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CChhaannggee ooff DDaattee ffoorr
PPaarreennttss && CCiittiizzeennss’’ AAssssoocciiaattiioonn MMeeeettiinngg
Thursday 30 November Staff Common Room
7pm
YYeeaarr 77,, 22001188 OOrriieennttaattiioonn Tuesday 5 December
Assembly Hall 9.30am
MMootthheerrss’’ CCoommmmiitttteeee MMeeeettiinngg Wednesday 6 December
Library 10am
PPrreesseennttaattiioonn DDaayy Wednesday 13 December
Sydney Town Hall 10am
SStt GGeeoorrggee GGiirrllss HHiigghh SScchhooool Telephone: 9587 5902 Facsimile: 9553 8043
Email: [email protected] Website: www.sgghs.com.au
The Gazette
Monthly Bulletin November 2017 Vol. 22 No. 9
PPrriinncciippaall’’ss MMeessssaaggee Dear Parents and Students, Another school year is almost complete as I write my final Gazette correspondence for 2017. This has been a pivotal year characterised with periods of both reflection and planning for the future. The school has been actively reflecting and measuring the progress achieved in each of three School Plan strategic directions (Quality Teaching and Learning, Quality Systems and Quality Relationships) for 2015-2017, while at the same time looking forward and planning for the next three years. The school has completed its consultation process to identify the priorities and projects to be implemented as part of the 2018-2020 school planning cycle. I am so proud of the progress and growth we have experienced as a result of the collective efforts from the staff, students and community, working in a true collaborative partnership, to enhance the learning outcomes and opportunities available for the students. The most significant achievement has been seen in reported levels of advocacy at school by the students (having someone at school that consistently provides encouragement and can be turned to for advice). The school was so pleased to see that over the past three years students identified through the Tell them from me Survey, an improvement in the levels of advocacy at school from 1.9/10 in 2015 to 6/10 in 2017. I have enjoyed leading the school through its current School Plan and I am now so excited to see how the key elements of the 2018-2020 School Plan develop and grow. I must say that having taken a moment to look back over the year and actively reflect on 2017, I can confidently state that we should all feel very satisfied to have achieved great progress not only from a school planning perspective, but most importantly, we have enjoyed another successful
year where enhancing the educational, academic, social and emotional outcomes and experiences available for all our students, remained the core business of the school and the primary focus for all decision making. The school is now in the process of drafting the 2018-2020 School Plan following the school and community consultation that has taken place over the last two terms. Ms Abson and I attended a School Planning intensive workshop run by the Department of Education on Monday 13 November to inform the next stage of this process and I am looking forward to sharing the draft School Plan with the school community early next year for final feedback prior to its publication at the end of Term 1 2018.
FFiinnaall FFaarreewweellll aanndd CCoonnggrraattuullaattiioonnss ttoo YYeeaarr 1122 It was great to have our Year 12 students return back to officially sign out of school and collect their school references last Friday. I was so pleased to see that all the students were in positive spirits, looking forward to the future and of course relieved that their Higher School Certificate journey was over. Many of the students I spoke with reported that they felt very pleased with how they felt they went and I am sure this will be evidenced when we receive their results in December. What is most important is that the students feel satisfied with their level of effort invested into their studies and that they have achieved their personal best. I know that we will all be very proud of the Class of 2017 not only for their HSC academic results, but for the quality young women they have all grown confidently into over their time at the school. We had already received some wonderful HSC news regarding the performance of the students in Drama and Music that I shared in my October Gazette article. I have however, since my last correspondence continued to receive further impressive HSC news. We have been notified that three of our students have been nominated for ARTEXPRESS which is a wonderful achievement. The students nominated are; Ivy Chen “Expression of the Subconscious Mind”, Nieminy Nian “Mongolia: The Art of Living” and Celia Tulau “Evolution Dissolution”. A special mention must also go to Mrs Liz Clark who was the class teacher this year for the students. This is a wonderful accolade for her and a testament to the quality creative guidance and support she has provided for the students in her class over their HSC studies in Visual Arts. I am thrilled to report that Ivy Chen has also had her HSC Major Textiles and Design Project selected to be exhibited in the 2018 Texstyle Exhibition. The Texstyle exhibition will be held at the Into Craft Live Show at Rosehill Racecourse in 2018 from 8 March to 11 March 2018. A big Thank you must go to Mrs Nicolette Forster for the energy she has invested to guide the students through the creation of their amazing Major Textiles Projects. I reported in my last Gazette that the Drama Group Performance “The Twice a Daily Paper” created by Una Altarac, Eleni Carydis, Serina Wu, Grace Zheng and Ziggi Zikmann had been nominated for possible inclusion into OnSTAGE. I am so proud to announce that we have now been advised that this Group Performance has been actually selected for inclusion into the OnSTAGE program. This is such a special achievement as to be recognised at this elite level from across the State is a real reflection of the quality work the students created. I sent an email to the Class of 2017 congratulating them on the successful completion of their HSC Examinations recently. I attached to this email some information about the St Georgians and I would like to encourage our school leavers to connect with this proud group of ex-students from the past, to ensure that they remain informed of any activities or events that the St Georgians may organise. I ask the graduating students to remember that the happiest people in life are the givers not the getters and I look
