TERM 1 - WEEK 9 MARCH 2021

Time flies faster than a weaver’s shuttle.

Visit the Parent Portal to edit your profile, view the calendar and view parent notices.

It was with great excitement that we hosted TEDxYouth@Abbotsleigh 2021 today. More than 300 audience members, including students and staff from Abbotsleigh, visiting schools and invited guests were treated to the live event in the Peter Duly Concert Hall. Many of others, both at Abbotsleigh and those well beyond the School gates, were able to participate in the event virtually via live stream. With 10 fascinating speakers (some of whom were Abbotsleigh Old Girls) and a number of performances, as well as Fast Ideas time for audience members, TEDxYouth@Abbotsleigh 2021 with its theme of ‘Connect’, was absolutely BRILLIANT!

As our Head Prefect, Emma Thornthwaite said in her introduction: "‘Connect’ - sounds simple, right? But when was the last time you actually embraced the word, challenged yourself to step outside your comfort zone and connect with someone new? We are often good at sharing superficially, but it takes courage and often a preparedness to be vulnerable to share deeply. At Abbotsleigh, we strive to establish genuine connections and to ‘share from the heart’. We believe this can truly happen through courage and vulnerability. Our event today brings the true essence of the word to the stage; from speakers who’ve taken on the challenge to connect with an audience. This requires a lot of courage and will ultimately bring joy and inspiration. Genuine connections occur when we listen to diverse voices and welcome new ideas and opinions to help us better understand others.”

Our first Abbotsleigh TEDxYouth conference, an initiative of Natasha Huang (SRC President, 2019) was held in 2018 and we were delighted that Natasha was our first guest speaker this morning, Zooming in from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. We had planned to hold our second TEDxYouth conference last year, but this had to be postponed due to COVID-19. Thus, this year’s event has been ‘in

The

ShuttleFROM THE HEADMISTRESS

TEDxYouth@Abbotsleigh

Let’s connect in 2021: Our year of connectionMrs Megan Krimmer Headmistress

IN THIS ISSUE

Headmistress

Chaplain

Community

Junior School

Senior School

the making’ for more than two years and it didn’t disappoint. It was fabulous that so many participants could experience it live.

At Abbotsleigh, we place great emphasis on learning that lasts beyond school and continues to be invaluable as our students move into the future workforce. Dispositions such as complex problem solving, critical thinking, working collaboratively and opening our minds to understand others are all essential skills in being active and contributing members of a community. The girls who organised today’s events displayed these learning dispositions in trumps! Thank you to those dedicated students on the TEDxYouth@Abbotsleigh team for organising such an inspirational event – Tameea Lock, Emma Thornthwaite, Sophie Wines, Deepti Bhanushali, Sophie Meldrum, Athena Zhang, Antonia Farram, Charlotte Wingfield-Digby, Braveena Maheswaran, Ashley Chan, Jasmine Burton, Zara Vellani, Katrina Gao and Jennifer Riley.

I would also like to thank Ms Catherine Oliver, Mr Jon Adams, Ms Jeanine Kobylinski and Mrs Donna Moffatt for guiding the girls along this exciting journey. Special thanks must go to Mr Joel Ford who has been instrumental in our TEDxYouth events. This year, Mr Ford has generously volunteered his time, working with the girls from his home in Queensland, and it was wonderful that he was able to join us today for this very special event. Thank you very much indeed, Mr Ford – the whole Abbotsleigh community is very grateful for all that you have done in continuing to connect with us.

A big thanks also to all the staff and students at Abbotsleigh, who worked so hard behind the scenes to bring everything together on the day. This includes our amazing AV team and backstage crew, our IT staff and the Maintenance and Development teams.

TERM 1 - WEEK 9 MARCH 2021

Bullying: No way!Mrs Megan Krimmer Headmistress

An important message from our girls and Mrs Cannon, Director of Wellbeing and Counselling

Friday 19 March was the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. Our Head Prefect, Emma Thornthwaite, presented on this theme to the Senior School Assembly this week.

“While we are very lucky at Abbotsleigh to be in an extremely supportive environment, we may all experience bullying at different times in our life. Bullying is deliberate and it can happen anywhere, both in person and online. It makes others feel anxious, hurt and lonely and no one deserves to feel this way.

If you ever see bullying behaviour, it’s important that you don’t just let it slide. Be an upstander, not a bystander. If you feel safe, stand up to the person doing the bullying and make it clear that what they are doing is wrong. It can be tricky and uncomfortable doing this; however, in calling out the unkind behaviour, you’re sending a powerful message to others that it’s not okay to be mean.

