Dear Parents and Friends of SGS, The inclusion below is part of an article written in The Education Review and raises the concerns about our present Education system.

“The alarming new trend impacting students' future success

While the ability to read, write and work with numbers is going to be vital for life, it is equally important to cultivate wider competencies that will set young Australians up for success. These include financial management, analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as teamwork, curiosity, adaptability, resilience and intercultural understanding.”

When I read items like the one above, I am encouraged with the path we are taking at SGS to develop students academically as well as with the dispositions to be the best learners. Grammar Minds is absolutely in this space helping to create young people who are able to achieve academically as well as being able to be adaptive and creative to respond to the changing nature of our world and we are doing this from Preschool right through to Year 12. This is an evolving journey but it is plainly aimed to respond to the future needs of students preparing them for their whole lives.

The term is rapidly coming to a close with only one week to go. I have been meeting with each of the Year 12 students to discuss how they are going at this significant change point in their lives. I am so encouraged by their maturity and depth of character. They all share openly and in a considered way with me. It is delightful to hear them express how significant their relationships are with the staff of the School and how supported and cared for they have been and how well prepared they believe they have been because of their teachers. It is delightful to know these young people and to hear they feel they have been in good hands throughout their schooling.

This week we have Kinder and Year 1 having their camp experience and we wish them every blessing for a safe and fun time.

Paul Smart PRINCIPAL

Calling for a Host Family or Host Families…….

We have 2 Indian Exchange students from Welham Girls School coming to SGS for a 3 week stay. We have one SGS

family who has already offered to host; we are now in search of another family to host the second student.

Length of Stay: 3 Weeks

Dates: from last week of October to 16 November, 2018

If interested please make contact with Paul Smart for further information.

From the Burrow - Primary News with Mr Saunders Year 4, take a bow! I’ve been completely impressed with Year 4’s approach to making our playground a clean and environmentally friendly space. I’m a big believer in having a potential solution in mind when you have identified a problem. I am also a believer in taking action in something you feel strongly about. Year 4 are on a mission to get all of K-6 to show initiative and responsibility with their rubbish. I’d like to share some of the messages they delivered at our Primary assembly. “If anyone here hates horror stories, brace yourselves. Year 4 walked around the whole school and we found a lot of rubbish. We found some people hiding rubbish under dirt and over fences. We found skipping ropes that had been left on the ground. We are now making posters to stick up. Please read them. Don’t bring the rubbish to school, put it in a container!” – Hamish “People, what are we doing? We have a great planet but people are choosing to pollute it. Do you want fresh air and fresh water? Then act like it! We collected a whole bucket of rubbish and there was still more lying around. Containers, that’s what we need to use, so go for it! If one person starts, people will follow. Remember: Rethink, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce, Refuse!” – Callum Servant leadership at its finest. Well done, Year 4. I know our playground will look so much better because of your action. “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us” – Gandalf

Word of the Week – consistent e.g. His actions are always consistent with his words. ETYMOLOGY: Latin MEANING: consistently adhering to the same principles Congratulations to Elizabeth Moore (6 Blue), Patrick Scott (K Gold), Clancy Yelverton (3 Blue) and Hamish McRae (6 Blue) who are celebrating their birthdays this week. I wish them all the best as they enjoy their special day and share the time with family and friends.

