In This Together

Managing the upcoming Social Media Ban for Under 16s

The ban on social media for those under 16 will come into law at the end of 2025. It has been interesting to understand the range of responses to this way forward.

There have been public voices, such as Amnesty International, that have called for the better control of content on the various platforms rather than an age restriction; this is akin to the approach of the European Union in the Digital Services Act which places pressure on the platforms to make them more suitable in their usage by young people. Mental health experts have expressed concern about the removal of access to support groups for marginalised youth which can be found on social media platforms. For instance, the Centre for Multicultural Youth flagged their concerns for those students who have “less access to services and support and [have] relied on social media platforms as a “third place” to spend time. Similarly, a 2021 research paper undertaken by the CSIRO highlighted the direct usage correlation and need of social media for LGBTQ adolescents as they “create a fun and easy way to connect to LGBTQ communities, explore identity and access emotional support…. [where] Peer support has been noted as an important protective factor against poor mental health especially among LGBTQ communities”. Furthermore, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has raised concerns about the removal of support networks that are critical to some students’ overall wellbeing. As such it is hard to ignore that social media has allowed young people freedom of expression, as well as a place to assemble and mix with peers, (and content-producers and influencers) outside the general controls or community they may experience in their face-to-face lives.

On the other hand, the impact of social media on teenagers has been evident, often with the benefits of community being outweighed by negative impacts on body image, social isolation, healthy sleeping patterns and even cyberbullying. As such, the benefits of reducing the impact of social media doom scrolling are extensive and include:

• With approximately 80% of tweens and teens reporting under sleeping, the removal of such platforms will better provide teens with the opportunity for healthy sleep patterns. Positive sleep patterns directly correlate with improved levels of mental health. Find more information here.
• The reduction of exposure to unhealthy modelling regarding body image, thus improving the overall sense of wellbeing felt by teens. Find more information here.
• With teens moving away from prioritising their digital reputation, and refocusing on further developing their face-to-face interpersonal skills, they will be better prepared for their post-school lives. Find more information here.
• Not using social media will support breaking internet addiction patterns; Dr Michael Carr-Gregg has noted that “giving a smartphone to an 11-year-old can be akin to giving them a ‘loaded gun’” as tween and teen brains are ill-equipped to self-regulate the patterns of consumption that such platforms encourage. Find more information here.
• Bullying has always been a feature of the teenage years. Social media platforms have inherently permitted direct and indirect bullying, as well as trolling, since their inception. No longer will those under 16 have to experience such forms of targeted behaviours. Find more information here.

The groups that will face the greatest challenge of this social media ban are those students who have extensively used it to this point in time but then will no longer be able to. Many students in Years 7, 8 and 9 who currently use social media will no longer be able to have their own accounts from later this year; in contrast, those students in the Primary School should have the smoothest experience due to being the least exposed to such platforms.

For those students who are finding sanctuary in the online world, open conversations at home will be needed. Overuse or dependency on mobile phones and social media can be both a symptom, and exacerbate, poor mental health (find more information here) and its removal may create varying levels of discomfort for students. Furthermore, those teenagers who are in minority communities are vulnerable to the removal of platforms such as Instagram, X and Tik Tok and may find new networks in more ‘at risk’ locations, those less moderated than current platforms. To support this transition, we encourage families to provide active supervision to ensure that their children do not find new, less supervised, spaces on the internet while seeking social connections (find more information here). And if you are about to get a phone for your young daughter, we might suggest the use of “Dumb phones”, a model of phone that is not 4G or 5G enabled, but one that can text and call, rather than being used for social media apps.

Throughout this piece, we have featured a range of resources that are currently available on the SCEGGS website. There is other information available found here. If you have any questions or concerns regarding supporting your child through the introduction of this new legislation, we encourage you to reach out to your daughter’s Year Coordinator, in the secondary school, or your child’s classroom teacher or Sarah Johnstone in the Primary school.

