From Ms Allum

As we begin a new term, I am reminded once again of the extraordinary spirit that defines our school. In just these first two weeks, I have witnessed countless moments that affirm what we already know to be true: SCEGGS is far more than a school – it is a deeply connected, purposeful, and vibrant community, where every girl is known, supported and celebrated.

One of the most profound expressions of this is the way we have continually come together to help make SCEGGS the best it can be for our girls. From the redevelopment of the Primary School in 2003, to the new Joan Freeman Science, Art and Technology Centre in 2013, and now, the transformation of Wilkinson House – each step forward has only been possible because of the enduring generosity and shared belief of our community.

The strength of the community’s philanthropic support has been more evident than ever via the Light Her Path Campaign. Almost $10 million has been raised for the redevelopment of Wilkinson House and nearly $3.5 million received for the expansion of our means-tested scholarship program. This is remarkable progress so far and I am profoundly grateful to everyone who has contributed in a way that is meaningful for them; every gift is deeply valued.

All donors will be acknowledged and those who have contributed $10,000 or more will receive a commemorative brick on the Light Her Path Honour Board. This part of the project is now complete, with over 190 names – representing current families, past families, Old Girls and other supporters – to be part of this installation.

Meanwhile, the redevelopment is maintaining momentum, with the crane due to be dismantled later this term and the roof and oculus are being installed. While it may not look like it now, the new Wilkinson House will be a beautiful, functional and inspiring learning environment – one that I can’t wait to see our girls make their own later this year.

Finally, I look forward to seeing many of you at the P&F Trivia Night tomorrow evening. Whether you’re joining to test your knowledge or simply enjoy each other’s company, I know it will be a night filled with laughter, community spirit, and perhaps even a bit of healthy competition!

Best wishes

Jenny Allum
Head of School

130th Anniversary Music Concert

This birthday celebration concert will start at 6pm in the Sydney Town Hall and will feature students from Year 3-12.

Bookings will be essential with tickets going on sale later this month.

Primary School Mothers’ Day Breakfast

Yesterday, we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming our Primary School mothers, grandmothers, and special family members to celebrate Mothers’ Day together.

The Primary playground was abuzz with joy as hundreds of special guests gathered to enjoy a well-earned morning coffee from our dedicated coffee cart, a delicious assortment of breakfast treats, and a variety of fun activities.

Among the many highlights were the pamper booth in the Multi-Purpose Room, where some lucky guests walked away with fresh new hairstyles and makeovers, the calm and creative atmosphere of mindful colouring in the Art Room – a lovely opportunity to slow down and connect – and of course, the ever-popular photo booth, capturing plenty of smiles and special moments.

Thank you to all who joined us. Wishing you all a very special Mothers’ Day!

Here are some photos from the day

Helen Dempsey
Head of Primary School

Year 5 Outdoor Education Camp – Tallong

Despite the steady rain drenching the streets of Darlinghurst, the Year 5 SCEGGS students set off for their camp to Tallong with unwavering enthusiasm and refused to let the gloomy weather dampen their spirits. Laughter and excitement filled the air as they boarded the bus, their faces bright with anticipation for the adventure ahead. Their resilience shone through, proving that a little rain was no match for their eagerness to embrace the challenges and fun that awaited them in the Southern Highlands. Fortunately, by the second day, the clouds parted, and the sun poked through and by Friday it was blue skies galore, which helped keep spirits consistently high!

Throughout the 3-day camp, the girls demonstrated a great understanding of the Southbound motto ‘challenge by choice’ to push themselves outside their comfort zone. With the support of their camp leader and group buddies, they tackled the high ropes course and giant’s ladder with determination and teamwork and paddled persistently across the water in canoes. Immersing themselves in the natural beauty of Tallong, they took a bushwalk where they learned about the traditional owners of the land, deepening their appreciation for the history and culture that surrounded them. They also took moments to pause and listen to the sounds of the bush, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the inner city of Sydney. They learnt how to better navigate through the bush with orienteering skills, and jumped on mountain bikes, to either build on or extend their bike riding skills.

We couldn’t write about this camp without giving a special mention to the Tallong chef, fondly known as ‘Chef-ree’. His joyful demeanour and engagement with the SCEGGS students and teachers were notable. And the delicious, warming food he produced ensured we were all very well fuelled to keep the energy levels up for all activities.

It was wonderful to see the girls strengthen existing friendships but also branch out to connect some more with others they haven’t spent as much time with yet. The teachers were purposeful in their groupings in cabins and day groups to encourage this and it allowed for a lovely dynamic.

I would like to thank all the Year 5 students, the SCEGGS staff (Mr Hammond, Ms O’Brien, Mrs Ryan and Mrs Ward) and the team from Southbound Adventures who so enthusiastically contributed to the 3-day trip and helped to make the camp a real success!