forward to having the students return back in the future to give back to the school and make a difference no matter how big or small. Congratulations and all the best for the future Year 12. The Class of 2017 are also invited to a special HSC Celebration morning tea on Friday 15 December. I would like to encourage all of our students to return back so we can informally celebrate the receipt of their HSC results and wish the students all the very best for the next step they choose to take. MMeennttaall HHeeaalltthh FFiirrsstt AAiidd TTrraaiinniinngg ffoorr SSttaaffff On Wednesday 1 November and Thursday 2 November all Year Advisers, the School Counsellor (Mrs Batten), the Senior Executive, two Head Teachers (Mrs Williamson and Mr Nousis), the Learning and Support Coordinator (Miss Papas) and two administration staff (Ms Byrne and Mrs Brown) participated in a 14-hour Youth Mental Health First Aid Course, designed specifically for adults working with adolescents (those aged between approximately 12 and 18 years). Significant evidence-based research has identified that this course is highly effective and beneficial for school staff. Specifically, a study found that participants who completed the course developed improved knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, knowledge of appropriate first aid strategies, and the confidence in providing mental health first aid, as well as playing a key role in reducing stigma attached to mental health issues. The course teaches adults how to assist adolescents (those aged between 12 and 18 years) who are developing a mental illness, experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem or in a mental health crisis, until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves. The participants from St George learnt about adolescent development, the signs and symptoms of the common and disabling mental health problems in young people, where and how to get help when a young person is developing a mental illness, what sort of help has been shown by research to be effective, and how to provide first aid in a crisis situation. Although the two days of training were quite intense, I know that we all learnt significant tools and strategies that we can now implement to best support the wellbeing needs of our students. I would like to thank all the staff who attended the workshop for the time they invested in this most important and relevant training.
MMuullttiiccuullttuurraall FFoooodd FFeessttiivvaall aanndd SSuummmmeerr FFeessttiivvaall ooff MMuussiicc On Friday 8 December the annual Multicultural Food Festival will be hosted by the P&C from 3:30pm and will be followed by the Summer Festival of Music. One of the many strengths of our school is the rich cultural diversity that exists across and this will be celebrated and showcased on this afternoon. I look forward to having our new students for 2018 and their families attend the afternoon and I certainly would like to invite all of our current students and their families to enjoy what will be a great afternoon . I would like to say a very big thank you to our P&C and to all the families who will prepare and serve a delicious variety of cultural dishes for our guests to sample and enjoy at the various food stalls. We will also have a large number of raffles to sell on the afternoon due to the generosity of donations made from our school community. I have emailed to all parents the flyers with information about the afternoon and requests for raffle prize donations (these flyers will also be attached to this month’s Gazette). Following the Multicultural Food Festival at 6:30pm, all members of the school community are invited to stay and enjoy the quality student performances that will feature as part of the Summer Festival of Music. This evening is certainly a highlight of the school calendar and the performing arts programs and opportunities certainly add a valuable element to the fabric of our school and we are very fortunate to be able to provide such rich creative outlets for our students to engage in. Thank you to our outstanding CAPA faculty teachers and tutors for the work they have invested into rehearsals and preparing for this evening and I am looking forward to attending the festival. I look forward to seeing many of you there to witness and support the creative talents and excellence of our staff and students. UUllttiimmoo OOppeerraattiioonnaall NNeettwwoorrkk AAwwaarrddss 22001177 On Wednesday 15 November the Ultimo Network Awards were held at Endeavour Sports High School. These awards are held each year and have been designed as a vehicle to celebrate and recognise the excellent achievement of our colleagues in Public Education. This year two members of school were recognised on the evening for their contributions. Firstly, Mrs Jodie Jospe was recognised in the Classroom Teacher (non-executive role) category for all her work in the area of careers and Mrs Rita Steffe, was recognised in the School Administrative and Support Staff category for all of her work as a Science Laboratory Assistant and the role she fulfils training and supporting staff in these roles across other schools. It was a very special evening and it was great to have two outstanding individuals and St George Girls represented and recognised on the night. I would like to thank Ms Abson and Ms Houesgo who attended the evening with me to celebrate this important achievement for two most deserving members of the staff.
PPiinnkk RRiibbbboonn aanndd MMoovveemmbbeerr SSttaaffff BBrreeaakkffaasstt On Friday 17 November the Staff Wellbeing team hosted a Pink Ribbon and Movember Breakfast for the staff. The Staff Wellbeing team has played a very important role promoting wellbeing and raising awareness of and supporting many valuable causes over the year (including Mental health awareness and Jeans for Genes Day). The Pink Ribbon and Movember staff breakfast was a further example of the role that this strategic team is playing in our school, not only in terms of inspiring connectedness across the staff, but also their promotion and support of a range of important and worthwhile causes. I would like to thank all the staff for embracing this initiative and thank the wellbeing team for the energy they invested to host this initiative for the staff.
