7 December 2023 - 7 December 2023
From Ms Allum

From Ms Allum

Welcome to the final newsletter for 2023!

When I think about the past school year, I am flooded with so many wonderful memories; the Great Hall bursting with music, colour, movement and conversations during the many performances, Inter-House activities and other events; parents engaged in animated conversations at one of the many enjoyable gatherings hosted by the P&F; the whole community, students, parents, staff, grandparents (past, present and future!) coming together to support the Light Her Path Campaign on Giving Day.

There have been moments too of sadness and loss or when things have been a bit tricky or did not turn out quite how we hoped. Perhaps it is these moments where our true selves are revealed and our courage, temperance, strength and gratitude come to the fore.

Whether experiencing good or not so good moments and everything in between, it is the people around us who shape and form our experiences and I could not be more honoured to have shared these with each and every one of you.

As we begin to prepare for Christmas, I hope the holidays provide you with an opportunity to appreciate the loving presence of the people around you.

I look forward to seeing many of you at Speech Night this evening and wish you all a Christmas filled with hope, peace, joy and love.

Happy holidays and see you in 2024!

Best wishes

Jenny Allum
Head of School

Parents’ and Friends’ Association Welcome Cocktail Party – Save The Date

Parents’ and Friends’ Association Welcome Cocktail Party – Save The Date

The much-loved annual P&F Welcome Cocktail Party is scheduled for Friday, 1 March 2024 from 6.00pm – 8.00pm at SCEGGS. Further details, including how to purchase your tickets, will be provided in Behind the Green Gate next year.

On behalf of the P&F we thank you for your support throughout 2023. We extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones for a safe and happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you all in 2024!

Penny Newton
P&F Association President

 

The Joy of Giving

The Joy of Giving

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all our families who donated so generously to our annual Christmas gift appeal. The St Vincent de Paul Society in Redfern were grateful for the truckload of toys and gifts they received from SCEGGS on Monday afternoon to be given to children for many of whom, this may be the only gift they receive.

Similarly our undies and sock drive, taken to Wayside Chapel, was equally received with appreciation.

Thank you again for your unreserved generosity and acts of kindness!

Rev. Garry Lee-Lindsay
Chaplain

SCEGGS Scholarships

SCEGGS Scholarships

A reminder for parents that applications for scholarships for 2025 close on Friday 2 February 2024. Registrations for Year 7 Academic Scholarships are being taken online through the ACER website. Applications for all other scholarships are downloadable here.

Any questions should be directed to the Enrolments Office on 9332 1133.

Sonja Richards
Registrar

 

 

English News

English News

Year 9 Metta Minds

Last Thursday we celebrated the work of the Year 9 Metta Minds – an enrichment program run for curious and capable English students. The students were introduced to the concept of Metamorphosis, exploring Ovid’s epic poem and contemporary manifestations of this concept before pursuing their own area of research and inquiry.

It was wonderful to see the creative and original pieces which they produced; from poetry and prose on growing up, the role of family and literary experiences of change to discursive responses on female beauty, the struggle for justice or the complexity of identity in a period of international warfare.

It was particularly lovely to see how engaged and inspired the students were by each other’s work. I would like to acknowledge the hard work and creativity of Ms Amy Marrero as she developed this new initiative. We hope that the independent project helped to develop the love of literature and writing in these students and look forward to developing similar opportunities for more students next year.

 

Betty Behan and Gwen Cockell Writing Prizes

The English Department were delighted to read so many powerful entries for these prestigious competitions. Students should look out for their work in the LUX magazine released next year as we were able to include extracts from a number of pieces. Highly commended and winning entries will also be published on Cognito.

We would like to acknowledge the recipients of these awards, and the Highly Commended entries.

  • The Betty Behan Memorial Short Story Prize – Junior has been awarded to Pascale Otton (Year 8) for her evocative piece “Fabric” which used the setting of a fabric store to convey the power of memory. Amelie Singer and Ruby Sunman-Peters, both (Year 8), were Highly Commended for this award.

