6 February 2025 - 6 February 2025
From the Chair of Board

From the Chair of Board

Dear Members of the School Community

On behalf of the School Board, I send our best wishes to all in our community at the beginning of the new school year. 

We particularly extend a very warm welcome to those new to the School this year and hope that you all feel settled as quickly as possible. We are all part of a wonderful school with a vibrant and supportive community and we wish you all the very best as you begin your educational experience at SCEGGS Darlinghurst. 

Parents, carers and Old Girls would have received an email announcing the retirement of our Head of School, Jenny Allum, at the end of 2025. Ms Allum will leave an immense legacy after 30 years of outstanding service to both the SCEGGS and the wider educational community.

Ms Allum assumed her role as the fifth Head of SCEGGS Darlinghurst in 1996.  During her tenure, Ms Allum oversaw the educational leadership of the School with care and compassion, and the Board is committed to devoting significant time and effort to ensure that the sixth head of school is appropriately equipped to lead our school with vision, integrity and purpose.

As I foreshadowed in my email, the Board is committed to ensuring a smooth transition that will honour the values and ethos of SCEGGS and we will also ensure that Ms Allum’s retirement is fittingly recognised.

I wish everyone in the School community a wonderful year ahead.

Sally Auld
Chair of the SCEGGS Darlinghurst Board

The SCEGGS P&F Association Years 11 & 12 Parent/Daughter Breakfast

The SCEGGS P&F Association Years 11 & 12 Parent/Daughter Breakfast

Students in Years 11 and 12 and a parent/carer are warmly invited to attend the Parent/Daughter Breakfast:

Friday 14 February
7.00am – 8.15am

Venue: SCEGGS Great Hall
Admission: $30 per person

Click here to purchase your ticket by Monday 10 February
Tickets should be purchased for students as well as parents/carers.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

We are thrilled to welcome back to SCEGGS Old Girl Poppy COLEMAN (2000) as our guest speaker.

Poppy is the  Director Land, Planning & Environment – North East Link Program for Major Road Projects Victoria.

She is a passionate project delivery professional with diverse experience across major infrastructure programs, including road, rail, aviation and energy transmission. Starting out in the planning, environment and sustainability space, Poppy has since held several cross-functional senior leadership positions in the public sector in both NSW and VIC. With a career spanning government, consultant and contractor side roles, Poppy is a fierce advocate for women in construction and currently holds a number of advisory roles to the university sector.

In her current role, Poppy is responsible for the delivery of the most ambitious roads project in Victoria’s history. Prior to this, she was involved in delivery of some of the most significant infrastructure projects in Sydney, including Parramatta Light Rail, Sydney Gateway, M6 Stage 1 and Sydney Light Rail.

To hear more about Poppy’s career journey and her fascinating insights, join us on Friday 14 February!    

From the Chair of the Trust

From the Chair of the Trust

On behalf of the SCEGGS Trust, it is a pleasure to welcome back the SCEGGS community for 2025. We extend a warm welcome to families who are new to SCEGGS. I hope you all found time to relax and recharge.

The SCEGGS Trust is the fundraising arm of the School and our vision is to ensure the opportunity and excellence of a SCEGGS education is secure for generations to come through investment in our physical and cultural resources and by increasing diversity and creating opportunity through scholarships.

The SCEGGS Trust raises money for two main purposes:

  • Scholarships to broaden access to a SCEGGS education and increase diversity among the School’s students.
  • Capital investment to make the most of our inner-city campus to support the delivery of world-class education through outstanding facilities and technology.

SCEGGS stands here today as the result of the vision, drive and generosity of individuals in our community including those who founded the School, saved SCEGGS from the 1970s financial crisis and invested in our future through scholarships and redevelopment of our unique site. The development of SCEGGS is the result of ongoing investment of past and present members of our community – parents, old girls, educators and leaders committed to excellence in education and the unique values the School instils. The SCEGGS community has an outstanding history of philanthropy and the SCEGGS we enjoy today is a testament to the generosity of past generations.