Green Day This week on Thursday 23 November St George will host its annual Green Day. This is highly anticipated event that I know both staff and students look forward to. The annual Green Day event includes student sustainability workshops conducted and facilitated by students who became teachers for the day and environmental professionals. Past students also return as guest speakers and current students participate in GREEN–X talks. Other activities on the day incudes gardening, school beautification projects, jelly and ice cream sales as well as recess and lunch activities such as a sausage sizzle and student run stalls. All the final arrangements for the day have been made and we are looking forward to a highly successful event that highlights the importance of environmental sustainability. I would like to congratulate and thank the Enviro Committee and organising teacher Mrs Diane Duffy for working so diligently to ensure that this event runs effectively each year. Students are also permitted to wear mufti on this day and they are encouraged to wear the colour green to support this worthwhile whole school activity. Last week I had the pleasure of issuing the Enviro Executive their newly designed badges. It was great to recognise the energy and effort that the student leaders invest into this most important student group in our school. I hope they wear their badges with pride and as a symbol of the key significance and profile that the Enviro team has in our school community. EEnndd ooff TTeerrmm AAccttiivviittiieess Our Annual Presentation Day will be held on Wednesday 13 December commencing at 10 am at Sydney Town Hall and I wanted to remind everyone that this is compulsory school day for all students. The ceremony will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate student achievement and excellence across a range of domains. Parents and family members are of course welcome to attend the ceremony and the decision to return back to the Town Hall in 2017 was certainly due to the fact that many more parents are able to attend the ceremony. As this event is offsite, I will send correspondence out to parents outlining the specific arrangements for the day, which will include an early conclusion to the school day. I am very grateful to Ms Di Leo, Ms Mileski and Mrs Louskos for the work they have been doing to coordinate and plan this highly anticipated whole school event and thank them for accommodating the added logistical requirements needed to host such a large scale school event offsite. Friday 15 December is the official last day of the school term for students. Reports for Years 7-9 will be issued on Thursday 14 December and Year 10 will be issued with their reports on Wednesday 6 December at their personal best report interviews.
I am also aware that some families are planning to commence their vacation earlier than the dates above as they are either travelling overseas or interstate. If you wish your daughter to be granted leave for family or personal reasons, please indicate this to me in writing as soon as possible. Please also state the expected date of her return to school in 2018 so that we retain her position at St George. The 2018 school year commences on Monday 29 January for staff. Students in Years 7, 11 and 12 (as well as any Year 10 peer support leaders) return on Tuesday 30 January and all remaining students in Years 8, 9 and 10 on Wednesday 31 January. AAllll tthhee BBeesstt ttoo MMrrss FFoorrsstteerr I am sure that by now most members of the school community are aware that Mrs Nicolette Forster is expecting a baby. At the end of this year, Mrs Forster will commence her maternity leave and on behalf of the staff and students we would like to wish her and her husband all the very best as they are about to become new parents. Mrs Forster will be a wonderful mother and we look forward to hearing the news that baby Forster has arrived safely in the new year. Student Achievements One of the best parts of the school day as a school Principal is receiving correspondence or advice about the range of successes your students achieve. I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge some of the student achievements I have been informed about before the year draws to a close. I received an email from Sallianne Faulkner the
President of Ramsgate RSL Memorial Club congratulating Eloise Cooper on her presentation at the South Metro Region ClubsNSW dinner meeting. She wrote “we were privileged to hear from Eloise tonight as she detailed her travels and learnings in the past war zones of Europe. She is an impressive young person, whom, I’m sure, her school family is very proud of. Congratulations on the role your school has played in her development”. It is always a pleasure to receive such correspondence and I thank Eloise for representing the school so proudly at these important community events.
Five of our students will be performing as part of the Orchestra at the 2017 Schools Spectacular. This is such a large event and it is so pleasing to have our school represented and our students showcased. A very big congratulations to Zoe Morris, Talia Quartullo, Christina Nguyen, Amy Guo and Mikayla Perry on their selection.
Stella Serrao-Smith in Year 7 is a member of the NSW Public Schools Junior Singers and she too will feature in the Schools Spectacular combined choir. This is such a significant event to stage and is designed to showcase the talents of students in NSW Public schools. I am so thrilled to have our students selected to perform and represent our school in this large scale event.
Sasha Patterson-Rajak took part in the Australia Japan relations essay contest for NSW and Northern Territory school students. The topic was “What can Japan learn from Australia’s hosting of the Olympics and Rugby World Cup” and she was
required to submit a 1500 word essay. We have just received notification that Sasha received a “Highly Commended” for her essay and will receive a prize at the Rewards Ceremony on 6 December at the Consulate General’s official residence in Sydney.
Nieminy Nian and Ivy Chen were both pre-selected for inclusion in the Art Rules 2017 exhibition to be held from Saturday 9 December 2017 – Sunday 21 January 2018 in the Broadhurst Gallery at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Art Centre. These students were also nominated for ARTEXPRESS after the school received notification about their pre-selection into Art Rules. Their selection is a real testament to the quality of the work both students created this year.
Rhea Baweja attended the Children’s Parliament on 25 and 26 October as a member for the East Hills electorate. On 25 October she met the First Lady Mrs Lucy Turnbull and did a segment for Channel 7 with her through her position on the Youth Advisory Council of NSW. The council were working in collaboration with the Greater Sydney Commission, where Mrs Turnbull is a Chief Commissioner, to develop a program. On 26 October, Rhea delivered a speech at the Parliament House about an issue she thought was important for youth. She then was interviewed alongside the Advocate of Children and Young People by ABC Radio for the role and activities of Youth Advisory Council and views of the youth. I have been informed that Rhea thoroughly enjoyed this experience and gained a lot of new knowledge and skills.