 

  • The Betty Behan Memorial Short Story Prize – Senior has been awarded to Lila Eversgerd (Year 10). Her prose piece, ‘Kettle’ explores the enduring love of a mother amidst a world of social and political upheaval. Zara Perkins (Year 9) and Zoe Lindner (Year 10) were both Highly Commended for this award.

 

  • The Gwen Cockell Prize for Creative Writing has been awarded to Helaina Travassaros (Year 10) for her powerful poems “Silly, Little Games of War” and “Villain’s Victory.” Her evocative poetry revealed the way that verse can be employed to comment on contemporary and historical politics. Georgia O’Keefe  (Year 9) and Christine Chen (Year 10) were both Highly Commended for this award.

Thank you to all the students who shared their work. We are very proud of our writing community at SCEGGS.

Jenny Bean
Head of English

 

 

Music Matters

Music Matters

Festival of Lessons and Carols

Congratulations to the musicians in the following ensembles who performed in last Thursday evening’s Festival of Lessons and Carols:

  • Amati Strings
  • Cantare
  • Choir
  • Madrigal Ensemble
  • Primary String Octet
  • Year 5 Choir
  • Year 7 Choir

Well done to all students and conductors who have made the evening so special with their beautiful musical performances. A wonderful way to begin the festive season!

 

Christmas Medley in the Primary School

Congratulations to all the string players in the Primary school who performed in the Christmas Medley for Santa’s visit. The girls played Jolly Old St. Nicholas, The First Noel, Silent Night, Good King Wencelas and an Australian version of Jingle Bells. Thank you to Mrs Sweeney for co-ordinating and preparing the girls for this festive performance!

Town Hall Schedule – Combined Choirs, SPO, Basie Jazz Band and Woodwind Ensemble

Thank you to students for your commitment to attending your ensemble’s rehearsals to prepare for Speech Night. 

You would have received a schedule for this Thursday’s Town Hall rehearsal leading to the evening ceremony at 7.30pm. You can view this schedule here.

It will be a wonderful evening of music and a lovely way to end our school year!

Thank you also to parents/guardians for supporting our preparation. We look forward to sharing the music with you at Speech Night.

 

Bring Your Musical Instruments Home!

There is a collection of musical instruments that are in desperate need to be taken home over the Christmas holidays. If you have left your instrument in the DB studio storage, please make plans to bring your instrument home as there will be some renovation work done in the DB Centre over the Christmas period.

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Secondary Sport News

Secondary Sport News

Merry Christmas

The PDHPE Department would like to thank everyone for a fabulous year of sporting activities. We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing time over the Christmas break and we look forward to 2024.

For late Sports Enrolments for Term 1, 2024, please contact the PDHPE Office to check for availability.

 

Indoor Hockey

Congratulations to Jess Weatherall (Year 9) and Audrey Rivers (Year 8) who competed at the NSW U15 Indoor Hockey Championships that were held in Orange last weekend. Jess represented the SEHA association that won Division 2. Audrey represented NWSHA.

The Sydney Indoor Hockey Competition finished last week with all SCEGGS teams playing their final matches. We would like to thank all our coaches for a wonderful season. A special thank you to our Head Coach James Birkefeld and Miss Smith who co-ordinated the program.

Final Results
Senior 1 3rd
Senior 2 4th
Senior 3 2nd
Junior 1 2nd
Junior 2 6th
Year 7 2nd
Year 6 3rd

 

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 and matches Wet Weather

Wet weather notifications will now be sent out on Clipboard.

 

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

 

Olympiad Competition and Crystal Growing Results

Olympiad Competition and Crystal Growing Results

Science has some very exciting news to share about the excellent results we have achieved this term!

