Attention: You are using an outdated browser, device or you do not have the latest version of JavaScript downloaded and so this website may not work as expected. Please download the latest software or switch device to avoid further issues.
| 26 Aug 2022 | |
| General News |
NEGS is a Round Square school. We are part of a network of 252 schools across 51 countries, working towards greater intercultural understanding and an appreciation of diversity. Round Square schools collaborate on teaching and learning programs, courses, and initiatives to connect students with their peers in other countries, and bring the world to their classroom.
This week, we welcomed Saadgi who has come to us from Madhya Pradesh, India. Saadgi is 16. Her interests include finance, dancing, reading books and playing squash. She is passionate about literature, science, debating, public speaking and is part of Model United Nations – a simulation where students deliberate on a myriad of global issues. Saadgi is looking forward to experiencing as much of life in regional and urban Australia as she possibly can.
Another initiative of Round Square is Zoom postcards. Details of upcoming sessions are outlined below.
Students who may be interested in joining the Zoom sessions are welcome to see me.
This week Emily and Jessica joined us from St Catherine’s Victoria (as part of the school’s inter-exchange program).
NEGS was an extremely welcoming school to come to for an exchange. All the girls, house mothers, and teachers at the school were very inviting to the both of us. NEGS has given us an opportunity to do something that we would never have the chance to do back home. Although the life style is very different from home, it does not feel like we are out of place at any time. - JESS
The thing that inspired me to come to NEGS is because of the different learning and extra-curricular activities they had to offer such as the equestrian centre. At the time being here I have already been able to experience the life of a NEGS student. NEGS is a very welcoming school and I am excited to see what else I can do in the time that I have at NEGS. - MILLY
St Catherine’s is looking forward to further developing our inter-exchange program.
Important Dates
Parents, please note the important dates below:
Term 4 – SAVE THE DATE for the following
Liz van Genderen
Acting Principal
Over the years, I have been lucky enough to coach many sporting teams, which is something I am truly passionate about. The idea of being able to prepare an individual athlete, or team, to compete against another is exciting. One thing that is difficult, however, is to know how much information to give and at what moment, as it will vary greatly, and I feel that giving 2 or 3 key focuses is what works best. So, with this in mind, I am looking to deliver to the students small focuses that we can be mindful of each week at assembly.
To kick this off, I asked the students to focus on being prepared for class; is my laptop fully charged, do I have the right books, enough pens, and some paper to write on. Also, to check in the night before and know that I have my PE gear for tomorrow, my uniform is back from the laundry, I have taken out my extra earrings. All these may seem insignificant, or unimportant, but it’s the little things done well that ensure that your day is set up for success.
'proper preparation prevents poor performance'
Also, I had mentioned to the students that I would look at some of the expectations around uniforms and come up with a more reasonable interpretation, in some instances. So, after discussing with the executive, students no longer need to turn up to the dining hall with their hats. If they are walking around in the sun or sitting in an area where they are exposed, then their hats will be on. Also, if they are leaving school grounds to appointments or the like, then hats are to be worn, along with blazers. If we can work to reduce the points of conflict, then everyone’s day should be more enjoyable.
Jamie Moore
Acting Deputy Principal / Director of Sport and Activities
The Academic Awards Assembly was held earlier this week, to recognise our students' hard work and academic achievements in Semester One. It was lovely to see so many of the girls being recognised. I spoke about the Aesop fable, The Hare and the Tortoise to highlight the importance of perseverance in academic study – we may not all have the natural gifts of the hare to run quickly, but with sustained effort and perseverance, we can all be winners. This is why we recognise effort along with academic results, to recognise that hard work is often as valuable as the headline result. Dogged, unwavering commitment to try, to strive, to work at one’s studies, especially when the race seems long, or the goal very distant, is to be commended. In the Aesop tale, the tortoise hung in there, not because he was graced with natural ability, but because he backed himself to persist when others did not. That is academic rigour.