Aya Mizukami has been selected to be part of the Ballkid Visitor Program for the Australian Open Tennis 2018. The program is awarded to the top two ball kids from each state of the 2017 Australian Open Tennis Series Events for their achievements with the opportunity to join the Australian Open Tennis Ballkids Squad. Aya is one of the two ballkids children from Sydney International Tennis Open 2017. She will stay for 2 weeks in Melbourne with an international contingent of ballkids from France, Korea and China.
The following students have been awarded a Premier’s Reading Medal this year. Congratulations to Fariha Mian, Joyce Wang, Phoebe Yu, Rianne Hamad and Sarah Khan.
The following students were awarded Platinum Awards in the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge that recognises their seventh successful year in the challenge. Congratulations to Amber Chou, Becky Hang, Humnah Bhatti, Jessie Wang, Katrina Dinh, Laetitia Cooper, Michelle Xu, Nashita Choudhury, Shu-Been Kim, Yashwini Gopal and Zoe Tang.
The following students were awarded Gold Awards in the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge that recognises their fourth successful year in the challenge. Congratulations to Alice Wang, Allison Wu, Aneeta Nelson, Chloe Xu, Grace Chen, Phoebe Tandjiria, Prerana Kadam, Rubia Gill, Thawanrut Ketkeo and Vanessa Zhu.
Finally I would like to wish all our community a safe, relaxing and well-deserved end of year break. I hope you all enjoy spending some quality time together with your families and friends and I look forward to returning back in 2018, for another exciting and eventful school year. Thank you to each of your for continued support throughout the year and I am very proud of all that we have all achieved together for our school and students. I wish you all a wonderful festive season and thank you all for your contributions over the year. Betty Romeo Principal DDeeppuuttyy PPrriinncciippaall’’ss RReeppoorrtt –– TTeeaacchhiinngg aanndd LLeeaarrnniinngg YYeeaarr 1100 -- HHSSCC:: AAllll MMyy OOwwnn WWoorrkk
ll Year 10 students will be required to complete the online course HSC: All My Own Work prior to commencing their Preliminary courses and
assessment schedule. Our librarian, Ms Bell-Whittaker, will be overseeing the completion of this mandatory requirement. A letter was emailed to all students and parents earlier this month outlining the details of the course and the procedures for completing the modules. All students will commence the online course on Wednesday 29 November. The following link will provide you with more information about the course. http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-all-my-own-work YYeeaarrss 77 –– 99 RReeppoorrttss Reports for Years 7-9 will be issued on Thursday 14 December. It is important that students and parents take the time to carefully read their teachers’ comments and to take their advice about strategies for improvement in 2018. This month’s study skills tip looks at reflecting on the year and identifying what worked, what were the greatest challenges, what can you do to build on your strengths and how to manage distractions and procrastination as you move into the new year. UUppccoommiinngg WWeellllbbeeiinngg AAccttiivviittiieess It is great to end the year with some very positive wellbeing activities for our girls. The scheduled activities are: Year 9 Peer Support Training: Monday 27 November and Tuesday 28 November Year 7 Friendship Day: Wednesday 6 December Year 9 Resumes and Jobs Presentation: Wednesday 6 December Year 10 Personal Best Interviews: Wednesday 6 December As this is the final gazette for the year, I would like to thank all staff, parents and students for the ongoing support throughout the year and I look forward to working with you in 2018. I wish you all a very safe and happy holiday.
Ms Abson Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning
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YYMMCCAA NNSSWW YYoouutthh PPaarrlliiaammeenntt 22001177
uring the September Holidays, we were both chosen to represent our electorates, Rockdale and Kogarah in the YMCA NSW Youth
Parliament 2017. Prior to this, we had attended a training camp which gave us insight into politics and the system of government which we were to debate in a few months later. After the training camp in June, the duration of Term 3 not only comprised of our obligations as students, but as Youth Parliamentarians, writing our Bills and Reports, and preparing to step foot in the Parliament of NSW. Our roles as the Minister for Education (Talia Quartullo) in the LA, and the Minister for Women's Affairs (Angela Tran) in the LC, not only made us responsible for creating legislation to try an improve these areas, but to more generally act as a voice for the vast opinions held by youth on omnipresent in our electorates and the entire state. As the Shadow Minister for Education in the Legislative assembly, Talia lead a team of dedicated and passionate students from all across the State in the formation of a Bill titled Future Fundamental for High School Students. The aim of this Bill was to fill the void between high school and adult life, ensuring that students have the skills to thrive independently after leaving school. The bill implemented a mandatory and standardised course across year 7-10 in all NSW high schools, rectifying the current system where only some students who elect certain subjects are exposed to these skills. This course encompassed 4 main areas, being: finance, social interactions, technology, and physical essentials. After much dedicated and thorough work on the Bill, it was proud moment to see it pass through both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative power, and into Youth Parliament legislation. My experience in the Legislative Assembly was one filled with the passion of likeminded young people from around the state. My own opinions were enriched by the insightful and emotional anecdotes of other Youth Parliamentarians, and my scope widened by the vastly different perspectives of others. Through the Legislative Assembly passed Bills passed on introducing counselling services for police members suffering from PTSI, combating homelessness through the introduction of a progressive housing system and
employment training, increasing domestic violence services and education on gender stereotypes, and the introduction of student carriages in Sydney Trains. Whilst I have not mentioned all the Bills created, each was formed with one purpose in mind- to create a better NSW for the adults of tomorrow. Angela was the representative for Kogarah in the Legislative Council and part of the Women’s Affairs Committee. Our report served to initiate conversation about a very controversial topic; abortion. By doing this, we wished to create more access and availability for women wishing to undertaken an abortion for their chosen reason. Our report successfully passed in the LC, unanimously, highlighting just how outdated our current legislation stands. The role of the LC was to mainly review the bills that were passed in the LA. The quality of all the bill accurately represents the youth of today and our leaders of tomorrow. We reviewed and debated bills from committees such as Transport, Education and Justice and passed most of them in our chamber. Being in a smaller chamber was nerve-wracking at first but throughout the 4 days that we were in parliament, it became much easier to seek the call and voice my opinions. On the second last day, both houses combined to tackle the National Matter of Public Importance- increasing funding for the CSIRO. New opinions and a fresh light was shone on all issues confronted by the Youth Parliamentarians of 2017. As youth, we represented what the leaders of tomorrow believe to be imperative to creating a better and progressive society. Being able to mingle with like-minded teens for a week was an eye-opening experience. It was interesting to exchange ideas and gain new political understandings of our society and other individuals. We highly encourage everyone to sign up and participate in this worthwhile program for next year and future years!!
