P&C Association

Notice of

Monthly Meeting

The next SGHS P&C meeting will be on:

Date: TBA

Time: 6:30 pm-8:00 pm

(6 pm for tea and coffee)

Place: Staff Common Room

For more information, please contact:

Louise Fleck

P&C President

Email: louise.fleck@mq.edu.au

Principal’s Message

Communication has become a

complex and vital notion in the past

weeks. The world is certainly not as

we have known it and we are now

connecting with each other in ways

we never imagined would be the

necessary “new normal”. Can I

commence this edition of the school

newsletter by saying how

extraordinary our school community

has been in adapting to the

challenging and changing conditions

of establishing a “new school”

online. Congratulations are due to all

teachers, students and families for

your effort, persistence, flexibility and

willingness to make the transition

from our regular and much loved

school at Surry Hills function

successfully in the virtual world.

I know you will be pleased and

interested to know that there are

many people still onsite at Surry Hills

ensuring the technology behind the

new learning environment is

maintained and functioning well. A

huge vote of thanks to the IT team.

There are also teams of teachers

here on different days ensuring the

school is open and operational, with

many staff members teaching from

their individual workstations in

classrooms in order to remain safe

and abide by the health guidelines.

To date the percentages of students

following their online classroom

timetable and keeping up to date is

close to 100% notwithstanding the

few students who have been ill with

seasonal colds and have had

intermittent technology issues. We

know this because we are monitoring

attendance daily through class by

class rolls. This is an impressive

whole school effort and we do hope

we are able to sustain such

excellence from SGHS students.

Teachers have been very impressed

with the level of engagement across

all years and many have commented

on how pleasing it is to see students

who are often less inclined to

participate in class discussion and

defer to more confident classmates,

being more proactive and confident

in the online world.

There are many ways to look at the

opportunities that sudden change

brings in our lives and I am hopeful

we can all find some of the positives.

We are certainly valuing our day to

day interactions with our friends and

colleagues and will appreciate, even

more when we return, just how

important our relationships are. I

know support from friends and

classmates is happening now and I

encourage all students to share and

connect with each other wherever

possible. Thank you to Year Advisors

and the Wellbeing team in the

school, Prefects and SRC leaders for

connecting in many different ways. A

reminder that our School Counsellors

are still available online and are

counselling by phone and email.

One of the key points to remember

about the current excellent

engagement with online learning is

the importance of everyone keeping

up, so when we do return to “normal”

school, everyone can transition back

to the classroom and the next phase

of learning together. This “continuity

of learning” is vital for our students

so real progress is made in the

normal way of a school year.

Because SGHS students are

motivated and very capable of self-

directed learning we can be assured

of achieving this continuity as long as

people remember there is a

collective effort involved. Thank you

for this.

A special mention to members of the

Class of 2020 who are continuing to

work extremely hard on their HSC

coursework. We have been assured

by education authorities that the HSC

is going ahead despite some

modifications to submitted projects

and performance subjects. School

reports will be issued for Year 12

before the Easter break with

valuable feedback from class

teachers. The school community is

appreciative of the challenges for our

final year students and we are

hopeful of times ahead when online

learning is only one of many options

to support you.

Best wishes

Andrea Connell

Principal

Educating young women since 1883 HiHo April 2020

2

In the brave new world of online

learning students and staff have been

in engaging with this different mode of

learning. The benefit of being a BYOD

school with a well-resourced IT

department supported by parents has

enabled us to transition to this new

environment with minimal disruption.

The key platform for all staff and

students is SENTRAL. Teachers are

able to send messages to their

classes using the Messaging tool

highlighting any issues and

forecasting future lesson

requirements. There are also Daily

Notices and School Bulletins with

broader messages.

With respect to the actual lessons

themselves classes are using a suite

of applications depending on the

circumstances. Many classes are

using Google Classroom as a means

of outlining topics, submitting written

work and discussing concepts. For

those lessons where verbal discussion

is the key, classes are using Meetings

in Microsoft Teams. In still others,

classes are using Zoom or

BigBlueButton in Moodle to enable

face to face discussion between

students and staff or when students

exchange ideas in break-out, small

group, discussion rooms.

