The following title captured my attention:

Give Girls Leadership Before the Title

It resonated with me, particularly as we commence the leadership selection process for 2027.

Are we already on board with this at NEGS? Have we provided our students with meaningful opportunities to lead, make decisions, take responsibility and have influence before they are given a formal leadership title?

Is this what our transformational journey is about? Is it the intentional work we do—and perhaps the incidental opportunities along the way—that enables our girls to think, lead and grow?

A Sydney school recently expanded its Student Representative Council across year groups, creating opportunities for student voice leaders to participate in authentic projects and decision-making. The focus was not simply on having a title, but on developing the skills, confidence, agency and connection that come from genuinely practising leadership.

It challenged us to consider:

What is one decision our adults currently make that students could meaningfully help shape? Then, rather than simply asking for their opinion, give them responsibility for part of the process.

Give Girls Room to Think, Lead & Grow

I think we have.

I know we do.

Ms Liz van Genderen

Principal

As we settle into the rhythm of the new term, let’s celebrate the incredible energy and engagement our students have shown over the past five weeks. It has been a fast-paced start, packed with opportunities for our students to challenge themselves, collaborate, and represent our school with pride. Our focus has always been on providing a well-rounded education, and the range of events we’ve seen recently is a testament to that commitment across both the Junior and Senior campuses.

Our Year 10 students kicked off the term by diving into the Urban Challenge, an immersive excursion that tested their teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving skills in a real-world environment. Watching them navigate these challenges together was a fantastic reminder of how capable and adaptable our students are.

In the creative arts, our Drama Elective students had the unique opportunity to participate in a Playwriting Zoom hosted by the Belvoir Company. Engaging directly with industry professionals gave them incredible insights into the world of storytelling and scriptwriting. Meanwhile, our Ancient History students deepened their appreciation for classic literature with a trip to see The Odyssey, bringing the ancient text to life.

The enthusiasm for learning and creativity is just as palpable in our Junior School. Next week, our Junior School students will celebrate the magic of storytelling during Book Day on Thursday, August 27th. Shortly after, our youngest learners will proudly step into the spotlight to showcase their hard work at the Kindergarten Deep Learning Exhibition.

One of the highlights of the term was the Day for Liv Colour Run organised by our Year 12 leaders. It was a vibrant afternoon that captured the spirit of our school community. Seeing students and staff come together to celebrate, support a wonderful cause, and just have fun was uplifting. We are also looking forward to more community collaboration later this term as our Junior students prepare for their New England Sings! rehearsals and concerts.

Our sporting and agricultural teams have also been busy. The IGSA Hockey and Netball Round 1 saw our senior athletes hit the ground running, demonstrating excellent sportsmanship and dedication. Our athletics teams are equally eager to hit the track, with our senior team competing today in Sydney and our juniors gearing up for the upcoming IPSHA Athletics next week.

Further afield, our Livestock Team travelled to the Ekka Brisbane Royal. Competing at such a high level requires immense preparation, and we are incredibly proud of how our team showcased their hard work and expertise on a massive stage.

Whether it is in the city navigating urban challenges, on the sporting field, in the theatre, showcasing work, in the Junior School, or in the show ring, our students continue to step up and embrace every opportunity. I look forward to seeing this momentum continue as we head into the rest of the term.

Thank you, as always, for your support in making these opportunities possible for our students.

Mrs Heidi Dent

Deputy Principal

Critical Thinking Through Meaningful Knowledge

At NEGS junior School, learning is built on a shared journey, one that is student-driven and teacher-led. Every day begins with explicit instruction to ensure core knowledge and skills are taught with clarity. As our students build confidence, we gradually hand over the reins, giving them authentic opportunities to apply what they know to real-world challenges. This balance of rich knowledge and hands-on application naturally builds curious, capable thinkers.

Partnering at Home: The Power of High Expectations

Learning doesn't stop at the classroom door, and parents are our most valuable partners. You can powerfully deepen your child’s learning at home simply by holding high expectations for how they think through daily challenges:

• Ask for explanations: Have your child walk you through how they are solving a problem rather than just giving the final answer.
• Encourage precision: Gently nudging children toward accuracy builds patience, clear communication, and lasting confidence.
• Model the struggle: Think out loud when facing a tricky task, showing that mistakes are just stepping stones to learning.

When we model resilience and encourage thoughtful solutions together, we give our children the space to thrive. It is a true privilege to work alongside your families to help our students become good at learning; good at life.

Uniform Matters: End-of-Winter Check-In

As we near the end of the cooler months, we have a number of lost uniform items. You can help us return lost items quickly to their rightful owners by taking a few moments to assist with the following:

• Check the labels: Please verify that your child hasn’t accidentally brought home someone else’s item. Ensure all clothing is clearly marked with your child's name - especially second-hand items. Soft tip markers can fade over time, so crisp labels or fresh ink work best!
• Layering on cold days: If your child needs an extra long-sleeve layer under their PE polo, please ensure it is a plain, neutral color and covered with a school jumper.
• Pride in the details: Maintaining our school value of excellence shows in how we present ourselves. Please check that shoes are polished and that daily uniform pieces are in good repair and fit comfortably.
• Looking ahead to summer: Now is a great time to check summer uniforms for sizing so you can beat the rush and book uniform shop appointments early.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in keeping our school community looking sharp and feeling proud.

Mrs Deanna Ford

Junior School Coordinator/Year 6 Teacher

This term, the Round Square Committee has already been very busy! Secondary students have started this terms Round Square with their fortnightly visits to the Junior School. They have been playing games focused on the 12 Round Square Characters focused on the ideals of Round Square - Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership and Service. A Senior student reads a story and then we play games - most recently a Who am I? with the round square characters, which was lots of fun!

