PPaarreennttss && CCiittiizzeennss’’

AAssssoocciiaattiioonn MMeeeettiinngg Thursday 28 February Staff Common Room

7pm

MMootthheerrss’’ CCoommmmiitttteeee MMeeeettiinngg Wednesday 6 March

Library 10am

SStt GGeeoorrggee GGiirrllss HHiigghh SScchhooool Telephone: 9587 5902 Facsimile: 9553 8043 Email: stgeorgegi-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Website: www.sgghs.com.au

The Gazette

Monthly Bulletin February 2013

Vol. 18 No. 1 PPrriinncciippaall’’ss MMeessssaaggee Dear Parents and Students,

WWeellccoommee ttoo 22001133!! I wish to extend a warm welcome to all families for the 2013 school year. I extend a special welcome to the parents of Year 7 and other girls new to our school. The school year is well and truly underway with the first Mothers’ Committee meeting being very well attended! Our Year 7 Information evening was also well attended giving parents and staff an opportunity to get acquainted. I am confident that we will develop a positive and productive relationship over the next six years.

PP&&CC FFiirrsstt MMeeeettiinngg ooff tthhee YYeeaarr I look forward to meeting more parents when we hold our first meeting of the P&C this Thursday 28 February commencing at 7.00pm in the Staff Common Room. If you are attending for the first time you will be made most welcome. The P&C meeting is a friendly informal meeting and an opportunity to get to know other parents and be informed about school programs, policies and procedures. I attend every meeting and give a principal’s report on recent and upcoming activities in the school. Also there is often a guest speaker who will give a presentation which focuses on teaching and learning programs. The evening is usually finished by 9.30pm. Enter the school through the Victoria Street main entrance.

SSttaaffff CChhaannggeess I would like to introduce some new members of staff who have joined St George this year. Mr Walters joins the Social Science faculty. Mrs Louskos joins the Mathematics faculty replacing Mrs Woolnough who retired last year. Ms Akins and Ms Belouis will join the Languages faculty for the year. I welcome all of these teachers to St George and feel sure they will find their time here professionally rewarding.

HHSSCC RReessuullttss The school’s 2012 HSC results were most pleasing once again. The results are due to the hard work of students and their teachers and the support of parents in assisting their daughters to navigate the journey to this highly valued credential. I have great pleasure in announcing that our DUX for 2012 was Mira Mahapatra who scored an ATAR of 99.8. Fourteen students were named as top all-rounders for achieving the top band in 10 or more units at the HSC. They were Rafia Alam, Annie Fan, Jamie Lowe, Mira Mahapatra, Rachel Ng, Julie Nguyen, Jemma Payne, Rebecca Radcliffe, Brenda Ta, Shelley Wo, Esme Wong, Connie Yan, Lucy Zhao and Rena Zhou. Many students will have their names inscribed on our Honour Boards for ranking in the top 2% of the state. A number of students deserve congratulations for outstanding results. Mira Mahapatra ranked 6

th in state in Economics, 10

th in Legal Studies and 14

th in Business Studies. Michaela

Scheetz ranked 3rd

in the state in PDHPE. Lucy Zhao ranked 4th in Japanese and Jane Lee ranked 1

st in Indonesian

Beginners.

In the Creative and Performing Arts we have a number of students whose work has been acknowledged as exemplars. Each year exceptional major works and performances are nominated for inclusion in exhibitions which showcase the very best in NSW schools. This year in Music Calista Yeoh, was nominated for ENCORE, a showcase of exemplary musical performances. In Textiles and Design, Kayla Castle and Isabelle Martin will have their major works exhibited in TEXSTYLE. In Visual Arts Belinda Goh and Shirley Zhao will have their body of work exhibited in ARTEXPRESS. Isabell Grady had her work selected for exhibition in Art Rules 2012. In Drama, two individual performances were nominated for inclusion in ONSTAGE; Lilian Engelbrethsen and Winnie Wang were nominated for their dramatic monologues. We are very proud of all the Year 12 2012 students and I will be writing further of their achievements in coming issues of the Gazette. The school acknowledges teachers Mr Scott, Ms Brown, Mr Allum, Mrs Cooper, Ms Georgius, Ms Oyston, Ms Wright, Ms Ruck and Ms Leto for the exceptional results attained by their students. I also take the opportunity to thank and acknowledge the expertise and efforts of all Year 12 teachers for assisting their students to achieve such wonderful results. Many students will have their names inscribed on our Honour Boards for ranking in the top 2% in the state in the HSC. We are still collecting this information and their names will appear in the next gazette. Post school destinations and scholarships and cadetships awarded will also be included. We are extremely proud of the many girls who achieved personal excellence and a ATAR of which they can be very proud.