Sarah Johnstone
Deputy Head of Primary (Student Wellbeing)

Secondary Sport News

Sailing

SCEGGS sent a team to compete at the NSW Teams Racing Competition that was held at Georges River Sailing Club over the weekend.  The team consisted of Alexa Argy (Year 12), Lucy Balderstone (Year 9), Sophia Bolot (Year 9), Michaela Docherty (Year 10), Isobel Payne (Year 12), Natalie Perkins (Year 9) and Abigail Tattersall (Year 10) and they were coached by Hannah Kernohan (Class of 2022) and Olivia Chadwick (Class of 2022).

The competition got off to a slow start on Friday after delays with heavy rain, wind and traffic incidents. SCEGGS faced some tough competition first up with Cranbrook 1, Riverview 1 and Scots 1. From there the team posted wins against Pymble Ladies’ College and Monte Sant Angelo. Saturday saw more favourable racing conditions with lots of close racing and beautiful clear skies. Overall SCEGGS were the 6^th placed girls school team. Well done!

Sailing training and lessons will continue every Monday afternoon at Woollahra Sailing Club throughout Term 2.

Touch

It has been pleasing to see some keen SCEGGS touch players entering additional teams into the Easts Touch midweek and Sunday morning competitions this year.

A special shout to our Touch Captain Olivia Davis (Year 11) who upon seeing a group of Year 7s on their own offered to coach them on the weekend.

We wish you all well for your competition this term.

Netball

Congratulations to Alicia Singh (Year 12) who was selected in the IGSA U’19 Netball Team this week. Alicia will represent IGSA at the NSWCIS U’19 Netball Championships to be held at Netball Central, Homebush next week. We wish her all the very best for the competition.

Hockey

Congratulations to Jessica Weatherall who was selected in the IGSA U19 Hockey Team this week. Jessica will represent IGSA at the NSWCIS U19 Hockey Championships to be held at the Moorebank Hockey Fields next week. We wish her all the very best for the competition.

Jess recently returned from a tour of Europe over the holidays with the Australian U17 team. The tour was a wonderful learning experience with the Australian girls played against some very strong opposition from top European teams. We wish her well for the upcoming hockey season and following her progress.

Athletics

Well done to the 19 students who competed in the 1500m races on Monday at Athletics Training.

It was a wonderful afternoon, and all students put in a great effort!

Cross Country

Good luck to the 55 SCEGGS competitors who are busy preparing for the IGSA Cross Country Championships to be held at Frensham next Friday. We look forward to a wonderful day of competition.

The GPS Saturday morning Cross Country races are currently taking place. They commence at 9am each week and female runners from girl’s schools are encouraged to attend. Well done to Annabelle Jessup (Year 9) who competed last weekend at Upjohn Park and was the first female across the line in 26^th position overall.

The remaining fixtures are as follows:

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

Saturday Sport

Round 1 of IPSHA Minkey/Hockey and Netball commenced last Saturday. The IPSHA Netball teams managed two wins with the 6A team starting strong, winning 12-7 over Queenwood and the 5B team defeated Danebank 6-1. In IPSHA Minkey/Hockey, the combined 5/6 team had a close 2-2 draw and the 4A team went down against a well-drilled Abbotsleigh side. There were some tough games across both sports, however, well done to all the girls who showed grit and determination and kept fighting to the end. The Year 3 Touch Football competition commences this Saturday. A reminder to check Clipboard to ensure you are aware of your daughter’s game time and location.

Student Achievements

Last weekend, Sienna Evans (Kindergarten) was awarded the Under 6 Age Champion at Balmain Little Athletics 2024/25 season. She was also awarded the Balmain Spirit Award from the club. In the photo below, the award includes the following. “Sienna consistently turns up and gives her best, achieving countless personal bests throughout the season. She is supportive of her peers and polite to her coaches”. How wonderful that she not only achieved fantastic results, but enjoyed her first season at Little Athletics. Congratulations, Sienna. Keep ‘Shining Your Light’!

Congratulations to Georgina Sharp (Year 5) who had a couple of huge weeks in April with her Equestrian pursuits. She competed at Grand Nationals on her new pony and was awarded Champion Childs large open pony. Grand Nationals is one of the biggest competitions of the year where Georgina competed against some of the best riders in Australia and New Zealand. She then went on to the Sydney Royal Easter show where she won ribbons in every class she competed in, including Champion Arabian Derivative and Reserve Champion Australian Saddle Pony; even beating some adults in the process! Congratulations Georgina!

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

Primary and Secondary Music

We have an incredibly exciting term ahead with hundreds of students in Years 3 – 12 preparing for the:

Performances

Sunday Rehearsals

To prepare for this important event, we have scheduled two Sunday rehearsals:

Sunday 1 June

Sunday 15 June

If your daughter is unable to attend a Sunday rehearsal, please communicate directly with the Ensemble Director (Miss Harrigan, Ms Holmes, Mrs Sweeney or Mr Tierney).