Amy Satchell
Year 9 Co-ordinator

NAPLAN Testing

As many of you would be aware, NAPLAN testing is being conducted earlier this year; instead of being held in May, the tests are now in March.  The tests are conducted online and there is a two-week window to administer the tests. The arrangements this year are as follows:

Years 3 and 5

Years 7 and 9

If a student is absent on the day of a test, arrangements will be made for them to catch up on the test, provided they return to school within the testing window.

Parents/carers can expect to receive the reports on their daughter’s performance earlier than in the past. It is hopeful we will receive this feedback at some point late in Term 2 rather than Term 3. Additionally, I would also remind you of some changes that came into effect recently about the report that parents/carers receive. The NAPALAN Proficiency Standards were introduced in 2023. Instead of the previous 10 band structure, the report on student performance now consists of four levels of achievement. These levels are labelled: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs Additional Support. We will provide you with more information about each of these levels and how to interpret the reports when you receive your daughter’s results.

If you have any questions or you would like further information about anything relating to NAPLAN please contact either Cristi Wilsmore, Deputy Head of Primary (Teaching and Learning) or myself.

Andrew Gallagher
Director of Curriculum

P&F AGM Notice

Dear SCEGGS Parents,

It was lovely to see and meet so many of you at last week’s Welcome Drinks.

The Annual General Meeting of the P&F will take place this Tuesday 11 March in the Joan Freeman Lecture Theatre.  Drinks and nibbles will be served in the foyer from 6.30pm, followed by the AGM at 7.00pm. 

Everyone is welcome.  It is your chance to vote for your P&F representatives and have your say.  I am pleased to present the following nominations so far for the 2025 P&F Committee:

Committee Members

Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing those of you at the AGM who are available on Tuesday 11 March.

Rob Jessup
P&F President

Kindness Committee in the Primary School

We would like to introduce you to the Primary School Kindness Committee for Semester 1 2025.

These girls gather once a week with Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Joukhadar to work together to think of ways we can spread the value of kindness in the school. The year started with brainstorming what random acts of kindness can be easily delivered to others that could make a big difference in someone else’s day. They worked collectively to design their kindness ambassador badge, with congratulations going to Charlotte Nixon (Year 6) for creating the chosen design.

Also, the girls support the organisation and celebration of specials days throughout the year. This week the kindness ambassadors focused on International Women’s Day and this year’s theme, Accelerate Action. The girls will be leading activities in their class to celebrate this day throughout the week. 

Sarah Johnstone
Deputy Head of Primary, Student Wellbeing

Debating

It has been a wonderful start to the ISDA Debating Competition this term. The Eastside Competition starts next week for teams in Years 7-12. We welcome a large number of students across Debating for 2025, and the debaters have been hard at work training every Monday across a range of topic areas.

Congratulations to the Primary A, Primary B, Year 8, Year 10, Senior B, and Senior A ISDA teams for winning their Round 1 debates against St. Catherine’s! This fantastic start to the Debating season reflects their skill and teamwork so early in the competition on the topic of “Education.”

Further congratulations to the Year 9, Year 10, and Senior A teams for winning their Round 2 debates against Sydney Grammar School on the topic of “Crime and Justice.”

The ISDA teams impressively debated against Ascham last Friday in Round 3. Congratulations to the Primary A, Year 7, Year 8, and Senior A teams, who successfully debated topics within “Workplace and Employment.”

The SCEGGS ISDA teams will be hosting Kincoppal Rose Bay this Friday for Round 4. Simultaneously, our Eastside Competition begins with Round 1 this Friday against Sydney Girls High School. We wish the debaters a wonderful start to the season.

We encourage all debaters to support each other during hosting rounds, which includes this Friday evening for ISDA debaters. For away rounds, the bus departs at 3:30 pm, and further details can be found on Clipboard. The same principles apply to the Eastside and Archdale Competitions.