Once you’ve called out the behaviour, it’s important to check in on the person being bullied and see how they’re going. Even sending them a simple message can go a long way and show them that you’re there to support them.

Make sure you get extra help if your friend seems down. Have a chat to your parents or if something’s happening at school seek support from your Tutors, Year Coordinator, Dean or School Counsellors. If you see cyberbullying occurring, report it. Do your bit to make the internet a safer place for everyone and report posts that are intentionally trying to hurt someone.

Make sure that your relationships on and offline are kind and respectful.”

At Abbotsleigh we aim to create a safe and supportive school community for everyone. As parents, we have an important part to play in helping to prevent bullying and in helping our children to respond effectively if it happens. Stopping bullying involves everyone.

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ChaplainThe ugly beauty of true loveRev Jenni Stoddart Chaplain

This photo is of me and my older brother. It reminds me of the ugly beauty of true love. You see my brother and I are very, very different. We spent our childhood and much of our teens fighting or avoiding each other, or at least I think it felt like that to our parents. Today, he is not just a brother but my dear friend. Why? Our sibling rivalry was broken by the ugly beauty of love born out of facing life together and learning to give up and for each other. It is this kind of love that truly forms us as people.

As I complete my time at Abbotsleigh and move on from a place, people and role that I love, I want to thank you for the opportunity to walk with your daughters during days which significantly form them as people. I want to acknowledge the true beauty of the work that my colleagues at Abbotsleigh do – it is the work of forming people. The true beauty of Abbotsleigh is the love demonstrated in deep care for each student. I am humbled to work with colleagues who know the ugly beauty of true love; who give up and for their students in generosity.

There is one guarantee for me as I move on to a new ministry. Love. Jesus is the true teacher of the ugly beauty of love. At Easter he died on a cross – ugly. He died on a cross on our behalf to take away the sins of the world – beautiful. He gave up his life for our sake. And he did so that we might be numbered as

children of God and belong as Jesus’ dear friends. God himself has chosen to face life together with us. That is the ugly beauty of true love.

This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:9-11

If your child talks to you about bullying:

1. Listen calmly and get the full story. Your calm response is important to allow your daughter to tell you all about the situation. After they have told you their story, ask questions to get more details if you need to: who, what, where, when. Although you may feel some strong emotions about your child’s experience, try to keep calm to avoid more distress for your daughter.

2. Reassure your daughter they are not to blame. Many children blame themselves and this may make them feel even worse. You could say things like, ‘That sounds really hard to deal with. No one should have to put up with that.’ or ‘I’m so glad you told me.’

3. Ask your daughter what they want to do and what they want you to do. A critical part of your response is to avoid jumping in to solve the problem. While it is natural to want to protect your child, helping them to find their own solution is a better option. It helps them feel they have some power and control over the situation.

4. Visit the Bullying. No way! website for more strategies. The website has tips and ideas for different bullying situations. One

idea is to practise strategies at home to help your daughter feel more confident. Further information and resources can also be found on the eSafetyparents website and the School TV site accessed through the Parent Portal.

5. Contact the School. Your daughter may be reluctant for you to do this, so discuss the idea and reassure her that the School would want to know and is able to help. Contact the School immediately if you have a concern about your child’s safety.

6. Check in regularly with your daughter. Keep the conversation going. Your ongoing support is important. Remember to have age appropriate boundaries around social media use and that no matter how old your daughter is, there should be no devices in bedrooms overnight.

Please feel free to contact the School if you would like to discuss any aspect of our approach to preventing bullying.

If I can be of any assistance to you regarding your daughter’s wellbeing or mental health, please contact me, Liz Cannon, School Counsellor/Director of Wellbeing and Counselling either by email or call me on 9473 7836. The girls also know that there is support at school when needed.

TERM 1 - WEEK 9 MARCH 2021

Community

APA sponsored parent seminar: Helping your daughter manage stress to help enhance her wellbeing and academic success Mrs Megan Krimmer Headmistress

News from the APA Dr Ambereen Qureshi APA President

We are looking forward to the evening with Professor Viviana Wuthrich when she presents ‘Helping your daughter manage stress to help enhance her wellbeing and academic success’. All parents with daughters from Years 3-12 are warmly invited to attend this very informative event.

Monday 29 March 2021 6-7 pm Via Zoom

BOOK HERE

About the speaker

Professor Viviana Wuthrich is an Executive Member of the Centre for Emotional Health and the Director of the Centre for Ageing, Cognition and Wellbeing at Macquarie University. She is a Registered Psychologist with clinical endorsement.

About the event

Professor Wuthrich’s research focuses on understanding the underlying mechanisms of anxiety and depression. She will

A couple of updates from the APA:

New freezer

Usually a kitchen appliance doesn’t invoke such joy, but I am very pleased to report that we have a new APA freezer which will be located in the Junior School.

