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| 10 Mar 2024 | |
| Written by Tianna Kelly | |
| General News |
"Can you make it through the maze?"
Recently, I attended the AHISA meeting at Hunter Valley Grammar School, where I had the opportunity to participate in a session presented by Daniela Falecki titled "Wellbeing at Work for Principals, Tools for Me, We and Us."
Much of the material presented could be transferred not only to adults, but also to our young people. Daniela spoke of:
As a parent, you will undoubtedly observe these behaviours in your child/children. Which one resonates with you?
Our role as educators is to assist in transferring this thinking from harmful to helpful to help manage and navigate expectations, workload, peer and parent interactions, commitments, and self-care.
As we approach mid-term, it is a timely reminder to keep ourselves well, manage time and schedules, and replenish energy as best we can.
"To achieve, all you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination."
Announcement: Athlete Development Program (ADP)
It gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of our Athlete Development Program (ADP), formerly known as the Talented Athlete Program (TAP). The ADP will nurture our young talent, providing the framework to guide our athletes along the pathway to pre-elite success in their chosen sports. We continue to work with and strengthen ties with NSW Rugby, NSW Hockey, NSW Netball, and other sporting organisations. Aligned with our school's core values, Excellence, Responsibility, Integrity and Teamwork, the ADP emphasises holistic development while fostering individual physical, psychological and personal excellence qualities.
I would like to warmly welcome Ella Kenny, who will join our community as our Head of Sports and drive this program. Ella brings over 18 years of experience in the sports and education sector. In recent years, Ella has worked at Roseville College, Abbotsleigh and PLC Sydney. Ella is currently the Head Coach for NSW U13 and U21 Hockey and was the CIS Hockey Coach from 2020 to 2022. Ella herself played hockey for England as a member of the U16 - U21 England Hockey Squad. Not limited to Hockey, Ella brings passion and coaching experience across all sports - basketball, rugby, athletics, football, cricket and gymnastics.
We are fortunate to have Dan Ferris join us this year to support our program. Dan will work with our ADP students as a Strength and Conditioning Coach, bringing extensive expertise having worked for 16 years for the NRL. Dan has worked with Manly Warringah, the Titans and the Bulldogs. Dan has already started work in this space and has provided introductory individual strength and conditioning plans to each of our ADP students.
I am excited about the opportunities this program provides and, in time, expanding the program further.
ADP Testing
In closing, I acknowledge International Women's Day and all the strong women who have shaped NEGS's past, present, and future. Our Founder, Miss Florence Green, was a visionary educator who truly believed in and invested in women, let's continue to develop strong and empowered women.
Ms Liz van Genderen
Principal
The show season is in full swing and we have a full complement of riders across all disciplines participating along with our livestock team. Ms Snape is working with our girls to prepare our stock for them to parade with Wingham and Scone our main goals. Ms Sorby has also been enthusiastically getting students to put entries into the pavilion competitions with great success. She personally was able to get recognition for her cat entry along with Mrs Smith’s Lemon Butter and Walnut cake.
As always, Mrs Overton and her team have our riders prepared well for their events, and we are seeing the efforts of all being rewarded. I want to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in preparing, transporting and supervising our students whilst they trip around the show circuit.
Winter Sport Expressions of Interest were completed this week, and for those who have not completed one, I ask that you attend to this as soon as possible. I have included the information supplied to students:
Dear Students,
Please select one or more of the sports listed. Once you have committed to your sport, the expectation is that you will attend all games and training sessions. Leave will ONLY be granted after emailing Ms Kenny or Mr Moore for approval (no exemptions granted during finals weeks). If choosing "other" please detail your level of commitment and you will have to discuss with Mr Moore. Choosing EC will require a decision determined by Mr Moore in collaboration with Ms Overton if relevant.