There are many challenges for

students in this new environment.

Initially there is the need to familiarise

themselves with the various

applications being used and

managing the transition from period

to period in the time available.

Internet access may be a problem at

times due to reduced bandwidth

particularly when several members

are at home sharing the same

network. Teachers are aware of this

and investigating ways of ensuring

students are not excluded from the

learning taking place.

For some families securing a

productive place to work online for all

those in need at home can be difficult.

It is important that students have a

comfortable but sensible home study

area to work in. It is also worth noting

that students no longer have the

benefit of a circuit-breaker between

school and home that comes from

moving between these locations.

There will be the temptation for some

to work a very long school day with no

break between school lessons and

home study. Developing a sensible

routine will ensure healthy and

productive learning and minimise

fatigue.

Most parents are aware that the

online school day periods have a 50

minute duration. This allows students

time at the end of the lesson to

organise their notes and prepare for

the following lesson as well as the

opportunity for a much needed break

from screens.

Gregg Harrison

Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal Report

Creative and Performing Arts – Drama

The NSW Public Schools Drama

Ensemble Program recognises and

celebrates some of the best students

in drama from across NSW. We want

to acknowledge the achievements of

two more those students from our

school who are now representing the

state and public education in this

capacity. They will go on to devise and

perform an original play at the State

Drama Festival in October at the

Seymour Centre. They will work with

experienced tutors and industry

professionals to develop their skills as

performers that will benefit their

schools, drama classes and the

student themselves.

We know how hard and how proud our

students and their parents are of

receiving a place in an ensemble at

The Arts Unit. We think so too and are

excited to celebrate with them. Arts

Unit programs have also been

suspended, but they will be gold once

they begin!

Bravo to:

Olive Bilbao – NSW Public Schools

Year 7 Drama Ensemble

Miri Stubbs-Goulston – NSW Public

Schools Year 8 Drama Ensemble

Era Sharma – NSW Public Schools

Year 9 Drama Ensemble

Mischa Bendall – NSW Public Schools

Senior Drama Ensemble

Wharfies @ STC

Freya Waring of Year 11 Drama was

selected to join the online wharfies

and learn about drama through the

Sydney Theatre Company. I am sure

there will also be a chat group

ongoing in this online time.

ONLINE

Whole School Drama style activities

might become an online share as I get

through the normal online Drama set

up: I will be looking for sharing

through the noticeboard – Drama type

links for those who have great interest

beyond any elective group. Drama and

the Arts resources will find a way.

Look for my shares.

Elizabeth Surbey

Drama Coordinator

3

From the Archives

100 years ago on 12 March 1920 the

Foundation Stone for the New High

School for Girls at Moore Park was

laid by the Minister for Education, Mr

AGF James.

It had taken the Minister 3 years to

overcome the opposition from those

that wanted the site to remain as

parkland following the Zoo moving

across the harbour to Taronga in

1916 … “Better that 1000 children

should use the site daily than that a

few should use it casually”.

Mr James considered that the 330

girls attending the School then

housed in Elizabeth Street (on the site

now occupied by David Jones) were

“taught in the worst building in

Australia, some were taught in the

cellars”.

“The School would approach as nearly

as possible to the ideals of modern

educationists, the material side of it

would be so equipped as to omit no

aid to the development of the mental

and spiritual.” It would accommodate

500 girls in 24 classrooms with a

Library and Science Rooms and a

spacious Assembly Hall … And all for

35,300 pounds ($70,600) funded by

the sale of the Elizabeth Street site!

From NSW Public School Teachers

Federation Journal 23 March 1920

Today the Foundation Stone can be

seen at the main entrance to the

School.

