As I sit on the sidelines of the IGSA trip cheering on our hockey and netball teams, I find myself reflecting on the journey that led me here. Surrounded by a vibrant group of young women—polite, respectful, and disciplined—I am reminded of the reasons I chose to enter the field of education all those years ago.

These students embody the qualities we strive to instill: not just athletic skill, but character. They follow the rules and procedures, yet still find joy in the moment. The laughter shared over photos, (particularly among the Geography students who joined us part way), highlight the strong bonds that form in these experiences.

I am grateful for the teachers who stand beside the students, offering support both on and off the field. Their dedication is a reminder of the community we build together—a community that extends beyond the classroom.

For me personally, this annual pilgrimage is a chance to reset, to reconnect with the passion that drew me to education. These are the moments that matter.

Go NEGS!

Back on campus, this morning we hosted our annual Father’s Day Breakfast where we welcomed fathers and father figures for breakfast, a catch-up with other fathers, and to allow them to spend special moments with their children. It was a lovely morning and we thank our Dads for joining us.

Happy Fathers’ Day to all the dads out there.

Click HERE for more images.

Last week we also celebrated Grandparents' Day, where we welcomed the Grandparent's and other special guests on our campus and into our classrooms for the morning. It was a very special day and is always a highlight on our school calendar.

Click HERE for more images

Ms Liz van Genderen

Principal

Commit to Excellence

Play on girls - double click image or on link below to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50anvOc4T9o

Mr Jamie Moore

Deputy Principal/PDHPE & CAFS Teacher

Dear NEGS families,

As our Year 12s move from Trial HSC Exams to the actual HSC exams, and our Year 11s prepare for their end of year examinations, it is timely to remind our community of the purpose of assessment. Our Learning and Teaching Framework indicates that we have assessment for, as and of learning in the Evidence Based Practices ring. Let’s take a moment to unpack this.

Assessment for learning is the vast bulk of what we do. The key idea here is improvement – that the assessment task helps students, staff and families to understand what knowledge and skills a student can demonstrate at a particular point in time, such that strengths can be extended, and areas for improvement can be identified and remediated.

The assessment isn’t the outcome, nor is the mark or grade – the improvement agenda is the outcome. In this way, we can ensure that all students bring an improvement orientation to their learning, rather than seeing an assessment task as ‘the end’ or the culmination of a phase of learning. Knowing one’s mark or grade for a task is only a small part of the story – setting goals to achieve more marks, or to perform at a more thorough or extensive level is the main narrative.

So, when the Year 12s receive their results from their Trials, it should be thought of as a progress check, a yardstick that clarifies the few areas to refine and double down on as they make their final preparations for their actual HSC examinations. There’s actually only one time in a NSW student’s academic journey when assessment is of learning – this is the HSC exam for each course, or the submission of a Major Work. These are the only times that a definitive judgement is made of what a student knows and can do for a given course. Everything else is formative.

Assessment as learning is also part of what we do. This is particularly the case in research tasks, experiments, depth studies, and investigations, where the process of completing the task actually involves learning new material and honing specific skills. The best way to learn about something is to do it, as the adage goes. If I wanted to learn how to make a cheesecake, sure I’d need a recipe and some guidance, but the most fruitful learning occurs in the messy process of actually making the cake.

To all of our Stage 6 students and their families, I encourage a thorough and rigorous process of  reflection on Trials and End of Year Examinations, with a view towards improved performance in the HSC.

Mr Ryan Caldwell

Director of Teaching and Learning/English Teacher

Helping Your Child Embrace Glimmers: Finding Joy in Everyday Moments

Recently, a fellow educator shared an insightful article with me titled, Why I'm Embracing 'Glimmers' for My Mental Health. It highlighted the importance of recognising and appreciating the small, joyful moments in our lives - moments that can bring us a sense of peace and wellbeing. This concept, known as ‘glimmers’, connected with me, not just for my own wellbeing, but for the wellbeing of our children as well.

The article went on to explain what ‘glimmers’ are in our everyday lives according to Deb Dana, an American clinician specialising in complex trauma. 

In the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy for us all to overlook the small, joyful moments that bring a sense of peace and calm. These moments, known as ‘glimmers’, are tiny but powerful cues that signal safety and contentment. By teaching children to recognise and appreciate these glimmers, we can help them build emotional resilience and a more positive outlook on life.