National Science Olympiad Competition

Throughout this year, a number of Year 10 and Year 11 students worked very hard and attended Science training sessions up to three times per week at Sydney Grammar School to train for the National Chemistry, Physics and/or Biology Olympiad. These exams are extremely challenging and require much preparation, dedication and practice. Thus, it is with great pride that we congratulate the following students:

Distinction
Year 11 Chemistry
  • Catherine Park
  • Georgina Madsen
  • Rebecca Colwell

 

Credit
Year 10 Chemistry
  • Gabrielle Cheung
  • Christine Chen
  • Bianca Hardge
Year 11  
  • Frida Radford
  • Zara Hunt
  • Janet Zheng
  • Maggie Harper
  • Alexandra West
Year 10 Physics
  • Gabrielle Cheung
Year 11  
  • Jasmine So
  • Molly Espie
  • Maggie Harper
  • Tia Hunt
  • Simone Turner
Year 10 Biology
  • Christine Chen
  • Bianca Hardge
  Earth and Environmental Science
  • Zahra Ridling

 

Crystal Growing Competition Awards

Earlier this year, students entered the RACI NSW Crystal Growing competition. They had some beautiful crystals that looked like diamonds! Competition was fierce, with many schools across the state competing.

A number of the students achieved highly commended certificates and the School was awarded second Place for best crystals entered overall. And now, it is with great pride that we can announce that Sophia Surridge was awarded First in the whole of NSW! 

Five of the students’ crystals were of high enough quality that they progressed to the next round, the National competition. In this competition, we are very pleased to announce that Sophia Surridge gained Third Prize Nationally!

So, a big congratulations to the following students.

First in NSW and Third in Australia
Year 6
  • Sophia Surridge
Highly Commended
Year 6
  • Adelaide Armstrong-Bailey
  • Angelina Wang
  • Emily Nolan
  • Holly Ancher
  • Lily Withers
  • Mila Filus Rasmussen
  • Olivia Chua
  • Olivia Flanagan
  • Romy Schmidt
  • Tayah Hodson
  • Tabitha Hyde
Year 8
  • Eva Litosh
  • Joanne Tsilikounas
  • Mia Chang
  • Phoebe Lowe
Year 9
  • Bridget Murray
  • Maya McGrath
Year 12
  • Mietta Paipetis
  • Tilda Meggitt

 

Luke Hanson
Head of Science

Duke of Edinburgh International Award

Duke of Edinburgh International Award

Another great year of Duke of Edinburgh is rapidly concluding with only one more Gold/Silver expedition to go after the end of term, making it our 18th expedition of the year! As usual for this time of year, expeditions are subject to the whims of nature – high temperatures, bush-fire risk, storms and floods can disrupt the best laid plans; flexibility and patience are attributes the girls need apply, or acquire. For this hike and the Silver expedition in January – we also encourage the girls to continue to check their emails periodically to pick up any announcements we make.

One activity I would suggest to anyone whose daughter has done a Duke of Edinburgh expedition this year is to let them take you for a bushwalk, show you some things they learnt, enjoy some peaceful nature, breath quiet air and eavesdrop on some birds. Sydney (and most of Australia) abounds with outstanding natural environments, and I encourage everyone to imbibe their healing aethers.

Having mentioned the bushwalks, we would like to congratulate all the candidates this year for their vigour, vivacity, and venturous spirit on the Expeditions – it’s been another magical year of campfires and charming streams, kookaburras and possums, sing-alongs and expansive lookouts. As always, we commend the enthusiasm, the teamwork, the embarkation on day one with heavy packs and the last day completion with heavy legs. Doric and I look forward to doing it all again next year.

Following on from that, if there are still students in Year 8 (ie going in to Year 9 in 2024) who wish to sign up for the Bronze Award, it’s not too late – you can get your permission note in to Ms Bower this week before the last day, or you will be able to sign up early next year (though by signing up now, you may be able to start some of your activities over the summer break).

On another note, I would really encourage any students that find they still have unreturned equipment borrowed from the school, please return them asap, so that friends and peers can make use of it next year.

A reminder that a video tribute to the candidates from the past year may be found here.

Hopefully when you watch it you will jump up out of that soft lounge into a pair of sturdy shoes and get out into the bush for a few hours – or at least ask your child how they managed to do it?

Finally, we urge all the candidates to maintain the effort with their Skill, Service and Recreation components, and to be aware that if they have questions or problems I will be checking emails  through the holidays. Often these months can provide opportunities to start or recommence building hours in your Online Record Book.

Whether you embrace travel, pets, loved ones, books or the ultimate luxury – doing nothing – we trust you enjoy these next eight weeks.

