WEEK 2, TERM 3, 1 August 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,

The weather has beaten us again so Grounds Day Saturday 2 August is cancelled.

Thank you to the Spring Fair P and C Committee led by Ms Vivian Wei for all their work in gaining sponsorships for the Fair! The Spring Fair is on Saturday 6 September from 10am – 3pm. There are a number of stalls and activities including student performances which will be very enjoyable. A silent auction of student artwork will also take place. Two Year 12 English classes have already embraced the concept, and the junior canvases will be distributed in English classes next week. Thank you to parent Ms Homa Motlagh for this initiative and for purchasing the 25 canvases for distribution to the classes. If students would like to volunteer to assist the stall holders at the Spring Fair please see me. We currently have fifteen student volunteers but are looking for another fifteen. If you would like to perform at the Fair please see me to have your name added to the schedule. if you have friends at other schools who would like to perform at the Fair please let me know. We already have a singer from Normanhurst Boys who will be performing for us and we look forward to other schools getting involved as well!

Construction of the shelter/covered outdoor learning area over the multi-courts has finally commenced. It will be ready by summer and be a very useful shaded area for our students during PE classes and at lunch and recess.

Saturday 9 August is the Higher Ability Selective Test (HAST) for students who would like to attend Hornsby Girls for Year 8 – 11 2026. Our school is limited to 120 places each year group from 7 -10 with Year 11, 120 plus depending on the student results. Students gain entry only if we have a vacancy. This year 327 students will be sitting the exam at Hornsby. This compares very favourably with our numbers around 10 years ago when we would have approximately 130 students sit the exam. This shows an increasing awareness from the community of the great value of selective girls’ education and the opportunities available generally at selective schools. Well done Hornsby!

Today Year 10 had their Subject Selection presentation led by Mrs Wallwork (Deputy Principal) with Head Teachers Mr Jon Re (Science), Mrs Kath Murray (Mathematics) and Dr Richard Strauss (English) and Mr David Li (Head Teacher Administration). Information about specific NESA subject requirements was given and students have been instructed to select subjects appropriate and that align with their interests. We wish Year 10 all the best for their selections.

Well done to our Year 7s who had a wonderful time on camp for three days. Thank you to the organisers of the Year 7 Camp, our Year 7 Advisers Mrs Jane Hall and Ms Susan Davenport and all who assisted them over the three days and two nights. Thank you to Ms Mary Bloomfield, Mrs Lara Sholl, Mrs Cathy Croudace, Mrs Tracey Sheppard who supervised also at night. Thank you to Mrs Amanda Wallwork, Mrs Michelle Hoogerwerf, Mrs Tina Kontos, Mr Jon Re and Ms Yuki Tagana who supervised during the day.

The school will be analysing our NAPLAN results over the coming weeks and making adjustments to our teaching and learning where necessary. Our Year 7 and 9s have performed very well in both Literacy and Numeracy in comparison to similar selective schools (15 other selective schools). Student data (combined Years 7 and 9) is at the exceeding range at 79.2% in comparison to 70.5% for similar selective schools. Well done students!

Best wishes to Year 12 for the next three weeks of HSC Trial exams.

The forecast is for more rain next week so I hope you all stay warm and dry as we battle through this cold winter.

Justin Briggs - Principal

Deputy Principals' Message

Welcome Back to Term 3 to all students, parents and staff! Hopefully everyone had a good chance to rest, relax and have fun after a terrific first semester.

Attendance Reminder - Attendance at school is a legal requirement. The vast majority of our students are to be congratulated on their excellent attendance. Hornsby Girls has one of the highest rates of attendance for local schools at almost 96 per cent. But, we can do better!

Attendance at school is a legal requirement. The vast majority of our students are to be congratulated on their excellent attendance.

Some students continue to arrive late. It is important that students organise themselves in the mornings to arrive at school on time. Regularly arriving late to school can have a significant impact on a student’s learning time and school connectedness. Students catching public transport should ensure that they leave early enough to arrive well before the 8.45am swipe in time at school. Parents will receive a text when their child is late to school. If you have noticed that your child is regularly attending late please discuss the causes of this with them and if further support is needed to improve this, please email the school.