The work of the SCEGGS Trust serves to further that vision and enables us to work together as a community to create opportunity for every current and future SCEGGS girl.

2024 was another wonderful year for the SCEGGS Trust. Substantial progress was made towards our Light Her Path campaign, particularly with our second Gala Dinner raising over $1.3 million and our third annual Giving Day which raised almost $0.5 million. We were thrilled that so many in our community chose to come together and give.

The goal of the Campaign is to raise $12 million for the redevelopment of Wilkinson House and $8 million to expand our means-tested scholarship program. Wilkinson House has been our priority over the last few years given the immediate need for funds and we have raised almost $10 million, thanks to the enormous support of our community! We will continue to focus on raising funds for Wilkinson for the next 6 months as the redevelopment moves to completion in the second half of the year.

Scholarships are and will remain a long-term priority. We have raised almost $3.5 million as part of the current campaign. Building on the existing scholarship funds, we are well on our way to our objective of providing means-tested scholarships to 10 percent of the school community.

The Trust prides itself on doing all that we can for the benefit of SCEGGS girls, present and future. We look forward to sharing in our progress with you through the year.

If you would like more information on the Trust’s work, to share your thoughts on the Trust’s fundraising initiatives or to donate, please do not hesitate to contact me here.

Alternatively, you may contact the Development Office via email or on 9332 1133.

I look forward to seeing you throughout the year.

Christy Boyce
Chair of the SCEGGS Trust

 

Secondary School Wellbeing Questionnaire – Week 3

Secondary School Wellbeing Questionnaire – Week 3

Over the past few years, the counsellors with the support of the Director of Student Wellbeing and Year Coordinators have conducted a brief survey of students in Years 7 to 12 to help give us a snapshot of student health and wellbeing. 

During Year Meetings in Week 3 (next week), the counselling team will be asking students in Years 7 to 12 to complete a brief questionnaire, which will take approximately two minutes to complete. The questions can help us to identify any students who may need some additional support, as well as informing initiatives and interventions for particular year groups and assisting us to set wellbeing goals for the year ahead. This is so important for us all as we plan for the new school year.

You are welcome to contact any of the SCEGGS School Counsellors if you have any questions.

The Counselling Team
Janet McEwen, Philippa Gibson, Melissa Saxton, Olivia Whelan and Lauren Miles

From the Chaplain

From the Chaplain

Harvest Festival

A reminder that next week is Harvest Festival, an event in the Christian calendar which focuses on what we have and what we can give. Each girl is asked to bring to school at least one non-perishable food item which will eventually be distributed to those in our city whose lives have been affected by misfortune. It is estimated that over two million Australians need food relief at the moment due to the cost of living crisis and other unpredictable circumstances. Unfortunately, that number is growing each day with almost half of that number being children, as their parents struggle to put food on the table. Many of these children often go to school without breakfast, or to bed without dinner. The demand is urgent!

Harvest Festival recognises all of the good things that we have been given and the opportunity to give to those in need. We continue to pray for those affected and dealing with great loss and trauma. We will continue to consider ways that we as a community may be able to help in the process of restoration, particularly in light of the last few years. Could you please have your daughter bring in her item or items by Monday 10 February. Each year, the Chapel is decorated beautifully with these items and other produce. At the end of the week the food will be delivered by me personally to a number of welfare services throughout Inner Sydney: Vinnies Community Centre Redfern, Glebe Assistance Partnership Program, Hope St Woolloomooloo and others. I appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness in these difficult times.

 

Monday Food Delivery Program: A great opportunity that the whole community can be involved in.

SCEGGS has had a great connection to many of the local welfare agencies for a long period of time. We began a program in 2022 where families and individuals were invited to make fully cooked meals, enough for about 6-10 people, to feed those in need in our local area. Each week during term time, 10-15 families or individuals cook enough food to distribute amongst the marginalised and underprivileged around Sydney. 