What Are Glimmers?

Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. While triggers might cause stress or anxiety, glimmers are those brief, pleasant moments that make us feel good. It could be something as simple as the warmth of the sun on our face, the smell of fresh cookies, or the sound of a favourite song, enjoying your school book parade or sharing your learning with your grandparents. These small experiences can help regulate our emotions and bring us back to a calm state.

What Are Some Ways We Could Help Our Child Notice Glimmers?

1. Lead by Example: Children often mirror their parents’ behaviour. Take a moment to share your own glimmers with them.  Things like, ‘Isn't it nice to feel the sunshine today?’
2. Encourage Mindfulness: Teaching children to slow down and pay attention to the present moment. This could be through activities like taking a deep breath before starting homework, or enjoying a quiet moment together without screens.
3. Create a Glimmer Journal: Encourage your child to keep a journal where they can jot down or draw something that made them feel centred. This practice helps them actively seek out and acknowledge positive experiences.
4. Celebrate the Small Things: Make it a family habit to talk about the best parts of your day during dinner or before bed. Ask your child what made them smile or feel good that day, no matter how small.
5. Practice Gratitude: Gratitude and glimmers go hand in hand. Help your child appreciate the little things by starting a gratitude jar where they can drop in notes about things they’re thankful for. Over time, this can help them focus more on positive experiences.

Why Are Glimmers Important for our Children?

At different points in their lives, children will face challenges. By focusing on glimmers, they can develop a sense of security and wellbeing. Glimmers can help them build resilience, regulate their emotions, and approach life with a more positive mindset.

It’s a small practice that can make a big difference in everyone's lives - no matter our age.

Mrs Heidi Dent

Junior School Coordinator/Year 6 Teacher

Uniform Shop Update

Due to recent circumstances, we will no longer accept uniforms on consignment. Instead, we will be accepting uniforms as a donation.

To ensure that we can effectively manage the time involved and maintain quality standards, please ensure that any donated uniforms are in the current style and good condition.

We appreciate your understanding and support.

Here we are at the half-way point of the term. The days are getting longer and the weather appears to be improving, even if it seems a little too slowly. 

This correspondence is in many ways, an appeal for your assistance. We really need the support of parents as we try to get the girls to respect the boarding guidelines and follow the routines which are essential for the effective running of any boarding house. 

The majority of girls are following the routines and living up to the expectations of the school and the boarding houses. We understand that these rules will not be the same as in your homes, and it requires a great deal of adjustment, but they are essential for harmony in a communal living environment. 

All boarders at NEGS, upon entering boarding, sign a document outlining their rights and responsibilities and a Responsible Use of Technology Agreement. These documents, together with our House guidelines and the Boarders handbook, form the basis of how Boarding at NEGS works. If you would like copies of these documents in order to ‘be on the same page’ with us, please let staff know and we will send them to you. We need families to support and help reinforce these guidelines and the values of the school and boarding. 

The school values are Integrity, Responsibility, Excellence and Teamwork. The staff refer to these values in many of their interactions with students and consistently encourage your daughters to be honest in how they deal with others, to respect the value and time of others, to be responsible in their actions and to understand that we need to be a team to live effectively in a boarding environment.

Some of the measures we employ to minimise anti-social behaviour are not popular with the boarders, but we have a responsibility as part of our Duty of Care to make Boarding as safe as possible for the students. Even if the girls can’t see the need, we hope that as adults you can. Please support us as we implement them – they are for the wellbeing of yours and others children. If you disagree with them, that is your right, but if you don’t support their implementation you must accept that it is extremely difficult for us to make the changes you want to see. 

We also have a reasonable expectation that the students respect school property, including boarding facilities. As their ‘home away from home’ I am very disappointed when I see thoughtless damage to walls and furnishings, especially when they have been reminded about this many times including from myself at the beginning of the year and again at the beginning of Term 2. I am certain you would not accept in your own homes, having someone write in Sharpie on your walls or wipe their shoe polish on your sofa. The same standard of care and respect is expected here and if your child is responsible for any damage you will be charged for the repairs.