 

Joanne Bower
Award Leader

Doric Swain
Expedition Facilitator

SCEGGS Stories of Immersion in Indigenous Australia

SCEGGS Stories of Immersion in Indigenous Australia

We hope you enjoy reading a range of reflections about Stories of Immersion in Indigenous Australia from the students this week. For the previous week’s reflections see here.

Reflections from the Cape York Immersion (Red Group)

When I was preparing to leave my house early Sunday morning to go to the airport, I had no idea what kind of amazing experience I was about to embark on. From immersing myself in the rich Indigenous culture, I have been able to come home with new knowledge, friendships and connections, and most importantly, a new perspective of the world and my place in it. I am beyond grateful to be given the chance to learn and experience new things, now returned home with deeper views on reconciliation and a better understanding of the lives of people living across Australia.

In the first homeland we visited, Melsonby, our group were able to experience incredible rock art sites, learn about the natural uses of the bush and the land, as well as being able to talk to the traditional owners who were more than welcoming to us. From going on long walks through the bush, we were taught about the uses of the plants and animals, traditional owner, Bulla, telling us how they considered their surrounding land to be their pharmacy, supermarket, and chemist all in one. From making soap out of leaves, eating any green ants we could find, and from seeing the history displayed across rock faces through traditional rock paintings, I realised that the knowledge we were being taught was something that we should share with those back home and that it is our job to ensure that Indigenous culture is respected and not lost.

A key part of our journey to Cape York that I have continued to think about, was our quick trip to the local town, Hopevale. This was an eye-opening experience that I will continue to think about as I further reflect on the immersion throughout my life. Heading into the small supermarket we were given a shock as we walked through the aisles. Looking across the shelves, we could see the difference between a life we are so used to back at home compared to that experienced in these small towns. Trying to decide on what to buy when creating an elaborate scheme with Darcey and Ava trying to get the best and most food from our, one item only, rule not only concerned what kind of biscuits we wanted, but also the high prices of everything in stock. I can confirm that in the end, our snack choices could not have been any better.

Another highlight from the trip was our incredible underground meal that we shared in our second homeland, Binthi-Warra. Learning from the traditional owners, it was amazing to see how we could prepare and cook a meal using the natural things around us. Digging a hole in the ground and covering the embers of our fire, we were able to cook our roast for four hours before getting to serve and eat it for dinner.

Reflecting on this immersion trip, I have been able to come back with a new perspective, knowledge, and new friendships that I will cherish forever. Most importantly, I have come home with the understanding that I can help to support reconciliation in Australia through sharing my experiences and knowledge, encouraging the continuation of their culture and connection with the land. Cape York has been the experience of a lifetime, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to have gone on this trip and the new person I have become once returned home.

Summer McCarthy
Year 9

 

Reflections from the Cape York Immersion (Yellow Group)

Coming off the bus at Yungee bush camp and being greeted by a gathering of goats, is quite a vivid memory of mine. Yungee Bush camp is a calm but wild country, full of free-roaming cattle. The wind is very strong, but the atmosphere is still serene. The air is thick and humid and smells warm like rich dirt. The dirt and earth are an organic, reddish-brown tone which seemed to stick on all our belongings days after we left the homeland. Even now being back home, the bottom of my crocks and hiking bag still hold the stains from the distinctive colour of the ground. The traditional owners of Yungee bush camp are Des and Estelle Bowen, who created such a welcoming, family-orientated space. 

I never realised I could get so close with a group of people over such a short period of time, but I connected so much to the family at Yungee, especially the kids. They are all so creative, kind, imaginative and have so much love for their culture. Sahtiva is 8 years old and loves art (specifically drawing turtles). Her little sister is 6 and is called Tinashe, she loves playing in the bush with her little cousins. Sahtiva and Tinashe also have a younger brother called Jady who is around 1.  Markeisha is their 10 year old cousin who loves AFL, and Toby their other cousin is 6. The younger cousins also include Jace who is 2, Jackson (JJ) who is 5 and starts school next year, Kalean, and Baby Jimmy. 

