The P and C had a meeting at the school on Thursday to discuss the planning of the Spring Fair on Saturday September 6 (10am - 3pm). The P and C are looking forward to a great day full of fun, food and activities. Student volunteers and performers will receive a Minerva signature for School Spirit. If you would like to be a sponsor for the Spring Fair please contact the school and we will put you in contact with the P and C. If you would like to be a student performer or be a student volunteer, more information will be be provided early next term and mentioned at our next whole school assembly or alternatively students, please see me.

Years 7 -10 were issued their reports on Thursday. Our students across the year groups continue to attain excellent results due to their efforts and the outstanding work of our teachers. We also farewell Ms Shen (Languages) who will be joining a private school. We thank Ms Shen for her work in Languages over the past three years and wish her all the best for her new school.

After a very enjoyable but hectic end to Term 2 have a safe and fabulous holiday!

Justin Briggs (Principal)

Deputy Principals' Message

Reports distribution- Year 7,8,9 and 10 reports were distributed on Thursday 3rd July. These can be accessed via the parent portal. It is a timely reminder however that consistent student improvement and working to one’s personal best is the focus for our junior reports. Thank you to all the teachers who have worked hard to provide this individualised feedback for our students.

HGHS Wellbeing & Positive Education Statement - Hornsby Girls High School is committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. Positive Education frames our learning culture in conjunction with the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework (ASWF) which aims to ensure that all Australian schools are safe, supportive and respectful teaching and learning communities that promote student wellbeing. We aim to cultivate students’ intellectual, socio-emotional and physical wellbeing. At Hornsby Girls we encourage students to focus on Personal Best Goals and the work of Andrew Martin who has defined Personal Best Goals as specific, challenging, and competitively self-referenced goals that involve a level of performance that meets or exceeds an individual's previous best. Hornsby Girls High School also adopts the concepts presented by Professor Martin Seligman's PERMA model and his Strengths-based Approach. This evidence based Positive Psychology approach guides our school philosophy and planning to enable all students to Flourish.

HGHS School Values - The students of Hornsby Girls High School agreed on the following core School Values for the entire school community in 2018. Our school values are:

Kindness

Respect

Inclusivity

Social Responsibility

Personal Bests

Intellectual Curiosity

Resilience

These values underpin positive relationships between all members of the school community. We set high expectations of student behaviour and attitudes, and the actions of our students are expected to reflect these agreed values.

HGHS encourages parents and students to remain vigilant and consider removing or closing down pages that can be used for cyber bullying and report any incidents of cyber bullying to the Deputy Principals. Please see below some relevant resources to support students and as prompts for discussion in the home.

Cyberbullying Policy

Hands Off Policy - We have recently reminded our students of the Hornsby Girls High School Hands Off Policy. The policy is located in our Behaviour Support and Management Policy which is published on the Hornsby Girls’ High School website. This policy aligns with our school values including kindness and respect. A short summary is provided below if you would like to talk about this with your child.

Hornsby Girls High School has a 'hands-off' rule to preserve the safety, wellbeing, and dignity of all members of the school community. Feeling physically safe contributes to wellbeing. Safe environments optimise learning experiences for everyone. The policy applies to students whilst they are wearing school uniform and/or are engaged in a school related activity.

Guidelines:

1. No student is to touch another student in a manner as judged inappropriate by staff.

2. No student is to promote, encourage or use any form of physical conflict against other students, even in "fun" or as a "practical joke".

3. No student is to interfere with the property of others without the consent of the owner.

Consequences: If a student does not follow the guidelines the student is to be referred to the Deputy Principal, who may issue an afternoon detention or take further action to manage the inappropriate behaviour. Parents will be advised so that we can work together to reflect on conduct and improve safety and wellbeing at school.

Year 7 and 9 Parent Teacher Interviews - Year 8 and 10 Parent Teacher Interview Evening will take place at Hornsby Girls High School from 3.00 pm - 7.00 pm on Wednesday 30th July.

