As we approach the end of our school year, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and bid farewell to some wonderful members of our NEGS family who will be leaving us at the end of 2023. Each of these individuals has played a significant role in shaping the educational experience of our students.

Annette Edmonds: After years of dedicated service, Annette will be embarking on well-deserved long service leave and retirement. We thank her for the significant contribution she has made in the role of Science Lab Assistant.

Liane Nixon: Liane has accepted a teaching position at One School Global, Armidale. We appreciate her commitment and service to NEGS in both the junior and senior school and wish her success.

Terri Swartz: Terri has been an integral part of our academic community, fulfilling multiple roles including Head of Department and Deputy Principal. We express our gratitude for her professionalism and service to NEGS and wish her the very best as she commences her PhD at UNE. 

Michelle Le Gall: Michelle has accepted a full time teaching role at Armidale Waldorf School. We thank her for imparting her love of teaching French at NEGS.

Alice Turner, Jess Walker, and Royce Carroll: Our heartfelt thanks go out to Alice, Jess and Royce, who have contributed significantly to the education of our students at NEGS. We wish them success in their roles at St Joseph’s Regional College, Red Bend Catholic College, and Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, respectively.

Lucinda Bradford, Tori Atwell, Margot Davis, and Kerry Middleton: We bid farewell to Lucinda, Tori, Margot, and Kerry, who are relocating. We extend our best wishes for their future endeavours in new locations.

Your dedication and commitment to the students have left an indelible mark on the NEGS community, and you will be missed. We hope your future endeavours are filled with success and happiness.

Congratulations and thank you to our NEGS families and stall holders for the success of the Twilight Market last Friday night. Your support and participation make these events truly special by fostering a sense of community.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the Armidale Youth Orchestra Gala Concert. I witnessed the talent of young musicians from NEGS and other local schools which was truly inspiring and heartwarming. It is a testament to the thriving arts culture within our community.

This weekend, NEGS is set to host the Magic Millions Horse Trials, welcome the Armidale Historical Society to view our heritage-listed buildings, celebrate the Year 10 semi-formal, and participate in the New England Garden Festival. These events contribute to the vibrant and diverse experiences we offer our students, enriching their educational journey.

I look forward to continuing to work together to make NEGS a place of learning, growth, and community.

Ms Liz van Genderen

Principal

Being the sporting tragic that I am, I was delighted to watch the Australian Cricket team beat the South Africans in the Cricket World Cup semi-final, last night. Earlier in the tournament, the Aussies were dismantled by the South Africans, and it was widely thought that the Aussies were out of form and not going to progress to the pointy end of the tournament. 

Instead of making mass changes or changing the way they wanted to play, the Aussies had faith in themselves and their gameplan. After losing the first two games, they have gone on to win 8 straight and advance to the final against the undefeated Indian team. Win, lose or draw, their underlying belief in themselves, as individuals, and as a team, has ensured this campaign will be seen as a success. 

As a school, and the cohorts within it, we should look at this example and understand that it is not how you start, but more about how you conduct yourself and how you finish. It is looking at the end game and realising that there will be bumps in the road, setbacks and failures, but it is how you conduct yourself through those, and how you finish that counts. 

For our year 9’s and 10’s that head off to outward bound on Monday, this is an important message as there will be times when it is tough, however, the feeling of accomplishment at the end will be euphoric.

Also, this coming weekend is a big weekend for our Equestrian Centre team. Much work and organisation has gone into preparation and there is bound to have been glitches, but the weekend will showcase one of the wonderful opportunities our school offers, not only to our students, but the wider community.

We are finalising preparations for our first Adventure/Service/Activities week (31/11, 1/12, 4/12, 5/12). There is a permission note coming out with a brief outline of some of the activities on offer. This will be a great opportunity for our students and staff to contribute to school and community projects, get active, learn new things and strengthen positive relationships. A big thank you to Mrs Nixon and Mrs Dent for their work in getting this off the ground.

Our phone pouches have arrived and will be available for pick up from Mrs Smith’s office from Monday. The pouches are for day students (secondary) only, and will be needed as we go “phone free” in week 8. 

