YYeeaarr 1122 SSooiirrééee Tuesday 22 August

Assembly Hall 6:30pm

PPaarreennttss && CCiittiizzeennss’’

AAssssoocciiaattiioonn MMeeeettiinngg Thursday 24 August Staff Common Room

7pm

AAnnnnuuaall AArrtt EExxhhiibbiittiioonn Tuesday 29 August

9am – 3pm 6pm – 8pm

Wednesday 30 August 9am – 3pm

Visual Arts Block

MMootthheerrss’’ CCoommmmiitttteeee MMeeeettiinngg Wednesday 6 September

Library 10am

YYeeaarr 1122 GGrraadduuaattiioonn CCeerreemmoonnyy Friday 22 September

Assembly Hall 12 noon

CCoommmmeenncceemmeenntt ooff

SSuummmmeerr UUnniiffoorrmm Monday 9 October

SStt GGeeoorrggee GGiirrllss HHiigghh SScchhooool Telephone: 9587 5902 Facsimile: 9553 8043

Email: stgeorgegi-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: www.sgghs.com.au

The Gazette

Monthly Bulletin August 2017

Vol. 22 No. 7 PPrriinncciippaall’’ss MMeessssaaggee Dear Parents and Students,

22001177 EExxeeccuuttiivvee CCoonnffeerreennccee aanndd TTwwiilliigghhtt SScchhooooll

DDeevveellooppmmeenntt DDaayy ((SSDDDD)) I am pleased to report that over the past few months we have been making steady progress towards drafting the 2018-2020 School Plan. The school planning process commenced in June with the School Community Forum and I have now had the opportunity to present the consolidated feedback from the Forum to the staff as well to the parents at last month’s P&C and Mothers’ Committee meetings.

All staff had a further opportunity to provide input into the school planning process at the Twilight School Development Day that was held on Monday 31 July. The staff worked through a series of guided questions that aligned with the School Excellence Framework elements of Teaching and Learning. The great ideas and

strategies that were discussed during this session were inspiring and it was wonderful to facilitate this collaborative process to further inform the 2018-2020 School Planning process. The 2017 Executive Conference was held last week. The focus of the conference was the 2018-2020 School Plan and the two days provided the perfect opportunity to reflect on the achievements over the past three years, examine the Forum and SDD Twilight findings in detail, hear about the findings from the student focus groups that the Student Engagement Team held last year and discuss the results from the Tell Them From Me student surveys.

The executive team worked through a range of activities that helped identify the key priorities and projects for the next School Plan. I was so grateful to have our Director Public Schools, Georges River Network, Mrs Anne Ross join us on the first day and I would like to thank the executive team for their energy, commitment, collaboration and teamwork that they demonstrated over the two day conference. I am excited to now compile the projects and strategies into a workable draft 2018-2020 School Plan to share with the school community for further feedback and refinement over the next few months.

TThhee FFiinnaall FFeeww SScchhooooll WWeeeekkss ffoorr YYeeaarr 1122 Our Year 12 students have returned to regular classes following the conclusion of the Trial HSC examinations. This is a very exciting and important time for the students, as I know they will be consolidating their learning during this post-trial revision period. For many of our students they are also busily preparing for their HSC Speaking and Performance examinations in Languages, Drama and Music. I wish all of our students the very best of luck as they commence their HSC examinations in these areas. Following the Trial Examinations a significant number of students have been focussing on completing and submitting their Major Works and Projects in Visual Arts, Textiles and Design, English Extension 2 and History Extension. It has been wonderful to experience and witness the quality work produced by the Class of 2017 and I have been so proud of the effort all students have invested into this significant chapter of their HSC journey. I am now excited to receive positive news from NESA regarding their success and I look forward to sharing this news with the school community over the coming months. The Music Soiree will be held on Tuesday 22 August to showcase the Year 12 HSC performance pieces that the students have been consolidating leading up to their HSC performance examination. Each year the quality of performance items continues to impress and dazzle the audience and this year I know the student performances will be outstanding. A huge congratulations and thank you must go to the Music 2 and Music Extension students and their teacher Miss Hamilton who has guided the students throughout the year, investing a significant amount of time to ensure that they are thoroughly prepared for their HSC Performance examinations. The annual Art Exhibition is being held next week. This is another highly anticipated event when the HSC Visual Arts Bodies of Work will be on display along with the major projects of our Visual Arts students from Years 7 to 11. A significant amount of time and energy has been invested from the students and their teachers, in particular Mrs Clark, in creating these resolved pieces to display and I am looking forward to attending the exhibition this year which opens on Tuesday 29 August. I would like to encourage all members of our school community to take the time to visit the exhibition, as I am sure you will enjoy experiencing the talents and skills on display from our wonderful students. An important date for the calendar is Year 12 Graduation Day. The ceremony is planned to be held on Friday 22 September, commencing at 12:00pm in the school Hall. This is a very significant afternoon for our school community, as we formally celebrate the end of the high school journey for the graduating Class of 2017. This is also a very important event for our Year 12 parents, who are also invited to attend the ceremony to celebrate this significant milestone alongside their daughters. I will send out written correspondence to the families of students in Years 8-11, which will outline more specifically the details regarding this event and the arrangements for the school day in the coming weeks.

