WEEK 2 TERM 2, 1 MAY, 2026

acknowledgement of country

We recognise the Dharrug and Guringai 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.

relieving PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Welcome back to Term 2 to all students, staff, parents and carers. Students have returned to school buzzing with news about their holidays and enjoying settling into the routine of learning and extra-curricular activities. It has been very good to observe students in uniform and continuing to follow our ‘off and away’ mobile phone policy. Well done HGHS! Dr. Briggs is on leave this term, leaving me with ‘big shoes to fill’ as Relieving Principal. I very much look forward to working with all in the school community while Justin is absent. I would like to welcome Isabella Pozzolungo to the role of Relieving Deputy Principal for Term 2. Isabella will be the Deputy Principal with responsibility for Year 7, 9 and 11 during this time. We also welcome Mrs Susie Sutcliffe to the Relieving Head Teacher CAPA position for the term. It is wonderful to have such great depth of experience and leadership in our school. Welcome also to Iain McCreddin who has joined the HSIE faculty in Term 2 teaching Legal Studies and Justine Ward in CAPA who will be teaching Visual Arts. On Wednesday 22 April, we held our annual Anzac Day Ceremony recognising those who have served Australia in war. It was a poignant occasion incorporating a Call Drill led by our Catafalque Guard, speeches on the meaning of Anzac Day, a cadet reading celebrating 75 years of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps, the Ode of Remembrance, minute of silence and the Year 7 singers performing the Australian Anthem. Thank you to the students who led this occasion including Carina and Sidhi (MCs), Sanvi and Ishani (Year 12 speakers) and our Cadet Catafalque consisting of Jiya, Vishruti, Kate, Aushka, Ovee and Doyel. Thank you also to Mr Richard Truong (HSIE) for his impeccable organisation and to Ms Nadia McCarthy and her Year 7 singers for their preparation. It is wonderful to see our students leading this event each year and valuing the opportunity to remember all who have represented Australia. In addition to this, thank you to Simran and Sidhi (Year 12 Prefects) for representing our school at the Hornsby RSL Dawn Service on Saturday the 25 April. We have a long tradition of our school leaders attending this ceremony at the Hornsby Cenotaph and we thank them for attending on the school’s behalf. Please see further details of this later in the Torch. On Thursday 23 April we held another highly successful cross country carnival. Well done to all students who participated and congratulations to those who have been selected for the Zone Carnival. Another big thank you is required for the PDHPE faculty and our Carnival Coordinator, Mrs Jane Hall for leading this event.  The eventful week continued with the P&C Mother’s Day Stall on Friday 24 April. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to make their own gift purchase. We once again thank our hard working P&C team for their efforts. Congratulations to Ivory, Lily, Mio and Sayaka who played with the Castle Hill RSL Youth Wind Orchestra in the Australian Band Championships over the Easter holidays. The orchestra won the Junior A grade and Open B grade competitions and were highly successful in the solo and ensemble categories. The impressive performance of our students and this band can be viewed here: Danzon No 2 YWO Junior A Nationals 2026 Well done to Atrin Bagherian of Year 10 who was successful in having her Year 9 Research Project recognised on a national level by the Australian Science Teachers’ Association. Atrin’s Chemistry investigation on the fermentation period of milk kefir on acidity levels has been published by ATSO. Atrin’s work can be read here: Atrin Bagherian It is wonderful to see our High Potential and Gifted students pursuing areas of interest to them and succeeding across all domains of talent! I am also informed that Astrid (Year 11) and Anushkaa (Year 9) participated in the ANZAC Dawn Service at Charles Mance Reserve as members of the 204 Army Cadet Unit. The students assembled at 4:30am ahead of a 5:10am march through the surrounding streets, before the service commenced at the Reserve. As it was their first time taking part in a Dawn Service, the experience provided them with a deeper understanding of the significance of ANZAC Day.

Building Works We have been advised that work to repair the surface of our multi-purpose court will commence on the 11 May. This will be the final stage in finishing our new Covered Outdoor Play Area. The school is very much looking forward to being able to use the space for sport and fun prior to the end of the term. It is a very welcome upgrade which includes a sound system which we will put to good use in assemblies and the occasional lunchtime dance or zumba. Thank you to our P&C for their support in funding this facility for our students and to the parent community for their contributions to the building fund. This is a great example of what we can all achieve together.