Full Sports: Must choose 1
Hockey: Weekly training and Saturday morning, afternoon or Sunday afternoon (depending on your division)
Netball: Weekly training and Saturday afternoon games, Div 1 are playing in the UNE Saturday morning comp also
Rugby: Weekly training and Friday nights in either Armidale or Tamworth, plus a selection of targeted gala days
Soccer: Weekly Training and participation with a town club, Friday night, Sat or Sun games
Shooting: As per schedule once determined
Running Club - 2 afternoons a week and Park run or similar
EC or Other - In consultation with Mr Moore
Extra Sport: Can be chosen in addition to a Full Sport
Running Club - 1 or 2 afternoons a week
Supervised Gym sessions: Days and times to be determined
Swimming - UNE Pool (day tbc) - determined by numbers
Tennis Coaching - Determined by numbers
All sport training sessions will be confirmed closer to the season.
This is a reminder that we are planning our co-curricular program, with our Year 9s heading off to the Outward Bound Program in week 2 of Term 2. We are also in the planning stages of a Year 10 urban adventure that will include a service element, and this will be later in the year. Both of the aforementioned excursions are compulsory, and non-attendance is to be negotiated with the stage advisor and myself.
The Year 11 Malaysian Adventure, to be held in the September holidays, is gaining momentum. Students and parents attended a Zoom meeting with World Challenge (organisers). Once we hit our target of 12, it will be full steam ahead. The school is committed to helping the students raise as much of the cost themselves as is the World Challenge way.
After a short delay, I can publish the results of the swimming carnival after finally being able to present the medallions and certificates at Monday’s assembly:
JUNIOR SCHOOL
Junior Girls
Champion Matilda Travers
Runner Up Ariel Wake
Junior Boys
Champion Chase McDonald
Runner Up Hendrix Dent
Senior Girls
Champion Lucy Veech
Runner Up Charlotte Travers
Senior Boys
Champion Austin Kelly
Runner Up Flynn Guyett
SENIOR SCHOOL
12 Years
Champion Adelaide Scanlon-Dawson
Runner Up Chloe Turnbull
13 Years
Champion Maya Cooper
Runner Up Anna Clancy
14 Years
Champion Sasha Lily Scott-Hamilton
Runner Up Jasmine Fleming
15 Years
Champion Charlotte Grace
Runner Up Hallie Thomson
16 Years
Champion Chelsea Curry
Runner Up Matilda Geue
17 Years
Champion Grace Rogers
Runner Up Regan Simpson
18 Years
Champion Rosie Ross
Runner Up Emily Wamsley
Highest Individual Point Score – Trivett Cup
Sasha-Lily Scott-Hamilton on 105 points which is the maximum number of points you can get!
House Cup
1st Lyon - 1387
2nd Green - 1088
3rd Dumolo - 1068
4th Murray - 967
Cheering Cup
Dumolo
Sport Pickups:
Parents picking students up from a sport, e.g. The Den, PLC. It is expected that you see the supervising teacher. Our staff have been instructed to see the person picking up the student to ensure that the student’s safety is ensured. Students are welcome to return to school and be picked up from there.
Finally, a reminder to all of the expectations around Uniform:
Uniforms will continue to be an aspect of our school that sets us apart and makes us easily
identifiable in our community. If students are lacking in any area of uniform, they are encouraged to visit the Uniform Shop ASAP to rectify the situation. Blazers for new students are now in at the Uniform Shop; please collect them.
Students travelling on public transport, heading off campus for appointments or excursions, or representing the school at community events are expected to wear a blazer and a hat; this is not optional.
It is often the little things that let the uniform down, so let’s commit to that: jewellery, socks, shoes, hats, and remember, sports uniforms are only for sport-sanctioned events. Please refer to the front of the diary for greater clarification.
Photos
1. Sienna Robinson Dumolo, Captain with the Cheering Cup, and Pollyanna McCarthy Lyon, Captain with the House Cup;
2. Sasha Scott-Hamilton with Her Age Champion Medallion and the Trivett Cup for overall highest Individual Pointscore;
3. Prize-winning entries in the Photography Competition at Armidale Show; and
4. Swimming Champions and Reserve Champions
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4.
Mr Jamie Moore
Deputy Principal
We held our biannual Academic Awards Assembly last week, recognising Academic Achievement in Semester 2, 2023. The list of awardees follows this article. Congratulations to these students.