DD
GGrreeeenn CCoorrnneerr
GREEN DAY
Thursday 24 November – St George Girls High School Annual Environmental Day
hank you to all students who donated packets of jelly and mobile phones for Green Day. Enjoy your free sausage sizzle and jelly and ice on
Green Day. Apart from the Environmental workshops for all students in Years 7 to 10 there will be a special event in the Hall after lunch which includes a fashion parade, drama performance – all with an environmental theme plus Green – X talks and the drawing of our Enviro raffle and guessing competition. Jelly and ice cream will be sold at recess – $2 for jelly and ice cream and $1.50 for plain jelly – the cups and spoons are environmentally friendly (made of corn starch to minimise our waste) and kindly donated by Environmental Enterprises. We thank them for their continued support. At lunchtime there will be face painting, nail painting, succulent plants in cups for sale, environmental products, cakes and sausage sizzle. You must pre-order your sausage sizzle – $2.50 for kangaroo and vegetarian sausage and $3.50 for a beef sausage (methane TAX). The students are selling the tickets at recess and lunchtime under the big top in the Maths Quad. New Badges The Enviro Students Executive now have badges to wear with pride. They are magnificent.
Special Event – ‘Beyond Plastic Pollution’ Conference Mrs Macready and Mrs Duffy attended the gala dinner for ‘Beyond Plastic Pollution’ on Tuesday Night, 31 October, at Dockside Wharf Cockle Bay. The Event was held by The Boomerang Alliance as part of the conference to create pathways to cleaner oceans. This was the first National event of its kind in Australia by Boomerang Alliance. This involved several guest speakers and a “Trashion” parade. The garments were totally made from items found on Bondi Beach. It was a real eye-opener and a privilege to have attended. MC for the night was Wendy Harmer, guest speakers included: Andy Marks – producer of War on Waste, internationally acclaimed activist and artist Marina DeBris who presented the Trashion Fashion Show compered by Ocean Ambassador Laura Wells [who was out guest speaker on Green Day several years ago]. Included are a few photos of the Trashion parade. Remember all items were found on the Beach – a real eye-opener! Mrs Duffy
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SSttuuddeenntt WWeellffaarree
ince the issue of the last Gazette, the following students have been presented with Dragon Badges:
Hayley Chan, Helena Chiu, Sophie Chronis, Niamh Deuis, Fiona Jiang, Carla Kargas, Lily Knowles, Catherine Law, Eleni Markantonakis, Mary Murray (6), Jacqueliya Widjaja, Tracy Yao (3) and Monica Zhou of Year 7. Vinita Balusu, Humnah Bhatti, Astrid Brahe, Leonie Chen, Amber Chou, Cindy Fu, Etasha Gamage, Maya Guden (2), Shivangi Katoch, Marina Kawabe, Bonnie Lai, Michelle Lei, Adeline Liu, Caroline Lu (2), Aneeta Nelson, Alice Ruan, Kelly Su, Meera Thayaparan, Amy Vu, Isabella Wang, Jacquelina Widjaja, Magdalene Wong, Angelina Xie (2), Michelle Xu, Mandy Yang (2), Isabel Zhang and Vanessa Zhu (2) of Year 8. Grace Au, (3), Vienna Chan, Fiona Chau, Anne Chen, Ahona Dutta, Samantha Law, Rachel Luo (3), Shoshanna Marrett (4), Lana Nguyen (9), Vanessa Pirom (3), Kyla Rivera, Cindy Zhang and Idy Zhao of Year 9. Linh Cao, Lily Chen (8), Isabel Duong-Balada (5), Anna He, Lauren Hook (2), Anakha Jain (7), Anuki Jayawardana (2), Iris Le-Jones (4), Michelle Lieng (2), Da Lin, Aastha Mishra (2) Rachel Perera, Talia Quartullo (2), Sutapa Saha (2), Yu Fei Shen, Jodie Sia, Erika Strehler (6), Lauren Taylor, Claudia Tran, Alyanna Verdeflor, Sze Kay Wong (8), Rachelle Wu (2), Catherine Zhao (3) and Janet Zhao of Year 10. Anjali Aiyer, Arsha Binoy, Vivian Fan (2), Yurou Fu, Grace Ge, Alina Haque (2), Kimberley Kwan Pang (2), Jane Lee (2), Sandy Ma (3), Jessica Nikolovski, Erica Soenarjo, Rebecca Sun, Juliet Tan (2), Brenda Tan (2), Jennifer Tan (2), Alice Truong, Alicia Wong, Christine Xu and Emily Yuan of Year 11. Amy Chen (3), Kristy Chow (2), Jessica Liu, Mahitha Ramanathan (2), Anjelica Williams and Hayley Xie of Year 12. The following students have been presented with a Super Dragon Badge: Mary Murray of Year 7. Jacquelina Widjaja of Year 8. Samantha Law and Lana Nguyen of Year 9. Lily Chen (2), Anakha Jain, Talia Quartullo, Erika Strehler and Sze Kay Wong (2) of Year 10. Erica Soenarjo, Juliet Tan and Emily Yuan of Year 11. Anjelica Williams and Hayley Xie of Year 12.