CCoonnttrriibbuuttiioonnss Each year we request that parents make a payment of General School Contributions, Subject Materials Contributions and the Parents and Citizens’ Resources Levy. It is because of the generosity of parents that the school is able to acquire resources that benefit all students and I am hopeful this strong support will continue. EFTPOS and credit card facilities are available to use if you wish.

P&C Resources Levy I would like to explain the $65.00 P&C Resources Levy. This is a contribution which is especially important in meeting the costs of extra resources the school would not be able to provide for our girls. This contribution provides students with their textbooks which parents would otherwise have to purchase. In the past these funds have also been used to fund playground shade structures, upgrade grounds and gardens, purchase laptops for students’ use, install interactive whiteboards for classrooms, upgrade the school’s computer network, air-condition the school hall and refurbish the Library atrium. I personally request that all families pay this contribution so that we can continue to ensure our girls have the very best resources and learning facilities and that this fundraising initiative is shared by all families.

BBuunnnniinnggss FFuunnddrraaiisseerr Speaking of our hard-working P&C, last year’s Bunnings fundraisers successfully raised funds which were then used to purchase resources for our school. Please also find a flyer in this gazette for another fundraising event to be held on Sunday 24 March at Bunnings store in Rockdale. If you can afford to spend an hour assisting on the day it would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Mona Sahore on 0432 521 688 or send her an email to Mona.Sahore@dwe.nsw.gov.au so she can put your name on the roster.

YYeeaarr 77 FFaammiillyy PPiiccnniicc Every year the P&C organise a family picnic at Carss Park for Year 7 families. It is a very informal get together so that families can meet each other. This year the date is Sunday 10 March. Simply pack a picnic lunch and turn up about 10.30am. We usually ask a volunteer to take along our school banner to mark our spot and some games from the PDHPE faculty. If you can pick these up from the school office on Friday 8 March just ring the front office and ask to speak with me.

AAnnaapphhyyllaaxxiiss AAlleerrtt Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life threatening allergy to certain foods, most commonly nuts and nut products. We currently have a number of students who are anaphylactic sufferers. While I cannot guarantee a nut free school environment, I do ask all parents and students to make every effort to exclude nuts from packed lunches. The canteen and food technology classes are nut free and staff have been trained in appropriate actions to take if an allergic reaction occurs. I would like to remind all parents to inform the school of any health issues their daughter may have so that we are well prepared to care of her welfare.

SSRRCC IInndduuccttiioonn The SRC induction will take place this week at a school assembly. The calibre of our elected student leaders is second to none and I look forward to working closely with the executive team to enhance the experience of school life for all students. I congratulate Melissa Han who was elected as SRC President, Marlene Manks who takes up the position of Vice President, Abbie Winspear who fills the role of secretary and Alex Chung who will serve as Treasurer. I will meet every week with this executive team to assist in planning events and initiatives. I thank Ms Whitehead who has taken on the role of SRC co-ordinator. Congratulations to all SRC class representatives who take on this important leadership role in the school.

Student Success I am constantly reminded of our students achieving success in many and varied fields and I do like to take a moment to congratulate them. Budding composer, Veronica Tsang of Year 9, has won 2

nd place in the

junior category of The Golden Key International Piano Composition Competition, and she has been invited to perform at the World Young Composers Recital in Vienna later this year. This is an extraordinary achievement for Veronica and she deserves our warm congratulations!

Veronica will travel to Vienna and will present both her compositions at this prestigious event on 17 July. After the recital, she will receive a Diploma and Winner’s Medal on the stage of the famous historical Erhbar Hall at the Awards Ceremony. School Captain Michelle Tsang won the Kogarah Lions Club Youth of the Year Public Speaking Competition. Michelle now moves on to the next level of the competition where she will compete against the winners from five districts. Vice-Captain Ellie Stamatelatos appeared on Sky News recently in a panel discussion about the upcoming federal election with a focus on education. Ellie was poised and articulate as she joined a high level panel on live television. I received many calls and emails saying that Ellie was a credit to her school and to public education. Well done Ellie! Congratulations to Lucy Moroney, Tess Renneberg, Amy Reid and Carmen Fu for featuring on the cover on this year’s OnSTAGE program. These photos are of their performance in OnSTAGE 2012.