SSuubbjjeecctt SSeelleeccttiioonn PPrroocceessss NNooww CCoommpplleettee The subject selection process for the 2018 school year is almost complete. Subject selection evenings have been held for students in Year 8 and 10 and special meetings have been held at school for students in Years 11 and Year 7. It has been wonderful to have the opportunity to host a number of information evenings over the past few weeks to share valuable information and advice with both students and parents. I have appreciated the support from the teaching staff who also attended the evenings to ensure that accurate information and advice was available to support students in making informed subject decisions. I enjoyed being part of the panel of teachers who undertook subject selection interviews with our Year 8, Year 10 and Year 11 students and was so pleased to be able to engage in rich conversations with the students to determine the most appropriate pattern of study to support them in achieving their personal best, as well as their aspirational goals for the future. The breadth of curriculum available at St George provides our students with the opportunities to immerse themselves in a range of experiences and subjects, which is so important to support the students in identifying where their particular strengths, interests and abilities lie. The school will now start to formulate the subject lines for 2018 and we as always are hoping to be able to accommodate most of the student choices within our timetable structure.

TThhee SStt GGeeoorrggiiaannss AAnnnnuuaall LLuunncchheeoonn On Saturday 12 August, School Captain Una Altarac and I had the pleasure of attending the annual luncheon hosted by the St Georgians at the Gardens on Forest. The afternoon was lovely and it was great to enjoy the company of so many very proud St Georgians. I would like to congratulate the organising committee and the St Georgians President, Miss Melissa George, for providing such a lovely afternoon for us all to enjoy. I strongly encourage the generations of current St George students to ensure that they join the St Georgians at the completion of their studies to ensure that such valued traditions continue and it would be great to see our current Year 12 students attend this event next year as proud St Georgians.

HHiigghheerr AAbbiilliittyy SSeelleeccttiioonn TTeesstt On 12 August, 172 prospective students for Years 8-11 sat the higher Ability Selection Test at St George Girls High School. This test is developed by Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER) and assesses reading, written expression, mathematical and abstract reasoning. This test forms part of the Selection Committee’s process and it was encouraging to have so many students express interest in applying for the limited positions at St George Girls for 2018. I look forward to receiving the results from the test and working through the selection process, which will include an interview for prospective students over the coming weeks.

NNaattiioonnaallllyy CCoonnssiisstteenntt CCoolllleeccttiioonn ooff DDaattaa

((NNCCCCDD)) oonn SScchhooooll SSttuuddeennttss wwiitthh DDiissaabbiilliittyy

NNoottiiffiiccaattiioonn ffoorr PPaarreennttss aanndd CCaarreerrss From 2015, all Government and non-Government schools across Australia are required to participate annually in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).

All Australian schools will collect data on their students who are receiving adjustments to meet additional learning and support needs in accordance with their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and Disability Standards for Education 2005. This data will be provided to the Australian Government to assist in the development of a consistent, national picture of the education needs of students with disability.

The data provided to the Australian Government by the NSW Department of Education is provided in such a way that it cannot be used to identify any individual student or school.

General information about the national data collection can be found on the Australian Government Department of Education and Training website at http://education.gov.au/fact-sheets-nationally-consistent-collection-data-school-students-disability and this information is translated into 11 community languages via the links on this website.

The school has just completed the data collection for 2017 and parents have been informed if their child has been included in the data collection. Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all students and their families is essential. Personal details such as student names or other identifying information will not be provided to local or federal education authorities. A fact sheet with additional information about the NCCD is available on the school website under the news and events tab.

22001177//1188 PPrreeffeecctt AAnnnnoouunncceemmeenntt aanndd

PPrreeffeecctt IInndduuccttiioonn CCeerreemmoonnyy On Thursday 24 August, we will host our Prefect Induction ceremony. This is always a highly anticipated and special assembly that will formally recognise and celebrate the achievements of the outgoing prefect body as well as formally induct the newly elected prefects for 2017/2018. There is no greater honour than to have your peers and teachers identify in you the necessary skills and qualities