PPaarreennttss aanndd CCiittiizzeennss’’ AAssssoocciiaattiioonn
he next and final P&C meeting for 2017 will be held on Thursday 30 November (PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE) in the School Staff
Common Room at 7pm. We look forward to seeing you at our final P&C meeting. Food and light refreshments will be served on the night. To assist us in the catering, please advise if you will be attending the meeting. The meeting agenda will be sent out next week and if you are not already in our distribution list, please send me your email address via SMS. On behalf of the P&C members, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. I would to thank all the parents for their work in preparing for the upcoming Multicultural Food Festival. It will be a great afternoon and I look forward to welcoming many parents and students to this event on Friday 8 December. 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
elcome back to Term 4! Hope you all had a fantastic and rejuvenated spring holiday.
The Mothers’ Committee met on Wednesday 1 November in the library. Unfortunately, Ms Romeo could not be with us, but Mrs Jospe, Careers Adviser, came and spoke to the group about her involvement in the wellbeing program at St George and the Year 10 career education program. It was great to hear in detail how our girls are being prepared for their future career paths. The Mothers’ Committee has recently presented School and Community Service Awards, which are funded annually, to students at Year 12 Graduation Day. We would like to congratulate all prize recipients and wish all our Year 12 students all the very best for their HSC exams. The Uniform Shop has operated successfully throughout 2017 through the amazing efforts of Mandy Hook, the committee and volunteers. Thank you to Mandy for her continued support and to all our Committee members and Uniform Shop volunteers for their hard work and dedication, which enables all profits from the shop to be returned to the school.
SS TT
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UUnniiffoorrmm SShhoopp NNeewwss It has been a very busy start to term 4 for the Uniform shop with many 2018 Year 7 parents getting in early before orientation day. The orientation pack consisting of a backpack, 3 shirts, summer tunic, sports uniform, cap, socks and badge has been a great success, and is making uniform shopping much easier for new parents. Second hand items are still much in demand, so any donations to the uniform shop of clothes that are no longer needed would be most welcome. There are two bright pink donation bins, one in the uniform shop and one in the Year 12 study. A big thankyou to our Year 9 girls who have been fantastic in coming in early to purchase their senior uniform. Any Year 9 girls who haven’t done so are encouraged to avoid the rush at the end of the year and pop in to the uniform shop in the next few weeks. Many Year 9 parents have taken advantage of our online ordering which enables the girls to avoid the rush and pick up their order at recess. See below to follow the easy steps:
Online Ordering! 3 Easy Steps!
To avoid the hassle of the lunchtime queue at the uniform shop: 1. Download an order form from the school website 2. Email your order through to
3. Once payment has been made via direct deposit, your order can be collected during recess on a Wednesday. (There will be no sales at recess, only collection of orders.)
Special Opening Times:
Tuesday 5 December from 10:30am to 1:30pm at the Year 7 2018 Orientation Day
Saturday 25 November from 9:30am to 11am Saturday 2 December from 9:30am to 11am
Saturday 9 December from 9:30am to 11am
Monday 29 January 2018 from 9.30am to 11.00am
Please note the uniform shop will be
closed 13 December
Uniform Shop Helpers Needed!! A big thanks to all our volunteers who have helped last month:
Rokeya Akhand – Nashita Choudhury 7A Sarah Deuis – Niamah Deuis 7A Cathy Li – Vivian Li 7C Bonnie Wong – Natalie Tang 7E Marrianne Skinner – Clare Jenkins 8B Thuy Trinh – Christine Doan 9A Debbie Wong – Alicia Wong 11F
The Mothers’ Committee always meets the first Wednesday of the month (except during school holidays).
Our meetings provide a great opportunity to be involved with the school community, meet other parents and find out what is happening at school from the Principal and Guest Speakers.