The foresight shown a century ago has

allowed the School to be extended to

incorporate the changes in subjects,

learning and technology of the 21st

century. The latest state of the art

addition, the Governors Centre is now

rising out of the ground and promises

to be as life changing for the girls

when it opens in 2021 as the New

School at Moore Park was a century

earlier when the girls moved from

Elizabeth Street in July 1921.

4

International Women’s Day falls on 8

March each year. This is an occasion

when we celebrate women’s

achievements, including the

achievements of some of our

remarkable Old Girls. It is interesting

to reflect on the challenges faced by

some of our Old Girls early last

century.

Ethel Turner (SGHS 1883-1888).

Our school library is named after

Ethel Turner, who enrolled in the

first intake in 1883. She wrote

“Seven Little Australians” which

has been

continuously in

print since it

was first

published in

1894. She is

pictured here

as a schoolgirl

at SGHS.

Ada Adams (SGHS 1888-1890)

First woman to graduate LLB in

Australia in 1902. Initially not

allowed to practise. Admitted to

the Bar in 1921, but chose not to

practise. She felt too much time

had elapsed since graduation and

did not wish to display

“incompetence”.

Dr Iza Coghlan (SGHS 1883-1886)

In 1893, one of the first two

women to graduate in medicine

from the University of Sydney. She

was frustrated by the unwillingness

of Sydney hospitals to accept

female practitioners (an

unwillingness not overcome until

1906). She became the first

woman doctor to have her own

practice in the city.

Professor Dame Marie Bashir

(SGHS, Class of 1947) Former

Governor of NSW; former

Chancellor of the University of

Sydney.

Jessica Watson. Born 1993. The

youngest person to sail solo,

unassisted and non-stop around

the world, age 16 years. Young

Australian of the Year 2011.

Pat Norton (SGHS 1936).

Backstroke swimmer. Pictured in

1933 when at SGHS. Competed in

the 1936 Berlin Olympics (Hitler’s

Olympics) and won gold in the

Empire Games 1938. As a

participant in Berlin, she received

a commemorative bell which she

presented to the School Archives.

Kristina Mah (SGHS Prefect, 2000)

World Karate Champion 2010.

Malala Yousafzai, known as

Malala. Age 22 years. Malala is an

activist for female education and

the youngest Nobel Prize Laureate,

2014.

Professor Raina MacIntyre (SGHS

Equal Dux, 1981) Head,

Biosecurity Program, and Professor

of Global Biosecurity, Kirby

Institute, UNSW. She has featured

in many recent TV interviews.

Greta Thunberg Young Swedish

climate activist. Wrote “No One is

too Small to make a Difference”.

Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-

1908). Helped lead China into the

modern age.

Senator Penny Wong. Born in

1968. She spent her early life in

Malaysia before moving to

Adelaide. She has been Senator

for SA since 2002, and is currently

Leader of the Opposition in the

Senate.

Jacinda Ardern. Born in 1980.

Prime Minister of New Zealand

since October 2017.

Ethel Turner Memorial Library

Celebrating Women’s Achievements

Ms Williams

Relieving Teacher Librarian

5

On 9 March the

Sydney Girls High

School String

Quartet and vocalist

Bianca Tzioumis

were invited to

Parliament House

for the annual

Commonwealth Day

celebrations. Our

students were given

the opportunity to

perform for Her

Excellency The

Honourable

Margaret Beazley AO QC and many

other distinguished guests. A huge

congratulations to Natalie Liu Year 12,

Cyan Hong Year 10, Mary Tran Year

10, Sophia Malik Year 8, and Bianca

Tzioumis Year 11 for their outstanding

musicianship, and beautiful

performances.

Emily Irvine

Music Teacher

Creative and Performing Arts – Music

Bianca Tzioumis Year 11 singing for the assembled guests at Parliament House

Our musicians on the steps of NSW Parliament House

Musicians Shine Representing Our School at Parliament House

SGHS Music Program offers

scholarships to students interested in

learning an “Endangered Instrument”.