We are starting a new method of signing up to be part of the roster this year. Coincidently, the program is called SignUp and here is the link. The process is very straightforward and you will also find on the website a list of menu ideas, preparation requirements and other important information. With the more people that we have involved, the more we can share the love around. The food gets dropped off to me at the Forbes St gate (or the Primary School office) on a Monday morning and I deliver it to a variety of services later that day. If you have further questions, please email me here. It has been a great thing for us as a school community to be involved in and a great thing for our local community as well.

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
School Chaplain

Cape York 2024 Student Immersion

Cape York 2024 Student Immersion

We continue to share the personal reflections and photos from the students who were on last year’s immersion to Traditional Homelands in Cape York. This week we hope you enjoy the reflection from Bella Campbell (Year 10) and Meike Bannister (Year 10)

For the previous week’s reflections see here.

Carol Bloomfield
Head of Student Wellbeing Programs

 

Red Earth Cape York Immersion Reflection by Bella Campbell (Year 10) 

The first homeland we stayed on was Kalkajaka, we met Traditional Owner Ian, he was extremely kind, friendly and welcoming and made the start to the journey safe and comfortable. Learning about Ian’s upbringing, identity, daily life and his connection to the Land and culture was so interesting and the feeling of meeting someone with so much knowledge of things I would have no idea about was incredible and such a rare experience. I appreciated this deeply. We did cultural activities like visiting Black Mountain, hearing Dreamtime stories which I found completely immersive and incredible, an experience I will never forget. We did other cultural activities like visiting local locations like Quarantine Bay, Cooktown Museum, the bush surrounding the campsite, touring around the campsite learning about what different plants and trees can do for the body and so much more that I will take with me. Every morning at Kalkajaka once I had woken up, I would immediately grab my journal and go sit around the fire with Ian. We would talk and I appreciated these times, which were slow and calm. It was super sad leaving Kalkajaka but the experience was incredible and has really stuck with me. 

The second homeland we were able to stay on was Panamunji, Tim and Elaine’s land. We were able to hear stories about their different traditions and laws, I found this so interesting as they are so different from my personal family’s traditions. Tim used to be a cattle farmer and learning about his stories on the farm, as well as once going overseas as part of a news campaign to inform people about the cattle issues happening, and now those problems have been resolved. It was so captivating to hear Tim’s connection with Country, specifically land, water and sky. We did cultural activities like Tim greeting us with a Welcome to Country Smoke Ceremony as well as going for walks around the land hearing firsthand from Tim the uses of the land for things like medicine and baby carriers. There was a beautiful stream running down the land, we walked down with Tim, and he showed us this face mask he grabbed from reaching into a specific rock. This was an incredible experience, I was amazed at Tim’s knowledge of the Land, just knowing that the facemask clay was in there, we were fascinated and asked Tim what a random tree was and he instantly knew that the tree can help your hair grow. Panamunji was very different to Kalkajaka, I thought Tim was stricter on more Traditional matters and Ian was more relaxed, but the homelands were quite similar with facilities and overall feeling.  

The site I found most significant was Black Mountain on Kalkajaka land. The extraordinary mountain of black granite rocks, we learnt about 3 different dreamtime stories from Traditional Owner Ian and Garry, who leases the land for Red Earth, about the creation of Black Mountain, one about two brothers fighting over a woman and another about two different mobs on either side fighting over land. Another site I will cherish was the Cooktown Museum where we heard from a guide who told us about the first act of reconciliation in Australia, which happened right there in Cooktown and how some of the British Fleet got their boats stuck on the Great Barrier Reef on their way in. The first act of reconciliation occurred when an individual in a local Aboriginal group stood up on a rock, in front of Captain Cook and his fleet and held a broken spear, as a sign of peace and reconciliation. This really stuck out to me and I found it deeply interesting.  