Best of luck to all teams for their upcoming debates!

Suvini Kottegoda
Debating Coordinator

Primary and Secondary Music

Basie Jazz Band at the P&F Cocktail Party

Thank you to Mr Gresham and the Basie Jazz Band for their fantastic performance at the P&F Cocktail Party.

Eisteddfod

Good luck to all students performing in the eisteddfod heats next week.

Primary Timetable

Secondary timetable

Year 7 and Elective Music students will have their performance heats scheduled during their regular Music class. If your heat is scheduled during a different subject, please inform your teacher in advance, as you will need to leave class briefly to perform.

The Highlights Concerts will take place on Friday 21 March in the Great Hall. A selection of performances, representing a variety of year groups, instruments, and voices, will be chosen by the adjudicators for inclusion in these concerts.

Practice-a-thon

Earn stickers and a certificate for completing goals during the Practice-a-thon!

This is a great way to prepare for the SCEGGS Eisteddfod.

Practice record sheets are available from tutors.

Try to follow the ‘tip of the week’ when you practise!

This week’s tip is “CHUNKING”! Breaking the music down into smaller chunks increase the capacity of the short-term memory by allowing us to recognise patterns.

Musicale 1

Musicale 1 will be held on Wednesday 2 April in the SCEGGS Great Hall. The following ensembles are performing:

Primary Ensembles:

Training Band, Bugles’ Band, Primary Percussion Ensemble, Cantare, Sinfonietta, Chamber Strings and Primary String Octet.

Secondary Ensembles:

Contemporary Vocal Ensemble (Years 7-10 only), Madrigal Ensemble (Years 7-10 only), Clarion Concert Band, Edwardes Percussion Ensemble, Cremona Strings

Further information may be found in this note.

SCEGGS’ 130^th Anniversary Concert ‘Hope’

Sunday rehearsals for ensembles – 1 June & 15 June

Please note, Year 3-6 Choir and Year 7 Choir will not be involved in Sunday rehearsals.

Ensembles involved in the 130 Concert:

Young Mannheim Symphonists (YMS) 2025

Do you play the oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, timpani, violin, viola or double bass?

AUDITION FOR Young Mannheim Symphonists 2025, a program that will be held at SCEGGS during the July school holiday.  

YMS is Australia’s national youth orchestra for HIP (Historically Informed Performance). Taught by the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra, it offers a week of bringing 18^th– and 19^th-century music to life in the way it was originally heard. This includes historical instruments and strings, techniques, creative interpretation and a final public concert.

Here’s a video from a YMS concert last year!

YMS 2025 NSW State Academy | 8-12 July | Sydney

How to apply:

1. Click on the program to learn more:  YMS NSW
2. Download these audition excerpts
3. Fill in this application form
4. Record your audition video and upload here by 30 March

“I absolutely loved it. This program has been so amazing, better than any I’ve done. Definitely a unique experience.” – YMS 2024 participant

Sydney Youth Orchestra Winter School

Join Sydney Youth Orchestra for five fun and intensive days of rehearsals and tutorials with Sydney’s best educators, culminating in a concert at Sydney Conservatorium of Music to showcase your week of work. Receive expert guidance from tutors and conductors who will challenge and support your musical understanding.

SYO Winter School is suitable for any student in primary or high school who plays an orchestral instrument; from those in their first year of playing through to AMEB Grade 7 or equivalent. Students will be placed in ensembles with peers of similar experience level.

SYO Winter School is open to all – you don’t need to submit an audition or be enrolled in SYO’s weekly program to attend! Click here for more information.

Beyond the Green Gate

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

Clipboard

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

Heidi Jones
Head of Music (Co-curricular)

Secondary Sport News

Term 2 Sports Nominations

The Term 2 Nomination link has now been closed off. If you need to submit a late registration, please contact Brittany Robbins in the PDHPE Department.