needed to be an effective school leader. To be nominated and elected into such a prestigious office is certainly a great achievement. This year we had 70 nominations for Prefect and this certainly is a testament to the exceptional leadership potential and skills that exist amongst our student population. I am proud to announce that Brenda Tan has been elected School Captain for 2018. Brenda will be assisted in her duties by Vice-Captains Arsha Binoy and Martina Ta. I am also delighted to announce that the following 11 students have been elected to serve as Prefects: Nuzhat Anjum, Eloise Cooper, Jenny He, Tasnim Kabir, Emily Kasovska, Hanna Kim, Miriam Kim, Lillian Li, Sandy Ma, Mahua Singh, Jennifer Tan and Emily Yuan. I would like to thank our outgoing School Captain Una Altarac and Vice-Captains Nicole Catubig and Genia Furlong for their leadership and to all 2017 Prefects (Neha Beri, Eleni Carydis, Rachel Chin, Anja Flamer-Caldera, Louisa He, Bella Kosasih, Rachel Liang, Christa Pericleous, Rabiba Pervez, Irene Shen and Kelly Yuan) for their service and commitment to the school. It has certainly been a pleasure to work with each of the Prefects in different capacities over the year. I would also like to thank Mr Boland for the work he undertakes as Prefect co-ordinator to support the students in a range of activities over the year. To accept the position of Prefect is a decision which is not taken lightly and carries with it enormous responsibility. The position is one of trust and commitment. I am confident that our newly elected Prefects will be excellent student leaders and role models for their peers. I look forward to working collaboratively with this group over the next 12 months.

OOppeenn DDaayy The school will be hosting an Open Day for prospective students and their families on Tuesday 29 August to showcase the school and celebrate the breadth of opportunities that it provides for its students. The morning will involve an Open Day Assembly commencing at 10:30am in the school hall. School tours will also run in two sessions commencing at 9:30am prior to the assembly or at 11:30am at the conclusion of the assembly. Registration for the Open Day tours are essential and can be made online using School Interviews. To book into a tour on Open Day all guests need to log into www.schoolinterviews.com.au and enter the unique event code wvnv4. Two tour sessions are available and families can select their preferred time. All guests are invited to attend the Open Day Assembly that will be held between tours at 10:30am in the Hall. Open Day bookings close on Tuesday 22 August at 3:00pm. We look forward to hosting this morning and welcome any prospective families of enrolments into Years 7-12 in 2018 to attend this event. Please let family and friends know about the Open Day and we anticipate a highly successful morning. Please refer to the flyer attached to this month’s Gazette for additional information.

PP&&CC CCoommbbiinneedd MMeeeettiinngg aanndd FFaammiillyy DDiinnnneerr On Tuesday 1 August the combined P&C meeting with Sydney Technical High School was held. This year it was Sydney Technical High School’s turn to host this meeting and it was a pleasure to hear guest speaker Dr Jung from the University of NSW present. Dr Jung is a senior lecturer in the School of Education. His research focus is on the decision-making of adolescents (including gifted adolescents) on topics such as careers, university entrance and friendships, usually incorporating motivational and cultural perspectives. He provided a great insight into the history of Gifted and Talented policy making in NSW and shared his evidence-based research with the audience. I would like to thank the P&C from Sydney Technical High School for hosting this event and I look forward to hosting this annual event for both schools next year. As you are aware, the P&C are now organising the Annual Family Dinner to be held on Saturday 2 September at Beverley Park Golf Club (Flyer with additional information attached to this month’s Gazette). This is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to engage in a more informal and social setting. It will also serve as a fitting occasion for our Year 12 students and their families to enjoy a relaxed evening with our school community before they officially graduate at the end of this term. I know the organising committee is seeking donations from our school community to make up the raffle prizes for the evening. Please read the attached flyer that outlines the kinds of donations that the P&C would appreciate and these items will be collected through the Front office at the school. The final day for donations is Wednesday 30 August. I look forward to seeing many families at the special P&C Annual Family Dinner and please note that payments must be made by the 25 August to secure your place.

WWeellccoommee ttoo OOuurr NNeeww SScchhooooll CCoouunnsseelllloorrss I would like to officially welcome to our school our two counsellors Mrs Roula Poretsanos and Mrs Michelle Batten. Mrs Poretsanos will be at the school every Tuesday and Friday on odd school weeks. Mrs Batten is available on Wednesdays and Thursdays and every even Friday. I know the school community joins me in welcoming our school counsellors to St George and I know they are both very much looking forward to working with the staff, students and families at the school.

RReeggiioonnaall AAtthhlleettiiccss CCaarrnniivvaall On the 2 and 3 of August our students participated in the Regional Athletics carnival as competitors and student helpers. The students performed exceptionally well and I would like to acknowledge the following students who will represent our school, zone and region at CHS Athletics in September.

