March

Year 6 Class Parent canapés/drinks

6:30pm

The Village Inn
9-11 Glenmore Rd, Paddington

$40 / person for Canapes   
Drinks can be purchased at the bar.

RSVP: Monday 16 March

 

Friday 3 April

Year 5 Class Parent drinks

6:00pm-11:00pm

East Village, Athletics Bar
Palmer St, Darlinghurst

Link below to book tickets.

https://www.trybooking.com/BINQH

 

 

 

 

Penny Gerstle
President P&F Association