NSW All Schools Triathlon

SCEGGS sent four Individuals and eight teams to the NSW All Schools Triathlon that was held last week at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. Congratulations to the entire team who performed very well over both days. Two teams were successful in winning 3^rd place medals.

Intermediate – 3^rd in NSWCIS

Senior – 3^rd in NSWCIS and 3^rd in NSW All Schools

International Women’s Day

The year we celebrate International Women’s Day on Saturday March 8.

We are encouraging our SCEGGS sporting teams to wear some purple to celebrate this event. You can be as creative as you like or simply wear a purple ribbon.

NSWCIS Awards

Congratulations to Coco Espie in Year 11 who was awarded a NSWCIS Blue at the awards ceremony that was held at CommBank Stadium last week. Coco was awarded her Blue for her Outstanding results at the Australian All Schools Championships which included Gold Medals in the 800m and Discus.

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

IPSHA Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to all the students who competed at the IPSHA Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 4 March. The day started with Georgia Cate Baker Wood (SCEGGS Swim Captain) sending the girls off and wishing them the best of luck in the morning. The SCEGGS girls showed grit and determination in their respective events against fast competition. Many of the girls posted personal best times and it was wonderful to see the team cheering each other on in the different races. A big thank you to the SCEGGS Swim Coaches who supported the girls on the day.

Well done to the following students who achieved a top four place in their heat:

Sporting Reminders:

• Warm up commences 30 minutes prior to scheduled game times for Saturday fixtures. Please be on time.
• Any potential changes or cancellations, including for wet weather will be made in Clipboard via a push notification.
• If your child is going to be absent from Saturday sport, then you need to contact Helen Dempsey to gain approved leave at least one week prior.

Important Sports Dates

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.

Have a wonderful week and good luck to all players for the first round of Saturday competitions.

Mr Adrian Hammond
Primary Sport Coordinator

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 Elspeth Herbert (Year 10) and Sage Galafassi (Year 11).

For the previous week’s reflections see here.

Carol Bloomfield

Red Earth Cape York Immersion Reflection by Elspeth Herbert (Year 10) 

The nine days that I spent on immersion were incredibly interesting, educational, and fun. My understanding of Indigenous Australia and Australia in general has been completely changed from the experience. From the first day to the last everyone was excited and openminded, trying to learn everything they could and getting the most out of the experience. I think this reflects exactly how amazing this experience was for everyone. For me, the knowledge I gained was immense and I found it came continuously throughout the immersion from the traditional owners, the land and even the time we spent out on the Great Barrier Reef.  

After a long day of travelling we arrived at our first homeland, Kalkajaka where Ian welcomed us to his land using a verbal welcome to country. Our time at Kalkajaka under the shadow of the stunning black mountain was amazing, some highlights of this time was spending time with Ian and our sunrise walk to Black Mountain. To get to black mountain we walked from a grassland type biome, through a rainforest with crystal clear water to the mountain, it was amazing to see how much the environment could change in a 5-minute walk. While at Kalkajaka we went on a bush tucker walk and learnt about the delicious food which surrounded us. The highlight was the green ants, which were tangy and tasted like citrus. Throughout the time at Kalkajaka we all built connections with Ian, who was extremely easy to connect with and chat to. On the final day a group of us woke up early to walk to Black Mountain and see the sunrise, this was one of my favourite times during the immersion. It was incredibly peaceful and the hour and half we spent here went so fast it felt like a minute. At this sacred place I could finally understand the importance of country to Indigenous people. After a sad goodbye to Ian and a promise from him to meet us at our next homeland we left Kalkajaka and headed towards Panamuunji.   

During our journey we stopped at the beautiful and refreshing Isabella Falls as well as the town of Hopevale. While there we went to the Lutheran church and learnt about the sad history of the town where, during World War II the population were forced to move and over a quarter of the population died. After a quick stop in Hopevale, we had a short journey to Panamuunji where Tim welcomed us with a smoking ceremony. Throughout our time at Pananmuunji he gave us a wealth of knowledge about Indigenous people and local customs. He also liked to say how around him he could find, a supermarket, pharmacy and library all in the bush or caves. This stuck with me as I found this was a time when I saw how thousands of years of knowledge has been passed down through generations so the people living in Hopevale today have the knowledge of all the generations before them.  