Following on from my recent newsletter comments about persistence and effort, it was lovely to see so many students recognised with a Consistent Effort award. At the assembly, I spoke further on the topic of effort, highlighting that learning is, in most cases, a product of concerted effort, specifically, making and reinforcing neural connections.
The point I made in this speech is that we can’t wire up people’s axons and neurons for them, per se. They have to do it themselves. Students need to consciously and purposefully make new connections. Consciously and purposefully reinforce those connections.
So how do we do that? I gave the students something of a simplified distillation of practices that assist in encoding, which is a technical term for instilling information and skills in long term memory in a way that allows it to be searched for and applied to new contexts. The summary is below.
The first thing to do is to get organised. To understand your commitments, plan ahead, make note of deadlines, and allocate productive time in one’s schedule for deliberate practice, revision, and application of knowledge and skills.
Next is to remove distractions, the most invidious of which is probably a smartphone, followed closely by music. Cognitive Load Theory has clear things to say about reducing distractions that inhibit flow – the psychological state of concentration we establish when we are entirely consumed by a task. Phone notifications pinging every few minutes is not conducive to concentration, and using music to block out distractions is ironically using a distraction to compete with other distractions. This is especially the case for music with lyrics, which we are naturally attuned to pay attention to. Some students will argue that music helps them concentrate, but this is typically a consequence of doing it, so often that they become accustomed to the practice rather than it being something conducive to the operation of their working memory. The best type of music to listen to when studying is - silence; a pair of noise-cancelling headphones can be a blessing for those who can afford them.
The next point – take note – is about being active rather than passive when studying. If one simply watches a video or listens to a text or reads some information but doesn’t actually do anything with it, the information is very unlikely to be encoded into long-term memory. Thus, the tried and tested practice of making notes is a sure-fire way to process and apply novel information, with the added benefit of practising skills of summarising and searching text for key ideas. For good reason, the Cornell Method has stood the test of time, and I would certainly advocate for its use.
The next point – work on specific targets – is all about working smarter, not harder. Churning through buckets of practice questions is fine, but targeting a specific skill to refine, or a particular type of Maths problem to solve, or practising crafting a really well-structured body paragraph for an essay – these sorts of deliberate and focussed efforts pay dividends in ways that rote practice does not. Students are encouraged to understand and reflect upon the outcomes and performance descriptors for all of their courses, to unpack them with their teachers, to action teacher feedback, and to set specific goals on the skills and knowledge that they need to work on to improve. It’s all there in each course’s outcomes.
Chunking is all about breaking performance down into manageable chunks. You don’t start by trying to write the whole essay. You start by planning ideas, synthesising evidence, developing a thesis and so forth, working up to paragraph level, then to the overall essay. The same logic applies to all learning. If a task feels overwhelming, we should break it down into more manageable tasks that can be worked through systematically over time. The relate and narrative elements are heuristic methods of assisting in what’s known as search, which is our capacity to draw on long-term memory. The idea is to add emotion, context, or a story to a particular set of skills or information, as this makes it easier to remember. You may not remember what you ate for lunch three weeks ago, but you probably do remember that amazing [insert amazing dish] that you had at [insert restaurant] on [insert special occasion]. I had an amazing fig lamb dish at The Cottage on a recent anniversary, which I recall because, well, obviously, it was delicious, but it was also a special family occasion. Thus, if we can contextualise information, add an emotional layer, and find the story behind the facts, we are more easily able to recall and apply this information.
Sticking with the notion of encoding to long-term memory, brings us to active recall. This is, quite simply, the active process of trying to remember something. Most people are familiar with flash cards – making notes on a card, then turning it over and trying to recall the information, probably failing to do so, then flipping the card and having the ‘ah ha!’ moment. The idea here is to be effortful in searching memory, as this reinforces the connections and assists with encoding. Simply reading over some notes is not as effective as picking some key elements, revising them, then seeing if one can recall or apply them at a later time.
‘Time to talk’ is a similar strategy. When learning how to do something, it usually helps to talk it over with another person, discussing what approach was undertaken, what knowledge or skill was applied etcetera. It’s a simple way of applying knowledge, of reflecting and reinforcing what has been learned that assists with encoding.
