Music Matters

This week’s banner is the Year 12 Rock Group performing on Wear It Purple Day.

Wear It Purple Day – Friday 25 August

Congratulations to members of the Year 12 Rock group who performed at lunchtime for Wear It Purple Day on Friday 25 August. The group performed a selection of pieces for the school community at the cafeteria. It was a wonderful musical contribution to the day, to help raise and promote a safe, inclusive and empowering environment for rainbow young people. Well done Year 12 Rock group!

AMEB Examinations

Secondary

Congratulations to Miranda Lin (Year 7) who received her Viola grade 6 in late June. The Viola is Miranda’s second instrument with her first instrument being the Violin.

Miranda also passed her Grade 5 Music Theory exam last week – another terrific achievement that will allow her to receive the certification for subsequent practical examinations. Well done Miranda!

Primary

Congratulations to the following students who have recently completed AMEB music examinations. The girls worked very hard over many months to prepare in all areas of the syllabus for these national music exams.

• Angelina Wang (Year 6) – Piano Grade 6 Comprehensive
• Ivy Zhang (Year 3) – Piano Grade 4 Repertoire Video  
• Harriet Hilton (Year 4) – Violin Grade 3 Comprehensive
• Amelia Chow (Year 3) – Violin Grade 2 Comprehensive

In Term 4, we have 45 candidates enrolled to sit AMEB string examinations at SCEGGS in the Primary Music Room. We have requested for the exams to be scheduled on both Saturday 11 and Saturday 18 November and will have confirmation of the dates and times from the AMEB four weeks prior to the exams. A reminder that girls are encouraged to continue their daily practice routine over the school holidays where possible, to ensure that they are thoroughly prepared for these national music examinations in Term 4. Little and often is the best strategy for home practice. It is far better to do shorter practice sessions on all days of the week than longer practice on fewer days. Musical instrument study is like a fitness level – we need to train regularly to be in the best shape for performance!

Kids at the Con School Holiday Workshops

The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is running school holiday music workshops for children aged 5-10 years on Tuesday 26, Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 September. The workshops will include singing, imitation, movement, playing tuned and untuned percussion instruments, improvisation, story-telling and guided listening activities. All workshops take place in the Conservatorium’s historical Macquarie Street buildings. Participants only need to attend one workshop, as material will be repeated the following day. Click here for more information.

Austa String Festival

Due to popular demand, the Australian Strings Association NSW is hosting a second String Festival in Term 4 to give young string players the opportunity to perform in a friendly, non-competitive and supportive environment. Participants are invited to play one piece either solo or with an accompanist to the best of their ability. Participants will play one by one in a small group with other players of a similar age and ability. There are no winners, all participants will leave with a Certificate of Participation, a trophy and an adjudicator’s report. Each session is expected to take approximately an hour.

Upcoming Music Events

Term 3

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Thinking Allowed

You would all know that SCEGGS is committed to being an outstanding educator of girls. Pivotal to fulfilling this commitment is attracting, developing and retaining the most highly capable and engaged teaching staff, aided by the very best administrative support teams. And, just like the students are at the heart of what and why do things, our talented and dedicated staff are at the heart of how we achieve everything that we do at SCEGGS.

Part of our processes to evaluate how effectively we are fulfilling our commitment to being an outstanding educator is gaining feedback about our work via surveys. I really want to understand what SCEGGS is like – as a place to learn in and belong, and also for parents in their interactions with the School in delivering high quality education for their girls. So, we do a number of surveys of parents and students each year – to help us be the best possible school we can be. Striving to be the best possible school we can be means that SCEGGS is a great place to come to work to, and so, we survey our staff too to assess how they feel about SCEGGS as a workplace. We administer this staff survey through a company called Xref Engage (previously The Voice Project).