CCoonnggrraattuullaattiioonnss I would like to congratulate the following students for achieving Gold Certificates indicating that they have received thirty Merit and/or Participation Certificates: Jessica Shao of Year 10. Angela Chen, Debbie Tran and Melanie Tran of Year 11. Keshini Nanthakumar of Year 12. I would like to congratulate the following students for receiving Principal Certificates: Theresa Gu, Zoe Li, Silvia Nadile, Christa Pericleous, Rabiba Pervez, Kelly Sun, Yixiu Tan and Celia Tulau of Year 8. Cindy Chen, Lily Lasic Latimer, Renee Lu, Stephanie Noronha, Amy Wang, Cathy Wang (2) and Tania Xue (2) of Year 9. Kaesia Chan, Yoshni Chandra (4), Rachel Cheung, Emily Ge, Clarise Koh (2), Lydia Villavarayen and Annie Yuan (2) of Year 10. Ria Chatterjee, Ting Chen (2), Karen Guo, Sharon Ho, Myrna Ishak (2), Sreya Lodh (2), Melissa Ngan (3), Madeleine Rudder (2), Emily Wang, Isabella Yan and Sophia Zhu of Year 11. Denise Chan (5), Michelle Feng, Faye Flevaris (4), Kimberly Fung (2), Alanna Mao, Keshini Nanthakumar (2) and Anusha Thomas (4) of Year 12. Well done to all of these girls and to all who have experienced personal success this term. Yours sincerely Carole Knott

SSttuuddeenntt AAbbsseenncceess

Text messages are sent out daily to parents/carers advising of their student’s absence from or late arrival to school. You MUST reply to these messages either by text message or with a note. It is a legal requirement to explain all absences. If a reply is not received by the school an ‘Unexplained Absence’ will be recorded and appear on their report. In addition, it would be appreciated if you could inform the school in writing prior to any planned absence/s.

DDeeppuuttyy PPrriinncciippaall’’ss RReeppoorrtt

elcome back to the start of the 2013 school year.

This is a very important year for our Year 12 students who will be sitting the HSC examinations starting on 14 October. Students with a subject which has a practical component need to be especially aware of the due dates of the practical component as these are due for completion and collection in August. Many of these practical projects require the submission of a portfolio on the same date. No work can be done on the projects or the portfolios after the due date. HSC Language oral exams are also scheduled in Term 3. Students will be notified of their appointed time. As you can see this is a very hectic year for Year 12 students. It is important that they organise their time carefully to avoid a last minute rush and cramming which can only add to the stress and anxiety that can be associated with the HSC. Year 12 students should have a regular study program that allows them to distribute their time equally between subjects. The study program should also contain a rest break of 15 – 20 minutes after each hour of study. It is advised that students have regular balanced meals, drink plenty of fluids, exercise and have a good night’s sleep of about 8 hours. Having regular study habits is essential to develop deep understanding of subject knowledge and to be able to recall the information readily. I look forward to seeing these students develop and achieve the goals they have set for themselves. For Year 10 there have been recent changes to the credentialing and the process for the assessment of stage 5 subjects. There are no longer any School Certificate external examinations in November. Instead the school will be allocating students a summative grade A – E for each subject that they studied in Year 10, based on the School Assessment Schedule that has been issued to Year 10 students. This grade will be reported to the Board of Studies. The Board of Studies credential is called the Record of School Achievement. The credential will not be issued to students until they complete the HSC and will reflect their achievements to that date. It is expected that students will have access to their results through the Board of Studies website. Year 8 have settled in well, especially into the electives that they have chosen for this year and I look forward to hearing of their achievements throughout the year. Mr Morris

DDeeppuuttyy PPrriinncciippaall’’ss RReeppoorrtt

elcome back to the start of the 2013 school year.

It is great to see both Year 7 and Year 11 settling well into school life and their studies. Year 11 have been issued with their Preliminary HSC assessment book. They need to familiarise themselves with the requirements and procedures, especially if sick on the day of an assessable task. It is important to note that at the end of the Preliminary Course students will be issued with a grade A – E to indicate their achievement of course outcomes. This grade is recorded with the Board of Studies as part of the Record of School Achievement. Year 11 students are reminded that sport is a compulsory part of the Preliminary Course. It is not a time for making appointments. As the year starts I would like to remind parents of a few basic school procedures. We frequently have parents ask for clarification on the following issues. All girls are expected to be at school in full school uniform, including footwear. Appropriate footwear means covered, lace-up, polishable leather shoes, and socks which cover the ankle. Jewellery is not to be worn except for earrings. Earrings are to be sleepers or studs not dangling earrings or large hooped earrings. Skirts are to be no higher than 10cm above the knee. On mufti days girls are not to wear T shirts with inappropriate slogans (alcohol, drug references, offensive language), bare midriff tops, or thongs or strappy shoes. On sports days students are to change back into their uniforms before leaving. They are not to travel to and from school in sports gear. Mobile phones are not to be turned on in class time and any girl whose phone rings will have that phone handed to the relevant deputy for safe keeping for the rest of the day. Girls if sick are to report to the front office so their condition can be assessed. They are not to ring home and make their own arrangements. All girls have been issued with a school diary the primary purpose of which is to record homework and assignments. Parents should periodically check their daughters’ school diaries and monitor their ability to organise themselves for school. Senior students are expected to be prompt for early morning lessons and to explain lateness with a note from home. Before and after school lessons are no less compulsory than any other lesson Unexplained partial absences are recorded on school reports. Mr Ponder

