Naplan Testing

As many of you would be aware, NAPLAN testing is being conducted earlier than usual this year. Instead of being held in May, the tests are now being held in March.  As the tests are conducted online there is a two-week window in which we are asked to conduct the tests. The arrangements we have put in place this year are as follows:

Years 3 and 5

• Wednesday 15 March – Writing Test – Year 3 will complete this with pen and paper and Year 5 will sit this test online.
• Thursday 16 March – the Reading Test will take place on this day. The girls will also complete the Language conventions Test (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar).
• Friday 17 March – the Numeracy Test will take place on this day.

Years 7 and 9

• Wednesday 15 March – The Writing Test will be completed first, followed by the Reading Test.
• Thursday 16 March – The girls will complete the Language Conventions Test (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar). The girls in Year 7 will also complete the Numeracy Test on this day.
• Friday 17 March – Year 9 will complete their Numeracy Test on this day.

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.

As these tests are being held earlier in the year, parents 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 in Term 2 rather than Term 3. Additionally, I would also like to let you know of some changes that are being made this year to the nature of the report that parents will receive. New NAPALAN Proficiency Standards are being introduced this year. Instead of the previous 10 band structure, the report on student performance will now consist of four levels of achievement. These new levels will be labelled: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs Additional Support. We will provide you with more information about what each of these levels represent and how to interpret the new reports when your 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

From the Chaplain

SCEGGS Podcast Walk The Mile: Episode 32 What Makes Science Social?

If you had the same school experience as me, Social Science was basically map reading and rock formations. From this conversation with our Head of Social Sciences, Zoe Thompson, I have been pleasantly enlightened to see how it is so much more and how it helps us to understand the world we live in, even on a daily basis. I hope you enjoy the discussion as much as I did.

We are published on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcast and Deezer, so you can access it easily from your preferred device. You will find each podcast as they are produced in this newsletter and on the other platforms as well as our website. I always welcome your feedback and suggestions for further conversations.

Toiletries and Pet Supplies Charity Drive

Thank you to everyone who has donated so generously to our collection of toiletries and pet supplies. I have been overwhelmed by the generosity and enthusiasm of our community (and even those outside of our community). I am going to keep it going for a couple more weeks and donations can be left in the baskets near the Chapel. I received a message today saying there was an urgent need for birdseed. Hopefully we can build up supplies in that area.

Garry Lee-Lindsay
School Chaplain

Science News

Powering up using Potatoes

The room was buzzing (with electricity!) this week, when students used potatoes and metals of different activity levels (zinc and copper) to power up their LED lights. Students learnt about the flow of electrons and ions, and how even the humble potato can be used to help provide electricity.

Students experimented with how many potatoes were needed to provide enough energy to light up the LED, and also tested out oranges as a comparison to potatoes.

The possible large-scale use of this type of cell was also discussed, based on some very interesting research suggesting that, with the right set-up, potatoes can be used to provide lighting for a room for 40 days, or power up cell phones and personal electronics for one tenth the cost of typical AA batteries (see here for further details).

Year 8 Pink Oyster Mushrooms

In other news, the pink oyster mushrooms grown by some Year 8s in JF9 grew so rapidly and to such a large size that they had to be harvested immediately. They were marinated and cooked on the sandwich press and turned into vegan bacon/jerky and enjoyed by Year 8 students on their recent excursion. The students were pleasantly surprised by the tastiness of the snack.

Mia Sharma
Science Teacher

Library Lovers’ Day in the Primary Library

Library Lovers’ Day is an initiative of the Australian Library and Information Association and is celebrated each year on 14 February. It is a day that honours libraries, books, reading and library lovers, and recognises the valuable role that libraries play in our lives. In the Primary Library, we continued our celebrations for the entire month of February!

This week, the Year 3 to 6 girls have participated in the Book Café, an annual Library Lovers’ event that has become a highlight of the calendar in the Primary Library. The Book Café is a unique experience where the girls ‘taste’ books just like they would taste food in a café. The space has been transformed to look like a real café, with menus, table numbers, and delicious treats. Students read and sample brand-new fiction and non-fiction titles while enjoying the relaxing café-like atmosphere. After the final course, the girls can decide which books they want to borrow. It is always a flurry of activity as the girls make their selections, eager to continue to read their favourite titles. “Chef Mac” is already planning next year’s event and can’t wait to surprise the students with new and exciting additions to the menu!

