MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,

The NSW Government has announced restrictions on the use of mobile phones in NSW high schools beginning in Term 4, 2023.

Hornsby Girls High School has implemented the 'Off and Away' Policy in classrooms since our return from COVID Online Learning. We are now extending this policy to the playground and buildings during recess, breaks and lunchtimes. By doing this we will be complying with the NSW Government's decision regarding mobile phones in schools.

Important changes coming in Term 4

The new mobile management plan at Hornsby Girls High School will apply to mobile phones and will occur during all school hours, including break times, lunch and recess.

Students will still be able to carry their phones while travelling to and from school.

School staff can allow students to use their mobile phones in specific circumstances, such as for an educational purpose, for their wellbeing or to support students with specific needs.

After careful consideration with our key stakeholders including the Student Representative Council (SRC), P&C, staff and executive teams, we have decided to proceed by extending the option of Mobile Phones being turned off and kept out of sight, “Off and Away”.

HGHS endorses the DoE Policy of “Off and Away”.

“Off and Away” allows students to carry their mobile phones in their bags to and from school.

Students while on the school grounds must not use their phone to text, to make a phone call, play games, take photos or video or access social media.

Students can only use their phones for educational purposes under the direction of a teacher.

Students are to keep their phones in their bags, at all times on the school premises.

Parents are respectfully requested not to text or phone their child during the day.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school directly on 9476 5711.

Further information is on our website News and Rules and Policies sections or click on the links below.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Justin Briggs - Principal

Considerations for exemption

If you have concerns about your child not having access to a mobile phone, we would be happy to discuss this further with you. Students with special needs, including medical and learning needs, may apply for an exemption. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Parents/Carers and students wishing to apply for an exemption will need to email the school.

Exemptions will be granted in consultation with teachers, students and families, and require an application and agreed implementation plan, which will be completed during this consultation process.

We look forward to working with you to implement these changes in our school.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Justin Briggs - Principal

For further information, please follow the link: Student Mobile Phones Parent Presentation

OLD GIRLS’ UNION AT THE COMMUNITY FAIR

It was such a pleasure to be involved once again at the HGHS Spring Fair. Thank you to the girls and their families for purchasing school badges, keyrings and our famous tea towel from us.

We enjoyed speaking to old girls, mothers of girls at Hornsby now and mothers of girls awaiting 2024 entrance news.

Linda Patten - President of OGU 2023

YEAR 9 PASS Lunchtime games to promote physical activity

Throughout the first half of Term 3, students in Year 9 PASS (Physical Activity and Sport Studies) have been promoting various lunch time games for students from Years 7-12 to participate. As most students are seen sitting down and chatting with their friends during lunchtime, the goal here is to “get more active, more often”.

On the 4th August, Allison Wei, Porah Hyun, Amelia Mow, Kate Jung and Emily Zheng hosted lunchtime games on the oval. This included old favourites: musical chairs and a 3-legged race for Years 7, 8 and 9. There was a great turnout and everyone was very enthusiastic.

On Friday 11th August, Angelina Chen, Vivien Wu, Hannah Lee, Hyunjeen (Chloe) Kim and Mikaela Gao held a series of netball games open for anyone to have a fun lunchtime with friends. They have been planning for two weeks as part of their assessment task which involves the organisation and running of a lunchtime activity to promote physical activity for students.

Participants were sorted into different teams, where they could participate with their friends. It was great to see many spectators sitting on the sidelines cheering their friends on. All participants had lots of fun and the loud upbeat music encouraged students to try their very best.

We look forward to having more hosted games from PASS students!

HSIE UPDATE

The HSIE faculty have had a busy few weeks. Our Year 9 Commerce classes ran their first Market Day, offering products such as hand made jewellery, stickers, felt tip pens and of course, delicious baked goods. Year 10 Commerce students attended NSW Parliament and the Justice and Police Museum. They participated in a ‘passing a bill’ process in the Legislative Assembly and Council, and then conducted a mock trial in Sydney’s oldest courthouse.

Our Senior Geography classes have completed fieldwork this term. The Year 11 HSC Class went to Leppington Pastoral Company to investigate this business as a commercial dairy. The Year 11 Preliminary Geography class conducted fieldwork on Sydney Harbour at Balls Head, learning about various fieldwork techniques. They investigated the interaction of biophysical processes in different microclimates during this experiential day that involved measuring light levels, soil moisture, type and temperatures, relative humidity and critter counts at three different sites. Fieldwork is a compulsory component of Geography and our students undertake activities in a variety of places, including Barangaroo, Caves Beach and the Great Barrier Reef.

Our Year 11 classes have experienced several enriching activities in recent weeks. The Year 11 Mock Trial team won the second elimination round! Congratulations to this dedicated team of amazing Legal Studies students who worked very hard with their teacher, Ms Harkin, to prepare for this round.

Year 11 Society and Culture students watched the Barbie movie at the Hornsby Event Cinemas with their teachers Ms Harkin and Mr Banks. They then did a short unit of work about the movie that included writing a review, identifying links to Society and Culture concept, considering character perspectives and critical reading.