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GGrreeeenn CCoorrnneerr

hank you to Mr Morrison for making delicious green tomato chutney using the green tomatoes grown in the school’s very own veggie garden.

Stock was sold at the very end of last year. The chilli plants produced an abundance of large green and small red chillies over the Christmas break which the TAS department used in cooking Thai dishes first week back. Also thank you to the people who purchased the excess stock.

The Gardening Club [which is part of the Enviro Club] has had an enrolment of 30 very keen students and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Elicia Lim of Year 11 who has taken on the task of keeping everyone organised under the supervision of Mrs Gay.

The worm farms survived their holiday at Mr Singh’s house over the Christmas break and a new crew of eager participants will be looking after this part of the Enviro Club and continue to reduce our carbon footprint by recycling our food scraps. Thank you to the canteen for supporting this project.

The paper recycling continues with a whole school approach with each roll call emptying their own recycle bin. Students who wish to participate in the weekly lunchtime paper recycling for non-roll call rooms report to room 5 at the start of every Tuesday. Students receive school service awards for their participation.

St George Girls High School will be participating in Earth Hour and Clean up Australia Day again this year so we ask students to listen to announcements over the next few weeks.

The frog pond has been successful in breeding frogs. We ask students not to poke or scoop out the frog eggs.

Mrs Duffy Team Leader Sustainability

SSttuuddeenntt WWeellffaarree

ince the issue of the last Gazette, the following students have been presented with Dragon Badges:

Amy Chen, Lynn Gao, Amy Guo, Joy Li and Kiara Song of Year 8.

Harpreet Kaur, Renee Lu and Valerie Tran Year 9.

Kaesia Chan (3) and Shimona Rastogi of Year 10.

Katherine Guo, Melissa Han (5), Sarah Huang, Myrna Ishak (2) and Madeleine Rudder (3) of Year 11.

Roanna Chan (2), Michelle Feng (2), Faye Flevaris, Kimberly Fung (4), Michelle Meng, Amelia Mertha (2), Anusha Thomas (6) and Kelly Tsang of Year 12. The following students have been presented with Super Dragon Badges:

Jennifer Chen and Melissa Han of Year 11.

Anusha Thomas of Year 12.

SSppoorrtt

SSwwiimmmmiinngg CCaarrnniivvaall he recent school swimming carnival at Bexley Pool was an outstanding success due to excellent participation levels in all events, fabulous weather

and outstanding “entertainment” provided by our talented Year 12 girls!

Congratulations to all competitors and a huge “thank you” to both staff and student-helpers who officiated so capably on the day. The results of the carnival are listed below. Best of luck to those students who will represent our school at the St George Zone Carnival at Bexley Pool on 25 February and 1 March.

Results of the carnival were as follows:

Pointscore Allunga – 1

st – 923 points

Larool – 2nd

– 613 points Mirrabooka – 3

rd – 561 points

Mitamit – 4th – 556 points

Age Champions 12 years – Eloise Cooper, Coco Huynh 13 years – Helen Chen, Angelina Choi, Erica Li 14 years – Miju Seok, Anja Flamer-Caldera, Clarissa Lim 15 years – Cindy Chen, Fiona Pyliotis, Jennifer Chen 16 years – Emily Wang, Chrisann Huynh, Vanessa Jan 17 years – Faye Flevaris, Zoe Feng, Helen Lee

Marathon Event May Tran – 66 laps (Mitamit) Iris Wang – 47 laps (Mitamit)

SScchhooooll RReepprreesseennttaattiivveess Many students will be representing the school in various sports this term. Over the next few weeks, Vienna Williams (Year 8), will be competing in the All Schools Triathlon and Kaelyn Rahardja (Year 9) and Jesse Poon (Year 11) will be attending the Zone Tennis Trials.

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Best of luck to these students and to the knockout volleyball team which will be competing at the Central Venue Day at Homebush.