This will allow us to store food items that we use for many events starting with the ice creams which will be available at Cinema Under the Stars this Saturday night.

Cinema Under the Stars

Thank you to all the Abbotsleigh Parent Reps and volunteers who have signed up to help at the much anticipated Cinema Under the Stars event.

There are still a couple of slots available if you would like to help out. Please click here (and scroll down the tabs).

An evening full of fun is planned and it looks like the weather will be fine!

address the issue of stress and anxiety and the impact this can have on mental health. She will also outline practical and evidence-based ways that parents can help their daughter manage stress to help enhance their overall wellbeing and academic success.

A very heartfelt thank you in advance to all the staff and grounds staff at the Junior School for your efforts in making this possible. And last but not least, much gratitude to Kathy Campbell and Heidi Grout for their tireless work on this event.

APA sponsored wellbeing parent seminar

Finally, don’t forget the APA sponsored wellbeing parent seminar on Monday 29 March.

‘Helping your daughter manage stress to help enhance her wellbeing and academic success’ presented by Professor Viviana Wuthrich.

Don’t miss out – book here now!

Dates for your diary

A couple of dates to pencil in for Term 2 2021:

• APR Meeting Wednesday 5 May (venue TBC)

• APA Meeting Monday 17 May (venue TBC)

• APA Social – Trivia Night Saturday 29 May

The APA is delighted to announce that we will be holding a Trivia Night on Saturday 29 May. It’s time to get your general knowledge back up to speed and start planning your funky outfits.

Further details will be shared in due course!

As this is the last Shuttle edition of this term, I hope that everyone has a happy and restful holiday.

TERM 1 - WEEK 9 MARCH 2021

This year, the Mother’s Day Classic is going local! Mother’s Day Classic Local combines the flexibility of a virtual fun run or walk with the community atmosphere seen at physical Mother’s Day Classic events.

Registration for Mother’s Day Classic is now open and we would love you to join us on Team AbbGirls. Click here to join in the fun.

So, on Mother’s Day, set out to achieve your goal in your own time and place or at one of the MDC local locations. Honour those touched by breast cancer and remember that you’re making a significant impact by getting active for life saving breast cancer research.

Click here to find out more about this worthwhile and fun event.

Mother’s Day ClassicMrs Belinda Burton Abbotsleigh Old Girls’ Union President

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Junior SchoolWe are gratefulMs Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

How wonderful it is to have enjoyed a term where comparative normality has reigned. Learning, excursions, incursions and camps have happened in their usual fun and challenging manner. We have even found means to invite all parents back onto campus, albeit with mandated restrictions. This very busy, full and successful term concludes on Wednesday of next week with House Cup for the girls and our traditional Easter Egg Hunt for all parents and girls in Transition to Year 2. I take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support you have brought to the Junior School. Staff and parents, together, have ensured that girls have been well engaged with the learning process and that the outcomes achieved have been most positive.

I have thoroughly enjoyed coming to know the girls better this term through the many events and activities that have occurred. From visiting year groups while out during the Outdoor Education Week, to seeing the girls perform at sports trials,

the Swimming and Cross Country Carnivals and affirming the School Values with the girls through Chapel and Assembly, I have come to admire anew the girls’ delight in engagement, determination to learn and positive disposition.

We are all very much looking forward to what is forecast as a dry Cinema Under the Stars event with nearly all girls attending and many parents taking the opportunity to join in this community evening. From the fun of arm and hand painting, slime making, succulent garden creating, memory making through the photo booth and games on the play equipment, this will certainly be a wonderful start to the evening. The movie is much anticipated, and I believe will offer great entertainment for all. Our sincere thanks to Kathy Campbell, Ambereen Qureshi and all the volunteer parents. Indeed, how fortunate we are to be part of such a connected and robust community!

Staff updatesMs Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

I will share with our girls at our fun end of term House Cup Assembly information about staff change. We are most grateful for the wonderful teaching and support Mrs Melissa Tilbrook has provided to the Year 2O girls this term. Her knowledge of the girls, exemplary teaching practice and warm pastoral support have seen her students thrive. We thank Mrs Tilbrook and look forward to welcoming back Mrs Amber Thomson from maternity leave. Mrs Thomson will be the Year 2O teacher as Term 2 commences.