Next Meeting: Wednesday 6 December at 10am in the School Library. Please come along and join us for our Christmas Morning Tea, which will be celebrated in the school library. We look forward to celebrating a year of learning and new friendships with you all. Hope to see you there! Edwina Murphy President
Edwina Murphy Sarah Widjaja, Megan Feghali President Vice Presidents
Kim Le, Carol Chew Mandy Hook Secretary Treasurer SStt GGeeoorrggiiaannss
s the HSC Exams come to a close, we wish all the very best to the departing students of St George, and welcome Year 11 to their final
stretch of secondary education. May you all find that joy in learning and in knowledge that makes the school day fly by, and enriches your lives forever. We invite all 2017 Year 12 students to join us on Facebook - a great way to keep up with school news and find and stay in contact with old school friends. We are currently in the early planning stages of our 2018 Annual Reunion Luncheon and will be publicising details shortly. We look forward to welcoming all former students and staff to this very enjoyable event. It would be wonderful to see some recent school leavers there! The St Georgians generally meet on the fourth Thursday of each month, in the Bistro/Brasserie area at the St George Leagues Club, Kogarah. For details of our next meeting, please email us at the address below. We have a great group of ladies, and it’s a fun, relaxed atmosphere. We also invite you to stay after the meeting for a little socialising and perhaps lunch in the Bistro. We are always keen to meet new members, and look forward to seeing you there! Kim Archibald President
AA
CCoommiinngg EEvveennttss
Tuesday 21 November Gazette issued on school website and emailed to parents and students New Student 2018 Orientation
Tuesday 21 November Duke of Edinburgh Silver Camp – Wednesday 22 November
Wednesday 22 November Year 9 Music Excursion
Thursday 23 November Green Day
Thursday 23 November Duke of Edinburgh Training
Saturday 25 November Uniform Shop Open, 9.30am – 11am
Monday 27 November Year 9 Peer Support Training – Tuesday 28 November Monday 27 November Year 8 Enrichment Program Commences Wednesday 29 November Year 10 HSC: All My Own Work Year 9 Japanese Calligraphy Workshop Year 11 Assessments Commences
Change of Date Now Thursday 30 November Parents and Citizens’ Association Meeting, School Library, 7pm
Saturday 2 December Uniform Shop Open, 9.30am – 11am
Tuesday 5 December Year 8 Excursion, UTS Women in Engineering Year 9 Food Technology ‘Masterchef’ Challenge Year 10 Mathematics Excursion, Luna Park Year 7 2018 Orientation
Wednesday 6 December Year 10 Reports Issued and Interviews Year 7 Friendship Day Mothers’ Committee Meeting, Library, 10am Year 9 Careers ‘Resumes and Jobs Presentation’ Duke of Edinburgh Training
Friday 8 December Multicultural Food Festival and Summer Festival of Music
Saturday 9 December Uniform Shop Open, 9.30am – 11am
Saturday 9 December Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Camp – Sunday 10 December
Wednesday 13 December Presentation Day, Sydney Town Hall, 10am Thursday 14 December Years 7, 8, 9 Reports Issued Higher School Certificate Results Released
Friday 15 December Final Day of Term 4 for Students ATAR Results Released Year 12 Morning Tea Monday 29 January 2018 Uniform Shop Open, 9.30am – 11am
Commencement Dates for 2018
Monday 29 January 2018 – Staff Only Tuesday 30 January 2018 – Years 7, 11 and 12 and Year 10 Peer Support Leaders
Wednesday 31 January 2018 – Years 8, 9, 10
It is important that payment for excursions is made to the Finance Office or Online prior to the due date.
WooL4School Frankie Magazine Photoshoot On the 10th of October I was allowed the privilege of attending a photoshoot for the Frankie magazine as part of the Wool4school design prize. The experience was eye opening, providing a great opportunity to gain insight into the field of textiles design and the processes involved in a photoshoot. The shoot was located at a large studio named ‘Pix On Location’. The location was beautiful, with a large white backdrop, viewing area, kitchen and hair and make-up areas. All the staff and workers were extremely kind and showed me around the area upon arrival. I then changed into an outfit
chosen by the Wool4school team and had my hair and makeup done.
The most incredible thing was seeing my design being brought to life by Australian designer Jonathan Ward. The garment was made with immense care and precision, with every line of stitching being exceptionally neat and straight. The garment took Mr Ward 50 hours to make with numerous days working with a model to ensure correct sizing and fitting. After hair and makeup was complete and once the model was fully dressed, the camera woman directed the remainder of the photoshoot. The Wool4School competition has been such an amazing and incredible experience allowing me to learn about the capabilities of merino wool whilst providing me with great insight into the textiles and design industry.
~Alice Wang, Year 10.
Year 12 Textiles and Design Congratulations to Ivy Chen, Year 12 Textiles and Design student.
Her Major Textiles Project and portfolio has been chosen to be exhibited in the 2018 NESA ‘TEXSTYLE’ Exhibition. NESA only select a small number of projects each year to be exhibited from across the whole of NSW HSC Textiles and Design elective students. This is a fantastic achievement and we are all so proud of her and all of her hard work to achieve this special honour.
We look forward to taking our Year 11 Textiles and Design students next year to see her work on display at the Craft Fair at Rosehill Gardens.