GGoollff Best of luck to Jessica Widarma (Year 12) and Keona Lee (Year 8) who will be playing in the Secondary Golf Trial Championship. Hopefully, your outstanding success in golf will continue this year!

RReeggiioonnaall DDaannccee After several auditions, 20 students have been selected to represent the school in Dance. The choreographers this year are Bronte Noakes and Jessica Shao (Year 10) and their contemporary piece will be entered in the Regional Dance Festival in June.

SScchhooooll SSppoorrtt Sport for 2013 has commenced. Refer to information below regarding Term 1 sport fees. Payment of sport fees is due to the finance office by week 7.

Year 7 – No fee this term

Year 8 – $66

Year 9 – $44

Year 10 Lacrosse $40 Tennis Coaching $49 Hip Hop $40 Fitness First NC Power Walking NC Table Tennis NC

Year 11 Capoeira $52 Tennis Coaching $52 Oz Tag $40 Fitness First NC Power Walking NC Table Tennis NC

Gold Duke of Edinburgh uke of Edinburgh has been a part of our lives since that fateful introductory meeting back in Year 8. Having completed our final camp ever

just before Christmas last year, we can definitely say it was one of the best decisions we ever made to sign up, as well as stick to it all the way through until the end. The way the 27 of us bonded together was incredible, and we shared experiences that we will never forget.

Before our final Gold camp, everyone was nervous and anxious, even though we had 6 camps under our belt. We had never camped in summer before and the weather forecast did not look promising – one day was expected to reach the high 30s which was unthinkable (now, having survived some of the hottest days Sydney has ever seen, this seems a little ridiculous!). Anyway, we pulled together, sucked it up and set off with our 12-kilo packs to kayak, hike, and horse ride at Glenworth Valley.

We had some difficult experiences that really tested us both physically and mentally, but we developed our own individual coping mechanisms. For example, the two of us managed to cope with kayaking (to say we’d had difficulty on previous camps would be a huge understatement) by pretending we were in a real-life game of Mario Kart (Mario Kayak?). As ridiculous as this sounds, it worked so well! No longer was the group having to stop every so often and wait for us – it was us having to wait for the others. The lesson from that is: when the going gets tough, release your inner nerd and pretend you’re playing a video game. It’s tried and tested!

Hiking on day two was intense – at first, we were collectively in a pretty bad mood and spent the first hour or so with minimal talking. However, as the day went on, we began to relax and moods were lifted. We had been continually warned that last year’s group ran out of water on a hill that was incredibly steep and long, and these warnings scared us! We rationed our water carefully, always making sure we had enough, and attempted to conserve our energy, ever-anticipating the looming hill. Finally, we arrived – and maybe it’s just the haziness of retrospect, but it seems the hill wasn’t as bad as we expected. It was over before we knew it and we had a hearty lunch at the top, proud of ourselves for scaling it skilfully as well as conserving our water supplies.

Horse riding on the third day proved to be one of the most mentally challenging aspects of our camp. The horses continually played up because of the heat and it was hard to sustain conversations while riding, so we were mostly left with our own thoughts – not the best situation to be in when you’re thirsty and exhausted.

However, the teachers had planned ahead so that we would have the most incredible final Duke of Ed night we’d ever had. Two of our DoE girls celebrated their birthdays on camp, so we had an assortment of cakes to enjoy with our final dinner. Plus, there was a cool change which made the weather perfect for a campfire, and with a guitar that had been hiding away in Mr Davis’ car, we sang the night away. We got pretty emotional towards the end of night, the reality of our final Duke of Ed experience gradually setting in.

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But the minor show of emotion that night was nothing compared to when we debriefed the next day and spoke about our favourite parts of the camp. There were plenty of tears as we realised we had essentially come to the end of one of the best experiences of our entire lives. Of course, there were hard times – incredibly hard times – but they were what made Duke of Ed what it was. They brought us closer together and made us tougher, teaching us that we could conquer anything. A massive, massive thank you to two of the best people out, our incredible teachers – who not only coordinated the camps and had to deal with our last minute paperwork, but proved fantastic company on camp and cheered up anyone who was feeling down. Hammo and Davo, thanks for sharing this extraordinary experience with us (and for saving us from ticks and leeches aplenty).