Here’s what our students have said about their recent experiences:

“I think getting hands-on experience through the fieldwork is a really great way to consolidate our learning!”- Saachi- Year 11 Geography

“Conducting fieldwork in the beautiful location of Balls Head really allowed us to appreciate the interconnectedness of our biophysical environment!” Margaret- Year 11 Geography

“Having a glimpse into the Parliament and Court system was a very exciting learning experience. It was an honour to sit in the same seats where Matt Kean and Chris Minns once sat, we even got a whiff of the late beloved Queen Lizzy! I love commerce!” Kelly- Year 10 Commerce

"It was a super fun and interactive way to learn about our Parliament and Court system, we had a great time running around the city. It was one of my favourite excursions." Akeesha- Year 10 Commerce

"We all had a great, interesting day learning more about the NSW government and the justice system, and we were able to experience being part of them by doing a mock trial and a mock bill reading. It was a fun, amazing and very well-planned excursion." Archismita- Year 10 Commerce

"The whole excursion was so fun and a refreshing way to learn! I felt so cool sitting in the rooms where big decisions are made." Clara- Year 10 Commerce

BEGINNING TEACHERS' WORKSHOP

WHAT MATTERS WRITING COMPETITION

I would like to let you know that Arabella Lewis & Lucy Moon were shortlisted in the “What matters “ writing competition.

https://www.whitlam.org/what-matters-2023-shortlist

Thank you to your teachers that teach them so beautifully!

YEAR 7 GAMES DAY

On the 17th of August, Year 7 headed to Pennant Hills Park to experience their first Games Day at Hornsby Girls High School. They were accompanied by Year 10 leaders and teachers, who assisted in coaching and umpiring the competitions. They competed against Asquith, Macarthur, North Sydney and Riverside Girls High Schools in three sports: netball, soccer and a modified version of cricket.

For some of these students, Games Day was a new experience. Whether they won or lost, Year 7 made some unforgettable memories this Games Day, and they will be waiting to make some new memories next year.

Thank you so much to the Year 10 leaders for assisting us and cheering us on throughout the day. Also big thank you to all the PDHPE teachers who organised this amazing day!

Written by Myra Rangra (7X) and Shubhavi Kanade (7X)

VIETNAM VETERANS COMMEMORATION

YEAR 8 GAMES DAY

On Wednesday, the 9th of August, the HGHS Year 8 students and PDHPE staff travelled to Pennant Hills Sporting Complex for a truly spectacular Games Day! This highly anticipated event offered various activities, allowing Year 8 students to showcase their skills and compete against other schools such as North Sydney Girls, Macarthur and Asquith Girls.

Students enthusiastically participated in six intense netball, volleyball and soccer matches throughout the day, imbibing the spirit of friendly competition and enjoying the day. The event was a resounding success thanks to the careful organisation and dedication of the PDHPE staff and the invaluable efforts of Mrs Hall. The day was a great success and was full of fun, and was enjoyed by students and staff alike and we thank thenPDHPE faculty for this great experience!

Meghna Sukaraj - Year 8 student

MINERVA AWARDS

Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award

Legacy is an Australian non-profit organisation established in 1923 by ex-servicemen to provide support for the families of Australian Defence Force men and women who have lost their lives or health in conflicts. The Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award provides an opportunity for NSW Junior Secondary Students to improve their confidence and develop public speaking skills. Recently, Chitrakkhi Banerjee in Year 9 and Yashita Mohan in Year 8 represented our school in the local final of this competition. Students were required to give a 5-minute prepared speech on a topic of their choice and a 2-minute impromptu speech on an unseen topic chosen by the adjudicators. Students were expected to demonstrate a good knowledge of their subject matter, audience engagement and a balance of sincerity and humour.

Chitrakkhi spoke about the importance of true friendship, including a diverse range of examples such as mateship during wartime. Yashita’s speech focused on the value of volunteering and the reasons behind Australia’s volunteering crisis. These speeches reflected a thoughtful engagement with the values of Legacy and both students spoke with confidence, clarity, and enthusiasm for their subject matter.

Yashita was chosen to proceed to the Regional Final at the Arts Unit, where she again spoke eloquently including a heartfelt impromptu speech on the need for genuine diversity in popular culture heroines, such as Disney films. After listening to a range of very impressive speakers from public and private schools, the adjudicators once again selected Yashita to proceed to the State Semi-Final at NSW Parliament House. Congratulations to Yashita on this outstanding achievement!

Both Yashita and Chitrakkhi represented our school with distinction and should be proud of their performance in this challenging competition.

Ms J de Meyrick - English Teacher

Taekwondo State Championship

Congratulations to Michelle Kim (Year 9), who recently participated in the Taekwondo State Championship in July. We are overjoyed that she achieved remarkable success by winning the Gold Medal in Pair and the Silver Medal in Individual competitions. The photos below beautifully encapsulate the dedication, perseverance, and hard work that she and her coaches have put in to achieve this remarkable feat on her victorious journey to the championship.