Year 7 Transition Day - Tuesday 22rd July - As part of our school’s positive education focus, Year 7 will have their Semester 2 Wellbeing and Transition Day on the first day of Term 3. Students will attend a workshop with Elevate Education on Time Management, set Personal Best Goals for Semester 2 and engage in activities on developing a positive sense of self with Enlighten Education.

Check In Assessments Term 3 - In term 3 Check In Assessments will occur for all students in years 7,8 and 9. All students complete a reading and a numeracy test of approximately 50 questions each. Students will require their laptops for this online test. These assessments support the identification of students’ performance in literacy and numeracy and inform next steps in teaching and learning.

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

The dates for the Check in Assessments are as follows:

Year 9 - 12th August

Year 7 - 19th August

Year 8 - 26th August

HSC Trial Information - The HSC trial examinations will commence on Monday 4th August and conclude on Wednesday 20th August. Information regarding the HSC Trials has been emailed to the parents and caregivers of all HSC students including those completing Accelerated HSC courses. We wish Year 12 all the best in their preparations for these assessments over the next few weeks.

Work Experience - Students in Year 10 who would like to do work experience should contact Dr Turner or Dr Royce. We have already had over 20 students from Year 10 attend work experience this year. Students have completed placements in news media organisations, IT consultancies, the Australian Defence Forces, Real Estate Agencies, Veterinary clinics and medical and dental practices. Thank you to our Career’s Advisers for their organisation of these placements.

Happy Holidays - Congratulations on an excellent term full of wonderful achievements and opportunities. We hope all our students and families have a safe, restful and enjoyable holiday. We look forward to seeing you all for the commencement of Term 3 on Tuesday 22rd July.

school captains' dinner

Year 9 French Culture and Cuisine Excursion

On Tuesday 17 June, our Year 9 French students had a fantastic opportunity to immerse themselves in French culture at Alliance Française de Sydney, where they took part in a cultural workshop conducted entirely in French. From learning about iconic French symbols to exploring school life and the importance of food in French society, students participated with enthusiasm in every activity. It was wonderful to see just how much French they could understand and use beyond the classroom!

After the workshop, we made our way to Four Frogs Crêperie, a French restaurant known for its authentic flavours from Brittany - the region best known for its crêpes. The galettes and crêpes were definitely a highlight of the day!

This excursion was a fun and enriching experience, giving students a real taste of French language, culture, and cuisine. A day full of learning, laughter, and, of course, delicious food!

Ms Shen - Language Teacher

SCHOOLS SPECTACULAR

Congratulations, to the students from Hornsby Girls High School who have been offered a role in this year’s Schools Spectacular and we are excited to have them involved.

Secondary Combined Choir (7-12) - 24 students

Serena Hoffman (Year 11): Featured Drama Ensemble

SOCIAL JUSTICE

For more than six decades, Hamlin Fistula Foundation founded by Australian surgeons Catherine and Reg Hamlin, has worked tirelessly to transform maternal health care in Ethiopia so that every woman can be free from the most horrific of all childbirth injuries, obstetric fistula. It has been Hamlin's long-held tradition to give each patient a colourful, cosy, hand-knitted blanket as part of their Comfort Package. Every Hamlin blanket is made by volunteers around the world. More blankets are always needed!

This year we would like to call on Hornsby girls, parents and staff members to participate in this meaningful project! You only need to crochet/knit some 20cm×20cm squares that will be put together to make the blankets. Please see the instructions below for the requirements for the yarns. You will need to prepare your own yarns and needles. We are hoping to make some blankets by the end of Term 3. During term 3 we will be meeting each Friday during lunch time in the Library with the Yarnies.

Knitting and crochet are so much more than just a hobby. They can be incredibly powerful tools for science and mathematics. It's a wonderful way to explore geometry, patterns, knot theory and complex engineering! It can simply be a relaxing and a fun way to spend our holiday!

The following students have participated in the Red Shied Appeal from the 24 and 25 May at Hornsby.