And finally, to our 27 fellow DoE-ers, thank you for being the amazing, hilarious, crazy, lovely, caring and strong people you are. Gold wouldn’t have been the same without ANY of you. By Toni Gage and Tanya Ali Year 12

PPaarreennttss aanndd CCiittiizzeennss’’ AAssssoocciiaattiioonn

elcome back to another exciting school year and a special welcome to all new parents of Year 7 and Year 11. We invite you to be

involved in our P&C this year. As in previous years, the school P&C will be responsible for a number of events and activities in 2013. These are organised at P&C meetings:

Year 7 Picnic at Carss Park on Sunday 10 March (see flyer)

Fundraiser BBQ at Bunnings Rockdale on Sunday 24 March (see flyer)

Combined P&C with Sydney Tech HS (at STHS) in May (TBC)

Father & Daughter Dinner on Saturday 31 August

Multicultural Food Festival on Friday 22 November Please mark these important dates on your calendar. Details for each event will be publicised through the online Gazette at www.sgghs.com.au

For parents new to the school, please park in Victoria Street and enter the school via the front gate. Tea/coffee and biscuits will be available prior to the meeting. NOTE: There will be no guest speaker at this meeting. A full list of 2013 meeting dates and guest speakers is available on the P&C webpage. Just follow the Parent and Community Groups > P&C Association links on the school home page. We look forward to meeting you next Thursday. The 2012-2013 executive are:

Mark Yan (President) – contact 0410 665 198 or stgeorgegi-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Katia Vardakis (Vice President)

George Mak (Treasurer)

Poay Jan (Minutes Secretary)

Henry Tam (Correspondence Secretary)

Andre Flamer-Caldera (Finance Committee Representative)

Mark Yan Katia Vardakis George Mak Henry Tam Poay Jan President Vice President Treasurer Secretary 0410 665 198 0422 322 525 0422 300 008 0410 325 426 0408 299 819

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Our first P&C meeting for the year will be held on Thursday 28 February 2013 in the

Staff Common Room at 7pm (until ~8:30pm). Enter through Victoria Street gates.

FFrroomm tthhee FFiinnaannccee OOffffiiccee ......

It would be appreciated if payment for fees and excursions could be made by credit/debit card, key card or EFTPOS card to avoid having your daughter carrying around large amounts of cash which can potentially be lost.

MMootthheerrss’’ CCoommmmiitttteeee

LLaasstt MMeeeettiinngg –– WWeeddnneessddaayy 66 FFeebbrruuaarryy ur first committee meeting for the year was very informal as we welcomed a number of Year 7 mothers and settled back after our holiday

break. Ms Knott, School Principal, attended our meeting as our Guest Speaker to welcome our new mothers and also provide us with an update on school activities including HSC outcomes for 2012 and this year’s staff changes. The Mothers’ Committee is pleased to provide funding of $12,432 to meet Faculty Funding requests for 2013. This funding is provided from Uniform Shop profits and will contribute towards the purchase of subject resources and textbooks, annual subscriptions, text books for the new Australian Curriculum, library books, science laboratory equipment, sporting equipment and musical instruments. Thank you to all committee members and volunteers who have made this possible through their generosity and hard work in the Uniform Shop. It was wonderful for the committee to receive many thank you letters recently from the recipients of student subject and community service awards, which were provided by the Mothers’ Committee at the end of year assemblies for 2012. Our annual Mother Daughter Dinner will be held this year on Saturday 18 May at the Georges River Sailing Club, so please mark this date on your calendar and join a wonderful SGGHS tradition to celebrate Mothers’ Day. More information will be provided in the March and April Gazettes. UUnniiffoorrmm SShhoopp NNeewwss The Uniform Shop is open Wednesday lunchtimes during term from 12.45pm – 2pm, but please note that the girls’ lunch break is from 1.10pm to 1.45pm. The shop is managed by Mrs Lana Winger, a member of the school staff assisted by volunteer parents through the Mothers’ Committee. The Uniform Shop requires volunteers who are willing to donate one and a half hours of their time during Wednesday lunchtime either once a month or once a term. If you are able to assist please contact Deborah Napper at debjean1@tpg.com.au or on 0407 248 036 or speak with Mrs Lana Winger at the school. Volunteering in the Uniform Shop is a great way to be involved in the school community and meet other parents should you be unable to attend our meetings. Thanks to all the new volunteers who recently joined the uniform shop roster. Could Year 10 girls please consider donating their unwanted junior uniform items to the school? Donations can be placed in the container near the door of the Uniform Shop. Good quality items are resold and other items are sent to charity. Blazers are currently in stock. If you would like a blazer for winter 2013 they need to be bought or ordered by end February. So please come in and get them early.

The Mothers’ Committee always meets the first Wednesday of the month (except during school holidays). Our meetings are very relaxed and provide a great opportunity to be involved with the school community, meet other parents and find out what is happening at school from the Principal and Guest Speakers.