I also got to know Jace and JJ’s mum, Ella, and had the opportunity to ask her lots of questions. I learnt different dot painting techniques from her, as well as the history of their land and how it was handed back to them through the native title process. I met many other people such as Harry and Michael who shared a lot of knowledge about the bush, teaching us about natural dyes and burner seeds (which are seeds that heat up if you rub them on a tree). I also had the opportunity to meet Destiny who is such an amazing woman, as well as Alicia who is Sahtiva, Tinashe and Jady’s Mother.  Hearing stories about Des’s life  was such an amazing experience, as he told us how he started work at 16 years old, we got to understand how different his life is to ours. We also heard his opinion on their loss of language and he made us aware of the struggles they face every day at Yungee. These struggles include the fact that their homeland is very remote and far from schools, medical facilities, and work opportunities. This was a particular struggle for Des as he needs dialysis and as a result, must drive for hours just to receive the medical treatment he needs. Talking to Estelle, I learned about the impact of the wet season, which cuts off access to Yungee for months at a time, meaning they need to be prepared with enough resources in the house to last them. (She also taught us her damper recipe which was really delicious).

At Yungee, we collected natural dye, painted on burner seeds and shells, played with the kids, had opportunities to ask questions, and worked on two projects which were building an outdoor kitchen and painting the house. We were taught Estelle’s Damper recipe and sat around the fire. Something I found very hard whilst staying at Yungee, was adjusting to the relaxed lifestyle. In Sydney I am so used to being rushed with a million things to do, and never really having time to relax, but in a remote place like Yungee there wasn’t the same busyness. 

The second homeland we stayed at was Loggy Crossing in Hopevale, which is an extremely welcoming and warm place. The traditional owners of Loggy Crossing are Dora and Trev, who are both amazing musicians and singers. It was so nice that I could share my passion of music with them and even got to learn about Dora’s song writing process that she uses whilst writing original songs. We were taught about the history of Hopevale in a very educational way and learnt about the harmful events that affected their people such as the evacuation in WW2 where people were forcibly moved from their homelands, this really opened my eyes to the reality of discrimination and persecution these people face. We also learned about how damaging stereotypes of indigenous people can be, and were given messages to take home to break those stereotypes if we come across them. I also connected with such lovely kids like Nova, her niece Chate, Lila, and Mateo. 

We learnt some words in Guugu Yimithirr language such as nhiiriil which means stingray, ngaanthu which means woman, birra which means leaf, and guuluu which means sea urchin. We also learnt about the traditional uses for different types of plants such as the soapy leaf which is used as a natural hand soap, and the sandpaper leaf which is a plant with very rough leaves that was used to sand down spears. I met Aunty Fay who was an amazing woman who taught us how to weave baskets. Aunty Fay also told us about how she learnt the weaving technique from her mother and how she teaches it at various indigenous festivals to keep her culture alive.

I also met Dora and Trev’s son-in-law, Jack, and I loved getting to know him and hearing about his life. He taught us how to make small leather earrings that he said he used to make for his daughters. I also learnt Dora’s damper recipe which was very delicious, and highlighted the differences and diversities between different indigenous cultures as it was very different from Estelle’s recipe. Every night was spent by the campfire together, as Dora, Trev and Nas played covers and original songs on their guitars with the most gorgeous harmonies. 

On our last night at Loggy, we made a Kup Murri which is essentially a traditional form of slow cooking used for important and significant events. A fire is lit in a deep hole in the ground, which then forms hot coals. Seasoned Meat and Vegetables are wrapped in foil and put down the bottom before it is covered up with corrugated iron and sealed with rocks and dirt. It was very delicious, and tables were set out and music was played as we all enjoyed and ate together one last time. We even had a little dance party with all the kids.

Throughout the 10 days I have learned some key messages and we did experience some challenges which just ended up helping us grow more and connect as a group. During our first night, we woke up to puddles in our tents due to leaks in the tent’s outer fly amid heavy rainfall throughout the night. Although a lot of our belongings did end up wet, this experience bonded our group a lot closer together, as we all slept outside together under the kitchen shelter.  I learnt that although there are always going to be obstacles or challenges, the way we react to them is what matters. The fact that we all got on with it and persisted together, is what bonded us stronger, and it has now created a very funny memory to look back on.

