WEEK 4, TERM 4, 7 November 2025
acknowledgement of country
We recognise the Dharrug and Kuringai people, the owners and custodians of the lands and waterways where we work and live. We pay respect to Elders past and present as ongoing teachers of knowledge, songlines and stories. We strive to ensure every Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander learner in NSW achieves their potential through education.
pRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Parents, Carers and Students,
Nichidai Buzan Girls High School visit 12 November
Congratulations Year 10 on being excellent ambassadors for Hornsby Girls High School and also Australia with your wonderful hospitality towards our Japanese visitors from Nichidai Buzan Girls High School. Thank you to the MCs, speakers and performers, and all who presented today. A big thank you to Mrs Lawson and all members of Year 10 Japanese for their brilliant organisation of the day. It was highly successful. We hope Year 10 also enjoyed the extra food at recess and lunch courtesy of our Japanese visitors. Year 10 have made some life-long friendships with the students from Nichidai Buzan Girls High School. Keep in touch and enjoy these new friendships.
Schools Spectacular Matinee Show Friday 28 November Years 7, 8 and 9 students are looking forward to attending the Schools Spectacular Matinee Show next Friday. Students should arrive at Qudos Bank Arena by 9:30am for roll-call. Parents who need their child to be supervised to and from the venue, please contact the school office via email. It will be a great show featuring our school choir, our school conductor Ms Ridgway and our featured artist Serena Hoffman (Year 12 2026). There are only a few students in each year group who have not purchased their tickets as yet through School Bytes. We look forward to a very enjoyable day with our students and staff.
P and C AGM Wednesday 19 November at 7:30pm Our new P and C President is Ms Vivian Wei who jointly led the Spring Fair Committee to great success in August. All positions in the P and C were spilled on Wednesday night so that new members could be voted into the vacant positions. A full list of our new P and C Executive positions will be published in the next Torch. We have never had such a strong representation of parents at an AGM in the last 15 years at the school with over 40 parents in attendance. This shows the strong positive influence of Ms Wei as a leader for our parents and the extraordinary community support for the efforts of the students and staff of HGHS. The school presented financial requests for a number of projects around the school which were accepted in principle by the P and C. Once the new Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA) is completed we will have a clearer understanding of our financial position and consequently any possible financial contributions by our generous P and C to assist the school. With the end of the Technology for Learning (T4L) Program which has run in NSW Public Schools for the last 25 years, all schools will need assistance to replace outdated computers. It is good to know that our hard-working P and C will be able to assist the school to help fund upgrades of our computers over the coming years.
Annual Awards and Speech Day Ceremony 2025 Parents and Carers are warmly invited to the Sydney Town Hall on Tuesday 16 December from 10am - 12pm for our Annual Awards and Speech Day Ceremony. It will be a wonderful celebration of our students with the distribution of prizes and awards. There will also be entertaining music, choir and dance performances. Our speaker is Ms Kate Chipman who was school captain in 2021. We look forward to all parents attending this exceptional school event. If you would like to assist the school with a donation to help with the costs of the hiring of Sydney Town Hall and the various associated costs with the event we would be very grateful for any contributions. Please use the link below to School Bytes. Much appreciated.