On 21st October, Sherina Xie of Year 10 competed in the Australian Apex Teenage Fashion Awards 2017 National Finals in Perth, representing NSW/ACT in the Society and Environment Category. This prize was included in addition to placing first in the NSW/ACT state finals, as well as travel and accommodation. Sherina’s entry was based on the issue of coral bleaching that the Great Barrier Reef is currently threatened by as a result of climate change and environmental disturbances. The National finals were held at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. Prior to the runway show, hair and makeup was done by professionals and the entrant’s garments were marked by a panel of judges. The best part about the National finals was being able to take part in such a large event and meeting other people who had an interest in fashion and design, whose garments she was inspired by. As well as the chance to walk down a runway and showcase her design to a wider audience. Although Sherina did not gain a national title, she felt very privileged and to have had the opportunity to represent NSW/ACT and see the wide scope of unique designs, in particular, the decorative and constructive, from across Australia.
Sherina Xie featured: front of her design.
Sherina Xie featured: back of her design.
AATFA National Finals
Year 10 Textiles Year 10 textiles students have been busy working away on making some summer outfits made of natural fibres, ready for summer! After learning about the properties and performance of natural fibres, the girls started their journey of designing an outfit suitable for summer. They worked from a commercial pattern and used a variety of techniques including pockets, pleats, darts and gathers. The outfits are fully lined and manufactured to a professional standard! They have done an amazing job and look fantastic in their handmade summer dresses.
STUDY SKILLS TIP FOR NOVEMBER
http://www.studyskillshandbook.com.au/
END OF YEAR REFLECTION – SWOT ANALYSIS With the end of the year fast approaching it is a good time for students to reflect on their approach to school this year. If you wait until next year you will have forgotten what you did this year and what you need to change for next year. So as the holidays approach, take a moment to do a short SWOT analysis on your personal approach to school and learning. Students may like to discuss these questions with a teacher, parent or friend.
STRENGTHS: What did you do well at school this year? What subjects or topics were you good at? What worked for you in your approach to learning? What are you proud of achieving? What new skills did you develop?
WEAKNESSES: What were your greatest challenges in achieving your personal best at school? What did you find difficult this year? What skills do you feel needed more work? What areas of your approach did you struggle with? When did you feel not confident about your ability to succeed?
OPPORTUNITIES: What could you do to build your strengths and deal with your weaknesses? Who did you encounter this year that might be able to help you on this journey? What will be different about next year that will create opportunities to change? What could you personally do differently in your approach to school next year? What one thing could you change that would make the biggest difference to you
being a more effective learner?THREATS:
What are the biggest obstacles to you making changes in your approach? Are there other students you sit with who make learning difficult? What is stopping you from achieving the top marks you are capable of achieving? What challenges do you face in staying motivated to do your work for school? What challenges do you face in managing distractions and procrastination?
A note to Parents: In these school holidays it is important for students to have a decent break, recharge and spend time with friends and family doing things they enjoy. Certainly if students are weak in areas such as literacy or numeracy, some practice on a regular basis over the holidays would not go astray. There are many apps listed on the study skills handbook site that are useful. It is essential however that Year 11 students spend some time these school holidays consolidating the work from Year 11, ensuring study notes are up to date and they are organised and prepared for the challenges ahead in Year 12.
Our school’s subscription details to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au are - user name: password:
Students may find it useful to complete some of the study skills units over the holidays, particularly on their areas of weakness.
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Friday, 8 December 2017 Multicultural Food Festival -
To: St George Girls High School P&C Committee
The _________________________________ Family Daughter’s class: ________
Will / Will Not be coming to the Multicultural Food Festival.
We would like to donate an amount of $ ____________________.
Cheques payable to St George Girls High School P&C Association or credit card details.
Name on Card _________________________________ (Please Print)
Card Number ___________________ Expiry Date __________ Amount _________
Signature___________________________
This event is organised by the St George Girls High School P&C.
Contact Usha Marrett – 0402 485 632 OR Madeline Murray – 0438 022 566
Multicultural Food Festival Friday 8 December 2017
Greek Sue Markantonakis 0425 245 614
Sri Lankan / Indian Usha 0402 485 632 Jude & Mary Perera 0431 369 089
Chinese / Korean Debbie Wong 0416 082 088
Japanese Junko Ohashi 0432 713 777
Vietnamese Giang Ho 0403 348 269
Malaysian/Indonesian Mon Chua 0419 803 888
Drinks Leanne Qi 0466 961 633
Filipino Madeline Murray 0438 022 566
Many thanks for all your help with this great event. We look forward to seeing as many families as possible on the night supporting our wonderful school.
Our fantastic P&C Multicultural Food Festival is drawing near and we’re looking forward to seeing you and your family.
All money raised on the night will go towards refurbishments within the school. So come along with your family, eat some wonderful food, buy some raffle tickets and support a worthy cause.
If you are unable to come but would still like to make a donation, please fill out the form below and return to the school finance office in an envelope.
For those terrific families who would like to cook food, perhaps preparing a dish at home or working on the food stalls, please call our Stall Organisers listed below:
Look forward to seeing you all!
Thank you very much!
P & C 2017 Multicultural Food Festival Hamper Donation Friday 8 December 2017
Madeline Murray on0438 022 566.