Active recall and time to talk are related to spaced and varied practice. Cramming doesn’t work because the knowledge is not encoded with any degree of robustness. If we want to truly understand a concept or set of knowledge, or truly master a skill, we need to revise and revisit it over time. One doesn’t become an expert chess player by reading a rule book – we have to actually play the game, repeatedly over time to hone mastery. The same applies to all learning. Learning how to solve a complex unfamiliar math problem on quadratics in class is great, but if the skill and understanding aren’t revisited, then the strength of encoding in long term memory won’t be very good. This is why study and revision are so important to developing expertise. Varied practice is similar. If you played a chess game with the same set of moves every time you played, you’d never learn to master strategy. We need to mix things up, apply things to new contexts, practise doing things in a range of novel ways if we want to master them.
Which leads me to the last two points on context and transfer. Knowledge is shaped by context, and we typically understand things contextually. We need to practice in a manner that is similar to how we need to perform. Hitting a hockey ball with a cricket bat against a brick wall might improve hand-eye coordination and strength, but it doesn’t help you win games on a hockey pitch with other players in the way using a proper hockey stick. Applied to bookwork, this means establishing an organised study space and practising a range of deliberate strategies and processes useful for completing particular types of tasks or solving particular types of problems.
Transfer is really the main game when it comes to learning. It’s a technical term that means applying knowledge or skills in new ways or contexts. To master knowledge and skills, we should actively pursue applying them in novel ways to a range of differing circumstances. Take learning to ride a bicycle as an example. There’s lots of balance and spatial awareness to master here. But if you become adept at such spatial awareness, then when you learn to drive a car, or learn to shoot goals in netball, you can transfer this skill to the new context in a way that assists with performance. Practising transfer in many ways encapsulates all of the other strategies I’ve highlighted.
The key thread that has run through this discussion is the importance of being active and effortful in learning. We have to do things. We have to actually study and revise. We have to apply our minds and actually do something with information. If we don’t, we won’t encode well, and if we aren’t encoding, we aren’t learning.
Academic Awards - Semester 2, 2023
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12
Mr Ryan Caldwell
Director of Teaching and Learning/English Teacher
Aligning Home and School Values: Fostering Responsibility, Integrity, Excellence, and Teamwork
As parents and educators, we share a common goal—to nurture and guide the next generation towards becoming responsible, principled, and successful individuals. Collaboration between home and school plays a significant role in shaping a child's character, and aligning the school values of responsibility, integrity, excellence, and teamwork is valuable.
Responsibility: A Joint Commitment
Instilling a sense of responsibility in children is key at both home and school. Parents can involve children in age-appropriate tasks, fostering a sense of contribution to the family. Similarly, at school, we create an environment that empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey. The consistent reinforcement of responsibility in both settings helps children understand the broader implications of their actions and impact, fostering a strong foundation for personal growth and development.
Integrity: Modeling and Teaching Honesty
Integrity is the cornerstone of moral character. Demonstrating honesty, accountability, and ethical behaviour creates a framework that children will carry with them into their future lives. In our setting, each teacher reinforces these values through curriculum, discussions, and by fostering an atmosphere where integrity is upheld. Aligning the teachings of integrity at home and school ensures a cohesive understanding of the importance of our conduct in all aspects of life.
Excellence: Striving for the Best
Pursuing excellence is a shared value that bridges home and school environments. Encouraging your children to set high standards for themselves and celebrate their achievements, no matter how big or small, is foundational to their achievement. At NEGS, we inspire excellence by creating a challenging yet supportive academic atmosphere. Aligning these goals for excellence instils a mindset that values continuous improvement, resilience in the face of challenges, and the pursuit of personal bests.
Teamwork: Collaborating for Success
The ability to work collaboratively is a skill that transcends both personal and professional worlds. In school, group activities are designed to promote teamwork and collective problem-solving. By reinforcing the importance of teamwork together, we equip children with the interpersonal skills needed for success now and in the future, be it in their careers or personal relationships.