Kind regards, Justin Briggs (Principal)
Deputy Principals' Message
Year 9 Congratulations to Year 9 for successfully completing your Yearly Examinations. If any students have missed an examination due to illness this will be caught up on Monday 24th November. Please refer to the link that has been shared on your grade google classroom for the details. In 2026, Year 10 students will have the option to participate in work experience throughout the year. However, please be aware that students will not be allowed to undertake work experience during school activities, such as camps or assessment weeks. Furthermore, there will be a blackout period from Week 7 to Week 10 of Term 4 when work experience will not be permitted due to end-of-year activities. Students interested in work experience should consult the Careers Adviser and regularly check the Work Experience Google Classroom for updates. Year 10 Well done to Year 10 on completing their examinations last week. We hope you are looking forward to your end of year activities including Life and Resilience Week (November 24th-28th) and the Illuminate Enterprise Challenge (December 1st-5th). Thank you to the Wellbeing Team and HSIE for organising these events. Year 12 Assessment Block Our 2026 HSC candidates will sit their first assessment tasks from the 8th- 12th December. The rescheduled Examination Day will be on Monday 15th December. Arrangements will be emailed to students and their parents early next week. Students are reminded to swipe in for each examination and swipe out again when leaving the school. If students are unwell on the day of an examination they should contact the school reception prior to 9 am and follow the illness and misadventure process. We wish our Year 11 students all the best for the Assessment Week. Schools Spectacular Excursion- On Friday November 28th Year 7,8 and 9 will attend the Schools Spectacular Matinee Performance at Qudos Bank Arena. All details have been emailed to parents via School Bytes. If you have not already please give your child permission and make payment for this exciting event. Remembrance Day On Tuesday November 11th HGHS participated in a Remembrance Day flag ceremony organised by three of our students (Kingkini M, Jiya S and Vishruti K) who are participants in the cadets program to observe this important occasion. Our Prefects also did a reading over the PA system and classes observed the minute of silence. Thank you to Ms Boden, Mr Truong and the HSIE faculty for their organisation of the event. Toys and Tucker Our 2026 Prefects have commenced raising donations for Anglicare’s ‘Toys ‘n’ Tucker’. Students are encouraged to bring either a gold coin donation or food donations. If students would like to contribute there are baskets for each year group in the corridor outside the bank office.
Staff Development Days 2026 Similar to 2025, in 2026, all NSW department schools will have 4 staff development days from Tuesday 27th January- Friday 30th January. These days will operate in a similar way to previous years where students are not required to attend so our staff can engage in valuable professional learning and planning time. All students return Years 7-12 on Monday 2nd February with a Whole School Assembly starting at 8.45 am. Information for students using CDC buses to travel between home and school Transport for NSW have informed us of changes to public bus routes commencing Sunday 30 November 2025, including routes; 590, 605, 607X, 610X, 611, 612X, 613X, 614X, 615X, 616X, 620X, 622, 642X, 643, 652X, 660, 662, 665 and new route 634. Parents and students using these buses can now plan their travel and see the new timetables on https://transportnsw.info/ The following changes apply to the school advice for Hornsby Girls HS: 590 times updated We remind students they must have a valid Opal card to travel on all public transport, and must tap on and off morning and afternoon. Ms Wallwork and Ms Gilmore Deputy Principals
REMemBRANCE DAY
Remembrance Day in Australia is observed on November 11th to commemorate the loss of Australian lives in all wars and conflicts. Just before 11am two of your Prefects will read an announcement on the PA system. They will then ask you to observe a minute of silence. We will also run a small ceremony at the front of the school, led by three Cadets and our Senior Prefects. Students with a study period during period 2 are welcome to join this ceremony. Please arrive by 10.50am. Thank you to Jiya, Kingkini, Vishruti, Yasaswini, Simran, Aggie and Angela for their leadership in today's observations at our school. Mrs Boden Head Teacher HSIE and Mr Truong HSIE R/HT
Nichidai Buzan Girls’ High School Visit to HGHS
On Wednesday 12 November, Hornsby Girls High School had the pleasure of hosting 70 students and 4 teachers from Nichidai Buzan Girls’ High School in Japan as part of our ongoing cultural exchange program. Our Year 10 students served as enthusiastic hosts for the day, accompanying our Japanese guests to all activities. As a result, Year 10 students did not attend their regular classes, instead taking on an important leadership and cultural ambassador role. A special thank you goes to the eight Year 10 Japanese students — Yolanda Huang, Emily Wang, Manar Hasan, Lexine Ang, Lilia Brown, Astrid Wang, Kirsty Kang and Aimie Joo — who led this special day, as well as to Dr Briggs, Ms Seach and all Year 10 teachers for their cooperation and support. The day followed the same successful format as last year, beginning with a Welcome Assembly featuring speeches, gift exchanges, school songs and student performances. Yolanda Huang and Emily Wang performed the well-known Japanese song Mellow by Keina Suda, beautifully connecting with our Japanese audience. Our Hornsby Girls’ renowned band Downstares delivered an energetic and engaging performance that captivated everyone in attendance. The Japanese students then enjoyed a school tour, followed by two rounds of student-led activities in Periods 3 and 4, with a shared lunch break in between. The visit was a wonderful opportunity for students from both schools to build friendships, strengthen intercultural understanding and share school life across cultures. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this experience meaningful and memorable for our guests and our students.