I was thrilled to learn, recently, that Xref Engage has recognised us through a “Best Workplace Award” – acknowledging that SCEGGS has exceptional levels of employee engagement and satisfaction across more than 40 industries. Our 2023 survey results exceeded their criteria for staff satisfaction generally, and also benchmarked significantly about other schools. Xref Engage says: “Your employees report exceptional levels of engagement and satisfaction, describing SCEGGS Darlinghurst as an outstanding place to work.” I am really pleased about this!

It got me thinking about what “an outstanding place to work” means for staff. I think it means:

1. Students are at the heart of what we do: A school that prioritises student wellbeing and engaged learning is a great school! Teachers value a school that focuses on creating an environment where students are motivated, challenged, and supported, as this can of course significantly impact their own satisfaction and success in the classroom.
2. Supportive and Collaborative Environment: A school should foster a culture of collaboration and support among teachers, administrators, and staff. This includes regular opportunities for teamwork, sharing of ideas, and professional development, which can contribute to a sense of belonging and purpose. Creating opportunities where teachers can learn from each other such as our recent “Sharing our Practice” staff meeting allows staff to feel empowered and valued and nurtures their strong camaraderie.
3. Effective Leadership and Communication: The senior staff or executive should communicate clearly with teachers. This involves listening to teachers’ and administrative staff input, addressing concerns, and providing guidance and direction to create a positive and focused working environment.
4. Quality Resources and Facilities: A school should provide modern, up-to-date resources, technology, and facilities that enhance teaching and learning. Having access to adequate teaching materials, technology, and well-maintained classrooms is essential so that staff can do their job well.
5. Respect for Teacher Autonomy: Schools should respect teachers’ professional judgment and autonomy in making decisions about what happens in their classroom. Giving teachers the freedom to tailor their teaching methods and approaches to the needs of their students can lead to greater job satisfaction and effectiveness. (NESA and other educational bureaucracies could learn a bit about this too!)

In summary, a good school for a teacher is one that values and supports their professional growth, provides a positive and inclusive environment, and offers the necessary resources and opportunities for them to excel in their roles. Which in turn leads to better outcomes for our girls.

It is so gratifying that we are recognised as offering all this and more!

Jenny Allum
Head of School

SPAN Presents Walk the Mile Live!

There are limited seats available for SPAN’s Walk the Mile Live! Join Rev Garry Lee-Lindsay for a conversation about working in the Performing Arts.

If you are interested in working or studying as a performer, administrator or educator or simply want to be part of an engaging discussion, this event is for you!

Monday 11 September 2023
6.30pm – 8.30pm
RSVP Friday 1 September

Join Elizabeth Butcher (Arts Administrator), actors Charlotte Friels, Deborah Galanos and Poppy Lynch, as well as Head of Drama Mr Eyers as they share their experiences and insights about their profession.

Connect with other like-minded peers over a light supper and great conversations!

Click here to book your ticket today!

Visual Arts

The Howard Tanner is a SCEGGS special award for Drawing. It is presented on Speech Night by Ms Allum.

All Visual Arts students are invited to submit their work in any drawing media on any subject and on any scale. You can select drawings from classwork or submit drawings created at home using the skills learnt in art classes or co-curricular drawing with Lilli. Expressive, imaginative, realistic and abstract drawings are all considered.

Eligible entrants are students from Years 9, 10 and 11 and Year 7 and 8 students who attend co-curricular Drawing classes here at SCEGGS.

An exhibition of submitted drawings will be displayed in JF1 in Term 4.

As it is an award for observational drawing it does not include manga or cartoon imagery.

You can hand in up to 3 drawings to Ms Jackson in the Art staffroom at any time by the second Friday of Term 4, 20 October by 9.00am.

Please make sure your name and your year is clearly marked on the back of your work.

Below are a range of past submissions.

Looking forward to seeing your great work.

This week’s banner is a work from the Visual Arts co-curricular Drawing Class by Sophia Whiting (Year 7).

Students are exploring historic photographs of SCEGGS in their current renderings.