The old saying ‘no news is good news’, is relevant in boarding in the one on one sense. We will be in touch with parents as soon as we see something that concerns us about your daughter. Often the contact you have is in the moment, immediately following a conversation or incident, and is usually highly emotive. We get it, and we also understand from our own experience that it can be confronting to get that call or message when you are so far away, but what you often don’t see is them skipping out of the house 10 minutes later to go to sport or the EC or the Dining Hall. Phones create an instant response culture which rarely allows them to process before they react. We are asking for your trust – to trust that we have and uphold the same values that you and your family do. The wellbeing of your child is central to what we do here in boarding at NEGS. 

We also need students to talk to staff if there is something wrong, or they are worried or they feel unwell, because we can not help if we do not know what their challenges are. If you suspect your child is in need of additional support, the most valuable thing you can do is contact the staff in the boarding house. These same members of staff spend a large amount of time in the company of your children and are best situated to give you perspective about what is happening, to give a balanced opinion of the circumstances and to reassure you if needed.

Weekend activities continue to prove problematic. Our survey earlier in the year has been taken into account when planning activities and we still continue to see a decided lack of participation. I have also looked at what other schools offer on the weekends and they are remarkably similar to ours. The weekend schedule is available for parents to view on the Portal and is on display in both boarding houses. There are times when we have to shuffle things around due to weather or clashes with other events, but there is always something planned. This term, there have already been activities cancelled due to lack of interest. Apart from an organised activity, there are numerous facilities the girls can use any time they want over the weekend on school grounds, as long as the activity is safe, they can entertain themselves for hours.

We have just completed our RANGS accreditation and Boarding was compliant with all of NESA’s requirements. This should offer reassurance to parents and it also encourages us to take the next step in having Boarding at NEGS officially accredited. This will be an extremely valuable tool in attracting additional boarding students to our school. Over the past six months, there has been a huge amount of work put into Staff Induction processes, Staff Training, updating of Policies and Procedures, as well as into the boarding facilities themselves. All of this work translates to a better boarding environment and experience for our boarding students. 

This term will see the introduction of our first regular school transport with a weekly bus to Tamworth on Friday evening, returning Sunday evening. If you are interested in using this service, please contact Fiona Purkiss in Reception – 02 6774 8700. The information relating to the service has been sent to boarding families. If you missed the message, you can contact Fiona or the staff in the boarding houses for details. All bookings must be made through Reception before 4pm on Thursdays. 

It would also be great to create a ‘Boarder Parent Committee’ to meet once a term to discuss issues relating specifically to boarders at NEGS. If there are any parents interested in contributing to this forum, please contact me directly and we will begin the process of creating an Agenda and a regular meeting time.

Congratulations to Year 12 as they complete the final phase of their HSC journey. With Trials completed it really is the countdown to the end of their time here at NEGS. I would like to commend all of the girls who have graciously accepted changes this year and who continue to impress me with their character. I have personally enjoyed getting to know them all better this year and wish them well with their studies. We also wish Year 11 well as they begin the process of applying for leadership roles in 2025, you are all terrific candidates and we look forward to seeing you as our new school leaders next term.

In the same way that we encourage the students to unite in their common experience of NEGS boarding, I am asking our boarding families to also come together as a united group of people who are all working together with the same desire for improvement, the same desire for positive outcomes. I thank all of those who contribute to boarding life as families, students and staff and hope that we continue to work together to make the second half of the year as fulfilling as possible.

Mrs Kassy Cassidy

Head of Boarding

NEGS Trivia Night -  Roll up, Roll up!

NEGS Trivia night is fast approaching so get your teams together, put your trivia caps on and come along for a night of fun and laughter. With trivia master Mr Tony Jones at the microphone, it's sure to be an entertaining time.

See the details below and click THIS LINK to purchase your tickets - don't miss out!

I do ask our families to take the time to read below the proposed changes to the legal structure of our P and F. Next Wednesday, September 4 we will put forth at a Special General Meeting of Members,  a special resolution to change the legal structure of the Association from an Incorporated Association to the NEGS Parents and Friends Body. This meeting will be held ahead of our next General Meeting of the P and F.

We encourage all financial members to be involved in this process as your active participation will help shape the course of NEGS P and F and ensure our collective success in the years to come. Can't make the meeting? You can place an online vote here.

You can attend the meeting either in person or via Zoom.

