WEEK 2, TERM 2, 9 may 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,

It is very good to be back after a restful holiday. Many of the students I have spoken with have told me that they either caught up on sleep or relaxed at home. The teachers have also had a good break and are happy to be back.

During the holidays some of our students participated in a National Music Competition held in Melbourne achieving outstanding results. Please see the article in this edition.

To commence the term, we have had success in Debating with our teams coached by Mrs Bhattacharya (English Faculty) defeating Ryde Secondary College and Killara High School . Our students also participated in the Plain Speaking English Awards organised by Ms de Meyrick (English Faculty).

Today we have our Athletics Carnival. Earlier in the week the weather forecast was for a sunny day and 21 degrees. Despite the weather not being as forecast, the students have enjoyed the carnival participating in events, spending time with their friends and assisting the teachers. Thank you to Mrs Hall (PDHPE Faculty) for organising the day at Homebush.

Our P and C Meeting for Term 2 will be online with a focus on the program Resilience in our Teens (RIOT). We have introduced this program to assist students to develop their resilience. Mrs Davenport is our RIOT Coordinator and has led the staff and students in developing our understanding of the program. Mrs Davenport will be our presenter at the online P and C Meeting on May 21 from 7pm – 8pm. An email will be sent to all parents on Monday 19 May explaining how to register for the meeting.

The Autumn Concert at the Hornsby RSL will be on the evening of Thursday 22 May. With almost 50 percent of our students participating in the Co-Curriculum Music Program it is sure to be a great success. It will also feature our new conductor Ms Ridgway (CAPA Faculty). Ms Ridgeway has made a seamless transition as our new conductor, and we wish her and all music staff and student performers all the best for the night.

On Friday May 30 the school will be celebrating the 95th anniversary of the opening of Hornsby Girls High School which occurred in 1930. The celebration will include a photo, singing and food. Students will form a large 95 on the school oval which will be photographed, sing Happy Birthday to the school, and then receive a commemorative HGHS cup cake. We have a photo of our 85th anniversary celebration in the Administration corridor and hope the 95th anniversary will also have many happy memories for students. To ensure no class time is missed for the celebration we will use our Wednesday lesson times with the celebration taking place during the designated assembly time. This will also mean that students will be dismissed at 2:40pm Friday 30 May.

A reminder to Year 10 students to continue to organise your Work Experience activity. Please use the Google Classroom to find information about Work Experience or contact Dr Turner or Dr Royce (Careers Advisers). Dr Turner is available Mondays and Tuesdays and Dr Royce is available Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in the Careers Office located in the school library. Dr Turner is happy to receive your emails any day of the week as he recovers from his illness.

Thank you to Mrs Gilmore for being Relieving Principal during my absence. Thank you also to Ms Pozzolungo and Mrs Hoogerwerf who were Relieving Deputy Principals, Mrs Davenport (Student Wellbeing and PDHPE) and Mrs Sholl (CAPA) who were Relieving Head Teachers and Mr Moss (HSIE) and Mr Truong (HSIE) who were Relieving Head Teachers in Ms Boden’s absence. It's great that we have this depth of leadership in the school and I'm sure the added responsibility was enjoyed by all who were in these relieving positions.

Kind regards,

Justin Briggs - Principal

Banner photo - Year 7 Zoo Excursion - taken by Amashi Weerasooriya

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 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 leant to the student to be returned when they have purchased the correct uniform.

Details regarding correct wearing of uniform are found here: School Uniform

House Meetings - Last week we held House Meetings to prepare for the Athletics Carnival on Friday 9th May and this week 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 of 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 28th 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.

Resilience in our Teens - Students continue to engage with the Resilience in our Teens program. This evidence based program is designed to teach young people about how the brain works and to identify emotions and manage anxious thoughts by reframing challenges and problem solving. Teachers and wellbeing staff encourage this thinking through direct conversations when students raise issues of concern to them to help them learn to problem solve when their emotions are heightened. Parents and caregivers could talk with their children about what they are learning in RIOT and what knowledge they are taking on that improves their resilience.

Students continue to engage with the Resilience in our Teens program. This evidence based program is designed to teach young people about how the brain works and to identify emotions and manage anxious thoughts by reframing challenges and problem solving. Teachers and wellbeing staff encourage this thinking through direct conversations when students raise issues of concern to them to help them learn to problem solve when their emotions are heightened. Parents and caregivers could talk with their children about what they are learning in RIOT and what knowledge they are taking on that improves their resilience.

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.

Staff Development Day Term 2 - On Monday 28th, and Tuesday 29th April the staff at Hornsby Girls High School participated in valuable Professional Learning that focused on Optimising Achievement for High Performing and Gifted Education Students. We heard from representatives from the Quality Teaching Academy and HGHS staff that assisted all faculties to plan and implement these concepts in our teaching and learning practices across our 7-12 programs for 2025.

Elevate Study Workshops - These will continue in Term 2 for the following Year Groups:

Year 12 - Friday 4th July

Year 11 - Friday 2nd May

Year 9 - Friday - 27th June

The Workshops are designed to assist students in developing positive study behaviours and routines as well as increasing understanding of having a study-life balance. We encourage parents and caregivers to discuss the content of the workshops with their children to consolidate this positive education strategy. Year 8 completed their workshop in Term 1.

Elevate Education will also be hosting a free webinar for our parents on exam preparation on Wednesday 21st May.

Elevate works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you’ll learn how you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they’re learning at school.

Sign up for the session below to learn how you can help your child to get ready for their assessments and walk into the exam hall feeling confident and prepared.​​​​​​

Live Parent Webinar: How You Can Help Your Child Prepare for Exams

Wednesday 21st May 6:30-7:30pm (AEST) - Click here to register Elevate Education

Here’s what Elevate will be covering on the night:

✅ Prioritise your child’s high-impact work to maximise marks

✅ Improve your child’s time management to avoid last-minute preparation

✅ Help your child study effectively using past papers

Ms Gilmore and Ms Wallwork - Deputy Principal

YEAR 9 FRENCH

At the end of Term 1, our Year 9 French students enjoyed a unique cultural experience: a French Cheese Tasting Workshop!

In preparation, students had a lesson where they learned how to talk about cheeses in French — discussing their origins, flavours, textures, and how they are aged. They also picked up a few tips on how to properly cut and taste different types of cheese. During the workshop, students took part in a blind tasting of five classic French cheeses: Comté (aged 8 and 14 months), Camembert, Brie, and Roquefort. They recorded their impressions and tried to guess which cheese was which based on the information they had learnt.

Some students discovered new favourites, while others realised that strong flavours aren’t for everyone! Either way, it was a fun experience that brought French culture to life — and gave students a chance to practise their French in a meaningful way.

Ms Shen - Language Teacher