As a group by working hard making and selling scrunchies, tote bags, cookies and keychains to sell at Festival on Forbes (which was a huge success), individual fundraising from students, baking for a bake stall at lunch and donations from parents and staff, we raised a very successful total of $5972. The money raised help fund the community project we worked on. Our goal was to build two flushing toilets and a garden bed that self-waters through people using the sink and draining the water into the garden. As a group we all contributed in different ways, such as digging up dirt, collecting leaves and horse waste and so much more. This project was hugely successful and will be very useful for future Red Earth groups to come and use, so they can learn from Tim and Elaine just as much as we were able to.  

Travelling to remote top end Australia was a memorable experience; the roads were not as harsh or rough as I expected but the 4WD bus made it very comfortable. Being a part of duty groups was actually more rewarding and enjoyable then I expected. It was exciting to contribute and especially cooking and being the leaders was actually so fun and I loved doing it. Packing up and putting tents back up was not bad, whilst it got repetitive was actually quite nice and working in our tent groups and all contributing made it quick and easy. Reflecting around the campfire at night was a time I appreciated deeply and even reading my journal while writing this is something I will keep with me forever and has definitely changed my perspective on a lot. The reflections were a perfect example of how slow paced and lovely the whole immersion was, which I loved.   

The main tourism activity we did was swimming and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, this was an insanely special and certainly memorable experience for me that I am going to keep with me forever. It was a different type of experience than staying at the homelands but not for the better or worse. It was more alike with my own everyday life, but I also took a lot from it about myself and the cultural talks on the boat. We learnt about how Traditional Owners used to fish and eat animals from the sea. Something that stood out to me was how they would eat the turtle (which they would only take once a year and would only take an old turtle) so as to not waste anything. They would eat the meat from the turtle and use every other part as well, for example the shell as a bowl/ baby carrier.  

This immersion 100% definitely deepened my understanding of Aboriginal culture, normally when I think of Indigenous culture I think of the overall picture and not specific peoples and their own connection, but this immersion has definitely changed that. Meeting Traditional Owners like Ian, Tim, and Elaine taught me how intertwined their customs and knowledge are with the environment, from using natural resources for medicine to sharing Dreamtime stories. I now better appreciate their sustainable practices and the challenges they face, like limited access to services. This experience has strengthened my respect for Aboriginal culture and my commitment to supporting their rights and protecting their lands. I am completely grateful and will continue to appreciate this experience which I was lucky enough to take part in.  

 

Red Earth Cape York Immersion Reflection by Meike Bannister (Year 10) 

My time in Cape York began at Wurrey, a homeland where I stayed with Auntie Sheryll and Uncle Bernie. It was a nurturing and peaceful experience that felt very much like home. The land was calm, and I had the opportunity to explore the creek, connect with nature, and immerse myself in the traditional yet creative ways of life. I learned how to make damper, which was a delicious treat, and even participated in a spear-throwing competition. Uncle Bernie shared personal stories from his father, and we watched an enlightening film that provided important educational insights into the Stolen Generations. It was a deeply moving and educational experience, one that made me reflect on the significance of Stolen Generations and the impact it had on Indigenous communities. Living in this homeland was an immersive experience that gave me a deeper understanding. I also had the chance to try green ants, which added to my connection to the environment. The beauty of the homeland was evident everywhere, and the natural world around me became a source of reflection. I left with a renewed sense of respect for the land and its people. 

Next, I visited the Melsonby homeland, where I stayed at the ranger base. It was an incredibly fast-paced and jam-packed experience that felt like being part of one big family. Our hosts here did things differently, and I was able to engage deeply with Dentra, one of the Traditional Owners. This connection was transformative, and I realised that this was exactly why I came. It has given me new perspectives and allowed me to truly appreciate the strength and power of Aboriginal culture. This real life experience does not compare to anything I had learnt at school. I learned about connection to their totem, the Eastern Brown Snake, and was struck by the power of their beliefs. Dentra shared a story about a man who had disrespected the land, and as a result, their totem killed him. This taught me how deeply their culture is tied to their environment and their values and how their beliefs protect them. The homeland was organised, but it also embodied the raw, red earth that characterized the dry and windy landscape. I learned practical survival skills, such as building a natural shelter and fishing without a hook, which were traditional practices still used by their wonderful community. 