After a sad goodbye to Panamuunji we travelled out to the Great Barrier Reef. After meeting up with the other group we spent a fantastic day on the reef, we saw bright coral and interesting animals. We also learnt about more Indigenous customs for example many different instruments, from the organisation that ran the boat. This day wrapped up a fantastic experience which I am so grateful I got to participate in.   

Red Earth Cape York Immersion Reflection by Sage Galafassi (Year 11) 

In the 2024 October holidays, I got the amazing opportunity of attending the 2024 Cape York immersion. Going into this immersion I did not fully understand the multitude of experiences and knowledge that I would have by the time it ended. Seeing the way First Nations people live, grow and maintain their land is one thing that absolutely amazed me, as well as with the experiences that the Traditional Landowners have and continue to live along side. Their welcoming nature will always be something that I look up too and carry for the remainder of my life.  

When arriving on Wurrey Homeland after a long day of travel, I know that I, along with most of the Yellow Group were exhausted and feeling slightly daunted by the enormous trip ahead. However, Auntie Sheryl and Uncle Bernie immediately made us feel at home and comfortable on the land, which for me at least eased any of the nerves I was experiencing. We had only been on the plane so far and none of the year groups had had a chance to get to know each other. At this point a lot of us were strangers but this was soon to change. The moment we began setting up tents I knew that our group was going to get along. We spent the rest of that day collaborating on tents, dinner and then had a yarn with Auntie and Uncle under the tarp before going to bed. The first night I remember laying on my stretcher buzzing with excitement for another day on Country.  

The rest of the time spent on Wurrey Homeland was filled with laughter, learning and cooking adventures with Auntie Sheryl. We had time each day to go down to the creek where we would chat, play some extremely competitive games of hot potato which often ended in someone getting the ball pelted at them and deep chats about what was happening in each other’s year groups. We went on bush walks with Uncle Bernie where we would learn about bush tucker and how you can eat/heal with various plants they can find in their back yard as well as try a green ant or two. We also took part in an (again) very competitive spear throwing competition. Our time in Wurrey ended with a reflection around the fire led by Uncle Bernie which gave us insight into our sperate experiences on this Homeland.    

Public Speaking

Public Speaking is off to a great start in 2025 with one win, so far, for Celia Watson (Year 12) who won the public speaking section of the Lions Youth of the Year Quest.  Celia presented an outstanding 5 minute prepared speech on the importance of actions, as well as words, and two impromptu speeches. Congratulations to Celia. 

Inter-House Speaking is underway with the Junior division for Years 7 and 8 completed, results will be announced soon, and the Senior division for Year 11 and 12 taking place in weeks 6 and 7. The Intermediate division for Years 9 and 10 will be held in Term 2. 

A new competition is being launched this year for all girl’s schools in NSW called the Dame Enid Lyons Oratory. It is similar to the Lawrence Campbell Oratory held in the GPS and CAS boys school in NSW. Students are presented with three topics and have 15 minutes to prepare an eight minute speech. It is a very tough style of competition which I’m sure our girls are ready for.  This year Celia Watson will be representing SCEGGS with her heat being held here at school on March 19 from 5.30pm to around 7.30pm. If any students would like to attend please contact Ms Walsh, volunteers are needed.

Elizabeth Walsh
Speech and Public Speaking Co-ordinator

Year 10 Vaccination Clinic

On Wednesday 12 March (Week 7) all Year 10 Students will be offered the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine through the NSW Health School Vaccination Program.

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

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 here. 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 SCEGGS Student Services.

If you give 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

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Class Parent Events