Year 7&9 and 8&10 Parent teacher evenings - On Wednesday 23 and Wednesday 30 July we welcomed our Year 7-10 parents back onsite to conduct our annual parent-teacher interviews. As always it was lovely to meet with the members of our school community, engage in conversations about a range of topics and give valuable feedback to parents regarding their children and their learning. Thank you to our teaching staff who so generously gave up their time during the night.

Year 7 Transition Program - As part of the Hornsby Girls High School Positive Education approach, Year 7 completed their second Transition to High School day on Tuesday 22 July. The students enjoyed workshops conducted by Elevate Education that focused on Time Management and Enlighten who conducted workshops that looked to form positive relationships and connections with others, addressed how Gratitude is linked to happiness and we can find individual empowerment. Having spoken to students today I know they had an excellent day and enjoyed meeting other Year 7 students who are not in their class to expand their network of friends from school. Thanks to Ms Hoogerwerf, Ms Hall and Ms Davenport for their excellent organisation of this day.

Year 12 - HSC Trial examinations commence next week. We wish all our students the very best as they sit this important process as they continue their HSC year. They have worked very diligently with their teachers over the weeks and months to prepare them for this milestone. I am confident they will achieve their personal best and see the rewards of their hard work.

Subject Selection Information Sessions - Term 3 is very busy with students making important decisions regarding the selection of their subjects for 2025. This is always very exciting for our students and there are a lot of decisions to be made. Students will commence subject selection information sessions as follows:

Year 10 into 11 - 1 August during Period 2 - Year 8 into Year 9 - 28 August Period 1 - Year 11 into Year 12 - 17 September Period 1

This is a wonderful opportunity to run through the NESA requirements and for students to make informed and confident decisions based on their interests and skills.

Year 8 and Year 10 students and their parents will have access to a website showcasing the subjects available for study with videos produced by each faculty. A link will be emailed to all families on the day of the subject selection afternoon to be viewed at home.

Check In Assessments 2025 - This term students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will be completing their Check-in assessments in Reading and Numeracy. This is an annual online assessment for all students in secondary public schools from year 7 - 9. The tests provide feedback to teachers on our numeracy and reading programs.

Students will need their laptops for these assessments which will be conducted on the following days:

Year 7 - Tuesday 19 August

Year 8 - Tuesday 26 August

Year 9 - Tuesday 12 August

These assessments have no impact on school results and simply provide information to the school regarding our teaching and learning approaches.

Uniform Reminder - We understand that it has been extremely cold lately and this is a timely reminder that the expectation for all students is to attend each day in full school winter uniform or full sport uniform (on allocated sport/PE lesson days), (preferably) blue or black scarfs are also appropriate. This does not include wearing hoodies or tracksuit pants. Thank you to the parents and caregivers who ensure that their child leaves home each day in the correct uniform and helps to instill our reputation in the broader community.

Elevate Education - In term 3 Elevate Education will provide free webinars to our parent community on the following topics. Please go to the link below if you are interested in registering. Term 3 Parent Support Series Free Parent Webinars

1. How to Get (And Keep!) Your Child Motivated - 6 August @6:30 (AEST)

2. How You Can Make Technology an Ally (& Not the Enemy!) - 20 August @6:30 (AEST)

3. How To Help Your Child Improve Their Note Taking - 3 September @6:30 (AEST)

4. How You Can Support Your Child During Exams - 17 September @6:30 (AEST

https://go.elevateeducation.com/auschoolwebinars

Amanda Wallwork and Vanessa Gilmore - Deputy Principals

NSW Waterpolo

Eva Zhang and Erica Liu recently competed at the Waterpolo 13&U National Development Carnival held in Hobart from 3 to 6 July. They were selected to represent the NSW Water Dragon state squad team at this prestigious event, which brought together 12 state teams from across the country.

Over the course of the tournament, their team played 10 games and secured an impressive 7 wins – 5 of which were strong victories. The competition was tough, but the girls demonstrated determination, resilience, and team spirit as they gave their best in every match.

It was also a fantastic opportunity for personal growth. Playing so many games over a short period helped Eva and Erica significantly develop their individual skills and game plan execution. Most importantly, they thoroughly enjoyed the experience – building strong friendships and making lasting memories with their teammates.