I also proudly share with our community the wonderful achievement of Miss Susanna Matters who was recently awarded the Macquarie University 2020 Rising Star Alumni Award. I share here the citation read out at the ceremony giving insight to Susanna’s accomplishments and continued advocacy for education and women:

Susanna Matters is a primary educator with a background in advocacy and international development. In 2010, she was an Australian delegate to the 54th United Nations Commission into the Status of Women. Together with her colleagues at the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), she lobbied for the International Day of

the Girl Child, which was implemented in 2012. Susanna is also a former UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador.

During her BA/DipEd (2012) at Macquarie University, Susanna went to Kenya as a volunteer teacher and, in response to the situation where girls were missing up to a quarter of their education due to a lack of access to sanitary products, she founded Goods for Girls. Susanna was named The Australian Women’s Weekly’s inaugural Woman of the Future for her work, and Good for Girls has directly contributed to increasing girls’ attendance rates at school in Muhaka, Kenya, by 44 per cent.

In 2015, Susanna received the New South Wales Teachers’ Guild Certificate of Excellence for Early Career Teachers. In 2017, she was awarded with excellence a Masters in Gifted Education from the University of NSW and named the Australian College of Educators NSW Young Professional of the Year. In 2018, she was accredited as an experienced teacher and, most recently, Susanna has completed a Professional Certificate of Educational Neuroscience from the University of Melbourne. Currently teaching at Abbotsleigh in Wahroonga, NSW, Susanna leads from the heart to create a positive ripple effect for young girls everywhere.

We warmly congratulate Susanna on her commitment to learning for all and consider ourselves indeed fortunate that the is contributing so efficaciously to our community here at Abbotsleigh.

TERM 1 - WEEK 9 MARCH 2021

When are we too old to be read to?Ms Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

Because our girls in the main begin to read independently so early in their schooling journey, there is a tendency to believe that our job as caring educators and parents is done early on in the literacy stakes. Actually, I would argue that certainly in primary school and even into adulthood, we are never too old to enjoy the experience and benefit from sharing a text read aloud. My belief is certainly well supported by the research of Margaret Merga and Veronica Gardner when they site numerable studies showing:

When teachers and parents read aloud to their students and children in the context of pleasure, and not just for work-related purposes, this is associated with fostering positive attitudes toward reading.

While we know that our girls are great decoders and read in the main with fluency, accuracy and speed, it is a different matter when it comes to understanding inferred and interpretive thinking. We want our girls to be great at not only reading ‘between the lines’ (inferential thinking) but also ‘beyond the page’ (interpretive thinking). Such skills are not learned by reading silently without provoking questions being posed and discussions ensuing. To fully understand a text, we need to bring background knowledge to the fore and make connections with our prior experiences. For instance, a reading of the dramatic turn of events of the Three Little Pigs is lost if we don’t understand that a house built of straw is insubstantial.

The Literacy Specialists in the Junior School join me in imploring you to continue to read to your children and, in turn, have them read aloud to you. This is even after your daughter is a good decoder and certainly true for girls right up to Year 6. Being able to read aloud with expression, while also maintaining deep comprehension is a challenging task not mastered by many of our girls.

This term, I have taken delight in landing (both in real time and virtually) in Primary classrooms during DEAR sessions to share one of my favourite picture books with the girls. The text that I have been reading to girls in Years 5 and 6 is The Girl with a Mind for Math. This is a biography of the life of Raye Montague who is a woman of colour born in 1935. Her life’s dream of being an engineer is thwarted at every turn due to ageism, sexism and racism. Yet it is a most uplifting story as Raye ultimately triumphs. I have encouraged the girls in Stage 3 to view the movie Hidden Figures as the context is very similar. It is so reassuring to see the girls gasp when illustrations of ‘ism’ behaviours are shared. Our girls show a great social conscience and appreciate that with grit and by ignoring the putdowns one can achieve anything. So, I warmly encourage you to take time during these upcoming holidays to share picture books with your daughter.

Tips for parents

When reading with your daughter, do stop regularly to discuss word meaning, what concept or message the author is trying to convey, how the book is alike and different to past experiences and help your children to see that great readers are those who make meaning that goes way beyond simple decoding.

You may also find the following websites useful in locating quality reading options:

• The Premier’s Reading Challenge

• IBBY Australian Honour Books List 1962-2018

• Reading Australia

• American Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal

• United Kingdom Michael. L. Printz award

Access to eBooks over the holidays Ms Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

Accessing physical books over the holidays can be tricky, yet we are keen to remind everyone that at all times girls are always able to access our Palmer Library remotely through the Wheelers ePlatform giving girls access to some great eBooks and audio books. This will support great reading for pleasure and also enable girls to march towards completing the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Girls may borrow two titles at a time for up to 14 days and can reserve up to four books. As we continue to

grow our collection, girls are encouraged to request new titles using ePlatform’s request a title function.