Science News

Science News

Science Co-Curricular at SCEGGS

The Science Department has a thriving co-curricular program and we welcome all students to join our activities. There’s always something exciting going on, so if you are interested in the wonders of the world (or out of this world in Space!), conducting experiments, engineering or anything else scientific, please come and join us.

Currently we are looking for Science Club members and Expressions of Interest for Olympiad Training.

Science Club

Science Club runs once a week at lunch time. It involves a variety of experiments and activities that cannot be conducted during class time. It is generally very hands-on, and sometimes we have invited speakers to present to the class. Students can enter science competitions e.g. the RACI Crystal Growing Competition or the Biotech Futures Competition. Our wonderful Year 12 Science Leaders run the show.

Olympiad Training

It involves preparing for the Australian Science Olympiad Competition for either Biology, Chemistry or Physics. It helps extend students’ knowledge in these subjects. It runs afterschool until August, when the Competition is completed. For further details, see the Expression of Interest information below.

To help with planning, here is a quick overview of some of the co-curricular activities available in Science. If you are interested in any of these activities, please contact Mia Sharma or Luke Hanson for further information.

 

Term 1

Activity Time Students involved
Science Club Lunch (TBA) Year 6 to 12
Chemistry, Physics and Biology Olympiad Training Weekly after school Interested Year 10 students

 

Term 2

Activity Time Students involved
Science Club Lunch (TBA) Year 6 to 12
Chemistry, Physics and Biology Olympiad Training continued Weekly after school Interested Year 10-Year 11 students
Crystal Growing Competition Weekly Year 6 to 12
Titration Competition Training and Competition Weekly after school Year 12 Chemistry

 

July Holidays (9 – 13 July, 2024) The Armidale School Forensic Science Camp for Year 8 students

 

Term 3

Activity Time Students involved
Science Club Mondays at lunch Year 6 to 12
National Science Week 10-18 August Whole School
TBC Biotech Futures Challenge End of Term 3, Beginning of Term 4 Interested Year 9 to 10
Olympiad Exams Late July, Early August Interested Year 10 to 11 students who attended training

 

October Holidays (9-11 Oct, 2024)  The Science Experience (Macquarie University) for Year 9-10 students

 

Term 4

Activity Time Students involved
Science Club Lunch (TBA) Year 6 to 12
TBC Biotech Futures Challenge Presentation day Interested Year 9 to 10
TBC Olympiad pre-training Weekly at lunch Year 9 interested students
TBC Olympiad Invited Speaker Once, afterschool Year 9 to 11 Olympiad students

 

January Holidays 2025 National Youth Science Forum (NYSF Science Camp) for current Year 11 (Year 12 in 2025)

 

Expressions of Interest to join the SCEGGS Science Olympiad Team

The Science Department is delighted to invite expressions of interest for SCEGGS’ Science Olympiad Competition Team. The Science Olympiad competition is an Australia-wide competition with a reputation for challenging questions that extend your Scientific understanding. It is an extension program that moves at a fast pace through the Science concepts and extends problem solving skills and knowledge of Science.

SCEGGS is developing a team for the Chemistry, Biology and Physics examinations. There are training sessions afterschool, starting in Week 3 Term 1 and continuing throughout Term 1 and Term 2.

Biology and Physics training will be held at SCEGGS. Please complete the survey here  to determine the day that trainings will be held.

Biology and Physics Training costs $300 per term. Chemistry training sessions at Sydney Grammar School are very generously being provided free of charge to SCEGGS students. The cost of the examination is approximately $16 per exam.

It is suggested that students who are interested in multiple Sciences choose ONE subject they enjoy the most, due to the time commitment required.