From the Dean of Students P-12 The topic of ‘leadership’, as a character strength, has been on my mind this week. On Wednesday afternoon staff gathered to have conversation about the leadership potential of Year 11 students who have been nominated for school student leadership roles in 2019. Students and staff will be engaged in the selection process of Primary leaders for 2019 early in Term 4. Here at Scone Grammar School we are aiming to teach all our young people, as fundamental to our understanding of having a growth mindset, that leaders are 'grown' and not just naturally 'born' as leaders. I like the quote that says “The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born- that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” While not all students will have a formal leadership role, it’s important to note that leadership, as a life skill, can be developed in all of us. Where does leadership place in your strengths profile? Find out by clicking on this link and completing the VIA Signature Strengths Survey. Practically speaking, what can you do to encourage your young person today to build this strength? You could encourage them to serve others in some capacity (for serving is at the heart of leadership), lead an activity, assignment or project and actively solicit opinions from group members. Talk with them about how this went. Another helpful activity could be to read a biography and/or watch film of an inspirational leader and discuss how he/she inspires them in practical ways. All of us can develop this character strength and all of us share this responsibility in the building up of this strength in our young people. 1 Corinthians 3:7 reminds us that we will need to seek God’s help to grow this in us. In Prayer this week: Reflect on: 1 Corinthians 3:7 Give thanks for: The gifts God has given us; God’s goodness in sending us Jesus, the resurrection and the life, so we can have a way to be friends with God; Parents, teachers and supporters who truly care for us; Pray for: Year 11 students completing Preliminary exams; Year 1 on their camp; Year 12 as they complete their final weeks; families and students who are ill or struggling at the moment: your son or daughter’s teacher/s! Rev’d Nate natkinson@sgs.nsw.edu.au

Head of Secondary As the weather has certainly warmed up and some people are thinking of getting rid of their thick winter locks I just want to remind everyone of the Uniform Policy regarding haircuts. The Policy states: Girls' hair should be tied back and pinned if necessary, if it touches the collar. Tying back does not mean tying a bunch at the top of the head and allowing the rest of the hair to hang down. Girls with hair that reaches to their collars must have it tied back with only navy, gold or white ribbon or scrunchies while in uniform. There must be no radical change of hair colour. Hair colour should be one natural colour. Boys' hair must be of a conservative style and length. Overuse of gel is not permitted. There must be no radical change of hair lengths in the style. Boys must be clean shaven. There has, however, been some misunderstanding around what this means in relation to boys’ haircuts, so I have included some photos. None of these are acceptable.

The Year 8 ‘Through the Lens’ Movie Night was a huge success on Monday night; thank you to all those who attended and congratulations to the team of Chester Hall, Sam Barry and Max Seale for taking home the trophy with a very funny outback adventure film. Wednesday’s Drama Night was also very successful, with some moments of hilarity mixed in with some very serious topics. Well done to all the performers. Also thank you for the very generous donations to the Rescue Helicopter. Quote of the week:-

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” - Charles R. Swindoll

Have a great week! Mrs Deanna Hollis dhollis@sgs.nsw.edu.au

Winners of the Year 8 ‘Through the Lens’ Movie Night Max Seale, Sam Barry, Chester Hall

Tales from The Yellow Cottage

It is Spring and we have been very busy in our Giving Garden. We have started using our compost bin that was donated to us from the Upper Hunter Shire Council as part of Liesa attending a Sustainability Workshop on composting and worm farms. We have been using our group times to discuss water saving and composting. However, most importantly we have had the children planning the plants for our garden and planting both seeds and seedlings into our new garden beds. A huge thanks to our Sustainability Team for leading this project.

News from the School Counsellor

Ways to Well-being

Feel Good and Function Well

Being healthy is not just about eating well and exercising. It is important to look after your thoughts, your emotions and your spirit. There are many approaches out there when looking at well-being, here is a simple check list: Connect - Connect with the people around you; with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours – at home, work, school or in your community. Relationships are the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. These connections will support and enrich you every day. Be Active - Regular physical activity helps you feel better, reduces stress, anxiety and depression, and protects you against cognitive decline Take Notice - A state of mindfulness - attentiveness to and awareness of sensations, thoughts and feelings - enhances well-being. Allow yourself the time to pause and savour the moment. Keep Learning - Learning throughout life improves self-esteem, helps keep you active and builds social connections. Give Back - We feel good when we contribute to other people and our community. Helping, sharing, giving and team-oriented behaviour contributes to self-worth and positive feelings.

“Health is when every cell in your body is bouncing for joy.”