A Library Lovers’ Day Competition is currently underway with the aim of encouraging the girls to creatively express what they love about the Library, books and reading. It has been thrilling to see the entries arriving including the hand-written books, poems, dioramas, videos, posters, a paper chain of hearts with the names of favourite authors, and the huge Library Lovers Tree. One student made a felt bookworm, and this morning, a life-sized model of myself arrived; it is now sitting in my chair! These entries are a wonderful representation of the girls love for the library and the joy of reading.

Karen McBride
Primary Teacher-Librarian

Drama News

House Drama

House Drama is done and dusted for another year with Badham being the winning House!

This year’s challenge asked the girls to construct an origin story for a character from fiction. The imagination and creativity employed by the Houses was most impressive. We were engaged by thoughtful imaginings to the beginnings of Big Bird, Captain Jack Sparrow, Ursula the Sea Witch, Scooby Doo, Miss Trunchbull and E.T.

We were delighted to host actors Kate Fitzpatrick and Tom Campbell to adjudicate the 2023 House Drama festival. As always, this is a tough gig as the judges need to weigh the contributions of script, acting, elements of production, engagement, and theatricality. All Houses commenced this creative journey in Term 4 of 2022 and have been lead by a fine set of House Prefects – Sophie Davis, Eva Harris, Allegra Sintras, Scarlett Phillips, Elizabeth Lapham and Emma Juneja. I congratulate them on being fine role models and inventive practitioners.

Unfortunately there can only be one triumphant House and this saw Badham take the win with their vivid portrayal of the origins of Captain Jack Sparrow. Christian House were awarded second place for their conjuring of the life of Scooby Doo and in third place came the story of Big Bird delivered by Barton.

Beck, Docker and Langley entertained successfully too with their origin stories for Trunchbull, Ursula and E.T.

Thankyou to the House teachers and Miss Goodfellow and the Tech crew for their support of the Houses throughout this process. Bravo everyone!

Peter Eyers
Head of Drama

Music Matters

This week’s banner photo is from our performers at the Parents’ and Friends’ Welcome Cocktail Party.

SCEGGS 2023 Music Eisteddfod

The SCEGGS 2023 Music Eisteddfod Heats will commence at the end of this week (Week 6).

Instrumental Heats will be held on Friday 10 March (Week 6), Monday 13 March and Tuesday 14 March.

Vocal Heats will be held on Friday 17 March.

The Primary Eisteddfod heats will be held on the following dates:

Please ensure that your daughter brings her instrument, her music and the piano accompaniment on the day of her heat. An accompanist will be there to accompany the girls.

Please find the timetable for the Secondary Heats of the SCEGGS Music Eisteddfod. If you entered the Eisteddfod, please find your name on the timetable and write it in your diary immediately!

Rescheduling of missed heats will not be possible.

The Secondary Eisteddfod heats will be held on the following days:

Please note:

• Where possible heats have been scheduled in Music lessons.
• If your name is in red, you will be coming out of regular class time.
• Please let your teacher know in advance.
• You may leave 5 minutes before your heat time and must return to class immediately after your heat.
• Please bring your instrument (if required), music and accompaniment (if required).

Any issues with the timetable, please let me know as soon as possible.

The Eisteddfod Highlights Concert will be held on Friday 24 March at 6.00pm in the Great Hall. It is a free event and all are welcome.

We look forward to hearing your performance.

Margot Anthony Budd – ‘Beyond the Curriculum’ Award – Application close on Monday 13 March

The Margot Anthony Budd ‘Beyond the Curriculum’ Music Award is awarded annually to two Elective Music students in Years 8 to 11. The Award is to be used by students to support their continued involvement in musical activities, which serve to facilitate the development of their musical potential.  Please click here for further information.

Interested students need to submit their application to Ms Allum by Week 7 – Monday 13 March

 The recipients of the award will be announced at the Secondary Eisteddfod Highlights Concert on Friday 24 March 6.00pm.

Basie Jazz Band – 2023 P&F Cocktail Party

Congratulations to members of Basie Jazz Band who provided the musical backdrop for this year’s P&F Cocktail Party.  The girls played a selection of pieces and performed under the direction of Mr Michael Tierney.  Well done girls, the music was a wonderful feature for the evening.