Heidi Jackson
Head of Visual Arts 

Tournament of Minds

We are very proud of our Year 5 and 6 students who participated in the Regional Finals of the Tournament of Minds (TOM) Competition this year. The Primary School entered a team in each of the Social Sciences, STEM and The Arts disciplines. Each team worked hard to develop their Long-Term Challenge over six weeks and performed admirably on the day to present their Long-Term Challenge solution as well as compete in the unseen Spontaneous Challenge.

The STEM Team was commissioned by the ‘TOMadise’ Tourist Company to make replacement exotic birds for the imaginary island of ‘TOMadise’ whose population of magnificent bird-life continues to rapidly decline. The STEM Team, consisting of Bridget Weaver (Year 6), Holly Ancher (Year 6), Romy Schmidt (Year 6), Alexandra Millin (Year 5), Matilda Reuss (Year 5), Lucinda Carroll (Year 5) and Viola Heery (Year 5), was challenged to create an exotic bird which, when released from its perch, had to fly freely and unaided with no support or guide wires and without the use of an electronic power source. The bird had to complete two different manoeuvres and the girls had to explain the mathematics and science involved in their bird’s flight path. The girls approached this challenge with persistence and resilience, and they did an excellent job performing their solution on the day.

Demonstrating creative and divergent thinking, The Arts Team was tasked with the challenge to develop a 3D immersive art installation to represent an artist and a piece of their work. Selecting the artist Wassily Kandinsky and his famous artwork ‘squares with concentric circles’, the girls worked collaboratively to create their own costumes, props, a soundscape and dramatic script to bring the artwork to life. The team consisted of Erica Lansdown (Year 6), Ella Ungur (Year 5), Matilda Tatlow (Year 5), Annabelle Dempsey (Year 5) , Charlotte Randall (Year 5), Giselle Wharton (Year 5)  and Mackenzie Jothy (Year 5) and were recognised for their efforts with an Honours award on the day.

With a wonderful spirit of collaboration, the Social Sciences team, consisting of  Year 6 students Perdita Taylor, Clementine Reuss, Isla Roberts, Chelsea Fallshaw, Zara Anderson, Sienna Dwyer and Helena Squires, also received an Honours award. Their challenge was titled “Clash of the Ages” and required the girls to explain the cause of a time convergence where an event from a distant time in the past and a 20^th century event merged, causing the world we now live in to be completely different. The girls also received the very impressive Spirit of TOM Award. This award is given to the team that demonstrates the values that underpin the Tournament of Minds competition. It celebrates the teams’ ability to work collaboratively and to respect the views and opinions of all team members whilst abiding by the rules of the competition.

Congratulations to all the Primary girls who participated in the Tournament of Minds Competition.

Kristy Williams & Cristi Wilsmore 
TOM Primary School Facilitators

Primary Sport News

SCEGGS Sporting Values

At SCEGGS, we commit ourselves to letting our light shine. Letting your light shine comes across in various ways, both inside and outside the classroom. For those participating in sports and other activities at SCEGGS, we hope to see this light shining brightly each day. As we move into the latter half of the year and beyond, continue the conversation at home with your family about how and why these values are important to uphold. As a SCEGGS girl, how can you let your light shine each and every day? 

Sports Commitments

As we play our last round of games for Term 3 Sport later this weekend, a reminder about the procedures in place for any leave from Saturday Sport commitments. As stated in the Sports enrolment forms “SCEGGS expects parents/carers will request permission for Saturday Sport Leave from Mrs Helen Dempsey in the same way Leave would be requested from the ordinary school day, at least one week prior to the date being requested.” These commitments are also in place to help support our teams when we take to the field each week, ensuring we have enough players to compete against other schools.

IPSHA Athletics Team

Best of luck to our girls who were selected in the IPSHA Athletics Team who will be competing at the CIS Carnival on Week 10, Tuesday.

Please help us celebrate any other achievements outside of school!

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 Tom Mitton. These will be included in newsletters throughout the year.

Tom Mitton
Primary Sport Co-ordinator

Primary and Secondary Debating

Our Seniors win the Archdale Debating Competition!