We have also attended two online postcards so far this term. The first one was held on the 12th of August and hosted by Christ's College. The topic was 'How school's preserve and celebrate their heritage and tradition.' NEGS students, Gemma Poe, Charlotte Yarger and Charlotte Perry all attended. Once split into 'Baraza' or breakout rooms there were lots of discussions about important and unique traditions in everyone's school, and any problems with traditions in schools. NEGS girls shared their experiences of Marching, and sport traditions and also talked about our unique lip sync battle tradition. Everyone had a wonderful time, and Charlotte Perry shared her group's main discussion points in the main group discussion at the conclusion.

The second postcard was held on the 19th of August and was hosted by the Indian School, Dubai. The topic was 'Happiness Hacks: What makes us smile.' NEGS students Amber Simpson, Audrey Packham, Charlotte Yarger and Charlotte Perry all attended. Once these students were placed into their baraza groups, they shared their previously created 'what makes us happy' slide and talked about it amongst the group members, participants also played games on happiness. Amber shared her group's activities and discussions with the main group at the conclusion of the postcard.

We have already had lots of fun this term, and look forward to more postcards and more activities with junior school this term!

PHOTO GALLERY

Ms Fiona Munzenrieder

HSIE Teacher/Round Square Coordinator

On the 26th of July, we volunteered our time to the Zonta Foundation, which is a charitable organisation that raises and distributes funds globally to support girls' and women' s education, health and human rights. 

On this occasion we helped make birthing bags that consisted of gloves, a scalpel, soap, thread and a plastic bag. These bags are being sent to countries like Africa that aren’t as fortunate to have access to doctors and nurses.

We are thankful for Miss Fernando for giving us this opportunity to help give back and help our community.

Amelia and Bridget - Year 11

Year 7

Our year 7 science students had an electrifying day using the Van de Graaff generator in their exploration of electrostatic forces. By placing their hands on the dome of the generator, their hair becomes positively charged and repels away from itself, causing some interesting hair-do’s.

PHOTO GALLERY

Year 11

On Thursday the 13th of August, the year 11 Biology class travelled to Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre, where they practiced fieldwork techniques and explored biotic and abiotic factors in a local woodland ecosystem. Students spent the morning recording data on light intensity, soil moisture, terrestrial invertebrates and the distribution of local tree species. 

This was followed by some time in the lab identifying the invertebrates caught and calculating herbivory percentages on leaf samples. After lunch, students collected data along 50m transects where they calculated tree diameter, tree height and identified the abundance of tree hollows which are extremely important habitats for a number of native species. At the end of the day, students were given the opportunity to pet and hold a resident carpet python and blue tongue lizard if they were brave enough. Many thanks to Sue Jagger and Matt McKenzie at the Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre for providing such an interesting and valuable opportunity for our students. 

PHOTO GALLERY

Mr Angus Goodwin Hill

Science and Agriculture Teacher

The Waratah girls have been working hard over the last few months, creating a children’s book and a series of illustrations.  

Charter Hall, who are the editors and publishers of the book, called DRAWING US TOGETHER, have given the Waratah girls a gift voucher to thank them for their fine efforts.  

Tarnequa Monaghan, Tikah Monaghan, Destiny Battese, Isabel Danson, Lily Key, Oliviah McDonald, Ruby Bramford and Jaylee Burns all participated in the event and the Children’s Booklet will be published soon.

Mr Thomas Degens

Waratah Coordinator

Instrumental Lessons at NEGS

What does playing the flute have to do with good sleep? A whole lot, according to recent research which found that playing a wind instrument can help with self regulation, anxiety and sleep issues. Earlier research already proved that singing has a positive impact on mental health, and the effects of learning any instrument on resilience, discipline and problem solving skills have been well documented for years. 

At NEGS, we pride ourselves to offer many opportunities for our students. 

We have a number of excellent visiting instrumental teachers who teach on campus. Here are some of them:

Peter Sanders (piano and organ)

…has been working at NEGS for many, many years. He teaches piano and pipe organ. Peter has more than 40 years of experience performing in many different settings including Catholic and Anglican Church services. He is an extremely experienced teacher with a wide range - jazz, popular music, classical and sacred music. 

Here is a quote from Peter: 

‘Music is joy. It teaches much more than just how to play a musical instrument. It enhances self confidence, communication, the ability to express one’s self and so much more.’ 

Margaret Flemming (piano)

…arrived in Armidale last year and is currently the Head of Keyboard at the New England Conservatory of Music (NECOM). She works as a piano teacher and accompanies the NEGS choirs. Margaret is an accomplished and experienced piano teacher and accompanist, having taught for many years both nationally and internationally, using her extensive qualifications from Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University.

Margaret's approach to teaching is that it should be fun while learning, as well as being educationally valid. She teaches a variety of genres at the piano to achieve this end.

Dominic Lukin (all brass instruments)

… graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium and is a highly accomplished tuba player. He teaches all brass instruments and is excited to join the NEGS Music Village. Dominic is an active performer in the Armidale scene performing in productions ranging from musicals to symphonic concerts as a brass player and/or singer. He enjoys teaching one on one, but also is looking forward to offering ensemble opportunities to students. 

Hanna Kaminska (violin)

…comes from a very musical family and has been a violinist since she was 7 years old. After graduating music college in Poland, she worked for a number of orchestras in Australia, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Theatre Orchestra, the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Hanna has a great passion for education and tailors her approach to each student individually. She is excited to be a new member of the NEGS Music Village. 

Is your child interested in taking up instrumental lessons? Reach out to music.admin@negs.nsw.edu.au to find out more.

Don’t see the instrument your child is interested in? Send us an email anyway - we will do our utmost to make it happen.

Mrs Susanne Hughes

Music Teacher

Are you in Year 5, 6 or 7? This is for you!