Jessie Kuang – 1st in 16 years 400

Amy Koralis – 2nd in 14 years Discus

Jacqueline Xu – 2nd in 15 years Long Jump

Chloe Xu – 2nd in 12 years 80m Hurdles The following students placed 3rd in the events listed below and this is a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to:

Chloe Xu – 3rd place in 12 years Shot Put

Kieu-an Nguyen – 3rd place in 12 years 80m Hurdles

Chloe Khan – 3rd place in 13 years High Jump

Jessie Kuang – 3rd place in 16 years 800m

Emily Hsu – 3rd place in 17+ years High Jump

The 12 years girls Relay team came in 3rd place and narrowly missed out on qualifying for CHS. I was also so impressed to find out that the Sydney East School Sport Association had publicly recognised and thanked our Year 9 Student helpers for their support and overall running of the 2 days on their Facebook page. I was thrilled to receive this information and I would like to thank the competitors and student helpers for representing our school so effectively over the two days of the carnival.

SSttuuddeenntt AAcchhiieevveemmeennttss I am always proud to share our student achievements with the community in my Gazette correspondence and I always welcome feedback from parents and the community to ensure that I am made aware of any special activities or achievements that our students are represented in. This month I have been informed of some significant achievements I wanted to share.

Tasya Bhuiyan (Year 9) was awarded the $100 promising Talent Prize for her performance in this year’s Youth Music Awards.

Alicia Wong (Year 11) completed her Diploma in Performance with Trinity College London. This is a wonderful achievement, as it is a tertiary level qualification and Alicia has worked incredibly hard to complete such a significant qualification at such a young age. I look forward to presenting Alicia with her Diploma at the next assembly.

During the recent school holidays, Christine Xu, Emily Yuan, Lillian Li, Christina Nguyen and Mikayla Perry were successfully accepted to participate in the 2017 Young Mannheim Symphonists. The students spent four days immersed in the world of Historically Informed Performance (HIP). 47 students from 22 schools throughout Sydney and beyond joined together at Santa Sabina College to play Mozart’s ‘Haffner’ Symphony. Musicians of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra tutored the students in rehearsals, sectionals, and workshops, applying musical stylistic practices from Mozart’s time. Students were able to experience period instruments and learn about how European musical styles have changed through time. Finally, the Haffner Symphony was brought to life in an exceptional performance for friends and family which showcased the abilities of the Young Mannheim Symphonists.

The staff wellbeing team organised Jeans for Genes Day early this term for staff. I thought I would share the image taken of some of the staff who supported

this worthwhile

initiative on the day. I thank the Wellbeing team for continuing to organise a range of activities for the staff to enjoy.

I am looking forward to seeing many parents at the P&C meeting on Thursday and as always I welcome the opportunity to discuss any of the events mentioned in this correspondence with you any time. I thank you all for your continued support and I look forward to seeing many families over the coming weeks. Ms Betty Romeo Principal

DDeeppuuttyy PPrriinncciippaall’’ss RReeppoorrtt ––

TTeeaacchhiinngg aanndd LLeeaarrnniinngg

ear 12 have just completed their trial HSC examinations and I congratulate all students on the excellent manner in which they conducted

themselves. Results from the trials are a good indicator of what they know and just as importantly the areas where more depth of knowledge is required. It is important that they use the feedback from their trials to structure their study timetables to reinforce their understanding of subject content. During their study times it is also very important that after an hour students take a rest break and they should also continue to eat healthy meals and maintain their fluid intake. Attendance at school is required for the rest of the term and is very important as most subjects have some course content to finalise and will then be undertaking revision of the course content and examination techniques. This period of time leading up to the HSC examinations is very important as it will enable students to further develop their depth of understanding and knowledge, and could make a significant difference to their HSC results.

YYeeaarr 1100 WWoorrkk EExxppeerriieennccee Congratulations to Year 10 on the way exceptional way they conducted themselves and represented the school during work experience in Week 4. From all reports it was a very successful and rewarding experience for our students. From talking with the staff who made visits to various workplaces and locations

YY

over the week it certainly sounds like the opportunities provided were above and beyond what the girls could’ve expected and they have gained a real insight into the day to day life of different careers and the workplace in general.

Study Skills Tip for August This month’s study skills tip is ‘How can parents help during stressful assessment times?’ It outlines tips for parents on how they can provide the support their child needs when preparing and studying for assessments. Further support and ideas can be found on the Study Skills Website. Ms Pam Abson Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning

DDeeppuuttyy PPrriinncciippaall’’ss RReeppoorrtt ––

CCuurrrriiccuulluumm

t’s been a busy term with lots of our year groups making their curriculum choices for next year. A big thank you to the parents and students who have

attended our information evenings it was pleasing to see such excellent turn outs. I have great confidence that conversations between the teachers and parents were extremely helpful in guiding the students with their choices. For most year groups we have now collected all of the students’ curriculum information, Ms Romeo is processing them and looking to establish what will be our curriculum for 2018. Year 11 Preliminary HSC Exams are just around the corner. The girls have now received a hard copy of their examination timetables and examination expectations and an electronic copy can also be accessed on the student intranet. The students and their teachers have been working hard to ensure they are well prepared and ready to do their best. In the case that your daughter is unable to attend on the day of an exam due to illness, please call in to the office to notify them of the absence and then when your daughter returns for their next exam they must present the doctors certificate to the Deputy Principal (Ms Housego). Rescheduling an exam will be done through Ms Housego and will be arranged for the next available day after the student is well enough to be back at school. . Last week Year 7 and 9 students received their NAPLAN results and as a school we were very pleased with our overall performance. Over the next two terms our literacy team and our Learning and Support team will be examining these results in great depth, looking at areas for future improvement and growth and to also recognise areas of success and achievement. If you are yet to receive your child’s NAPLAN results please contact the school and I will ensure those results are sent out to you. Continuing on with NAPLAN, last Gazette I mentioned that our school would be completing a NAPLAN readiness test for our current Year 7 and 9 students towards the end of the term. All schools in the state will be participating in this test and our school will be completing this practice test

on the Wednesday 13 September and Thursday 14 September, Week 9. The students will be coming out of classes over these two days, all teachers have been made aware of the requirements for this test and will be working around the variation. I must stress again no data will be being collected from this test nor are any bands or gradings occurring as a result of this test. It is simply a practice run of the online platform that they are hoping to use next year for the official NAPLAN test. If you have any questions regarding this test please don’t hesitate to contact the school. Ms Amber Housego Relieving Deputy Principal Curriculum

Student Welfare

ince the issue of the last Gazette, the following students have been presented with Dragon Badges:

Lucy Anderson and Tracy Yao of Year 7. Laetitia Cooper, Cindy Fu, Jessica Harding, Felicity Luong, Eshita Singh, Anna Soney, Sansitha Velayuthar and Jacquelina Widjaja of Year 8. Anne Chen (5), Kyla Rivera, Yuan Tran and Phoebe Yu of Year 9. Josphine Chin, Anakha Jain, Sandra Kallarakkal, Varisara Laosuksri, Josephine Ng (2), Jodie Sia (2), Aimee Soenarjo, Maya Vasic, Sarah Wong and Connie Zhou (6) of Year 10. Ivy Chou, Cynthia Huynh, Cathy Huynh (7), Kimberley Kwan Pang, Sharon Lai, Tiffany Luong (7), Liana Pasas (3), Archie Shrotriya and Erica Soenarjo of Year 11. The following students have been presented with a Super Dragon Badge: Maya Vasic and Connie Zhou of Year 10. Cathy Huynh, Tiffany Luong and Liana Pasas of Year 11.

II SS

TTeecchhnnoollooggiiccaall aanndd AApppplliieedd SSttuuddiieess

n Monday 26 June, Handi

Mulyana from Handi’s Cakes, came to our school and gave Year 8 Food Technology Elective Classes a practical lesson on creating fondant decorations. Handi taught us techniques in working with fondant, and we all produced a fondant baby each. We explored various skills in working with the fondant using equipment provided to us, as well as gaining valuable experience from a specialised cake maker.

Handi has appeared on various television shows such as Sydney Weekender, The Disney Channel and the Morning Show since 2008. He also manages his own workshop in Australia. Handi has also got 1st prize for best wedding cake in the Sydney Easter show in 2014. Thanks to Handi, we know can use these techniques and tools to incorporate his helpful tips he taught us, to make amazing fondant decorations in the future and for our upcoming assessment task. We would also like to thank Miss Barbagallo for organising this fun and creative incursion. By Christie Tsang, Natalie Khoo and Nicole Fry

YYeeaarr 1100 FFoooodd TTeecchhnnoollooggyy n Wednesday 2 August, Year 10 Food Technology launched our new food products.

Our brief was to create an innovative and new to the world food product suitable for selling in the school canteen. Our first activity was to look at the healthy school canteen policy and nutrition needs of adolescents. We developed and brainstormed ideas that we could create that met all the criteria and was able to be prepared using the space and equipment we had in the food lab. Our first practical was to create our chosen recipe and survey students to see what they thought of our product and what they would be prepared to pay for the serve. Having made our first prototype it was now time to work out how and where we would promote the products to the school community.

We set about designing a poster to promote our food as well as suitable packaging and labelling ideas. We placed an announcement on the daily notices, we wanted to make sure everyone knew about our products. We spent the whole day preparing our new creations and ensuring our packaging was looking professional and ready for sale. Our advertisements worked with lots of interest and requests for purchase of the various food items. Lunchtime came and we were all prepared and ready to go. Our food was extremely popular and we sold out of all items in the first 5 minutes of lunch. The feedback form our customers was very positive, with the only request that we prepare more.