Cantare

Last Thursday Cantare, our primary school curricular choir, welcomed composer Mike Lotzof to their rehearsal. Mr Lotzof has composed a new Australian musical called DreamRunners highlighting the impact of climate change.  The finale of this musical features a children’s choir to sing the environmental message that “our future’s in your hands”.  Cantare is looking forward to recording their part of DreamRunners which is being put on by Endangered Productions in April. Our young singers enjoyed learning about Mr Lotzof’s composition process, the storyline of DreamRunners and Cantare’s role in this musical. The girls were thrilled to receive I’m a DreamRunner badges and a book each from the musical producer and noted children’s book  author Caron Trafford on the day.

Music Committee 2023

The Music Committee is a group of five students, each holding an individual role associated with a type of ensemble at SCEGGS. Over the last few weeks, each member of the Committee has shared a little bit about themselves and why they love music! For our final instalment, this week, Bridgette Dunlop (Year 11), our 2023 Choral Captain, shares her musical journey. 

Hi! My name is Bridgette Dunlop and I have the privilege of being your Choral Captain for 2023. Music has always been a central part of my life as I have been singing, playing the violin and the piano since I was three years old, and it has always been one of my greatest passions. I am truly excited to be involved on the Music Committee this year, and be able to share my passion for music with other students across all the year groups. SCEGGS music has had a large impact on my music experience, and I have been playing and singing with my peers since 2012, getting involved with primary string groups and primary choirs, as well as high school groups such as Amati Ensemble, Contemporary Strings and also Choir, and Madrigal Ensemble, and will be continuing to be involved with music at SCEGGS this year by singing in the School Choir and Madrigal Ensemble. Music has helped me to learn skills that I have been able to apply over the years, especially in high school, including commitment, determination and discipline. Music has also provided me with different opportunities to express myself, to meet new people and to improve, while simultaneously offering a stress free environment to relax. I’m really looking forward to working with the rest of the Music Committee and Ms Chow to help get more students involved in music at SCEGGS, and by sharing my passions with other students, especially through choir, this year.

Thank you to all committee members for their contributions. We are so grateful to the music staff and conductors for the time they put into ensembles and various musical events, and we are excited for the year ahead of us!

AMEB Examinations – Preliminary Piano and 5^th Grade Viola

Congratulations to Dasha Jolley (Year 4) who sat her Preliminary Piano exam at the end of last year.  Dasha achieved and passed her examination with flying colours.

Congratulations also to Miranda Lin (Year 7) who completed her 5^th Grade Viola Repertoire Exam.  Miranda achieved an outstanding result for her examination. 

Well done Dasha and Miranda!

Pauline Chow
Head of Music

Secondary Sport News

Surf Life Saving

Well done to Annika Freiheit (Year 12) who competed at the NSW Surf Lifesaving Titles representing North Cronulla Surf Club. Annika won a Gold Medal as part of the U19 Rescue & Resuscitation Team, and a Silver Medal with the U23 team.

Further congratulations to Ruby Fry (Year 10) who represented Nth Bondi and won Gold in the U19 2 x 1km Beach Relay, Silver in the Open 2 x 1km Beach Relay and Bronze in the U17 2km Beach Run.

It is wonderful to see our SCEGGS students contributing so positively to this vital role in our community.

Touch

Good luck to Sophie Davis (Year 12) and Lily Cooney (Year 9) who are competing at the National Touch League being held in Coffs Harbour this weekend.

Equestrian

Congratulations to Chloe Copp (Year 12) who has been accepted to compete at the Easter Show as part of the Sydney Royal Horse Show. This comes after some excellent results at the NSW Indoor Titles in Tamworth.

Cricket

Well done to Elspeth Herbert (Year 8) and Marnie Flett (Year 8), who have both made it through to the final stage of selection trials for NSW U15 Girls Cricket Academy. These trials were held at Blacktown International Sports Park and the girls were lucky enough to bat together for a few overs. We look forward to hearing more as they continue their cricket journey.

Swimming

Good luck to Georgia Cate Baker Wood (Year 9) who is competing at the NSW Swimming Championships this weekend.

Snowsports 2023

For those SCEGGS families who are thinking about participating in the SCEGGS Snowsports Team, now is the time to lock in your accommodation before it all books out. SCEGGS competes in the Sydney Region of Interschools to be held in Thredbo from July 10 – 14. The emphasis at the regional level is on participation so students do not need to be super quick.  Students should however be capable of skiing or boarding down a blue run unassisted.