6pm - Special General Meeting followed by the ordinary P and F Meeting

The meeting will be held in the Lee Room (Akaora) or parents can join online via Zoom.

Link to the P and F Meeting

Reminder regarding the Proposed Change in Legal Structure from an Incorporated Association to NEGS Parent & Friends Body.

The NEGS Parents and Friends Association Inc. has always played a crucial role in supporting our school community through various fundraising initiatives and community-building activities. The dedication and involvement of the P and F are vital to our success, and we want to ensure that the P and F continue to serve our community in the most effective and transparent manner possible.

After thorough consultation with the NEGS P and F Management Committee, NEGS School Executive, and the Board of Directors of NEGS Ltd, we are proposing a change to the legal structure of the Association. Specifically, we propose transitioning from an Incorporated Association to a newly structured organisation known as the NEGS Parents and Friends Body.

Why This Change?

Our decision to propose this change stems from a comprehensive review undertaken over the past 12 months aimed at aligning our operations with best practices and ensuring compliance with current legal requirements.  

Our current model is quite outdated and in seeking advice it has been concluded that a more workable and efficient model can be implemented.

Advice and recommendations were sought from: 

• AIS NSW (Association of Independent Schools NSW who provided best practice recommendations)
• Independent Legal Advice
• Department of Fair Trading

Key reasons for this change include:

• Enhanced Transparency: The new structure will provide clearer insights into our financial and administrative processes.
• Reduced Liability: It will help mitigate personal liability for members of the P and F Management Committee.
• Regulatory Compliance: We will ensure full compliance with Section 83c of the Education Act 1990 (NSW), aligning our practices with legal standards.
• Simplify and Reduce Costs: Simplify processes and reduce administration and compliance costs to the P and F. 

In practice:

In practice there will be no real change to the way in which the P and F currently operates. The proposed change is simply removing the P and F as a separate legal entity. Instead of an Incorporated Association, the P and F will be a body under the auspices of the Principal and School.

The Constitution will be replaced by a Memorandum of Understanding that clearly outlines the objects and the way in which the P and F will operate.

You can read the MOU below.

Next Steps:

1. The special resolution to change the legal structure of the Association from an Incorporated Association to a NEGS Parents and Friends Body will be put forth at a Special General Meeting of Members which will be held ahead of the next Ordinary General Meeting of Members, on Wednesday 4th September 2024. This special resolution will be presented to the members for discussion and voting.
2. We encourage all financial members to be involved in this process as your active participation will help shape the course of NEGS P and F and ensure our collective success in the years to come. 
3. If you are unable to attend the meeting in person and will be joining via Zoom, please complete your online vote HERE.
4. Please note that in accordance with the Constitution of the Association, this special resolution requires a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at the meeting to be adopted.

We express our heartfelt appreciation for your ongoing support of the NEGS community of which the NEGS P and F will remain a vital part. Together, we can build a stronger and more responsive parent body that continues to serve the NEGS community with excellence.

Mrs Fiona Macarthur

NEGS P & F President

Enrolments for 2025 are still open!

We have recently been on the road catching up with current parents, meeting new prospective families and attending Expos. We are thrilled with the interest in NEGS. We have enjoyed so many great conversations and hearing all the reasons why families are considering NEGS.

I really would like to thank you, our current families. Your advocacy and the sharing of your experience is so valued. Recently at Agquip, we had families come up to our stand and share what they have heard about NEGS from current families, it was so positive. Thank you! Please keep spreading the word, as we continue to grow our enrolments.

We are planning our Term 4 orientation events such as our Girls' Night In, Step Up Day and Early Explorer Days, so please encourage family and friends to book a tour and explore what NEGS has to offer. 

I would like to remind you that we offer discounts for siblings from Kindergarten to Year 12 and have a referral program in place. 

To learn more please contact our Enrolments Team on 02 6774 8700 or by emailing enrolments@negs.nsw.edu.au 

Ms Lyn O'Neill

Director of Enrolments & Marketing

NEW ENGLAND SINGS

Our JS Choir and some of our Senior School Students will perform in New England Sings!, the BIGGEST choral event in Armidale! Please see the details below, and the NEGS JS choir will sing at the 11 am concert.

Ticket prices are:

Adults $30; and

FT students $20

and can be purchased by clicking HERE.