Chelsea Chan (Y11), Judy Chen (Y11), Tanvi Marathe (Y11), Rion Son (Y11), Lucy Wang (Y11), Allison Wei (Y11), Chloe Cho (Y12), Bronte Hong (Y12) and Kelly Wu (Y12)

They have helped the Salvation Army raise fund to deliver vital community programs and social services, such as:

Shelter and support for those facing homelessness

Refuge for women and children in crisis

Crisis, transitional and long-term housing

Youth drop-in centres and support programs

Drug and alcohol addiction recovery and rehabilitation support

Each of the above students received a Certificate of Appreciation for their participation. Well done!

YEAR 8 Language & cultural cooking incursion

The international cooking school came to visit in week 9 for some cooking and language learning fun with Year 8 French and Japanese students. Here is some of what our students had to say:

“The chefs were super friendly and provided us with lots of detailed information about the Japanese ingredients and their roles in the dish”. (Jasmyn C.)

“Making udon noodles from scratch gave us a chance to work together, get a little messy, and appreciate the care that goes into traditional Japanese cuisine. It was both educational and delicious. Definitely a highlight of the term!” (Olivia H.)

“Then came the hands-on part—mixing the ingredients, stir frying the vegetable and adding the thick, chewy noodles. It was amazing to see how something so simple could become such a comforting and flavorful dish” (Ananya K.)

“The cooking incursion was quite fun. We got to look at a variety of techniques and ingredients when making the Yakisoba Udon, and it was very educational, looking at various vocabulary and what they meant” (Rhea P.)

“The cooking incursion acted as a fun and interactive way for students to implement their class level French into a real life experience. Each student was rewarded with two crepes topped with flavouring which enriched both our education and appetite. Our chef taught us the etiquette and social norms of the French and taught us phrases that we could use in our day to day lives” (Angela Z.)

“Everyone had a chance to do exciting and fun activities like flipping the crepes and making the batter. The crepes also tasted delicious” (Jasmine L.)

“We learnt various new French words and honed our pronunciation with the Chef, and we now know how to make crepes from scratch. I'm going to be making it at home now!” (Prisha G.)

“The crepe cooking incursion was an inspiring and a highlight of my week as I dedicated one period to understand the true French culture and how food is made by meaning and is symbolic. The chefs were also so helpful!” (Aanya S.)

RENEE TANG Year 7

I'm writing to commend a Hornsby Girls High School student, Renee Tang, who performed at our Community Concert on 13 April 2025. Her exceptional piano performance resonated deeply with our audience. Many children in attendance were visibly inspired, with several eagerly trying the instrument afterwards.

WATER POLO

Erica Liu has been selected to represent NSW at the Water Polo National Development Carnival, which will be held in Hobart from 3rd to 6th July. Congratulations Erica!

GERMAN SPEAKING Excursion

Last Tuesday, the Year 12 German Beginners and Continuers went to the German continuers speaking day at the Goethe Institut in Woollahra. We had a fantastic time, with some wunderbar opportunities to speak German in the activities as well as to other HSC German students and enjoyed lots of free gummy bears and other German snacks! Afterwards, we had the amazing opportunity to see an authentic piece of the Berlin wall, which was a fascinating end to a great day.

EXTRA CURRICULAR

Peer Support – Positive Relationships and Kindness

Peer Support continued to focus on building positive relationships and promoting kindness. In Week 6, Year 7 students were assigned secret buddies from their group mates. They were encouraged to learn about each other, demonstrate kindness, and recognise each other’s strengths. Year 10 leaders facilitated an engaging discussion on the characteristics of healthy relationships.

In the following weeks, we emphasised gratitude and kindness. Year 7 students participated in brainstorming sessions to discuss ways to show kindness to themselves, others, and the environment. They also explored the concept of perspective-taking and learned how to handle conflicts with tact and understanding. We concluded the program with an ultimate brain teaser challenge, where Year 7 students and Year 10 leaders engaged in creative problem-solving activities!