Strategies to Support Connection
Consistent Communication: Regular communication between parents and teachers is crucial for ensuring that the values emphasised at school are integrated into the home conversations. This collaboration creates a unified front in shaping a child's character and understanding for contributing to the wider school environment with purpose in a positive and meaningful way.
Shared Resources: Another key aspect is shared resources and strategies for promoting values education. This enhances your child's understanding of responsibility, integrity, excellence, and teamwork by presenting a cohesive message across various aspects of their lives.
Modelling Behaviour: As teachers and parents, we serve as powerful role models. Consistently modelling the values we aim to instil in our children helps them internalise these, positively shaping their behaviour.
Incorporating Values into Curriculum: We deliver a school curriculum designed to incorporate lessons and activities that highlight our value set explicitly. This intentional approach ensures that values education is implicit and explicit in shaping a child's character.
Teamwork across our Junior School campus was celebrated over the weekend. From Pre-K to Year Six, our students worked together to create artwork for the Armidale Show on the theme ‘Sow It, Grow It, Show It’. The positive feedback from the wider community further reinforced the notion that when we sow the seeds of collaboration, nurture them with creativity, and proudly showcase the results, we enrich our school culture and contribute to our community.
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4. 5.
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1. Pre-K; Glass Gem Corn;
2. Kindergarten; Sow it, Sew it;
3. Stage One; Veggie Patch;
4. Stage One; Veggie Patch;
5. Stage Two; Sow it, Grow it;
6. Sowing Seeds for Growing Minds; and
7. Year Six; In Full Bloom.
Mrs Heidi Dent
Junior School Coordinator/Year 6 Teacher
Well, we’ve done it!
Halfway through the term, and everyone is still giving their best effort; congratulations to all - it is a long term.
At the beginning of the year, we discussed with new families, boarders and boarding staff the importance of implementing the school values of Excellence, Integrity, Responsibility and Teamwork. Our goal is to see everyone demonstrate these qualities daily without conscious effort to strengthen and improve our boarding school culture. Naturally, to begin with, we all need to think about how we do this; then, with time, it will become second nature and something we all do subconsciously.
So how do we embed our values into our everyday routines? I believe it begins with our expectations. What we expect of ourselves, our peers and our supervising staff.
To implement a value, we must first understand its meaning, so this week I would like to begin with Integrity; what it means and why it is so important in our everyday lives. Integrity, for me, means being honest and doing the right thing even if no one else is watching. It means doing what you say you will do and being accountable when you know you have made a mistake. Sometimes doing the right thing, especially if others are pressuring you or it would be easier to go along, can make you feel vulnerable – ‘what if they stop talking to me if I say no’ or ‘I won’t have any friends if I don’t go along with them’. It is hard to be a stand-up person, but the more of us there are, the more often we do it, the more likely it is to become our new normal. Sometimes in boarding we can ignore what is expected of us because we think a rule or request is silly or unnecessary, but every time we decide to do our ‘own thing’ or disobey our guidelines, we weaken the bonds that build our community. One of the most important benefits of living with Integrity is promoting a strong and resilient community. Our community thrives because we all know we can depend on each other. We are more likely to trust each other if we know we share common values. We are more capable of gratitude and kindness toward each other and we develop more respectful relationships when we approach every day with Integrity.
How do we promote Integrity in Boarding? We encourage every boarder to be aware of their rights and responsibilities as outlined in the NEGS Code of Behaviour and to take ownership of their decisions, the good and the not-so-good. We implement our Boarding Behaviour Expectations and Consequence Chart in order to help girls improve their decision-making processes. Last year we began to include parents in any disciplinary posts made in Orah, this was and still is, just a tool to keep everyone aware and working toward the same end goals. As parents, you may do with the information you receive as you wish; it may be a good opportunity to talk with your daughter about things, or it may be something you disregard. Either way, it maintains transparency and an open line of communication between staff, students and parents. This year we decided to include Merits for students as well just to keep everything in perspective and to celebrate the positive!
I believe that we weave Integrity into our boarding community by being aware of our rights and responsibilities, by asking everyone to be accountable for their actions and the consequences of those actions and by maintaining open communication between all stakeholders to encourage each and every one of us to be honest and authentic - with ourselves and each other.