OO OO

GGrreeeenn CCoorrnneerr

EEnnvviirroo WWeeeekkllyy EEvveennttss aper recycling team meets in room 5 every Tuesday lunchtime if you wish to participate, see Ms Zoupantis.

Worm Farm team operates every lunchtime and meet outside the junior girls toilet, if interested see Ms Dwyer. Gardening team operate Thursday and Friday lunchtime, meeting first in room 28 before heading off to the herb and veggie garden at the south end of the hockey field, if interested see Mr Singh.

National Tree Day was held on Friday 28 July for schools. Students planted two native trees to mark the occasion in the maths quad bricked garden beds. One is a native Christmas bush [Ceratopetalum gummiferum] and the other is a Wooly Bush [Adenanthos sericius]. St George Girls High School plants approximately 40 trees each year in November on Green Day.

PP

VViissuuaall AArrttss

TThhee YYeeaarr 88 VViissuuaall AArrttss TTeeaa PPaarrttyy

ur project last term was to create an artwork revolving around the theme of “Guess who’s coming to my tea party?” We were to include

ourselves and a guest of our choice within our artwork. Many of the artworks were based off Alice in Wonderland and Disney films and utilised bright and vibrant colours to reference these influences.

To celebrate the end of the term and completing this project, we as a year group, threw our very own tea party. In small groups we put together tea tables inspired by our very own artworks. We brought in snacks which included tarts, cupcakes, sandwiches, pavlova, biscuits, lollies and of course, tea! We also had to think about our table displays and arrangements. Special guests were invited to this illustrious event. These guests included Ms Romeo, Ms Abson, Ms Housego, Ms Wright, Miss Chapman, Ms Miranda and her son Max and of course our teachers Ms Clark, Ms Carr and Mr Nuygen! The special guests also had the challenging task of picking the best displayed table of the year group. It was a tremendous (and delicious) way to end the term.

Written by: Tammy Lee, Michelle Xu, Jaqueline Oyog, Jaquelina Widjaja, Jasmin Small, Ellen Liu and Adeline Liu.

OO

Above: The winning table from the tea party

Annual Art Exhibition

SSoocciiaall SScciieenncceess

YYeeaarr 77 GGeeooggrraapphhyy –– KKooggaarraahh FFiieelldd TTrriipp t was throughout the months of May and April when three teams of The Secret Society of Geo Dragon Explorers from Year 7 went on a very important

mission. Our task was to discover and analyse the community functions and facilities of our school’s local community of Kogarah. At the time our excursions occurred, our Places and Liveability topic was coming to a close. So it was a nice way to sign off the topic. We made many stops at certain places around Kogarah ranging from Kogarah train station to Kogarah High School and St George Private and Public Hospital. As we walked around, we were vigorously scribbling down notes about Kogarah’s community facilities and assessing the town’s liveability. Overall, I am sure that not only us but the 87 other Year 7 Geo Dragon Explorers can agree that the excursion and the Places and Liveability was a ball and we are sad it’s over. By Mindy Liu from 7GEO.1, Eleni Markantonakis from 7GEO.3 and Esther Kim from 7GEO.5

II

HHiissttoorryy National Sorry Day – Sorry is just the first step

ith lineage dating back to over 60,000 years, Aboriginal people have the oldest living cultural history and population in the world.

However, the arrival of the Europeans brought along years of mistreatment and suffering which still continue to this day. When 10HIS1 first started to learn about the problems that the Indigenous people faced and still face today, we thought we needed to do something. After realising that Sorry Day and NAIDOC week were fast approaching, we decided to run a Sorry Day Assembly and fundraise for a charity that helps Indigenous communities. After some researching, we found the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF)- a charity which helps move Indigenous communities forward through education. Then after some planning, we prepared an assembly presentation and decided to fundraise through a bake sale, badges and a ‘wall of hands’. On 31 May we presented our items at the whole school assembly. We used primary source documentary and visual evidence, a brief video, quotes and statistics. It went extremely well as all of our presenters spoke in an engaging manner. We wish to thank the whole school community for being so respectful during our assembly presentation. The fundraiser on 6 June went wonderfully well and we managed to raise $875 for the ALNF! A big thank you to everyone who helped run our assembly presentation, made the badges and wall of hands. Our whole class baked for the bake sale! We appreciate all your hard work and that of Emily Cox of Year 10 and Emily Yuan of Year 11 who also kindly contributed. And thank you to the wider school community who raised a hand and helped to move us one step closer to closing the gap. Finally, from 10HIS1, a really big thank you to Ms Zoupantis who helped us organise the event and was so supportive from the very beginning. By Sandra Kallarakkal