The training sessions will run until late July or early August until the 2 hour online exam is completed in early August. High achieving students in the examination are then invited to attend a Summer School camp, and top performing students from Summer School are then invited to a further Training Camp and can form the team that competes in the International Science Olympiad. If you would like further information about the Olympiad Program, please see here .

This is an amazing opportunity and if you would like to extend your Science learning we encourage you to seriously consider joining the team. If you are able to make the weekly commitment, can you please email Mrs Sharma to express your interest and complete the survey for the training days. If you would like further information about the program, please feel free to email Mia Sharma or contact her on 9332 1133.

The Science Department

Secondary Sport News

Secondary Sport News

Commitment to SCEGGS Co-Curricular Sport

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 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 e.g. Year 12 student attending a University Open Day
  • 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, explaining the absence as soon as possible.
  • If a student is unable to attend a training session, the student, or a parent, is to notify the relevant Sports Co-ordinator. 
  • 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.

 

Failure to adhere to the above guidelines in the secondary school will result in:

  • A detention for any unexplained absences from a competition match.
  • A penalty point for any unexplained absence from training.
  • A penalty point for late arrival to more than 2 training sessions or matches in the same term.
  • If a student’s attendance is deemed unsatisfactory, they will be ineligible for house points and recognition on reports.

 

Hockey

Congratulations to Jess Weatherall (Year 11) who represented NSW at both the Australian U16 and U21 Indoor Hockey Championships in Canberra throughout December and January. The NSW U16 team were successful in winning the Gold Medal after a penalty shootout against QLD.

Triathlon

Well done to Gemma (Year 9) and Holly (Year 7) Shennan who both competed in the Callala Triathlon event in December. Gemma placed 2nd and Holly 3rd in their respective age groups. We wish them well as they prepare for the Huskisson Triathlon event later in February.

SCEGGS will be entering students in the NSW All Schools Triathlon Championships both as Individuals (February 26) and Teams (February 27). Please speak with Ms Thompson or Ms Gowan for more information if you would like to be involved.

 

Athletics

Congratulations to Coco Espie (Year 11) who competed at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships that were held in Brisbane in December. Coco had a wonderful competition including breaking the Australian U’17 record for the 800m!

  • 1st in Discus
  • 2nd in 100m
  • 1st in 800m

Coco then went on to compete at the Summer Down Under event (Wheelchair National Championships) at the AIS in Canberra. Here she won 4 Gold Medals in the 200m, 800m, 1500m & 5000m. In the 1500m she broke the T33 Australian Open Record. She also broke the World Record in an unofficial time. This does not stand as she did not have an international classification. She has since been Internationally Classified so Coco will now be able to compete on the world stage – watch this space!

In addition, Coco won the Oz Day 10km Junior Woman’s race after taking 2 minutes off her personal best time. Following this wonderful achievement, she was invited to a special reception at Government House as a guest of the Governor of NSW – Margaret Beazley.

Wheelchair Basketball

We are also delighted to share the news that Coco Espie was selected in the NSW Junior Wheelchair Basketball team in December. She competed at the Southern Challenge competition that was held in Melbourne in January. We look forward to hearing more of her exploits as she continues to develop in the sport.

 

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

Primary Sport News

Welcome back, and for those new to SCEGGS, welcome! We look forward to being back on the sporting field in 2025! The following sports for Primary students have been offered for Term 1:

  • K-1 Games + Fundamental Movement Skills
  • Gymnastics – Rhythmic and Artistic
  • Year 2 Netball
  • Netball Skills Years 3-6
  • Years 1-2 Tennis
  • Years 3-6 Tennis
  • Running Training Years 3-6
  • Athletics – Track Training
  • Swimming Years 1-3
  • Swimming Years 3-6
  • Minkey Hockey Skills Years 4-6
  • Year 3 Basketball Competition
  • IPSHA Football Years 4-6
  • IPSHA Flippa Ball/Water Polo Years 4-6
  • Yoga Years 4-6

 

Important Sports Dates:

  • Saturday 15 February
IPSHA Saturday Sport and Year 3 Basketball competitions commence
  • Tuesday 4 March
IPSHA Swimming and Diving Championships (selected students only)
  • Tuesday 11 March
 Primary Cross Country Carnival
  • Wednesday 2 April
Years 3-6 IPSHA Cross Country (chosen from Primary Cross Country Carnival)

 

Reminders for sport:

  • Please check Clipboard for all sporting fixtures.
  • 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.
  • Year 3 Basketball trials continue on Saturday 8 February 8.30 – 10.00am in the SCEGGS Sports Hall. 
  • IPSHA Football trials continue on Saturday 8 February 8.00 – 9.30am at CPSC Synthetic Turf Moore Park. 
  • Girls must arrive in the correct uniform, have a full water bottle and bring all other sports-specific equipment required to play (e.g. shin pads for football).

 

Student Achievements

At the end of last year, Stasia Serafin (Year 6) competed at the School Sport Australia Track & Field Championships. She achieved a silver medal for the 10-year-old 100m and a gold medal in the 4 X 100m relay where her team beat a 2016 Australian relay record. Stasia made many new friends at the meet, achieved personal best times, and did a fantastic job representing NSW and SCEGGS. We can now call her the second fastest 10-year-old girl in Australia. Congratulations, Stasia. What a fantastic achievement!

Primary Sport Achievements

Does your daughter compete in any sport outside of school (for example, at a representative level or a sport we do not currently offer)? If so, I would love to celebrate their achievements by recognising them in this newsletter!

Please email any information (and photos, if possible) to Adrian Hammond. These will be included in newsletters throughout the year.

For any questions or issues, please email Adrian Hammond and the SCEGGS Sports Department.

Looking forward to a wonderful year of sport!

 

Mr Adrian Hammond

Primary Sport Coordinator

Primary & Secondary Music

Primary & Secondary Music

Assembly Piano 

Thank you to Zara Perkins (Year 11) and Anna Luo (Year 9) who have played in the first two Assemblies of the year. If you would like to join the roster to play the intro and outro for Ms Allum and the Hymn, please contact Ms Holmes.

 

Ensembles resume!

 

Co-curricular Expo 

The Music Department were delighted to see so many girls express an interest in Music at the Co-curricular Expo today.

To find out more able what’s on offer, please have a read of our Co-curricular Music Booklets.

Our Ensemble Directors would love to hear from girls keen to try something new.

Director of Bands Michael Tierney
Director of Choirs Allison Harrigan
Director of Strings Anne Sweeney
Director of Keyboards and Percussion Stephanie Stephanie Holmes

 

Commitment to SCEGGS Co-Curricular Music (Secondary students)

Participation in co-curricular music activities has many benefits for social and emotional well-being. Participation is a choice and with that choice, a high level of commitment to both rehearsals and performances is expected. Relationships, musicianship, and teamwork can only be developed when members of the ensemble are committed to rehearsals and performances. We expect full commitment to all co-curricular Music activities at SCEGGS. Students should be respectful of the impact that any absence has on their ensemble: their peers, their conductor, and the reputation of the school.

Students are expected to be fully committed and attend all scheduled rehearsals and performances.

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

  • Parents and guardians are to request written permission for leave from Ms Jones, Head of Music Co-Curricular (Primary & Secondary parents) at least two weeks in advance of a performance if they are unable to attend.
  • If a student is sick on a performance day, a parent/guardian must email or message the Music Department (Administrator or Ensemble Director), or Head of Music Co-Curricular, explaining the absence as soon as possible.
  • If a student is unable to attend a rehearsal, the student, or a parent, is to notify the relevant Ensemble Conductor or Ensemble Director.
  • In case of a clash with school co-curricular activities eg. Sports Trials, Duke of Ed Hike, the student is to liaise with both Co-ordinators to negotiate an acceptable outcome.