Tuesday 28 November will see our senior girls (Years 9-12) travelling to Farrer for a social with Farrer and PLC. Buses have been booked and notes etc will be out soon. 

Mr Jamie Moore

Deputy Principal

Empathy in Action: Service, Adventure, and Wellbeing Focus

As we gear up for our inaugural program of Service, Adventure, and Wellbeing, the entire school community is joining to make a positive impact on the lives of those in need in Armidale. This Service, Adventure, and Wellbeing Week commencing Thursday 30th November, promises to be an enriching experience, fostering values of compassion, empathy, and community service, while also emphasising the importance of physical wellbeing.

Ride-A-Thon for a Purpose

The week includes an exciting Ride-A-Thon for the younger students (K-4) to raise funds for the homeless in Armidale during Christmas. This not only encourages physical activity but also instils a sense of responsibility and awareness about the less fortunate in the community.

Sewing for a Cause

Years 5 and 6 students will channel their creativity and compassion by sewing sanitary bags. The bags, filled with essential items, will address the specific needs of homeless individuals, including an identified focus on collecting items for men. Contributions from the school community are welcomed to ensure the success of this initiative.

Spreading Cheer with Christmas Cards

All students, from Pre-K to Year 6, will participate in creating heartfelt Christmas cards to send to the NEGS community. This simple yet thoughtful gesture aims to bring joy and warmth to others during the festive season, fostering a sense of connection and unity.

Fitness, Sports, and Swim Safety Sessions

In addition to the service projects, the week includes fitness and sports sessions for students K-6, with  swim safety for the younger students (K-2). These activities promote physical wellbeing and teaches essential life skills.

Expressing Gratitude through a Morning Tea

Stage Two and Stage Three students are taking on the responsibility of expressing gratitude to the school's grounds and administration staff. They will cook and serve a special thank-you morning tea, recognising the hard work and dedication of these essential members of the school community.

Sharing in Song

Our Songbirds and K-2 choir will visit Ken Thompson Lodge to perform a concert for the residents, bringing some Christmas cheer. This intergenerational experience is a lovely way to build memories and allows our children to look outwards.

How Can You Help?

Our Service, Adventure, and Wellbeing Week wouldn't be possible without the support and contributions of our school community. Here's how you can help:

• Ride-A-Thon Donations: Support our K-4 students by contributing to the Ride-A-Thon fundraising efforts. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference. Further information to follow.
• Sanitary Bag Items: Years 5 and 6 are seeking contributions of essential items for the sanitary bags, especially those tailored to the needs of homeless men. Toothpaste, combs, deodorant, and travel-sized shampoo and body wash are greatly appreciated.
• Keep abreast of school communication that will outline specific details and requirements for this week.

Your support and contributions will not only make this week memorable, but will also have a lasting impact on the lives of those we aim to serve. Together, we can make a difference and create a community of empathy, compassion, and wellbeing.

Mrs Heidi Dent

Junior School Coordinator/Year 6 Teacher

Vision – it’s important to have one. 

Maybe not a destination per se, but at least a sense of direction, a pathway to engender progress and achievement. 

With this in mind, I’ve had the pleasure this week of meeting with students from Years 7 to 12, for a series of roundtables to seek their input into academic achievement at NEGS. We discussed the strengths of our academics and key aspects to further leverage. 

It was quite rewarding to witness the maturity of the ideas and due consideration the students had given to the guiding questions I had sent them, as it was to pass the baton over to them to listen to and better understand their perspectives on academics. 

Unsurprisingly, there was a strong correlation between the things the students highlighted that support their learning, and key foundations of the Deep Learning and Quality Teaching approaches that underpin our Learning & Teaching Framework.

We also spoke about aspirational pathways and how NEGS can continue its tradition of launching graduates into rewarding careers. This focus is actually built into the school’s hymn, as I discussed in a newsletter article from last term.

This is our objective in the academic space at NEGS – helping our young people to find the spark to build a vision, and providing a pathway to get them there. This is also the purpose of the Vision Program.