Mrs Kassy Cassidy
Head of Boarding
PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS REGARDING WEEKEND ACTIVITIES: (Thank you to all who have completed the survey)
STUDENT SURVEY - WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
PARENTS SURVEY - WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
Armidale Show 2024
Pavillion Exhibitions
NEGS proudly showcased student and staff talents at the recent Armidale Show, excelling in various pavilion categories.
In the Under 18s photography category, NEGS students shone brightly. Ella Currie (Y10) secured the first position, showcasing her artistic prowess, while Eilish Morgan (Y8) followed closely, claiming the third spot. Year 8’s Emily Simpson's outstanding contributions did not go unnoticed, as she received a well-deserved encouragement award in photography, affirming NEGS' dedication to nurturing creative minds.
The triumph extended beyond students, as NEGS staff displayed remarkable abilities. Mrs. Smith's culinary expertise earned her the first prize for her delectable lemon butter and third place for her walnut cake. Furthermore, Miss Sorby's feline companion achieved reserve champion in the pet category, adding another feather to NEGS' community show prize cap.
NEGS looks forward to its students' and staff's continued participation in the Armidale Show, fostering a tradition of excellence and creativity that will undoubtedly shine in the pavilion categories of 2025.
Livestock Team
Our livestock team had a wonderful day at the Armidale show on Friday for our first show this year.
The students started the day with junior judging. All students competed in the wool/meat sheep and cattle judging first up and a few of our students also competed in the vegetable judging as well. In the intermediate age group, Aliyah McDonald was asked to present a verbal presentation on the wool sheep where she spoke well.
All students competed in their paraders class. In the intermediate age group, there were 70 students. Six (6) out of the ten (10) girls who competed in the intermediate made the final for intermediate paraders. All students paraded extremely well in a big group of students.
Jess Taylor competed in the seniors and successfully gained 5th place out of 20 students.
The school's steers were judged and competed in the same class under 450 kg. We were lucky enough to gain a 3rd place with NEGS’ Chilli, paraded by Sophie Chisolm, and a 4th place with NEGS’ Mac, paraded by Jess Taylor.
Congratulations to all students on a fantastic and successful day.
The NEGS Equestrian centre has been running full steam since Day 1. We have had girls travel all over the state to various competitions. While all that is happening, many of our riders are diligently preparing for their first event this year. The work ethic and determination has been outstanding from everyone whether they are actively competing or working on their horses at school.
It would be impossible to cover every event, as there have been so many, so I have decided to create a photo montage that gives an idea of just how many of our girls are out and about and shows many of their successes.
Here are a few outstanding efforts:
Ivy and Rain Pritchard, alongside Halina Saunders, were each placegetters in the State Tetrathlon Championships for Zone 5, taking out the overall Champions for the second year in a row! What a huge achievement.
Bridget McKemey, Emily Wamsley and NEGS Old Girl, Abby Finlayson, have been selected to play for NSW in the Under 21 Polocrosse side playing Queensland at Muswellbrook show on the 15th and 16th of March. Go get em girls!
Guyra was a great show for the NEGS Team with a NEGS line for Supreme Ridden Horse of the Show in Abbey Kelly, Lalie Alt, Dom Baker and Sienna Robinson, all Champions in their own classes, riding off for Supreme. Lali Alt won the overall Supreme ridden horse.
The NEGS Team followed up on their great successes in Armidale, with NEGS taking out all three Supreme events of the show: Supreme Rider, Allie Palmer, Supreme Hunter, Sienna Robinson riding NEGS old girl Monty Maguire’s Hunter pony, and Lali Alt Supreme Hack.
Shyla Clarke recently returned from competing in the 5-year-old Horse Final and Elementary tests at the Dressage by the Sea CDI, held at Wallinga Park. Shyla and Firefly had a great weekend, with her mare improving in every test in an enormous atmosphere. This is a huge event at an amazing venue.
Our Show Jumpers had a super successful weekend in Armidale, with nearly every student bringing home at least one ribbon. Katie Moffitt, Imogen Cadzow, Robin Henry, Georgina Pillar, and Ruby Holgate consistently jump well, placing in nearly every event they enter.