Girls can access ePlatform online via AbbNet by visiting the Palmer Library website, or by downloading the ePlatform app. They can also go directly to ePlatform here. Log in with the username you use on your laptop, and then use the password Palmer.

TERM 1 - WEEK 9 MARCH 2021

Cinema Under the Stars – it’s nearly here!Ms Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

Junior School Easter Service Ms Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

The excitement surrounding this year’s Cinema Under the Stars event is at fever pitch with the girls so, so looking forward to the activities and evening movie, when the Lower Oval will be transformed into an outdoor cinema. While the forecast is for clear skies, please know that the night will go ahead rain, hail or shine, as we are fortunate to have many undercover areas in the Junior School and the movie will be shown on screens in indoor locations.

We have a very large number of girls from Transition to Year 6 attending who will be well supervised by Junior School Teachers and Assistants on the night. We also look forward to welcoming parents for a fun night that is ahead. That said, to ensure duty of care of all girls and to comply with the COVID Safety Plan requirements, the following organisation

Next Tuesday morning, all Junior School girls and staff will gather in the newly refurbished School Chapel for our annual Easter Service celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our musical items and congregational songs will capture the solemnity and sadness of Jesus’ death as well as the joy and celebration of resurrection morning.

We will also take time during this service to share our grateful thanks and good wishes to Reverend Jenni Stoddart as she departs at the end of this term to take up parish ministry. We have indeed been blessed to have ‘the Rev’ share her deep and loving faith with us over these past six years. She has been a joyous role model and helped our girls come to know our very loving God and what it is to be a part of a deeply compassionate Christian community. We wish her well as she moves to ministry work in Eastwood.

and scheduling is in place. Unfortunately, we are not able to also invite siblings on this evening.

Program

5.20 pm – Girls and parents to arrive via the Lower Car Park. Teachers will be on duty to assist girls to alight from cars where parents are just dropping off.

5.50-6.30 pm – Fun activities including slime making, succulent plant potting, Easter Egg guessing competition, colouring in, photo booth, lucky dip, hand painting, play equipment games and fairy floss eating

6.30 pm – Girls seated in class groups on the oval ready for dinner and supervised by staff

• Year 6 girls will sit with their Transition, Kindergarten and Year 1 Buddies

• Parents seated on the bleachers

7 pm – Mary Poppins Returns commences

8.50 pm – Movie concludes and dismissal. Please complete the attendance section on the Humanitix booking page

• Infants girls going home with parents attending the event will be collected from in between the Transition and Kindergarten rooms

• Primary girls going home with parents attending the event will be collected from the Outdoor Kitchen

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Windows to our heartMrs Carmen Gaspersic Deputy Head of Junior School

On Friday 19 March, there was much excitement and creativity in each classroom with students and staff being involved in a combined wellbeing afternoon in recognition of three important wellbeing events in the calendar:

• National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence

• World Happiness Day and

• Harmony Week

Every member of the Junior School was involved in the wellbeing activity where window displays were designed and created around the theme of ‘Windows to our Heart.’ All students and staff worked collaboratively to identify a class focus and delivered the most delightful window displays showcasing student agency and uniqueness.

• Girls who need to be collected by parents going to lower car line will be escorted by teachers with following pickup times:

{ 9.05 pm Transition and Kindergarten

{ 9 10 pm Years 1 and 2

{ 9.15 pm Years 3 and 4

{ 9.20 pm Years 5 and 6

Note: Parents collecting are asked to adhere strictly to these timings to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. As always, we ask that you model respect towards our neighbours when parking or collecting your daughter. This includes not parking in driveways or obstructing traffic.

What to bring:

• Attire: Girls are encouraged to dress comfortably as a character from their favourite movie or book. Closed in sports/sand shoes should be worn

• Warm jacket will be needed once the girls settle for the movie

• Towel or blanket: To be comfortable on the grass, girls are encouraged to bring a named towel or blanket

• Water bottle: To ensure that the girls remain hydrated, they each need to bring along a named and filled water bottle.

• Bags: Girls are encouraged to bring their named sports bag or tote bag with all provisions included

• Picnic dinner in lunch box if a meal has not already been ordered. Please note that there will be no food for sale on the night.

Important wet weather notice

Should the evening be wet, we will proceed with the movie being streamed to the girls in classrooms. Should this eventuate, we will be unable to accommodate parents on campus due to continuing social distancing requirements. This advice will be communication via the Abbotsleigh parent app.