WW

PPaarreennttss aanndd CCiittiizzeennss’’ AAssssoocciiaattiioonn

n our Joint P&C meeting with Sydney Tech, we had Dr Jung from University of NSW provided great insights into gifted and talented education. And we

thank Sydney Tech P&C Association and school executive team for their hospitality. This year the St George Girls High School Family Dinner will be held on Saturday 2 September from 6:00pm at Beverley Park Golf Club in Beverley Park. The cost of dinner is $40 which includes a 3 course delicious meal. There will be provision for special dietary requirements. This is a great opportunity for all the school community to come together and celebrate friendships new and old. Whether you are new to this event, are a regular or are attending your final SGGHS Family Dinner as a Year 12 family, it is a great chance to engage with the supportive school community and have a fun night out with a combination of friends and family. Please refer to the attached flyer for more information. For the P&C’s fundraising event, we will be having another sausage sizzle at Bunnings Rockdale on Sunday 10 September 2017. As always assistance is required for the best outcome, we need parents and students to help out at the BBQ and Cake Stall. If you can afford two hours of your time on the day, please e-mail our Event coordinators, Sharon Khan: tituat@yahoo.com. The girls who volunteer for a minimum of two hours will be awarded a school service certificate. Or simply, drop in and try one of Sydney’s best sausages on a roll. As a reminder, we now have the new 2017-2018 Sydney Entertainment Book for sale. There is also a new Entertainment™ Digital Membership app that allows you to redeem offers directly from your iPhone or Android smartphones. See the flyer. The next P&C meeting will be held on Thursday 24 August 2017 in the Staff Common Room at 7:00pm (this is the fourth Thursday of the month). Tea/coffee and biscuits will be available prior to the meeting. The meeting will start with a presentation conducted by Mr Callan Moroney, Relieving Head Teacher English our guest speaker. Thank you very much. We hope to meet new parents at our August meeting and at our upcoming SGGHS Family Dinner on 2 September 2017. Jude Perera President Jude Perera Usha Marrett John Pistevos Ravinder Baweja President Vice President Treasurer Secretary (minutes) 0431 369 089

Monique Luthra Dale Smith Sharon Khan Secretary (Corres) Finance Committee Fundraising Coordinator Madeline Murray Giang Ho Fundraising Coordinator Executive Member

MMootthheerrss’’ CCoommmmiitttteeee

t our first meeting for term 3 the Mothers’ Committee elected all the new office bearers to their positions, and it is exciting to be working

with such an enthusiastic team of mothers, committed to supporting our school. The new Committee Members are as follows: President: Edwina Murphy Vice Presidents: Sarah Widjaja and Megan Feghali Treasurer: Mandy Hook Secretary: Kim Le and Carol Chew Congratulations and welcome to all the new committee members! The primary role of the Mothers’ Committee is running the uniform shop, from which 100% of the profits are returned to the school for key projects to benefit our students. The Committee also organises the annual Mother/Daughter Dinner and our members serve as parent representatives on occasions such as Open Day, Orientation Day, and on staff selection and review panels.

UUnniiffoorrmm SShhoopp NNeewwss Term 3 is the time for all Year 9 girls and parents to start thinking about the change to senior uniform for next year. The uniform shop is running a special on senior skirts which will be discounted by 25% when they are purchased in conjunction with a senior backpack. This special will only be available till the end of October, so get in early and purchase your senior uniform for a discounted price! Please be aware that the uniform shop takes lay-bys which can be paid off over a period of weeks or months. We hope this will ease the burden of the cost of uniforms for parents. An initial outlay of 20% deposit is required at the time of purchase. Online payments and orders are also now accepted via the school website, and the orders can be picked up at the school uniform shop on a Wednesday lunchtime. Uniform shop is open Wednesday lunchtimes during term from 12:45pm – 2pm. Any parents who have a spare hour and a half on any Wednesday are encouraged to come and volunteer! Please contact Sarah on 168sarah@gmail.com, we would love to have you! No experience is necessary. A big thank you to all our June and July volunteers who helped out both in the uniform shop and on the stocktake day! Marrianne Skinner – Clare Jenkins 8B

Jillian Stopher – Aria Stopher 7C

Rokeya Akhand – Nashita Choudhury 7A

Suneetha Katamaneni – Avishi Katamaneni 7C

Thuy Trinh – Christine Doan 9A

Debbie Wong – Alicia Wong 11D

Carol Chew – Jayme Chew 7E

II AA

Junior Winter Uniform

Tunic (warmer fabric for Winter)

White long-sleeved blouse

Tie

Jumper

Blazer

Tailored Trousers (optional)

White plain over ankle length socks or beige, navy or black pantihose

Black leather flat lace up school shoes Senior Winter Uniform

All-season skirt in exclusive St George fabric

White long-sleeved blouse

Jumper

Blazer

Tailored Trousers (optional)

White plain over ankle length socks or beige, navy or black pantihose

Black leather flat lace up school shoes Other Items:

School backpacks (junior and senior)

Red Scarves ($10)

School hat Winter Coats

School Badge ($7) The Mothers’ Committee meets the 1st Wednesday of every month in the school library.