Kat Moore kmoore@sgs.nsw.edu.au

Equestrian News We had some very successful results at the Liverpool Plains Equestrian Interschools’ event last weekend. Charlie Richardson won the Secondary 102cm One Day Event. In the pure show jumping competition he competed in the Open 1.10cm and placed 1st as well as taking out the Supreme Overall Secondary Show Jumping Rider. Harry Warner achieved 1st in the 60cm One Day Event. He was 2nd in the 60cm Accumulator and 3rd in the A2 60cm in Show Jumping. Charlie Mitchell achieved 2nd in the 70cm Accumulator and 5th in the A2 70cm and A2 80cm in Show Jumping. Hannah Smith placed 4th in the 110cm Accumulator in Show Jumping. Georgia Maben achieved impressive results at the Merriwa Show – Champion District Pony Hack, Reserve Champion Youth Hack and Reserve Champion Girl Rider. Georgia’s family received the trophy for the most successful Stock Horse family at the Show. We will be show Jumping next Tuesday after school at White Park. Anne Davies Equestrian Co-Ordinator

Harry Warner & Charlie Mitchell

Harry Warner

Sport News

Last Friday 6 secondary students made their way down to Olympic Park in Sydney to compete in the AICES Athletics Championships. We have some very talented students who placed in the top 3 and will now be going to represent at CIS on the 25 September. Laura Sadler - 3rd 200m

3rd 100m 3rd 400m

Emily Winfield - 2nd High Jump Caryss Parry - 2nd 200m

2nd Junior Girls Relay Team Laura Smith - 2nd Junior Girls Relay Team Charlotte Kelly - 2nd Junior Girls Relay Team Jordan Evans - 2nd Junior Girls Relay Team Congratulations girls on such a wonderful achievement. We wish you well at CIS. Miss Jess Day

Laura Sadler & Caryss Parry Laura Smith, Jordan Evans, Charlotte Kelly, Caryss Parry,

Miss Day

SGS Indoor Rowing Competition For the past five weeks our Rowing Captains Tim, Holly and Rory have been running an indoor rowing competition in our school gym on the rowing ergs. We wanted to encourage the fitness of our students as well as entice others into becoming interested in the sport. We opened the gym every Monday to Thursday lunchtimes and students were able to submit times in either the 500m category or the 1000m category. We ended up changing the age groups to best in the Boys/Girls 12/13 Years, the 14/15 Years and the 16 Years+ and above regarded as the Open Age Group in which we encouraged staff members to compete. Competitors could race as many times as they wanted over the five weeks but their best time would be the one that would be taken for the overall prizes for each category. The results are as follows: GIRLS 12/13Yrs 500m: 1st Sophie Hawthorne – 1.59.3 1000m: 1st Sophie Hawthorne – 4.26.0 2nd Grace Saunders – 2.03.8 2nd Sarah Campbell – 4.45.5 14/15Yrs 500m: 1st Alyssa Mollema – 1.54.9 1000m: 1st Rory Manwarring – 4.24.4 2nd Rory Manwarring – 2.01.9 2nd Skye Singleton – 4.32.0 Opens 500m: Mrs Brennan – 1.55.8 1000m: No entries

BOYS 12/13Yrs 500m: 1st Harry O’Neil – 1.56.7 1000m: 1st Angus Davidson – 4.13.7 2nd Angus Davidson – 1.57.1 2nd Charlie Richardson – 4.21.3 14/15Yrs 500m: 1st Callum Goodwin – 1.41.9 1000m: 1st Tim Caslick – 3.53.4 2nd Darcy Moore – 1.46.2 2nd Lachlan Hobden – 3.55.7 Opens 500m: 1st Luke Edwards – 1.39.5 1000m: 1st Mr Smart – 4.30.2 2nd Callum Nunn – 1.46.8 We also have a special prize for Christian Sowter who consistently came to the gym and ended up clocking up 21km over the five weeks! An outstanding effort! Congratulations to all those who entered our competition. We feel it was very successful and will run it again next year in Term 3. Chris Brennan