Failure to adhere to the above guidelines in the secondary school will result in:

  • A detention for any unexplained absences from a
  • A penalty point for any unexplained absence from
  • A penalty point for late arrival to more than 2 rehearsals or performances in the same term.
  • A student being ineligible for house points and recognition on school reports if their attendance is deemed unsatisfactory.

 

Head of Music Co-curricular Heidi Jones
Music Administration Assistant Alice Kotowicz
Director of Bands Michael Tierney
Director of Choirs Allison Harrigan
Director of Keyboards and Percussion Stephanie Holmes
Director of Strings Anne Sweeney

 

Music Tuition 

Individual music lessons resumed this week. Timetables for music lessons are circulated by the tutors. Please contact your tutor directly if you are unsure of lesson times.

It’s not too late to organise instrumental or vocal lessons. Further information and an application form can be found in this booklet link to Music Tuition booklet here.

 

Eisteddfod

Our Annual SCEGGS Eisteddfod will be held this term with heats during Week 7 and two Highlights concerts at the end of Week 8.

Primary Highlights Concert Friday 21 March 4.30pm-5.30pm
Secondary Highlights Concert Friday 21 March 6.00pm-7.30pm

 

Entry is FREE and open to all students.

Get ready to enter in Week 4.

In the meantime, practise, practise, practise!

Further information will be shared by Classroom teachers and Music tutors.

 

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.

 

ACO ACADEMY 2025

The Australian Chamber Orchestra provides an opportunity for high school string players from around the country to audition for the annual ACO Academy Program. Participants will be coached and mentored by ACO musicians and will build on technical skills, accuracy, ensemble playing, leading and communicating and performance style. Applicants must be 12-18 years of age. 

Primary School students are not eligible.

Recommended standard of performance:

Violin Grade 8 AMEB / Suzuki Book 7 or equivalent
Viola Grade 6 AMEB / Suzuki Book 5 or equivalent
Cello Grade 6 AMEB / Suzuki Book 5 or equivalent
Double Bass Grade 5 AMEB / Suzuki Book 4 or equivalent

Please note that this is a guideline, not a prerequisite – acceptance will be based on the standard of performance in the audition video.

For more information and to apply: ACO Academy 2025 Audition Application

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular)

Year 7 and 10 Vaccination Clinic Dates and Online Consent

Year 7 and 10 Vaccination Clinic Dates and Online Consent

If your child is in Year 7 or Year 10 in 2025, you will need to provide consent online for school vaccinations offered by NSW Health’s School Vaccination Program.

SCEGGS Vaccination Clinic dates for 2025 are as follows:

  • Wednesday 12 March: Year 10 – meningococcal ACWY vaccine
  • Monday 22 September: Year 7 – diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines

Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received. Online consent will only be accepted if provided through the NSW Health School Vaccination Program portal.

How to provide consent:

  1. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit the NSW School Vaccination Portal:health.nsw.edu.au. The Vaccination Portal works best on Google Chrome.
  2. Follow the steps to log in to your existing ServiceNSW account. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. If you don’t have a ServiceNSW account, refer to ServiceNSW to create one.
  3. Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required.
  4. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child/ren. You will need to:
    1. Enter your child’s personal details
    2. Provide the Medicare card details for you and your child
    3. Read the linked Parent Information Sheet and privacy statement
    4. Provide consent
    5. For more detailed instructions can be found on the NSW Health website. This includes instructions for how to withdraw consent.
  5. You will receive a text and/or email when your online consent has been completed.

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper consent form from the school.

We ask that Parents of Year 10 students complete their online consent form by Monday 3 March.

If you have given consent for your child to be vaccinated at the school clinic, but they are absent on the day of the clinic visit, the school immunisation nurses will try to catch them up at their next visit. Alternatively, you can speak to a GP or pharmacist about catching up on vaccinations.

For more information on school vaccinations visit here.

or if you have any questions, please contact South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit on:
9382 8333 (Ext 2).

 

Phil Rogers
Director of Administration