WEEK 11, TERM 1, 11 april 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
On Wednesday 9th April we commemorated Anzac Day with a service for those who died or were injured in conflict while serving in Australia or overseas. This ceremony was led by our School Captain, Lauren Wilson and Vice Captain, Helen Bui.
Thank you to Vishruti Karthikeyan, Juliet Jennings, Yasaswini Mandava, Minnie Chu, Kingkini Mazumdar and Aimee Gao for dressing in their cadet uniforms to mark the occasion and forming a catafalque party to complete a ‘Call Drill’ and ‘Dismount’.
Bethany Hibbard and Chloe Cho spoke about the meaning of Anzac Day before Kingkini Mazumdar and Vishruti Karthikeyan spoke to the assembly about the role of women in the Australian military. Isabella Chui played ‘The Last Post’ and ‘Rouse’ and our Year 7 Singers led the singing of the national anthem.
Well done to all our students for their contribution to this important assembly and to Mr Truong, Relieving Head Teacher HSIE for his coordination and organisation of the event.
Congratulations to Saachi Singh, HSC Class of 2024 who will have her Extension 2 major project published in this year’s HSC 2024 Showcase Young Writer’s Anthology. Saachi is just one of 19 students selected to be launched as a published author on the 29th May at the NSW Parliament House. We are very proud of Saachi and our English Faculty.
We recently received correspondence from Mr Alister Henskens (MLA - Wahroonga) congratulating Fiona Yee and Talise Xu, HSC Class of 2024 for their Visual Arts artworks which were showcased at the Art North Exhibition in the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery. Mr Henskens wrote: ‘From Hornsby Girls High School, Talise Xu painted Life as an Opera, which critiques the inherent performativity of living within a society that demands conformity. Also from Hornsby Girls High School, Fiona Yee painted Two Homes. I must say that the art was absolutely outstanding. Our future is in great hands with these wonderful young artists.’
The school wishes all students, staff and families a wonderful holiday break. It is very important that students have time for rest and fun with family and friends so that they return for Term 2 refreshed and ready to engage with all that school has to offer. Students return on Wednesday April 30th which is also the day of our changeover to winter uniform.
Ms Vanessa Gilmore - Relieving Principal
Deputy Principals' Message
Happy holidays and Term 2 arrangements - It has been a busy but wonderful start to the year. We wish our whole school community a safe and relaxing holiday break. Staff return to Term 2 on Monday 28th April for two Staff Development Days prior to students returning on Wednesday 30th April. A reminder that students return in full school winter uniform.
School Locker is open during the term every Wednesday from 1.00 pm t0 3.30 pm. School Locker is also opening the on site store on Tuesday 22nd April from 9 am to 3 pm. A store is also available online and students and parents can visit the North Sydney store location as well.
Cross Country Carnival - On Thursday 10th April all students participated in our School Cross Country Carnival. We trialled a new program this year and had students involved in a day of activities. It was wonderful to see so many students out in the fresh air, socialising with friends and participating in a number of novelty games prior to and after they ran the 3 km Cross Country course. We were fortunate to have some mild weather which made it a very enjoyable day for all involved.
Thank you to all HGHS staff for their contribution to the day especially the Coordinator Ms Jane Hall and the PDHPE staff.
Elevate Year 8 - On Thursday 3rd April Year 8 were involved in the Elevate Study Skills workshop. All students received vital tips and strategies that can be useful when planning for examinations, organising workload, study notes and skills in mind mapping. Students feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with 95% of students reporting that they feel better equipped to deal with the demands of highschool after attending this course and that the strategies explained would be useful in their future planning.
On Friday 2nd May Year 11 will attend an Elevate workshop on examination preparation strategies to perform at your best in your exams.
Careers - Parents and students looking for careers information should be aware that our Career’s Advisor Dr Turner has a Google Classroom page for each grade. Careers Bulletins are available to students updating them on university options, open days, work experience opportunities, holiday programs, scholarships and more. This is a highly useful source of information for all students at Hornsby Girls’ High School. Please talk with your child about the resources found on these pages and encourage them to regularly check for updates.
Transport changes - From Saturday 19 April 2025, Transport NSW will make changes to some train services on the T1 North Shore, T5 Cumberland, Hunter and Central Coast & Newcastle Lines.
These changes are being introduced as part of a regular review of train services to improve services for passengers. Some T1 North Shore services will be extended from Hornsby to Berowra, improving connectivity for school students travelling home on the T1 North Shore Line in both directions.As a result, minor adjustments will also be made to the departure times of some weekday afternoon services for all stations on the T1 North Shore Line from Hornsby to Roseville.On the T5 Cumberland Line, adjustments will be made to the departure times of eight weekday off-peak services, improving connections for passengers interchanging to T1 Western Line services at Seven Hills travelling towards the Sydney CBD.On the Central Coast & Newcastle Line there will be an adjustment to the departure platform of one service.