The competition is open to all students from Kindergarten – Year 12. More information can be found in these links:

• Regional Interschools Snowsport Competition Championships Fact Sheet
• Event Schedule 2023
• Snow Australia Interschools

Please contact Alison Gowan if you would like to discuss further.

SCEGGS at Play

Do you have any sporting news or photos to share in Behind 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 alisongowan@sceggs.nsw.edu.au

SCEGGS Training sessions before and after school plus Saturday Sport

Please check the @SCEGGSSport Twitter feed for the latest updates relating to cancellations and wet weather.

IGSA Fixtures, Results and Wet Weather

The IGSA website and platform for accessing wet weather, fixtures and team results can be found here.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact myself on 9052 2721 or 0418 491 521.

Alison Gowan
Director of Sport

Primary Sport News

Primary Cross Country Carnival

Our Primary Cross Country Carnival  was held at Queens Park on Tuesday 7 March. With a shortened program due to a hot day on forecast, it was fantastic to see so many girls get out there, get outside of their comfort zone and get sweaty and show some grit. Well done to all girls who ran either competitively or in the newly formed “Fun Run”. All girls displayed enthusiasm and gave their best effort running and cheering on their House.

Thank you to the Primary staff, Sports staff and coaches for their help around the track and a special thank you to our Cross-Country captains who worked closely with the staff and coaches to help ensure the Carnival ran smoothly.

Congratulations to the following girls:

Age Champions

Final Points and Places

Students being selected to represent SCEGGS at the IPSHA Cross Country Carnival will be contacted within the coming days.

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Dasha Jolley (Year 4) who represented SCEGGS Mountain Bike Interschools Carnival held at Thredbo this week. While we have some of Dasha’s results, at the time of writing we are still awaiting some more results from the competition. Check back next week to hear about how Dasha went!

Congratulations to Clementine Finlayson (Year 4) who was selected to represent Sydney East Hockey Association in their U11 Girls team. The team will compete in a carnival in Moorebank in May and in Tamworth in July. Well done Clementine!

Holiday Tennis Camp

SCEGGS’s Exclusive Tennis Coaches Justin and Vince are hosting a SCEGGS Primary School tennis program this upcoming school holidays.

All standards and welcome and are programmed for; Beginners, Intermediate, and Frequent Players.

What to expect through both days :

1. 4 Basic Stroke Techniques – Serve, Forehand, Backhand, Volley.
2. Interactive Tennis Drills.
3. Tennis Scoring System.
4. Fun and Fitness Games.

Note: Justin and Vince are the long-time and current coaches of the SCEGGS Tildesely Tennis Team and run certain PE tennis classes for our Primary School.

Please take a look at the attachment below and feel free to contact Justin or Vince if you have any questions/inquiries.

Sport Information

For Years 4-6, please download and use the IPSHA App on your mobile device for Saturday matches. All match locations are posted through the app.  Any wet weather will also be posted on the @SCEGGSport twitter feed.

Tom Mitton
PDHPE and Sport Coordinator: Primary

Public Speaking

Lions Youth of the Year Competition

Nicola Allen (Year 12) represented SCEGGS in the Area finals for the Lions Youth of the Year competition and won the public speaking section.  She presented a five minute prepared speech and delivered two very challenging impromptu speeches as well.  It was a very high standard and she did a wonderful job. Unfortunately she didn’t win the overall round but we congratulate her for her outstanding effort and speaking skills.

Inter-House Public Speaking Competition

The Inter-House Public Speaking Competition was held in Weeks 3 and 4 of this term and the winners are as follows.  Isobel Weston (Year 7) from Langley was the overall, individual winner followed by:

• 2^nd Sofia Tzouganatos (Year 7)
• 3^rd Jessica Gallie (Year 8)
• 4^th Alexis Monahan (Year 8)
• 5^th Josie Grayden (Year 8)

The overall places for the houses were:

• 6^th Beck
• 5^th Badham
• 4^th Langley
• 3^rd Barton
• 2^nd Christian
• 1^st Docker

Congratulations to all the speakers who took part. 

Rostrum Voice of Youth

Rostrum Voice of Youth begins this week, the SCEGGS team includes Sofia Tzouganatos (Year 7), Ashley Diec (Year 8), Sadie Juneja (Year 9), Celia Watson (Year 10), Sybilla Hooke (Year 11) and Nicola Allen (Year 12).  We wish them all the best for their heats which will take place in the next 2 weeks. 