NNeexxtt MMeeeettiinngg –– WWeeddnneessddaayy 66 MMaarrcchh aatt

1100aamm iinn tthhee LLiibbrraarryy Our Guest Speaker will be Mr Morris, Deputy Principal Lisa Tulau Marthese Girgis Donna Kwong President Treasurer Secretary 0407 007 211 0410 411 452 0407 319 222

SStt GGeeoorrggiiaannss

ell, the St Georgians are all a-flutter with arrangements for our Annual Reunion Luncheon – sadly, the St George Leagues

Club no longer takes function bookings so we are on the search for a new venue. Details to come very shortly; our members will be receiving their invitations in the mail very soon. We look forward to another fun day of chatting, catching up with old school friends (and chatting), partaking of a delicious meal (while chatting), hearing from our guest speaker (then chatting), and our stirring rendition of the School Song (no talking!). We may even have time for a chat! The Annual Reunion Luncheon is at 12 noon on Saturday 4 May. Tickets can be booked by contacting our secretary Melissa George on the number below. Remember that all ex-students and teachers are most welcome to attend. The St Georgians meet in Room 5, at 7:00pm on the fourth Thursday of each month during school terms. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, 28 February 2012. We are always keen to meet new members, and look forward to seeing you there!

TheStGeorgians@hotmail.com Pam Appleby Diana Renton Melissa George President Treasurer Secretary 9587 0355 9580 3282 9522 2527 (after 6pm) (after 6pm)

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SStt GGeeoorrggee GGiirrllss MMaakkee NNeewwss!!

FFoorr tthhee lloovvee ooff tteeaacchhiinngg By Eva Tejszerski Dec 17 2012, 9am

Beyond the classroom: High school teachers Noel Morris and Diane Duffy

were rewarded for their service to education. Picture: James Alcock

ASK these two teachers why they do what they do, and expect a common response: for the love of the job.

Noel Morris and Diane Duffy were among 30 NSW recipients of the 2012 Director-General’s Award for excellent service to public education.

They were recognised for their efforts in improving the teaching and learning environment at St George Girls High School, Kogarah.

Mr Morris, a teacher of 35 years who is also deputy principal, was rewarded for his work in the English department, and consistency of standards in HSC English marking.

“I’ve always been a passionate English teacher, and have never left the classroom,” Mr Morris said.

“Literacy is the most crucial schooling but we have a very diverse role that goes beyond the academic curriculum.

“Even at an academically selective high school, teaching is the very tip of the iceberg where we are expected to act as guidance counsellors, welfare nurturers and social mentors.”

Mrs Duffy, a teacher for 26 years, was praised for her contribution to environmental education.

“Teaching is a lifestyle, not just a job with a pay packet or teaching a subject; it’s holistic,” she said.

“It’s about giving students life skills for the future so they can have a voice in the community and apply what they learn in the world.”

SStt GGeeoorrggee GGiirrllss MMaakkee NNeewwss!!

IInn tthhee EEnnvviirroonnmmeenntt CClluubb By Eva Tejszerski Nov 25 2012, 6.30am

CCoommiinngg EEvveennttss Tuesday 26 February Gazette issued on School Website. Blood Bank Students Dismissed 2.25pm

Wednesday 27 February SRC Training Day Blood Bank Thursday 28 February Year 9 Food Technology Excursion, The Royal Botanic Gardens, 8.40am – 3.07pm Year 11 PD/H/PE Gym Session, 12 noon Year 11 Legal Studies Mock Trial, Caringbah High School, 1pm – 4.30pm Blood Bank Parents and Citizens’ Association Meeting, Staff Common Room, 7pm St Georgians Meeting, Room 5, 7pm Friday 1 March Zone Swimming Carnival, Bexley Pool, Day 2 Monday 4 March Year 12 Geography Excursion, Observatory Hill Environmental Centre, 9am – 3.07pm Clean Up Australia Activity, Enviro Club Tuesday 5 March Students Dismissed 2.25pm Wednesday 6 March Mothers’ Committee Meeting, Library, 10am Thursday 7 March School Photo Day OzCLO 2013, St George Girls High School, 2pm – 5pm Years 10, 11 and 12, Meet the Music, City, 6.30pm Saturday 9 March 4 Year 9 Students Junior String Quartet, Oatley, 5.30pm – 7.15pm Sunday 10 March Year 7 Family Picnic, Carss Park, 11am Monday 11 March Regional Swimming Carnival Photo Catchup Day Tuesday 12 March Year 11 Legal Studies Excursion, City, 9am – 2pm Students Dismissed 2.25pm Tuesday 12 March – Thursday 14 March Year 7 Camp, Vision Valley Thursday 14 March Selective Schools Test, Assembly Hall Year 11 Geography Excursion, Olympic Park, 8.45am – 3.07pm Monday 18 March –

Thursday 28 March Year 12 Mid HSC Course Assessment Tuesday 19 March Year 7 Vaccinations Students Dismissed 2.25pm Sunday 24 March P&C Fundraiser, Bunnings Warehouse, Rockdale

It is important that payment for excursions is made to the Finance Office on the days as designated by classroom teachers.