The adjustments are part of a regular review of services by Sydney Trains and are now visible on transportnsw.info and travel apps.
Mrs Wallwork and Ms Hoogerwerf (Relieving Deputy principal)
Year 10 & 11 French Film Festival Excursion 2025
To celebrate the 36th Alliance Française French Film Festival in Australia, our Year 10 and 11 French students had the chance to attend a special school group screening at Palace Central Cinema. With French students from other schools, they watched one of this year’s festival highlights: The Count of Monte-Cristo.
This thrilling new adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ classic tale of adventure, romance, and revenge is the first major French film version in over fifty years—and it’s taken France by storm, selling nearly 10 million tickets! For our students, it was a fantastic way to discover this iconic French literary masterpiece from a fresh perspective. Many were so inspired, they’re now keen to read the novel—and some even added the film to their top 3 of all time!
After the screening, the adventure continued with a traditional 3-course French lunch at The Little Snail restaurant. Students got to practise their French in a real-world setting and try classic dishes—including escargots (snails)!
What students had to say:
“The Count of Monte Cristo was the best movie I’ve ever seen, and the soundtrack was incredible.”
“The snail was chewy. The garlic sauce was yummy!”
“I cried three times during the movie… and I’ll definitely be coming back to that restaurant!”
“The film was long but so compelling—definitely worth the 3-hour watch!”
Year 11 French students
Ms Shen - Language Teacher
Year 9 Charity Day for Youth Off The Streets
On Thursday, April 3rd, the Year 9 Charity Committee held a Charity Day for a not-for-profit youth organisation called Youth off the Streets. Students came together to raise both awareness and funds for the incredible organisation- whose vision and mission is to work with young people to create safety, offer support and provide various opportunities to build a positive future.
The day was a fantastic display of creativity, whole-school spirit, and generous hearts. Our Year 9 Charity Committee members hosted a jam-packed bake sale, featuring a mouth-watering selection of sweet treats (e.g. Red Velvet Cupcakes, Biscoff Brownies and Purple rice yoghurt), to savory snacks, and refreshing drinks and jelly cups. The delicious offerings were made with love and contributed greatly to the fundraising effort.
The atmosphere was further lifted by live music from the talented Year 12 band, 'Hailey and the Comets,' who provided the perfect soundtrack to the event.
Thanks to the generosity of our students, Wellbeing staff, and the entire school community. We are proud to announce that the day raised a total of $994. This amount will go directly to Youth Off The Streets.
I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who contributed, whether by baking, decorating, participating in activities, or simply supporting the cause. This event was a testament to the power of our school community coming together for a good cause.
For more information and how you can support Youth off the Streets, head to their website: https://youthoffthestreets.com.au/
Australasian Problem Solving Mathematics Olympiad (APSMO) 2025
All students in Year 7 and 8 at Hornsby Girls will be doing the Maths Olympiad in 2025 and the entries have been made by the school on your behalf. Students compete both individually and as class teams, in the Australasian Problem Solving Mathematics Olympiad (APSMO). This series of four separate papers aims to build strong problem solving skills and develop higher order thinking skills.
The first of the four competitions will be held in Term 2, Week 2 or 3 during one of their Maths lessons. Students will have 30 minutes working time WITHOUT the use of a calculator. It is hoped that students enjoy this learning experience. There are sample questions and worked solutions available in the whole cohort Maths Google Classroom for Year 7 and Year 8 for students to access if they would like to do some preparation for the Olympiad. It is recommended that students do problem 1 from previous years to prepare for problem 1 this year, then do problem 2 from previous years in preparation for problem 2 this year etc.
There is an APSMO Preparation Kit attached to the information in Google classroom that gives a good indication of the style of questions which could be asked and it is recommended that students work through it before the first task.
The dates for APSMO in 2025 will be a lesson close to
Term 2, Week 2 - Term 2, Week 7 - Term 3, Week 2 - Term 3, Week 8
Ms Kathryn Murray - Head Teacher Mathematics
ANZAC DAY CEREMONY
(Cafe) Gratitude for Mrs Pike
Hornsby’s student-run cafe, Cafe Gratitude, wouldn’t be the great success it is without the enduring efforts and passion of Mrs Jeanette Pike, one of its founding staff assistants. Last week, Mrs Pike and her service to the program was celebrated by grateful customers (teachers and support staff) with sweet treats to accompany her Cafe Gratitude-made coffee.