Sustained effort and perseverance have been on show on campus this week in other places, perhaps most notably in the culmination of Major Works for Design & Technology and Textiles & Design. From silicone allergy indicators to hand-woven ecological sustainability tapestries, crochet pants, and princess dress costume designs, the students have been putting the finishing touches on many months of hard work. We look forward to publicly celebrating these works once NESA marking processes have occurred.
Subject selection is underway for our Year 10 students, as they reflect upon their future pathways and careers, and how to get where they would like to go. Year 10 parents should have received the Senior Studies Handbook via Engage earlier this week. We encourage you to consider the information it provides carefully, and to discuss subject selections for your daughter that will suit her interests, abilities, and future aspirations. A follow-up information and Q&A session for interested Year 10 parents will be held on Monday 5 September from 4.30 – 5.00pm, with access details forthcoming. The session will be recorded for anyone who is unable to attend at that time.
Ryan Caldwell
Director of Teaching and Learning
Welcome to another sports update:
# NEGS sent a small but dedicated team to Sydney last week to compete in the IGSA Athletics Championships. It was a thrill for a majority of our girls who got to run at Sydney Olympic Park for the first time. The competition was strong, and the NEGS girls never gave up. If they crossed the line, threw or jumped in any position, they were still great ambassadors for the school.
A massive thanks to Miss Maughan, who carried the flag on the bus and kept it together despite a 3:30am return after an accident held the bus up. Also to the senior students who looked after the less experienced in our team.
IGSA Netball and Hockey are on again next weekend (1,2,3 Sept), and we will make another trek down the hill to compete. Our Junior Hockey are looking good for a finals berth, and the Senior hockey side are just needing a bit of luck to secure enough wins to progress. Unfortunately, the Netball competition has been very tough, and our teams will need to bounce back and finish the season on a high. On Tuesday 30 August we will play PLC in Senior Hockey and Netball as part of the IGSA competition. The games will be played here at NEGS with Hockey starting at 4:30pm and Netball at 5:30pm.
Our winter sports play their last round games this weekend and we hope to see teams reach the finals.
Junior School
Sunday 28 August will see the Junior School IPSHA Athletics team jump on a bus and head to Sydney Olympic Park to participate in the annual IPSHA Athletics Championships. We look forward to an enthusiastic team keen to get there and do their best. A big thank you to Mrs Nixon for all her organisation for this event and for accompanying the team on the trip.
A big shout out to those students playing in our U13s Hockey side in the local Saturday competition. The team has been developing nicely under coach Chelsea Thornton, and staff member, Lauren Czinner.
Congratulations Charlotte Travers!!!
Charlotte competed in the North West Regional Championships, which were held at Armidale City Gymnastics Club. The competition was judged according to the standards of NSW Gymnastics. She competed against approximately 40 gymnasts. Charlotte’s marks banded her a Silver medal.
Jamie Moore
Director of Sport and Activities / Acting Deputy Principal
Celebrating student success
As parents and teachers, there is nothing more rewarding and exciting than seeing children overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Celebrating a child’s successes is an incredible way to nourish their growth and development. These positive experiences are etched into children’s memories and remind them of what they have achieved. Celebrations are more than just feel-good moments, they can propel students forward on their learning journey and keep them motivated.
Celebrations are part of life and a great way to pause, cherish, and reaffirm the things we value and accomplish in our lives. The more we can encourage children to be their best, the more successful they will be, which is why it is important to recognise their successes, small and large.’
Celebrating achievement in the right way will likely increase confidence and motivation, leading to happier and more productive children.
Guidance and role modelling, in line with acknowledging student success, is key to developing intrinsic motivation in our children and self-monitoring behaviours that all lead to greater goal setting; the ability to deal with disappointment and an attitude of resilience and bounce back.
Celebrating Successes and Looking Forward to Opportunities
This term has already exceeded expectations with the level of student involvement and success across a wide range of special events. Science Week was a flurry of activities, from elephant toothpaste to ice cream in a bag and all things in between. Each class engaged in thought-provoking investigations connecting with their scientific understanding.
Book Week
Book Week was celebrated as a whole school event. Under the theme Dreaming with Eyes Open, PreK to Year 6 rotated through activities inspired by picture books, creating responses and showing their enjoyment of reading.