Mrs Lawson - Relieving Head Teacher, Languages and TAS
YOUNG WRITERS' SHOWCASE
Congratulations to three of our English Extension 2 students from the graduating year of 2025 who have been nominated for possible inclusion in Young Writers’ Showcase. The students nominated are Aimie Gao, Maggie Zhang, and Zhuoyi Zhang. Nomination is a significant achievement and is a reflection of their skill, originality, and dedication.
Dr Strauss - Head Teacher English
COURT and police Visit
On Wednesday, fourteen HGHS students from year 7, 9 and 11 participated in the Court and Police Visit program together with students from Normanhurst Boys School and Knox Grammar School. They went to the Hornsby Court House to observe court proceedings. We observed the court in action while the magistrate, solicitors and prosecutors went through cases. The group then visited Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Police Station where policemen there demonstrated police equipment and answered interesting questions from students. Students were welcomed by Commander Supt Scott in a seminar where the police presented the severity of domestic violence and procedures of handling DV cases. Services and supports provided to the victims were also introduced. Students asked extensive and thoughtful questions. All participating students appreciated the visit as a valuable experience giving them a better understanding of the importance of raising awareness of domestic violence. Many thanks to Hornsby Police Station and Hornsby Women’s Shed for organising this visit!
HGHS Social Justice
WATER POLO SUCCESS
Congratulations to Year 8 students, Charity, Erica and Eva — recently represented the Sydney Uni Lions Water Polo Club at the Canberra Cup for Girls 14 Division 2, competing against teams from across the ACT, Victoria, and New South Wales. After an impressive weekend of matches, their team claimed the Division 2 Championship, bringing home the Canberra Cup. It’s a fantastic achievement that highlights their teamwork, dedication, and sporting spirit.
Ms Hoogerwerf - Head Teacher PDHPE
HSC Drama OnSTAGE Success
Amy Pan’s Individual Drama Project has been selected for OnSTAGE, a showcase featuring exemplary HSC work from across the state. Amy’s Director’s Folio presented an imagined production of Anne Washburn’s, Mr Burns: A Post Electric Play, exploring the power of storytelling to hold our memories and remind us of the hope that can be found in humanity’s resilience. The project required Amy to present a directorial proposal, script analysis and approach to working with actors in rehearsal, as well as design for set, costume, lighting and sound. This is a fantastic achievement and we are very proud. Congratulations, Amy!
Ms Carroll - Drama/English Teacher
HSC ENCORE
Congratulations to Yi Ern Han (composition) and Summer Pan (musicology) who have been nominated for ENCORE, which is a showcase of outstanding major works by this year's HSC Music students in NSW. We have just been informed by NESA that Summer's musicology essay has been selected for the showcase. Although the essay will not be shared, Summer will be acknowledged in the concert program. These nominations are an outstanding achievement for both students who put a lot of time and effort into their projects throughout the HSC year. It is wonderful that their exceptional work has been recognised by NESA.
Ms Sutcliff - Music Coordinator
16 Days of Activism
As part of the 16 Days of Activism, our Year 11 students joined the Hornsby Women's Shed and the Hornsby Police stall at the Thursday market in Hornsby Mall. Our students had a canvas for members of the public to trace their palm print to show their support in saying no to domestic violence. They also encouraged people to make origami flowers to commemorate those who have lost their lives. These flowers will be handed out at the Walk the Talk on Wednesday 26th November. For further information on the Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai DFV Walk The Talk and how you can get involved please see the details in Community News at the end of this newsletter.