For the first time since 2009, Mrs Pike will be stepping away from the Cafe on Thursdays in Term 2. We hope to see her back with the team very soon, but the current Year 10 barista team and all the staff at HGHS want to take this opportunity to show the immense gratitude we have for Mrs Pike and her years of dedicated service to the students and staff of our school.
Mrs Pike’s dedication to Cafe Gratitude has recently culminated in the expansion of the cafe’s service to our Year 12 students, with our first trial run happening last Thursday in Week 10. This wouldn’t have been possible without Mrs Pike’s continued support for this initiative, along with Mrs Di McGuire’s long-standing efforts in promoting this incredible student learning program.
Thank you Mrs Pike, we are so Grateful!
Ms Michelle Carroll - Cafe Gratitude
Term 2 Extracurricular Sports
Reminder that the sport selections will be sent out by email on Monday 28th April at 8:40am. Selections will then be able to be made for Term 2 Extracurricular Sports. Numbers are limited in each sport and fill up quickly so please ensure that you register interest (by clicking on the selection notification link and following the prompts) sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment. Multiple selections can be made by clicking on the preferred sport link.
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday break and looking forward to another successful term of Extracurricular Sport.
Ms Hoang - PDHPE Teacher, Extracurricular Sport Cooridnator, 2025
Young Curators Program - Visit to Clayton Utz, 1 Bligh Street Sydney
The Young Curators Program continues to excite the passions and ignite the imaginations of our young aspiring Year 11 art students and curators. On 3 April 2025, we visited a group exhibition at the prestigious law firm Clayton Utz at the equally and very impressive architectural building that is 1 Bligh Street Sydney. The exhibition was curated by Samantha Ferris of 3:33 Art Projects, and works on exhibit were of contemporary Australian artists. It was an opportunity to collaborate with the curator and the students of Abbotsleigh Girls HS and critique how the placement of artworks has an impact on audience and construct meaning. The ideas floated were noted and will be used for when our students curate the exhibition of Tina Havelock Stevens at the Grace Cossington Smith Gallery.
Ms I Pozzolungo - Head Teacher Creative and Performing Arts
2025 HGHS School Cross Country Carnival
The 2025 HGHS School Cross Country Carnival was held under sunny blue skies and marked a welcome return to Pennant Hills — a venue we haven’t visited in several years. The day was filled with energy, enthusiasm, and community spirit, offering students a fantastic opportunity to participate in both fun and competitive physical activity.
Each age group took on a three-kilometre course, which included a scenic 1.5-kilometre stretch through a eucalyptus forest. The course tested endurance and determination, and it was great to see so many students embracing the challenge with positivity and perseverance.
We would like to extend a big thank you to all the staff whose efforts and organisation made the day run smoothly. Your hard work behind the scenes is always appreciated.
A special shoutout goes to our House Leaders, who ran engaging morning activities such as the Snake Pit and Three-Legged Races — these added a fun, inclusive element to the day and helped get everyone warmed up and involved.
We are also grateful to Ms Carroll and the SRC team for running a successful fundraising barbecue in support of Mahboba's Promise. This Australian non-profit organisation is dedicated to supporting underprivileged women, children, and other vulnerable groups across Afghanistan, surrounding regions, and within Australia. Thank you to everyone who supported this important cause.
Congratulations to all students who competed! The top ten athletes in each age group will now go on to represent HGHS at the Zone Carnival, which will be held at Meadowbank Park on 26 May 2025. We wish them the best of luck!
And now, a special congratulations to the top three competitors in each age group:
12 Years - 1st Christine Ku, 2nd Tanny Liu, 3rd Ruby Cai
13 Years - 1st Jolin Wirianata, 2nd Charity Yan, 3rd Amber Lin
14 Years - 1st Kelly Ha, 2nd Sophia Zhou, 3rd Diyana Kariyawasam
15 Years - 1st Tara Gilkeson, 2nd Susanna Lau, 3rd Grace Wang
16 Years, 1st Summer Choi, 2nd Elise Reynolds, 3rd Catherine Yuan
17 Years - 1st Tanvi Marathe, 2nd Evie Choudhary, 3rd Alison Wei
18 Years, Gloria Xu, 2nd Zoey Jiang, 3rd Lauren Wilson
Final House Points Tally:
Scott – 534 points
Turner – 531 points
Coghlan – 464 points
Rainbow – 427 points (a strong final showing in their last Cross Country Carnival)
Stephens – 420 points
Well done to all Houses for their incredible effort, participation, and school spirit throughout the day.