As exams wrap up and the academic program winds down in many year levels, we have a unique opportunity to each reflect on our results, to consider our vision for the future, and to set goals to strive towards. 

I encourage all members of our community to discuss what life’s high enterprise looks like for their son or daughter, what hopes and dreams might inspire them, and how we, as a community, can continue to light the spark.

Mr Ryan Caldwell

Director of Teaching and Learning/English Teacher

As we approach the end of the year, I would like to thank our community for all the support you give to NEGS. It takes a village, and NEGS is certainly that village. Last Friday evening, our grounds were a hive of activity as we celebrated our Twilight Market. Thank you to everyone who assisted in some way to make this happen. It was lovely to have so many of our own families, students, and staff join us whilst also welcoming families and residents of Armidale. It was a very enjoyable evening.

We are planning the 2024 calendar, and we will share this with you before year-end so you can mark the significant 2024 NEGS events in your diary.

We are also excited to welcome many new families into the NEGS community next year and to continue to grow our enrolments.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you know a family who might be interested in NEGS. Our parents are our best advocates, and we have launched a referral @ NEGS program. We want to reward you for referrals that will build our community. Our way of saying thanks.

Thank you for your advocacy and support of NEGS. 

If you are interested in participating in this initiative and would like to discuss the details, please feel free to get in touch with me, Director of Marketing and Enrolments, Ms. Lyn O'Neill.

Ms Lyn O'Neill

Director of Marketing and Enrolments

Dear Parents/Carers,

Please read ths week's Careers Newsletter HERE.

Ms Jessica Walker

Careers Advisor/Geography, Business Studies and Commerce Teacher

A big congratulations and thank you to our wonderful musical performers who contributed to our Twilight Markets. Special mention to our soloists, Kenzie Watson, Odette Adeney and Eilish Morgan. It was a first time for them to experience the fun of busking for a crowd, and added a lovely touch to the fun and relaxed atmosphere of the Markets. 

We are looking forward to an almost whole-school participation in the NEGS Carols Service, taking place on the Tuesday evening, just before Speech Day. This Carols Service will feature our wonderful Yrs 3-6 Junior School Choir, the Year 7 Choir, and the whole of Senior School, as well as a number of soloists from among our talented student body. 

Our Celebration of Learning week is also upcoming, and will feature a special performance by Saumarez Strings, and a soloist from one of our Junior School students, so all the best to those performers. Our exciting Nativity Play will follow, and all of our junior class groups have been practising a special song each to present. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible there to support this fun event!

Happy music-making,

Mrs Sarah Sadgrove

Music Teacher

To our NEGS Community,

A heartfelt thank you following the incredible success of the NEGS Twilight Market on Friday, November 10th.

To each volunteer who dedicated time and effort, your commitment transformed a simple event into a remarkable experience. The enthusiasm and dedication of our community members were the driving forces behind this success. Your contributions, whether big or small, were essential in its success.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the entire school community for showcasing the true essence of unity and collaboration. It is amazing to witness the impact we can collectively make. This event not only raised funds, but also exemplified the power of our community working together.

Thank you for making the NEGS Twilight Market a resounding success. Your involvement has left an indelible mark on the spirit of our school, reflecting the exceptional nature of our community.

A reminder that our Annual General Meeting is on 29 November 2023 at 6:00pm. All positions will be vacant, and the nomination form can be found on the site: 

https://community.negs.nsw.edu.au/event/negs-p-and-f-agm

NEGS Parents and Friends Association

As the end of term fast approaches, the CAPAD Department has been finalising a number of design projects.

Year 7 Technology – Pinball board game using a theme of their choice. The unit addressed issues of engineered systems and motion. Girls used a range of tools such as tenon saws, scroll saws, hammers, chisels and measuring tools. Themes such as movies, Barbie, the 50’s, Frozen and space were selected.

Year 8 Technology – Paddock to Plate Hamburger. The unit focussed on a range of Agricultural sectors and the cultivating of a herb and vegetable garden. Finally, girls designed and produced their own delicious dream hamburger from the freshly grown produce. The kitchen resembled an episode of Master Chef.