Another key moment during the trip for me was receiving painted shells and letters from the kids at Yungee Bush camp. This memory was a very emotional moment for me, because it was the time that I realised, that the kids had not only heavily impacted me, but I had also impacted them. I learned so much from these kids in so many ways and was inspired by the way they use their imagination to entertain themselves. The fact that the kids saw me as a role model and even called me their cousin made me realise just how much I had also impacted them. 

Another key message and small challenge was adjusting to a different lifestyle, making me realise how different remote living is. Here is an extract from day 5 in my journal:

“When you are in a remote area, where all the materialistic things are gone like mirrors, phones, even music, there is such a weird sense of presence within everyone you are surrounded by. The fact that we have no sense of time, except the sky above us and our internal clock, means we can’t tell ourselves when we are supposed to be hungry or tired, we just have to rely on our bodies and each other. Being out here is so different from life in Sydney. There is no urgency and never a million things to do, there is only one thing to do which is to exist. I have loved learning from the people living here, and being able to understand their way of life and learn about the struggles they face”.

Another very raw and impactful memory is the last night we spent in the country, at Loggy crossing.  We all gathered and watched a presentation Dora, Trev and Tammy about the evacuation in May 1942, where Indigenous people were forcefully re-located to southern communities by the military (most were sent to Woorabinda). We learnt about the hurt that this violence and discrimination created, and brought upon the people of Hopevale and how today, there is a day used to remember the people who suffered, and perished due to the horrible event. We listened to the song “evac” which is an original song that was beautifully written about this event, which helped convey the impacts of discrimination and violence and was very emotional to listen to. As we were leaving Loggy Crossing Dora said thank you to us for helping her get to know and be re-assured that there are good Australians out there who are willing to learn about culture and stand for reconciliation. This memory will stay with me forever because I was shocked that we had all equally learnt from and impacted each other, and I was so happy that we were able to instill hope in each other. 

Returning home, I am filled with hope and inspiration and I hope to spread the lessons and knowledge I learnt so we can all become closer to reconciliation. I am now inspired to take action and stand up when I can and have so much hope for our youth. Stereotypes still exist about Indigenous people going down the wrong paths and becoming involved in alcohol and drug abuse, and Dora has directly inspired me to stand up for the struggles indigenous people face in any way I can. There is still so much racism and discrimination in Australia, with many families still experiencing generational trauma, isolation, unemployment, and loss of culture. There is something so special about learning about indigenous culture first-hand, on country and you learn and gain so much more than you ever could in a classroom through textbooks. I have only been to two homelands and have only seen a snapshot of struggles and disparities experienced by Indigenous peoples. I will forever be grateful that I had the opportunity to be invited onto country to learn and listen and I now hope to take action in any way I can, even if it is a small conversation. I have developed so much more love for the country I live in and have so much desire to protect it and fight for it. I have also returned with another lens to look through life with, and the awareness that materialistic things don’t matter as much as we think they do, and the fact that I don’t need to be caught up in the busyness of life just to stress about exam results or anything else in life. The people I have met during the trip are my family and they all taught me the importance of family and connection.  I would like to thank the teachers and red earth leaders, especially the ones leading the yellow group (Dan, Vic, Ms Tring, Ms Connolly, Ms Anderson and Ms Styles), as well as everyone else in my group. We all became closer through the challenges, and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend this amazing trip with anyone else.

Overall, I am eternally grateful for having the opportunity to go on this immersion trip, and have the chance to meet such wonderful people, and to gain so much inspiration and hope for reconciliation in the future.

Zoe Crisafulli
Year 10

Reflections from the Top End Immersion

During the October holidays, I had the privilege of going on a 10-day immersion experience in Top End, where I would visit Nauiyu, a community of 400 people, and Barnatjal, the homeland of a large extended family. I had previously gone on a similar journey visiting Cape York, so I jumped at the chance to learn and engage on another amazing and eye-opening experience.