Recipients of the scholarships receive

lesson subsidies with leading tutors

and free instrument hire for one year

(subject to instrument availability).

Students are fast tracked into the

SGHS Ensemble program and the

many wonderful opportunities offered

within the program.

There are currently scholarships

available for:

Bassoon

Trombone

Tuba

French Horn

Apply today for a 2020 Endangered Instrument Scholarship

Application forms are available from the Music Hub. Apply today.

6

On 3 March 2020, 22 teams of

Sydney Girls students in Years 9-12

competed in the regional round of the

annual Australian Computational and

Linguistics Olympiad, or OzCLO.

Students spent half their school day in

the library, huddled tightly in groups of

four, desperately racking their brains

for ways to express ‘lip’ in Dutch and

spotting the patterns of Ligurian

syllabification. From European

languages with no more than five

native speakers to making

conversation in the Uralic language of

Sámi, the questions in this year’s

paper proved to be very challenging -

but all students tackled the problems

with a great deal of confidence,

teamwork and determination.

This intellectually demanding

competition requires no previous

linguistic knowledge - it relies

completely on the ability of students

to analyse the information given to

them and manipulate these ideas in

finding a logical answer to the

questions. Students are given two

hours to complete a paper consisting

of six questions on various languages;

questions often concern grammatical

structure, pronunciation and

translation from one language into

another. Despite two hours of

continuous sighs, scratching of heads

and cries for help, each team

completed the paper having learnt

something new from this rewarding

experience - whether that was an

appreciation of language and

newfound respect for the field of

linguistic studies or the sheer amount

of cookies a fellow team member

could consume within two periods.

All of our teams received a medal

(gold, silver or bronze), and we had a

total of 8 teams receive gold for

placing in the top 25% of the NSW

and ACT. One of our teams,

comprising Ally Pitt, Maddy Sloan,

Lara Thurgood and Amy Wade

reprised their extraordinary

achievements in 2019 with 3rd place

in the State, and have now competed

in the National Round together with

the top-performing teams from around

the country. We look forward to

finding out their results in the coming

weeks. Congratulations to all of our

teams on their impressive results.

Finally, we’d like to extend a very

special thank you to Professor

Caroline Jones from the University of

Western Sydney for the organisation

of the competition, and to Ms Chau for

ensuring everything ran smoothly on

the day - the Olympiad would not have

been possible without them.

Celine Valtchev, Zoe Williams and

Angela Xue

OzCLO Student Leaders

OzCLO

OzCLO Participants

SGHS Online Canteen

We hope you have discovered the benefit of using Qkr! to order your meals. But if you are still to download the App or need help, please do check out the student/parent portal for information on setting up a profile or for ordering meals

https://web1.sydneygirl-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/portal2/#!/resources

Some information is also available on the School website https://sydneygirl-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/community/canteen.html

By using the Qkr! APP you will help us manage better our food preparation and the reduction in waste and will help cut queues. And you can also use Qkr! to order School gear from the Uniform Shop

7

The 2019/2020 rowing season was

cut short, due to concerns about the

Coronavirus. The Head of the River

regatta which was scheduled for

Saturday 3 April was cancelled

together with the Nationals. The

annual, rowing dinner, planned for

Sunday 4 April, was also postponed.

The evening is a highlight on the

rowing calendar and when we are

through this difficult situation, it is

hoped the celebratory dinner will go

ahead.

With the rowing season coming to an

end sooner than expected, we

farewell our Year 12 rowers; Josie

Richards, Caitlin McManus-Barrett,

Nancy Su and Lotti Barry. We thank

them for their leadership, their

friendship, the laughter and the

memories. We wish them good luck

for the future and we wish all the Year

12s good luck with the HSC.

As it turned out, the PLC/Kings

regatta was the last rowing regatta for

the season. Here are the results:-

1st – Ananya Hari, Josephine Lim,

Jacquie Ryan, Katrina Teoh, Etasha

Gamage.