Year 9/10 Design and Technology – Real Jewellery. A unit working with silver and metal fabrication. Girls learnt a range of skills to manipulate silver into a wedder band. Fabrication skills such as cutting, annealing, bending, sanding, soldering and polishing were undertaken to complete their designs. Students now have an appreciation of the work that a Jeweller undertakes.

Year 9/10 Textiles Technology – Hoodies. An apparel unit focussing on knit fabric manipulation to design and produce their own hoodie, decorated with Cricut maker designs and/or other decorative techniques. The decorative embellishments personalised their hoodies, based around a culture of their choice.

As our students embark on decisions around elective choices for 2024, I hope to welcome many of them into one of the many creative subjects on offer to continue their designing journeys.

Ms Julie Hodges

CAPAD HoD/Textiles, Design and Technology Teacher

It’s been a busy couple of weekends for the NEGS Equestrian Team. With the recent Tamworth Showjumping event, the prestigious Regional Show Horse Championships the weekend prior, the Polocrosse NSW Training Clinic, as well as the various preparations leading up to the Magic Millions NEGS ODE, And of course the EC Christmas party!

Tamworth Showjumping: 

Last weekend, riders Olivia King, Shyla Clarke, Ruby Holgate, Darcie Loosemore, and Katie Moffit, showcased their skills at the Tamworth Showjumping event. The girls were lucky enough to be coached throughout the weekend by acclaimed world cup showjumper, Olympic commentator and coach, Martin Gostellow. They navigated challenging courses and their dedication and hard work went to show, displaying great sportsmanship and perfectly representing the team. 

NSW Regional Show Horse Championships: 

The previous weekend witnessed our team’s participation in the NSW Regional Show Horse Championships, a qualifier for the 2024 Grand National Championship held in Sydney. Amidst some of the best in the country, our riders presented and rode beautifully for some very impressive results 

Arabella Blanchard: Top 10 in 12 and U15 rider class

Allie Palmer: 3rd place in 15 and U17 rider class, top 5 newcomer hack over 16hh

Bea Morton: 11th place child’s hack over 15hh

Dom Baker: Top 10 15 and U17 rider class, top 10 child’s show hunter hack over 15hh

Eva Berlese: 4th place preliminary small hunter galloway 14-14.2hh

Reese Callow: Top 10 12 and U15 rider class, top 10 open small galloway 14-14.2hh

Sienna Robinson: Champion Rider 15 and U17, top 5 child’s hack over 15hh

Justine Aitken (show team coach): Champion rider over 50yrs, Reserve Champion open hack over 16hh

These results reflect the countless hours of dedication and practice demonstrated by the girls and of course the efforts of our amazing show riding coach, Justine Aitken, who also shared plentiful success.

Polocrosse NSW team clinic

Our talented polocrosse players Emily Wamsley, Bridget McKemey and Rosie Ross, all participated in the NSW Team training clinic last weekend. The girls had the opportunity to be coached by Abbott Grills, Hayden Turnbull, Heidi Smith, Will Weston and Matt Davidson. They used the weekend as an opportunity to further develop their skills. We hope to see the girls represent team NSW at Nationals in June 2024.

NEGS One Day Event:

Preparations are in full swing leading up to the Magic Millions NEGS ODE! The hard work on the restoration of the cross-country course is definitely going to show and we are very lucky to have been able to get both of our indoor arenas leveled and resurfaced. We can’t wait to see everyone competing, but also please don’t forget to do your best to volunteer when you have time throughout the weekend, as events like this are impossible without volunteers! 

EC Christmas Party:

With Christmas fast approaching, we are thrilled to be holding our annual EC Christmas party. This year will be filled with heaps of fun activities and of course plenty of food. The party will be held on the 1st of December at the Equestrian Centre. We look forward to seeing all the girls there. 

It’s super exciting to see our equestrian team out and about representing NEGS and demonstrating both skill and sportsmanship at an elite level. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings. 

Sienna Robinson & Liv King

EC Captains