On our final night of this 10-day immersion, we had a group reflection. When were asked how we would act on what we had learnt and experienced, I shared Mirium Rose’s message, an elder we had the privilege of meeting in Nauiyu and 2021 Senior Australian of the Year, of the necessity of “walking in two worlds.” This is about the importance of learning about the culture of First Nations Australians, especially by listening to the knowledge passed on through amazing opportunities such as that of the Red Earth immersion. By exploring one world we can better understand the similarities and differences between the two and work together to achieve a connection. To continue fostering this connection, I have tried to share the knowledge I learnt while I was away with everyone I could.

The most meaningful message I took away was the importance of community and family, which was a defining feature of both Nauiyu and Barnatjal. When we visited Nauiyu, we were welcomed into a tight-knit family that were eager to share their community pool, sports fields, refreshing icy poles, and mango trees! We were taught about their connection to the land through a welcome to country ceremony and given the opportunity to taste bushtucker, including sugar bark, green ants, kangaroo tail, and the best honey I’ve ever tasted! However, we were also made aware of some of the extremely difficult challenges of living in a small, remote community including healthcare, poverty, and an addiction to sugar. However, organisations such as Iron Bark, who provide activities and education for employment opportunities, and the local healthcare facility, who have close connections with Darwin to support the community, have made incredible contributions towards sustaining these remote communities. These organisations reinforce the message of community and the importance of supporting those around us.

At the homeland Barnatjal, culture was shared through a welcome to country ceremony, digeridoo performance and the passing on of knowledge about skin names. Later, I had the privilege of talking to Betty who graciously answered my questions and taught me about welcome to country ceremonies. I learnt that only men can perform a ceremony for men, and vice versa, and I learnt about the welcome to country that occurs when a baby is born. I loved talking to her and spent the rest of my visit with more confidence to ask questions about weaving, bush medicine, and other ceremonial practices. As well experiencing the connection to culture, I loved viewing the different landforms and plants that characterise the Northern Territory. One night before dinner, we went to a nearby landform that overlooked the sunset and a forest that continued for kilometres and sat in silence. It was so incredibly calming and was an important reminder of the value of nature. Barnatjal is a beautiful community with family connections to be admired.

After experiencing the incredible opportunities of both the 2022 Cape York Immersion and this one, I strongly recommend the experience to give yourself the opportunity to walk in two worlds yourself.

Eleanor Lawson
Year 11

 

Class Parents 2024

Class Parents 2024

Will your daughter be in Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 or Year 11 in 2024?

Then why don’t you register as a Class Parent? You will play a vital role in fostering connections between your Year Group, the P&F Association, the Trust and the School.

Click here to register today!

Blazer Pocket Awards

Blazer Pocket Awards

Girls in the Secondary School who are awarded a “Pocket” for excellence and outstanding achievement in a co-curricular activity can have their blazers embroidered during the holiday period. Awards were announced yesterday. Students with previous awards not yet embroidered can also leave their blazers at this time.

Blazers may be left at the Student Services Reception until 1pm on Monday 11 December. Blazers cannot be accepted after the cut-off time, any late submissions will need to wait until the next holidays.

Embroidery and dry cleaning will be done during the holidays and the cost will be charged to your daughter’s account.

Administration Office

School Shop

School Shop

End of Term Lost Property Reminder 

As we approach the end of the school year this is the final reminder to all who have misplaced school uniform and other miscellaneous items to come in and claim them.

I have accumulated the usual sundry collection of pencil cases, reading glasses, water bottles, lunchboxes, shoes and last but not least, School Uniform.

The last day of trading will be Thursday 7 December 2023. We will re-open on Monday 8 January 2024 to conduct uniform fittings for new and returning students. Uniform fittings through out January are by appointment only.

For those who would like to place on line orders for Summer uniform, the link is available here.

We look forward to helping you with your Uniform needs.

Have a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

Clare Reid
School Shop Manager 

School Holiday Arrangements

School Holiday Arrangements

The School will close over the Christmas and New Year period from Friday 22 December 2023 and re-open on Monday 8 January 2024. During the rest of the school holidays before and after this period, hours and services are as follows:

  • General Office 8.00am to 4.00pm
  • SCEGGS Shop 9.00am to 3.30pm, by appointment

(Please call the School if you need to make a uniform appointment and please note the Shop is closed from Thursday 7 December, re-opening Monday 8 January).

Phil Rogers
Director of Administration