TERM 1 - WEEK 9 MARCH 2021

Year 6 speakers dive into the deep end Miss Susanna Matters Year 6 Coordinator

Our Year 6 girls have been working hard this term to further develop their oratory skills. Last week, all Year 6 girls presented a short speech in the style of a TED talk on the topic ‘diving into the deep end’. It was heart warming to hear personal stories of courage and learning from all the girls. On Monday 22 March, two finalists from each class presented their expressive speeches to a captive audience of Years 5 and 6 students, Mrs Krimmer, Ms Ruston and our distinguished adjudicator Ms Darcy Tindale.

Congratulations to all our Year 6 finalists: Olivia Lin, Scarlett Low, Felicity Luu, Danielle Nayager, Skye Pullen, Neomi Verma and Charlyne Wong.

Special congratulations to our overall winner Neomi Verma.

Would you like to purchase a photo of your daughter at the Primary Swimming and Diving Carnivals, Cross Country Carnival, Year 4 Father Daughter Dinner and/or the IPSHA Swimming and Diving Carnival? Photos are now online on the Anthony Khoury Photography website.

For Abbotsleigh events the password is weaver01

We are now able to have parents in to assist us in Palmer Library. We are seeking parents who can help with covering books at the following time:

Tuesday mornings8.20-9.30 am on even term weeks – 2, 4, 6 and 8

If you are able to come, we would love to see you. You don’t have to commit to every week – just whenever you can make it.

All supplies provided. Meet other parents as well as take a sneak peek at the beautiful new books coming into the library. We hope you will be able to join us.

Please contact Carrie Alker if you can come along of if you would like more information.

Anthony Khoury photos available for purchaseMrs Carmen Gaspersic Deputy Head of Junior School

Book covering volunteersMs Carrie Alker Teacher Librarian

Congratulations to Carys Byrnes (6L) who was selected to represent IPSHA at the CIS Netball trials in May this year. We wish her every success as she strives for CIS team selection.

Student successMr Paul Guirreri Head of JS Sport and PDHPE

TERM 1 - WEEK 9 MARCH 2021

Winter hat delay Ms Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

For all new girls this year, it is time to purchase the winter school uniform in readiness for the start of Term 2. The Uniform Shop, located on the Senior School campus, has received supplies and is ready to meet your daughter’s winter uniform needs.

The one exception to this is the black felt school hat. Production and delivery have been delayed due to COVID circumstances. We anticipate stock arriving very soon after the start of Term 2.

In this short, interim phase, please know that girls will be able to wear their white panama hat until the winter felt hats arrive. Girls will be fitted for the winter hat as they purchase the new winter uniform. Once the hats arrive, they will be packaged up and sent down to the Junior School for your daughter to collect from Reception.

To that end I share below the opening hours of the Uniform Shop both for the remainder of this term and over the Easter holiday break. There is no need to book an appointment this time around. Upon arrival the Uniform Shop staff will be able to respond to your needs.

Regular trading hours to end of the term (Wednesday 31 March)

• Monday: 1-4 pm

• Tuesday: 9.30 am-5 pm

• Wednesday: 9.30 am-4 pm

Uniform Shop holiday trading hours

During the school holidays appointments will be available if you choose.

The exception to this is Thursday 1 April, which will be strictly BY APPOINTMENT ONLY (9.30 am-4 pm)

• Closed Good Friday and Easter Monday

• Closed Tuesday 6 April

• Reopens Wednesday 7 to Monday 19 April (weekdays only)

• 9.30 am-4 pm

Regular trading hours resume from Tuesday 20 April.

To make an appointment, please call the Uniform Shop on 9473 7835.

Visit the Uniform Shop page on the website to remain up to date with trading hours and other news.

Term 2 experiencesMs Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

Term 2 will be a time of wonderful new experiences for Junior School girls with the following events planned:

• Junior School Photo Day 2: Tuesday 27 April

• AOGU Mothers’ Breakfast: Friday 30 April

• Environment Club Fundraiser: Friday 30 April

• Transition to Year 3 Life Education parent information sessions: From Monday 3 May

• Year 4 Judith Krause parent information night: Tuesday 4 May

• Transition, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 Mothers’ Day Breakfast: Friday 7 May

• Year 1 Act for Kids Student and Parent Sessions: Tuesday 11 May

• Years 5 and 6 Judith Krause Parent Information Session: Tuesday 18 May

• Kindergarten 2022 Parent Information Session: Tuesday 25 May

• Infants Athletics Carnival: Friday 28 May

• K-6 New Parent Report Presentation: Tuesday 1 June

• Primary Athletics trials: Thursday 3 June

• JS Production matinée: Wednesday 9 June

• JS Production Night 1: Thursday 10 June

• JS Production Night 2: Friday 11 June

• Term 2 ends from midday: Thursday 17 June

We look forward to the girls’ return to what will be a busy beginning to the term. The first day back is Tuesday 20 April when girls will return in winter uniform. Music ensembles and sport practices for minkey, hockey and netball will commence as will all AbbSchool programs from the first day of the term. IPSHA Saturday Sport will commence on the Saturday 24 April, which is the first Saturday of Term 2.