IPSHA Athletics
Next Monday, a team of sixteen students from Years 2 - 6, will compete at IPSHA Athletics held at Sydney Olympic Park. We wish the team well and look forward to hearing of their personal successes upon their return. A special thank you to Mrs Nixon and Mr Moore for their organisation and support.
Roald Dahl Day
As mentioned in the last newsletter, the Junior School is also gearing up in preparation for Roald Dahl Day. To whet our appetite, Stage Two will perform one of his poems at our upcoming assembly on Monday 29 August. Roald Dahl Day will be celebrated in Week Nine on 13 September.
As we continue our journey through Term Three, together, let’s make sure we take the time to celebrate.
'Make time to celebrate successes. Be proud when you succeed and be happy for others when they do.'
Heidi Dent
Junior School Coordinator
In week 5, the Junior School celebrated National Science Week. ‘Glass, more than meets the eye’ was this year's theme, so students viewed a video during our assembly to learn a little about how glass is made. We also kicked off the festivities with an exciting ‘Elephant Toothpaste’ experiment by Ms Pracy and Scientist Scout.
Across the week, class Science lessons focused on engaging in hands-on activities to explore the various domains of Science and Technology. Students also participated in a range of experiments during lunch play on Wednesday, which were led by some of our Year 6 leaders and STEM Club participants. Here, students explored refracting light, and mixtures, painted with Sphero Balls and took our drones for some test flights. It was a wonderful week of all things Science and Technology.
Emma Pracy
Junior School Teacher
‘Dreaming with Eyes Open’
Tuesday saw NEGS Junior School celebrate their annual Book Day in the NEGS library. Students were invited to come dressed in their best pyjamas and celebrate the themed occasion of ‘Dreaming with Eyes Open’.
All students from Pre-Kinder to Year 5 rotated through a variety of activities with their teachers, assisted by their Year 6 team leaders. Activities consisted of meditation with Mrs McCann, goal planning with Miss Bec, Maths games with Miss Cambridge, origami with Miss Czinner, drama re-enactments with Ms Pracy, poetry with Mrs Ford, visual arts with Mrs Nixon, and problem-solving with Miss Bowman.
Students competed in a colouring-in competition, with the winners being:
Congratulations to our winners!
We also had a Best Dressed competition, with the winners being:
The Scholastic Book Fair is visiting us for all of Week 6. Feel free to visit and purchase your favourite books!
Laura Cambridge and Amelia Bowman
Library Teacher and Learning Support
This week, our Year 11 girls were privileged to hear from the Sydney Flight College regarding the aviation industry and rural and regional pathways and opportunities for students. Sydney Flight College specialises in state-of-the-art flight courses and training.
Flight and aviation aren't new to NEGS, as Old Girl Esther L'Estrange became the first Queensland woman to receive her commercial pilot's license. From there, her aviation career took off.
We hope that the girls, by hearing from different industry professionals, will gather a better understanding of the opportunities that are open to them, after their secondary education.
Jessica Walker
Careers Advisor / Stage 6 Advisor
Thank you to all the parents who attended the last P and F Meeting; some very productive conversations and ideas were shared. The minutes of the meeting have been uploaded to the Parent Portal.
The decision was made to hold the 2023 Autumn Fair on 1 April 2023. Please save this date in your calendar and consider how you can get involved and help with the Fair. An initial planning meeting will be held on Wednesday 14 September at 6pm.
If you have ideas, or suggestions, please send an email to community@negs.nsw.edu.au. We are looking forward to the NEGS community getting behind this key event.
Additionally, we are hoping many Dads will be able to attend the Father's Day BBQ, held on Friday 2 September.
NEGS Old Girls Annual General Meeting
This is to give notice that the NEGS Armidale Alumni AGM is being held on 8 September 2022. All Alumni are warmly invited to attend, either in person or via Zoom.
Details:
Thursday 8 September
5.30pm
WH Lee Room in Akaroa (Main Reception) or via Zoom (Zoom link below)
Agenda:
See below the 2022 Agenda and link to download the 2021 AGM Minutes