Plain English Speaking Award

Trials for the Plain English Speaking Award will take place on Monday 20 March and Wednesday 22 March at lunch time in the Speech room.  Girls in Years 10 to 12 can enter and are required to deliver an eight minute speech on a topic of their choice. 

Elizabeth Walsh
Public Speaking Co-ordinator

Cyber Safety Information Evening for Year 7 and Year 8 Parents and Carers

Save the date – Tuesday 21 March at 6pm – for the team from ySafe to present at the Cyber Safety Parent Information Evening.

Protecting children in their digital world is an ever-evolving task for Australian families. Now more than ever parents are looking for guidance on how to manage screen time and navigate the world of games and social media, and to keep children safe online.

We are pleased to help our parent community by offering an education session with ySafe, Australia’s leading provider of cyber safety education. This practical, strategy-rich session will cover the most important points that all families need to know about online safety, covering key information about social media and gaming, screen time recommendations and step-by-step instructions on how to set up a cyber safe home for kids of all ages.

ySafe will then present to both Year 7 and Year 8 students during extended Form Time on Friday 24 March.

An email will be sent with a link to register.

This is an important school event for all parents and carers of Year 7 and Year 8 students to attend and we look forward to seeing you there!

Carol Bloomfield
Head of Student Wellbeing Programs

Butterfly Foundation Webinar

Body image is a leading concern for young people.  It can be hard for children and teens to be accepting of and confident in their bodies.  It can also be hard for parents and carers to know what to say or how best to support them (The Butterfly Foundation, 2023). 

The Butterfly Foundation is running a webinar for parents and carers of Primary and Secondary aged children on Tuesday 21 March 7pm – 8.15pm titled Body Confident Children and Teens see invitation here.  The seminar provides practical tips to help understand and promote positive body imagine in the family home and support body confidence in young people.  Please click here to access more information about this webinar.

As parents and carers, you can have a positive impact on your child’s body image.  The Butterfly Foundation have also developed a free parenting resource which outlines some helpful tips to creating healthy body image and warning signs to be aware of.  Please click here to access the tip sheet.

If you are concerned about your child or would like to discuss support options further, you can contact:

• Your child’s Year Co-Ordinator
• Director of Student Wellbeing Laura Connolly
• Deputy Head of Student Wellbeing Sarah Johnstone
• One of the School Counsellors
• The Butterfly Foundation National Helpline 1800 33 4673
• Your GP

Olivia Whelan
SCEGGS School Counsellor

Years 2 and 3 Author & Illustrator Visit Sophie Masson and Lorena Carrington

On Tuesday 14 March, students in Years 2 and 3 will have the opportunity to meet and hear from the highly acclaimed Australian author, Sophie Masson and the illustrator, Lorena Carrington.

Sophie was made Member of the Order of Australia in the 2019 Australia Day honours for significant service to literature as an author and publisher. She has written over 70 books, catering to audiences from children to adults. Lorena has made a name for herself as an illustrator of various Australian children’s books and book covers.

During the 40-minute presentation, Sophie and Lorena will be celebrating the release of their new layered picture book, Satin, as well as taking questions about the writing and illustration process.

There is no cost for this visit and it will take place in the Primary Library on Tuesday 14 March 2023 at 2pm.

 The students may order signed copies of Satin books via the link.

The books will be delivered to school after the author visit. Book orders close on Friday 24 March.

Karen McBride
Primary Teacher-Librarian

Autumn Vacation Care

With the Autumn holidays fast approaching, we would like to take the opportunity to share our Autumn Vacation Care Program with you.

The service will be operating from Tuesday 11 April – Monday 24 April 2023, with school returning on the Wednesday 26 April 2023.  The service is open for current Primary SCEGGS girls and their school aged siblings only.

The vacation care program for April has a wonderful variety of excursions and incursions and exciting in-house days at the centre for all children to enjoy. Click here to view the full program of events.

If you would like to book your child into Vacation Care, please follow the TryBooking link to generate your tickets.

Please note, that if you have not yet enrolled your child into our After School/ Vacation Care Service through the OWNA website or you are a new family joining SCEGGS in 2022, you will be required to fill out enrolment documentation prior to booking. This can be accessed via the link here.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any inquiries about Vacation Care.

After School Care

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

Class Parent Events