TERM 1 - WEEK 9 MARCH 2021

Senior School

Learning from the expertsMrs Marg Selby Careers Advisor and Exchange Coordinator

This week, we commenced our Lunchtime Careers Speakers program with a busy schedule of events. These talks are held at lunchtime in SC2 and are open to the senior students who are keen to research their tertiary options. They are advertised both via the plasma screens around school and by email.

Our first presentation was on Monday and came from UNSW. It was the perfect way to spend a wet lunchtime, warm and dry indoors, and it had the added benefit of enabling the girls to find out lots of information about courses, student life, accommodation and scholarships at UNSW all at the one time and in the one place.

On Tuesday, we welcomed back three of our former students who are all scholarship holders in the prestigious UTS Bachelor of Accounting program. Vivienne Farrugia and Emily Ong are second year students and Grace Higgins is a first year student. They were able to provide the current

students with a wealth of information about how the course works, the benefits of being a BAcc scholar (apart from being paid $54,000 over three years!) and how the current Year 12 students can ensure that their applications are of the highest standard. They provided details of the sort of experiences they have had during their internships and the business and leadership skills they have acquired already through their course. They also had valuable advice about coping with university study in a semi-COVID environment.

On Wednesday we had a speaker from the Australian Catholic University, which has well established campuses in North Sydney and Strathfield and now also in Blacktown, since March this year. We heard about a range of their courses and the advantages of being at a slightly smaller university where you are known properly by your teachers and often provided with multiple internship experiences.

Term 2 conclusion – change in arrangements Ms Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

The timing and organisation of Term 2 is unusual this year with the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend in the final week of the term and the final day being Friday 18 June. To ensure professional learning time for all teachers, we will be concluding the school day early around midday on this one occasion. Equally though, we recognise that this may well not suit all families. To that end, we will offer free After School Care supervision for all girls not able to be collected at midday. ASC will operate as usual until 6.30 pm on this day. Further details around a staggered dismissal time will be published in Term 2 to ensure all runs smoothly and safely for our girls and families.

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At the start of Term 2, we will welcome speakers from Macquarie, Notre Dame and ADFA, and there will be plenty more to come after that. In addition, in Term 2 we will kick off our 2021 season of Career Focus Nights. The first will be on May 10 and will consist of a panel of former students who are all studying medicine at different universities. Some are studying undergraduate courses and others are taking postgraduate courses. They will describe the different pathways they took to get to where they are now. Make sure you keep this date in your diary and invitations to attend will be sent out next term.

Also at the start of Term 2, on 21 April, the Morrisby Parent Information Night will be held for Year 10 parents, prior to the

release of their Morrisby Report results from the vocational testing that they did earlier this term. It will explain how to read the data contained in the report and how to use it most effectively. This is another date that needs to be reserved in the Year 10 parent diaries.

For other careers news, please visit the Careers information page where you will find lots of vocational holiday activities for the girls, along with other careers news. We apologise to parents who have had trouble accessing the Careers page, this link will take you to the new page.

The Careers information page can easily be found on the Parent Portal -> Links -> Parent Links -> Careers information.

PhD awarded to our school piano accompanistMrs Lynette Clark Acting Head of Music

We wish to congratulate our School Piano Accompanist, Tonya Lemoh, who has just completed her PhD thesis, ‘The Piano Works of Raymond Hanson: Discovery, Exploration and Reflection’ and launched her recording of Raymond Hanson’s piano works through the international record label Naxos.

“My research involved analysing and recording Hanson’s piano works, and in the process, exploring how and why such a great composer had fallen into obscurity. This led me on a fascinating journey … I found the discipline of doctoral research both challenging and stimulating, and while at times the academic demands were stressful, there was something exhilarating about the relentless refinement of ideas and the deep absorption required to put it all together.” – Dr Tonya Lemoh

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NSW Secondary Schools Concerto CompetitionMrs Lynette Clark Acting Head of Music

Congratulations to Christina Kwok (Year 11) and Isabella Sun (Year 9), both violinists, who have been selected as semi finalists for the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition.

Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra (KPO) is a prestigious NSW and ACT Secondary Schools Concerto Competition. Regarded as a stepping stone to national and international success, the competition has been held annually since 1984 and provides

an invaluable performance opportunity for young musicians to showcase their talents as concerti soloists accompanied by orchestra. The talented young musicians give dynamic concerto performances and assert a vibrant future ahead for live classical music performance.