NNeexxtt MMeeeettiinngg:: WWeeddnneessddaayy 66 SSeepptteemmbbeerr aatt

1100aamm iinn tthhee SScchhooooll LLiibbrraarryy.. Our special guest speaker is Mr Callan Moroney, Relieving Head Teacher English. It would be great to see you there!

Edwina Murphy

President Mothers’ Committee

Edwina Murphy Sarah Widjaja, Megan Feghali President Vice Presidents

Kim Le, Carol Chew Mandy Hook Secretary Treasurer

SStt GGeeoorrggiiaannss

AAnnnnuuaall RReeuunniioonn –– HHiigghh TTeeaa aatt ‘‘TThhee

GGaarrddeennss oonn FFoorreesstt’’ his year saw our return to a favourite venue, with a High Tea at ‘The Gardens on Forest’ on Saturday 12 August. The ladies were served a

glass of sparkles on arrival, with scrumptious hot and cold savoury and sweet refreshments served on delicately decorated fine bone china. The room had a lovely ambiance that helped create another successful day. The staff were wonderfully attentive and all around the room ladies were engaged in lively conversation – catching up with old friends and making new ones, sharing memories of school days and recent happenings too. It was a pleasure to host Principal Betty Romeo and 2017 School Captain Una Altarac. As well as our honoured guests, around 70 ex-students attended – some for the first time, representing a spread of starting school years from 1943 to 2006! Funds raised through raffle ticket and merchandise sales on the day and a portion of all reunion ticket sales directly benefit the school as the money we raise goes towards Speech Day prizes, along with regular donations to the school. Essentially every dollar raised eventually goes into St GGHS's coffers, to be used as needed to improve the experience of the girls of St George. We are looking forward to next year already!

AAnnnnuuaall GGeenneerraall MMeeeettiinngg Our 2017 Annual General Meeting will be held at St George Leagues Club on Thursday 31 August commencing at 11:00am. If you would like to attend please email or ring us on the numbers below. We are always keen to meet new members, and look forward to seeing you there!

TheStGeorgians@hotmail.com

Melissa George Heather Jennings President Secretary, 0419 613 454 ah 9501 4641

TT

CCoommiinngg EEvveennttss

Tuesday 22 August Gazette issued on school website and emailed to parents and students SRC Week Year 10 Textiles Excursion, Rockdale, 9:30am – 10:55am Year 12 Soirée, Assembly Hall, 6:30pm

Wednesday 23 August Year 8 into 9 Subject Selection Interviews Year 7 Public Speaking Competition Year 10 Debating Competition, Fort Street HS, 8:45am – 1:10pm Year 12 UTS Scholarship Talk

Thursday 24 August Prefect Induction Assembly Parents and Citizens’ Association Meeting, Staff Common Room, 7pm

Friday 25 August Year 11 Leadership Enrichment Day, Kogarah, 8:45am – 2:45pm Year 10 Public Speaking Competition

Monday 28 August Year 8 Electronic Music Workshop, Sydney Conservatorium, 11:10am – 3:30pm

Tuesday 29 August School Open Day

Tuesday 29 August – Art Exhibition Thursday 31 August

Wednesday 30 August Year 8 Writer’s Workshop Duke of Ed Silver Practice

Monday 4 September – Year 11 End of Course Assessments Friday 15 September

Wednesday 6 September – CHS Athletics Carnival Friday 8 September

Wednesday 6 September Mothers’ Committee Meeting, Library, 10am Duke of Ed Bronze Practice

Thursday 7 September Year 10 History Excursion, City

Friday 8 September Year 12 Ancient History Seminar Day

Monday 11 September Year 10 United Nations Public Speaking Competition, Sydney University

Monday 18 September Year 12 Picnic Day

Wednesday 20 September School Farewell to Year 12 Ceremony, Assembly Hall

Thursday 21 September Year 12 ‘Mock’ Assembly

Friday 22 September Year 12 Graduation and Garden Party, 12 noon Norfolk Island Trip End of Term 3

Monday 9 October Term 4 begins for all Year 7 – 11 students Commencement of Summer Uniform Year 12 Chemical Analysis Competition, UNSW

Wednesday 11 October Duke of Ed Bronze Practice Monday 16 October Commencement of Higher School Certificate Examinations Wednesday 18 October Year 10 Interview Skills

Meet the Music Excursion

It is important that payment for excursions is made to the Finance Office or Online prior to the due date.