This Tuesday our Year 7A and Senior team represented SCEGGS at the Grand Finals of this year’s Archdale Debating Competition. In what was a spectacular debate, our Senior team won against Abbotsleigh in the final, where they were affirmative on the topic: That the environmental movement should take more radical action in the fight against climate change (e.g., blocking roads, vandalism, blowing up pipelines etc.). The team consisted of Samantha Dawson, Alexandra Kuo, Helena Piazza, from Year 12 and Beatrix Rivers from Year 11. It was a privilege to watch this debate. For our three Year 12s – Samantha, Alexandra, and Helena – this was their final debate in a SCEGGS team. This cohort of Year 12s started Year 7 the year I started as Debating Coordinator, and it was very special to get to see their school debating topped off with this achievement. I have seen the dedication, enthusiasm, perseverance, and care for each other that led to this point – there is so much to be proud of, and I couldn’t think of a more deserving team. And with this win came some of the widest smiles I’ve ever seen! 

Our Year 7 team consisted of Flora Balagna, Anna Luo, Josephine Hatherall, and Lilly Zadgan. They debated on the negative of the topic: That we should not use juries in criminal trials. Although they lost in a 2-1 decision to Roseville College, being runners up in this 24-school competition is an immense achievement, and we are all so proud of the team – they have worked hard throughout the year, and this achievement is a testament to the fact that they have improved every single round. They all have long and bright debating careers ahead of them, and I am very excited to see their debating skills, and debating friendships, continue to grow.

Primary Debating

Our Year 6s debaters have been hard at work over the past week, completing their final round of lunchtime IPSHA debating, and competing in the IPSHA Debating Gala Day last Friday. It was success all round – both teams won their Round 7 IPSHA debates, and we won three out of four debates at the Gala Day. Lunchtime training will now continue, and we will work towards organising social debates between the SCEGGS debaters at lunchtime next term.

Our Year 5s have also been having lots of fun in our Introduction to Debating program. Each week we are met with a huge amount of enthusiasm, and it is great to see their skills and confidence grow.

Imogen Harper
Debating Coordinator

School Shop Notice

Summer uniform for sale

The SCEGGS Summer uniform is available for purchase in the School Shop.

The School Shop will commence selling the SCEGGS Summer uniform in week 9 of Term 3. The week of September 11. Students are to wear the Summer uniform in Term 4. If a full uniform fitting is required for your child, it is advisable to make an appointment. There are limited appointments available during term time. During the school term the most suitable time is between 9am-11am Monday to Friday. For new students, the official uniform fittings are conducted throughout January by appointment only.

For the existing parent and student community we offer an on-line facility to order Summer uniform items.

This Summer we are pleased to announce three new non-essential uniform items.

• There is now a SCEGGS Panama hat available to the Secondary girls. The retail cost is $80.00.

• To help keep the girls sunsafe in Summer whilst they play sport, we are happy to introduce a UV Baselayer undershirt to be worn under their sport tops. This garment retails for $55.00.
• To contain all the items that don’t fit in existing school bags, we have a new SCEGGS tote bag for $25.

The Year 12 Textbook list for 2024 is available on the SCEGGS site to the incoming cohort and can be accessed via this link.

Also, we have accumulated a collection of Lost Property items from Term 3. Secondary students with identifiable items in Lost Property are encouraged to collect them before the end of term. In addition we have water bottles, lunch boxes and sundry unnamed items waiting to be claimed. In the last week of term, these unnamed non uniform items will be displayed outside the School Shop for students to claim.

The School Shop will close on Friday 22 September and reopen on Monday 9 October.

We look forward to helping you with your Summer uniform needs.

Clare Reid
School Shop Manager 

Careers Corner

Welcome to issue 44 of the Careers Corner Newsletter. For students interested in studying medicine, there is important information about applying to varying universities. Also, students from Year 10 can also apply for a medical internship. This issue also contains information about applying to NIDA and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.” Click here to read more.

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Class Parent Events