HGHS Social Justice
GRIP Student Leadership Conference
In Week 4, the Prefect Team were fortunate to attend GRIP Leadership's 2025 conference amongst many other student leadership bodies within NSW at Castle Hill RSL. Throughout the day, we engaged in various educational talks on ways to lead our school, as well as participating in some highly exciting games. From these talks, we were able to identify and categorise potential challenges at Hornsby that we, as a student body, hoped to address some time - whether it be now or in the near future! We were also able to interact over the course of the conference with students from other school's Prefect and SRC teams, allowing us to gain greater insight into initiatives or multi-grade activities we may be able to introduce in the upcoming terms. At the conclusion of the conference, it was safe to say that all the Prefects walked away with both new acquaintances and aims for the terms to come! Thank you so much to Mr Blake, our amazing Prefect Coordinator, for arranging this highly valuable experience for us!
Zoe L - Prefect
Digital Wellbeing Social Media Age Restriction Changes
Digital Wellbeing - Social Media Age Restriction Changes We all know the online world is woven into everyday life and this is especially true for all young people - shaping their friendships, creativity, communication and connection to the world around them. With the introduction of the new national Social Media Minimum Age Restrictions for under 16s due to take effect on 10 December 2025, it is important to start setting in place some changes to help make the shift away from social media as smooth as possible for everyone! The change is part of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, in direct response to the growing public awareness and evidence supporting the risks around the harms of early exposure to social media on the mental health, wellbeing and safety of children online. The new restrictions are designed to give younger children under 16 more time to grow and develop before they navigate the complexities of the social media world. While the reset will bring a mix of feelings and challenges, it also presents the opportunity to reshape the way young people engage with technology - with the focus on boundaries as care, rather than restriction. At Hornsby Girls, our focus is to support our students and families through this transition with empathy and balance as students learn to develop their awareness, resilience and confidence to engage with technology in new and more mindful ways - with space for healthier connections, routines, calmer minds and improved self-esteem. A gradual transition will help your child adjust The changes aim to restrict access to certain social media platforms such as Tik Tok, Facebook and SnapChat for those under 16s. Age-restricted social media platforms will have to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from creating or keeping accounts. As such, your child may experience changes to how they communicate, socialise, and spend their time online. Start taking gentle, realistic steps to prepare for the change and empower your child to embrace the shift and build confidence in the new direction. The E-Safety Guidelines recommend a gradual approach to migrating away from social media platforms, rather than a sudden stop
- Talk openly about the changes and why they are happening
- Listen carefully to their concerns about the changes, help them navigate their feelings, and find ways to navigate the changes together.
- Build awareness and identify the platform your child is spending most of their time on, and a plan to migrate away from it.
- Discuss alternative ways/age appropriate apps to consider for communicating with friends
- Help them to protect their digital memories. The platforms have ways that you can request to save history, conversations and memories before the changes
- Build more screen-free time into the day by finding alternative ways to spend downtime away from devices, such as socialising in person, exercising, reading and art!
- Model what you value. Our children notice when we put our phones down.
A unified approach to a brighter digital future
As parents, carers, a school and wider community, what we say about the change matters. Sending clear cohesive messaging around expectations and social media use will strengthen the message and help make the transition easier for everyone. Visit the eSafety guide and videos for ideas of how to talk about the changes with your child. Clear boundaries help children feel supported and less singled out. Together we can work toward a brighter future online and off! We thank you for your help and partnership as we navigate this important change and encourage you to access the eSafety resources and support for families on their website. Visit Social media age restrictions hub | eSafety Commissioner and register for one of the upcoming webinars for parents and carers.
Further Reading for Parents:
- Social media age restrictions | eSafety Commissioner
- Social Media Minimum Age – Fact sheet
- Australia’s Social Media Ban Protects the Mental Health of Children: A Look at the Evidence | Institute for Family Studies
- Social Media Age Restrictions_eSafety Conversation Starters Guide
- Banning smartphones? How can parents respond to the mental health crisis in our young people? - The Parent Hope Project
Wellbeing Team