The camp draft squad is growing in strength, and we hope to hold the NEGS Challenge on April 6th. We are still on the hunt for approximately 60 head of cattle to use for the event, so if you know of any families who may be interested in lending us some for the day, please let me know.
Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for updates regarding entry for this event as it depends on finding cattle to run.
Polocrosse training is going well as we move into the start of the competition season. Several girls have been away to Guyra most Sundays to further their performance. The first carnival starts Easter weekend.
The eventers finally get to have their first run of the season on the 23rd and 24th of March for the Tamworth International Eventing Horse Trials. We wish all the girls competing the very best of luck.
We wish riders heading away to the Grand Nationals and Sydney Royal Show in two weeks all the very best for all of their events.
Annyka Overton - Service to Community Award. Coaching
On Friday, Annyka Overton was recognised for her contribution to Coaching at the Equestrian NSW annual awards night, which celebrated the extraordinary achievements of New South Wales' highest-performing athletes, coaches, volunteers, and officials.
At the awards dinner, Annyka received the Service to Community - Coaching award from Olympian Rachael Downs.
Annyka mentioned she was incredibly proud and humbled to be in the room with many of Australia's top Equestrians. "It all felt quite surreal. I couldn't believe it when I received the email saying I had been nominated for the award. The award had gone to such amazing coaches in previous years. To have been awarded it this year feels absolutely amazing. I am so grateful to NEGS, my family and the many coaches and students who have helped me".
Coaching award recipients from left to right:
Rachael Downs - ENSW Coaching Committee, Annyka Overton, Colleen Brooke, Sally-Anne Barbera, Prue Barrett
Mrs Annyka Overton
Equestrian Centre Coordinator
ANZAC DAY 2024
On behalf of the President and Members of the Armidale RSL Sub Branch, I invite you to observe ANZAC Day on Thursday, 25 April 2024, at the Central Park Memorial Fountain.
Dawn Service
The service will commence in Central Park at 5.45 am.
March
All parents are warmly invited to the next Parents and Friends Meeting to be held on Wednesday, 20 March, at 6.00pm.
You can attend the meeting in person, in the W.H. Lee Room, or via Zoom.
Please find below the link to:
ZOOM LINK FOR THE 20 MARCH MEETING
The School is conducting an engagement survey to understand better how you, our parents, can engage with and contribute to our special community. We appreciate the generosity of our community, which is so supportive of our students and the events that take place. I ask you to please take the time to complete this survey so we can build a better understanding from our parents as to how and where you can volunteer and contribute.
Thank you!
Enjoy a morning with the Armidale Youth Orchestra
Sunday, 7 April, at 10.30 am, enjoy a stroll around the gardens of Chevy Chase, a morning of music presented by the Armidale Youth Orchestras, including our Year 7 student Adelaide Scanlon-Dawson. Adelaide is a committed member of the Youth Orchestra and recently attended the Armidale Youth Orchestras ‘weekend’ at Sawtell for the Armidale Youth Winds.
Unleash the creative!
The timing for the workshops will be confirmed. However, estimate is 9am to 2pm.
JUST A FARMER - CONGRATULATIONS TO OLD GIRL LEILA MCDOUGALL AND MAXINE GREEN
OPENS IN ARMIDALE - 15 MARCH
Hello NEGS,
My best friend from school, Leila McDougall (Negs Old Girl), and I (PLC Old Girl), have been working on a film called Just A Farmer, and we are excited it will hit the cinemas on 21st February! Leila wrote and produced the film with a wonderful team, including her husband, at their beautiful property in Victoria.
Unlike most films, JUST A FARMER is a cinematic masterpiece crafted by grassroots people – farmers who understand the pulse of our regional communities. We celebrate the invaluable contributions of small businesses in our midst and recognise their role in shaping our local identities. Join us in this extraordinary journey to the heart of rural life as we showcase our farming communities' resilience, grit, and beauty.
Our mission is that no farmer faces their darkest days alone! We know many NEGS families are families of the land, and we hope they have the opportunity to know of the film and its wonderful messages and mission.