SStt GGeeoorrggee GGiirrllss HHiigghh SScchhooooll

PPaarreennttss && CCiittiizzeennss’’ FFuunnddrraaiisseerr

at

BBuunnnniinnggss WWaarreehhoouussee 383 West Botany Street Rockdale

on

SSuunnddaayy 2244 MMaarrcchh 22001133

from

88aamm ttoo 66ppmm

The proceeds of the day after costs will go to provide further resources for our school.

We need volunteers on the day to set up, cook, serve and clean-up.

CCaann yyoouu hheellpp?? Please give Mona Sahore a call on 0432 521 688 or send her an email to Mona.Sahore@dwe.nsw.gov.au or just come along to buy a sausage or two!

We are looking forward to your support.

All Year 7, 2013 families and friends are welcome to

come to our picnic. It will be a wonderful day of fun.

Parents will be able to meet their daughter’s new friends

as well as their parents in a relaxed informal way.

The picnic is held at:

near the children’s playground

Carwar Avenue, Carss Park

from 11am until 2pm.

So bring along your picnic food, rug, swimmers,

footballs, soccer balls or whatever else you feel like.

We look forward to seeing you all there for a day of family fun.

August 2012

St George Girls High School Uniform Shop

Junior/Senior Uniform Price List __________________________________________________________________________________________

Junior Summer Uniform Senior Summer Uniform Junior Summer Tunic (lightweight fabric) $50.00 All Season Skirt in St George Fabric $70.00 White Short-Sleeved Blouse $18.00 Senior Overblouse $28.00 Blazer $170.00 Jumper $80.00 Jumper $80.00 Blazer $170.00 Socks (3 pack) $12.00 Socks (3 pack) $12.00

Junior Winter Uniform Senior Winter Uniform Junior Winter Tunic (warmer fabric) $80.00 All Season Skirt in St George Fabric $70.00 White Long Sleeved Blouse $22.00 White Long Sleeved Blouse $28.00 Blazer $170.00 Jumper $80.00 Jumper $80.00 Blazer $170.00 Tie $15.00 Socks (3 pack) $12.00 Socks (3 pack) $12.00 Tailored Trousers (optional) $53.00 Tailored Trousers (optional) $53.00

Sports Uniform Other Items PE Long Sleeved Polo Shirt $30.00 Junior Backpack (chiropractic) $80.00 PE Short Sleeved Polo Shirt $25.00 Senior Backpack $55.00 PE Navy Shorts $25.00 Technology Apron (white) $10.00 PE Navy Microfibre Tracksuit Pants $30.00 Navy Sun Hat $55.00 PE Navy, Red, White Microfibre Tracksuit Jacket $50.00 Red Scarf $10.00 PE Blue Baseball Cap $17.00 Stainless Steel Drink Bottle $6.00 School Badge $7.00

Red Music Ties and Socks and Blue Science Apron available from the Finance Office

The Uniform Shop will open every Wednesday from 12.45pm to 2.00pm

School Uniform Policy General Requirements 1. All items of uniform must be regulation St George Girls High School. 2. No jewellery other than watches, ear studs or Dragon or School Badges is to be worn. 3. Uniforms are to be of a reasonable length and no shorter than 10cm above the knee when the student is kneeling. 4. Makeup is not permitted in the junior school. Senior students may, if they wish wear light makeup and pale nail polish. 5. Hijab, if worn, must be plain white or navy. 6. Hair ribbons and elastics, if worn, are to be either red, white and/or navy. 7. School backpacks must be purchased through the uniform shop – backpack with school crest for Years 7 – 9, plain

navy backpack for Years 10 – 12. 8. Neck scarves in Winter must be red, white or navy blue. 9. Black leather lace up school shoes only. 10. White plain ankle length socks in Summer. 11. White plain ankle length socks or beige, navy or black pantihose in Winter. 12. A plain long black overcoat may be worn over the school jumper in extremely cold weather.

All uniform items (except for shoes) must be purchased from the School Uniform Shop. Price Lists are available from the school office or school website.