SCONE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

22nd & 23rd September

Short films with big stories. World class, award winning, Australian short films. Saturday 22nd 6.30pm - Red carpet event with wine and supper

Sunday 23rd 11am - casual encore screening. Morning tea available

Scone FilmFest is an annual short film festival that brings a little bit of Sydney’s Tropfest or Flickerfest to Scone. It’s unique to the area, bringing award-winning, world class Australian films, some of which have screened around the world, to Scone. Now in its tenth year, the festival only screens Australian short films. There is something for everyone, with a range of films from comedy, music video, animation to drama. Experience a film-lover’s delight, with the films including Liv Hewson, Boori Monty Prior, John Wood

First Club Night: Wednesday, 17th October 2018, at Scone Pool from 5.30pm for a 6pm start.

MUST BE ABLE TO SWIM 25 METRES Cost is: $90 per swimmer or non-swimmer $35

Registrations Online: www.nswswimming.com.au - click on JOIN NOW! Region: New England North West Club: Scone Swimming Club

For more information, phone Sarah Brooks on 0428 546 564 ALL NEW MEMBERS MOST WELCOME!

mailto:Boxy33@bigpond.net.au

Community Notices & News

For Your Diary

Term 3 Monday 23 July to Friday 28 September

Week 9 Thursday 20 September Year 1 Dubbo Excursion & 21 September Duke of Ed – Bronze Kindy Sleepover Friday 21 September HRIS Secondary Sports' AGM - SGS Host Old Scholars from 1998 Visit Year 1 Dubbo return Week 10 Monday 24 September Kinder Gymnastics Year 11 Exams to 26 September Tuesday 25 September CIS Secondary Athletics U13 Rugby Sec. Schools 7's Final Wednesday 26 September School Council Meeting Thursday 27 September Year 12 Valedictory Dinner Choose Maths Mentoring Programme Friday 28 September Year 12 Final Chapel

End of Term 3 Monday 1 October Long Weekend – Labour Day

Term 4 Monday 15 October to Wednesday 5 December

Week 1 Monday 15 October Term 4 Commences Tuesday 16 October Year 9 Girls "Get Smart" HRIS Junior15’s Tennis Gala Day Wednesday 17 October Forensic Science Workshop – Years 3-6 Thursday 18 October HSC Exams Commence HRIS Second Softball Trials Founders’ Day Chapel – STLC commencing 9.30am Friday 19 October HRIS Prim Tennis Gala HRIS Second Golf Championships SGS Creative Arts' Show - K-11

Canteen Roster

Term 3 Monday 23 July to Friday 28 September

Week 9 Friday 21 September Jenny Crackett, Kirralee Green, Tracey Stewart Week 10 Monday 24 September Jenny Crackett Tuesday 25 September Jenny Crackett Wednesday 26 September Jenny Crackett, Mandy Kennedy Thursday 27 September Fiona Bailey, Lyn Sinclair Friday 28 September Fiona Bailey, Mel Gillett, Vanda Mikuckiene

End Term 3

A very big thank you to our wonderful volunteers during this Term. We very much look forward to welcoming you back in Term 4. Enjoy the holidays!

Jenny & Fiona xx

Term 4 Monday 15 October to Wednesday 5 December

Week 1 Monday 15 October Jenny Crackett Tuesday 16 October Fiona Bailey Wednesday 17 October Fiona Bailey XXXX Thursday 18 October Jenny Crackett, Pip Bishop Friday 19 October Jenny Crackett, Erryn Day, Kirrily Adams Week 2 Monday 22 October Jenny Crackett Tuesday 23 October Jenny Crackett Wednesday 24 October Jenny Crackett XXXX Thursday 25 October Fiona Bailey, Tania Dart Friday 26 October Fiona Bailey, Kirralee Green, Amelia Wilkinson