DEPUTY PRINCIPALS' MESSAGE

Welcome back to Term 2 to all our students and their families. Term 2 is always extremely busy with lots of events to build school spirit, sports events, excursions and half-yearly assessments for many year groups.  Uniform It has been excellent to see students moving to the winter uniform and thank you to all students and their parents for their organisation of this. Students should wear black tights or white socks with skirts or tunics. School pants are also available to purchase from School Locker if students are in need of warmer options. Students should not wear hoodies, black tracksuit pants and non-school items to school. Students wearing non-school items will be required to obtain a uniform pass and have this signed by a Deputy Principal. A second hand item will be lent to the student to be washed and returned when they have purchased the correct uniform. House Meetings This week we held House Meetings to prepare for the Athletics Carnival on Friday 8 May and in Week 10 of last term we commenced our annual House Choir Competition rehearsals. Both these events contribute to positive school spirit and building connections between students in different year groups. Thank you to the House Leaders for their leadership in planning and running these events and to all students for their active participation in these meetings. Parent Teacher Interviews Year 11 and 12 Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday 20 May from 3 pm - 7 pm. Information regarding this will be emailed to parents next week. Parent Teacher Interviews for Year 7 - 10 will be held early in Term 3. Year 7 Peer Support Year 7 students participated in their first Peer Support session for the term. The workshops focused on making connections with other students from year 7, increasing their skills in communication, building relationships and connections with their peers and getting to know their Year 10 mentors. Thank you to Ms Hoogerwerf and the wellbeing team for running this important program.  Paws the Pressure On Friday 24 April Year 12s engaged with our Paws the Pressure program where volunteer Delta Therapy Dog Teams visited our school and undertook well-being initiatives designed to reduce stress and boost morale.   Students enjoyed calming cuddles and friendly paw-shakes with Delta Therapy Dogs, as well as chats with our Delta volunteers, who each have wonderful stories to share about their volunteer journey and the joy their Delta Therapy Dog brings to the community. Wellbeing Review  Over the course of this term HGHS will be undergoing a Wellbeing Review with Empowered Schools, Empowered Students. As part of this process we will be randomly selecting parents from each year group to be part of a survey to help us gain a better understanding of your experience with wellbeing at HGHS. If you have been chosen, congratulations, you will be receiving an email in the coming weeks from our HGHS reception and we appreciate your time to assist us with this process.  Staff Development Day term 2 On Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 April the staff at Hornsby Girls High School participated in valuable Professional Learning that focused on Disability, Neurodiversity and Inclusive Education. Staff engaged with a number of different training options that will assist them with recognising diverse students' experiences and celebrating their strengths, programming teaching and learning activities, providing support to students to access the curriculum equitably and present practical, evidence-based strategies to support all students to achieve their best learning outcomes.  P&C Mother’s Day Pop Up Stall The school’s pop-up Mother’s Day stall was a great success, with students eagerly choosing thoughtful gifts for their mums and caregivers, as well as purchasing refreshing Peach Bubble Tea. The event was well organised and supported by our dedicated P&C, creating a warm and lively atmosphere during lunch. Thanks to strong community involvement, the stall raised $1000 that will support school programs and resources, while also strengthening the sense of connection within the school community. Cross Country at Pennant Hills Park  The school’s cross country event on Thursday 23 April was a great success, with students showing determination and enthusiasm throughout the day. The event was brilliantly organised by Ms Hall and the Sport Faculty, and the supportive atmosphere from staff and students helped encourage every runner to do their best. It was a fantastic display of resilience and school spirit, making it an enjoyable and rewarding experience for all involved. ANZAC Day Ceremony’s Prefects Simran Pandey and Sidhi Saxena along with Mr Blake attended the Hornsby RSL ANZAC Day dawn ceremony on 25 April at Hornsby Cenotaph Park. Mr Truong organised our School’s ANZAC ceremony which was held at HGHS on Wednesday 22 April. It was a meaningful and respectful event, bringing the school community together to honour those who have served and sacrificed. Students observed a moment of silence, contributing to a reflective and solemn atmosphere. The ceremony was a powerful reminder of the importance of remembrance and gratitude. Thank you to both Mr Truong and Mr Blake for providing our students with such wonderful opportunities.  Ms Wallwork and Ms Pozzolungo

Year 10 HKWS Charity Day Success

On the final day of Term 1, the Year 10 Charity Committee held a successful bake sale, not only to raise funds but also to spark important conversations about women’s safety, homelessness, and the work of the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter. The Charity Committee which included the Year 10 Bakers, worked very effectively to set up a wonderful event in the COLA, where a variety of delicious sweets, treats, and drinks were available. We were also pleased to have Sam, the Community Engagement Coordinator at HKWS, who visited to collect all the boxes of donation items from the Charity Drive and commend the students on their outstanding baking efforts. With music playing and a fantastic atmosphere throughout lunch, students thoroughly enjoyed the mufti-day occasion. By the end of the event, a total of $814 had been raised. A huge thank you to all Year 10 Charity Committee members for dedicating their time and effort to organising both the Charity Drive and the Charity Day—your commitment and hard work have truly gone above and beyond. Ms Hoang - Year 10 Advisor