Commitment to Co-curricular Music Ensembles

A reminder to all students and families:

• Full attendance at rehearsals is essential in Term 2.
• Please review the Music Department’s Commitment Policy (Secondary students) on page 34 of the school diary.

Check Clipboard regularly for updates. (For help with Clipboard access, please contact Alice Kotowicz).

Additional Performance Highlights

Alongside preparations for the 130^th Concert, we have many other exciting events across our Primary and Secondary programs, including Assembly performances, a Rock Showcase, and community performances.

Thank you for your ongoing support. We can’t wait to share these performances with you!

CVE Assembly Performance

Congratulations to Contemporary Vocal Ensemble for their rousing performance in assembly. They reprised Lanterns by Birds of Tokyo. Congratulations to the students, conductor Mr Massey, and accompanist Ms Holmes.

Inner West Eisteddfod

Congratulations to Miranda Lin, Year 9 for receiving a Highly Commended award at the Inner West Eisteddfod last weekend. Miranda performed My Homeland by Smetana and Concerto in D Major K218 by Mozart. Eisteddfods are great opportunities for students to gain additional solo performance experience and we commend Miranda for her involvement.

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)

Public Speaking

Public speaking continues in Term 2 with two exciting competitions taking place. The first is the final of the Dame Enid Lyons Oratory Competition which will be held at the Opera House on Wednesday May 21 at 6pm, audience to be seated by 5.45pm.

Celia Watson (Year 12) will be representing the school having progressed through the first round as one of 10 students chosen to compete in the final. Tickets are free but need to be booked through the link below. It should be an entertaining and thought provoking evening. If you have any questions contact Elizabeth Walsh.

For more information please click here.

Best of luck to Jessica Gallie (Year 10) and Daisy Carson (Year 10) who will be representing the school at the Plain English Speaking Award this week as well.

Elizabeth Walsh
Speech and Public Speaking Co-ordinator

Visual Arts

In the Visual Arts Department we love to see SCEGGS students enter external art competitions, exhibitions, and prizes. While partaking in these opportunities takes a certain amount of grit, determination and bravery, we have witnessed students excel in these opportunities, gaining valuable experience by presenting their work to a wider audience along with receiving recognition for their efforts and skill.

Some examples from the recent past include: Aurelia Cortese (Year 12 student) who was Highly Commended in the Waverley Woollahra 9 x 5 Landscape Prize in 2024; Imogen Zimmerle (Year 12 student) was selected for the Young Archies exhibition in 2023 at the Art Gallery of NSW with her hand drawn portrait of Ms Jenny Allum; Jade Brennan (class of 2024) a  finalist in the 2024 Australian Life Photography Competition and Bianca Rozsa (class of 2024) was awarded 1st prize for her short film Suspended Arc in the Waverley Woollahra Short Film Prize.

There are a few current opportunities that we encourage SCEGGS students to enter:  

Waverly Youth Art Prize

Open to students aged between 9-18 years old. Submit an application online and deliver your work to Waverley Library by Friday 23 May.

For more information click here.

Staedtler Secondary School Artist of the Year Competition.

Open to all students from Year 7 to 12, from Monday 12 May and closing on Thursday 19 June.

For more information click here.

The Young Paddo Prize

Australian landscape painting on A4 paper. Open to students aged 5-18 years old. Entries now open until Sunday 29 June.

For more information click here.

Youth Photographic Award and Short Film Prize.

Open to all students from Year 7 to 12, from Thursday 1 May to  Friday 4 July Work to be submitted to the Art Department.

For more information click here.

Banner Acknowledgement: This week’s banner is by Zara Eade (Year 11).

Louise Willems
Visual Arts Teacher

Year 4 and 5 Parent Information Session

Your daughters are at an age where they will likely be going through a lot of emotional and possibly physical changes. Often it isn’t easy to navigate this stage of development as a parent or know the right thing to say to help your daughter cope with the considerable amount of change.

We acknowledge that these changes are occurring earlier and earlier and have adapted the PDHPE program for Years 4 and 5 to ensure we cover this important learning at the right time.

We thought it fitting to also welcome you to school for a session to hear about how we will explore this topic and provide suggestions, share resources and discuss the girls’ wellbeing during this development stage.

We’d love to see parents there, no matter their gender, to learn together as a community with the goal of equipping your daughter with the correct knowledge and skills to flourish!

Please RSVP your interest in attending via this link.

Sarah Johnstone
Deputy Head of Primary (Student Wellbeing)

Careers Corner

Please click here to view the latest issue of the Careers Corner Newsletter.

Featured in this issue is information about:

If you have any feedback or information for future Careers Corner Newsletters, please get in touch with our Careers Advisor, Andrea Pinnock.

Andrea Pinnock
Careers Advisor 

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Class Parent Events