The semi finals will be held on Sunday 11 April from 11 am-6 pm at Abbotsleigh.

Year 9 boarders moving up Olivia Wass and Olivia Crawford Year 9 boarders

Year 9 started with the exciting move into a bigger boarding house, symbolising our growth from the younger years, finally, into McCredie. We welcomed new girls into our Year 9 McCredie family and the first weekend back at school we had a ‘getting to know you’ evening which was loads of fun.

We have also enjoyed movies and games on Saturday nights along with painting ceramic magnets, cold rock ice-cream nights, made lanterns to celebrate the Chinese New Year and celebrated many birthdays.

What better way to spend Sunday than shopping at Hornsby! These outings have given us freedom to go around by

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ourselves but with a check-in with the boarding staff every hour. This year we have been able to use the gym on Sunday afternoons, which is great if you feel like you need some exercise or just something to do. We also have gym fitness session every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, which are well organised, and everyone benefits from it.

In Year 9 so many memories have already been made – we can’t wait to see what else is to come!

Term 1 boarding recap and an introduction to the ABCThe Boarder Prefect Team

Wow! What a term! Time really flies by when you’re having fun. This term was action packed with lots of activities and was overall a great start to 2021. The new girls settled in nicely to their new boarding family and so many of us have been lucky enough to spend more time with other year groups with easing of COVID restrictions. Dinners in the Dining Hall and Boarder Chapel have helped us feel like we are all one community again!

There have been many initiatives implemented by the Boarding Prefects that have aimed to uphold the Year 12 Prefect theme of ‘Heart to Heart’ which seeks to create and strengthen the connections throughout the boarding community. One of the initiatives was a ‘Gal-entine’s’ letter exchange activity, adapted to fit the COVID climate. This was such a success as girls were able to get to know other people and establish new friendships. There were also a few interhouse activities which sparked healthy and friendly competition between year groups such as the lantern making for Chinese New Year and Boarder Fun Day.

On Wednesday 24 March, we celebrated the induction of our newly elected Year 11 Abbotsleigh Boarding Council. Congratulations to Sophie Oakeshott, Harriet Ranken, Skye Weston, Elizabeth Bragg, Sophie Friend, Charlotte Hills and Gabriella Shilling! They make a lovely and talented team. The Boarding Prefects are excited and enthusiastic to work alongside them to continually build upon boarding community spirit.

Overall, Term 1 has been a busy and fabulous time that warrants a well deserved holiday. We wish all our Abbotsleigh families a fantastic break and we encourage the girls to relax and reset for another great term coming up!

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Senior School 02 9473 7777 Junior School 02 9473 7700 www.abbotsleigh.nsw.edu.au

An Anglican Pre K-12 Day and Boarding School for Girls

Wrapping up Term 1 in the Senior SchoolEmma Thornthwaite Head Prefect 2020/21

Congratulations on a wonderful start to 2021! We are most fortunate for the many opportunities we’ve had this term following the easing of restrictions. Below is a poem to wrap up some of the highlights in the Senior School from Term 1. I hope everyone enjoys a well-deserved break, a time to refresh and rejuvenate. I am really excited for the action-packed term we have ahead of us!

We started the year hard, fast and strong, determined to prove COVID that it did not belong.

Year 7s with many new challenges to face, having conquered it all with determination and grace.

Year 8 you showed grit on your very first camp, where you all tried your best and were determined to be champs.

Hoping that you’re enjoying Senior College Year 9, next term your skirts are going to look mighty fine.

Year 10s enjoyed their first challenge week not in a tent, And I do wonder how your Morrisby testing went.

Year 11, despite your growing workloads, make sure to keep up on those Bachie episodes!

Year 12, although the Common Room’s a bit of a mess, I love you guys, you really are the best!

With restrictions easing, the Swimming Carnival was very pleasing.

Creating a truly unforgettable atmosphere, with banning sticks heard beyond the stratosphere.

And finally on Tuesday we’ll have cross country, and with all your dance moves, I’m sure you’ll impress me.

Badminton, tennis, AFL, and softball, you have run, hit and kicked your way through it all.

Thank you to everyone who organised TEDx, it was worth it, because boy, it was a success!

We thank the staff for always being there for us, we hope you enjoy a well-deserved break, because that, is a must.

As we come to a close, yes, the end is in sight, as you hang up your hats and pull on your tights,

I wanted to thank you all for your willingness to connect, which you may not have seen but it truly has had a ripple effect.

Now we are finally here, you’ve made it, you’re done, Well, at least for term one!

Have a wonderful holiday