2nd – Bianca Tzioumis, Samara

Kleiman, Caitlin McManus-Barrett,

Josephine Richards, Nancy Su.

3rd – Maya Grosser x 2, Jacquie Ryan,

Katrina Teoh, Charlotte Steel, Sydney

Wang, Ally Xie, Sarah Lin, Josephine

Perry, Mia Vinciguerra, Lara Grosser,

Alex Eleftheriou.

At the previous regatta, CHS, at

Penrith, Sydney Girls High School

finished as the top girls, school in the

competition, with 40 points. Sydney

Boys won the overall competition with

42 points. SGHS won many trophies

at CHS, but a special congratulations

goes to Caitlin McManus-Barrett, who

won the Gabrielle Pritchard Memorial

Award for the most outstanding

female competitor of the

championship.

Here are the results for the CHS

regatta:

1st – Lauren Teoh, Lorien Wong

(WU16 2x) Sydney Wang, Charlotte

Steel, Maya Grosser,

Ally Xie, Sarah Lin

(WU15 4x) Anja Tyson,

Mischa Bendall,

Ananya Hari, Zara

Greenwood, Zoe

Krakowszky, Bianca

Tzioumis, Mia

Vinciguerra, Samara

Kleiman, Nancy Su

(CW 8x), Caitlin

McManus-Barrett (CW

1x) Mia Vinciguerra,

Josephine Perry

(WU17 2x) Zoe

Krakowszky, (WU16

1x) Caitlin McManus-

Barrett, Josie Richards (CW 2x) Zara

Greenwood, Zoe Krakowszky, Mia

Vinciguerra, Josephine Perry, Deleena

Gamage (WU17 4x) Bianca Tzioumis,

Samara Kleiman, Caitlin McManus-

Barrett, Josie Richards, Nancy Su (CW

4x).

2nd – Jessica Pham, Josephine Lim,

Gyathiri Jayaganesh, Lara Grosser,

Alexandra Eleftheriou, Jacquie Ryan,

Josephine Perry, Katrina Teoh, Etasha

Gamage (CW 8x), Ananya Hari, Katrina

Teoh (CW 2x), Sydney Wang, Charlotte

Steel (WU15 2x), Josephine Lim,

Ananya Hari, Jacquie Ryan, Katrina

Teoh, Etasha Gamage (CW 4x).

3rd – Mina Mishima Ha, Avishi

Raheja, Lillian Sun, Akhila Sivarajah,

Jennifer Ngo (WU 15 4x) Zara

Greenwood (WU17 1x) Anjali Sangvi,

Sarah Blaney, Hesandi Kariyawasam,

Zinat Safi, Cox: Lorien Wong (WU16

4x) Anja Tyson, Jessica Pham (WU17

2x) Anja Tyson, Gayathiri Jayaganish,

Lara Grosser, Alexandra Eleftheriou,

Mischa Bendall, (WU17 4x).

Stay safe, stay connected, although

apart, look for the silver lining and we

look forward to SGHS rowing resuming

when the new season begins.

Jayne Anderson

Rowing

Parent

Rowing

An Early End to An Enjoyable 2019/2020 Rowing Season

CHS rowing regatta - Senior quads

Kings-PLC regatta

Caitlin MacManus receiving the

Gabrielle Pritchard memorial trophy

8

April 2020 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Term 1 ends

10

Good Friday

Public Holiday

11 12

13

14

15

16

School Holidays

17

18 19

20

21

22

23

School Holidays

24

25

26

27

Gazetted Term

2 begins

School

Development

Day (Staff Only)

28

Gazetted start

of Term 2 for All

Students

29

30

CONTACT Sydney Girls High School Address: Anzac Parade, SURRY HILLS NSW 2010 Phone: 9331 2336 Fax: 9360 9702 Email: administration@sghs.nsw.edu.au Website: www.sghs.nsw.edu.au

Special Notes:

Due to school moving to online, all planned excursions and activities in April are under review. Please refer to Parent and

Student Portal for the most update information.