Welcome back to the 2023 school year. I am excited to work closely with your daughter and connect with you at the upcoming parent functions. As we start a new year, I felt it was important to remind all parents/caregivers of some key information.

Upcoming Events

The Year 12 Parents’ Information Evening will be held in the Gym tonight from 6.00pm to 7.00pm. This is an important session for Year 12 parents and their daughters. At this meeting, we will provide information about key dates, SACE, career guidance and student support to ensure that we can work in partnership with you to assist your daughter in achieving the best possible outcome in Year 12.

The School’s annual Formal will be held at the National Wine Centre on Friday 3 February for all Year 11 and 12 girls and their partners. I look forward to sharing this important event with your daughter.

The Parents and Friends Welcome Drinks for new parents to the School will be held on the Memorial Lawn on Friday 10 February at 6.00pm.

Finally, the Year 12 Dedication Service will be held on Monday 13 February in the Gymnasium at 8.30am. All Year 12 parents are invited to attend this important service which will be followed by morning tea at the conclusion of this service. Please RSVP via TryBooking.

Absentees

The School monitors your daughter’s attendance at every lesson, including Form in the morning. Parents will be notified by SMS if their daughter is absent with no explanation. Unexpected absences must be notified using SEQTA Engage by 9.00am. This is crucial to ensure the safety of all students.

If your daughter is going to be absent for a day or more for reasons other than illness, permission must be requested in advance from the appropriate Head of School. Please see your daughter’s diary for a copy of the Attendance Policy on Page 21.

Assessment Calendars

All girls in the Senior School will receive a live electronic copy of the Assessment Planner for Term 1 in the first week of school. All girls are encouraged to review this document so they can manage their assessment tasks for the term. In line with the Assessment Guidelines found on Page 23 of the Student Diary, it is important that all girls meet deadline dates for all their assessment tasks. Deadlines support the processes of teaching and learning to ensure girls receive timely feedback on their progress. While extensions may be granted in extenuating circumstances, they do disadvantage students in the next sequence of their learning.

HP Laptops

The school continues to upgrade the ICT infrastructure to ensure girls have access to appropriate services for their educational needs. In line with the School’s policy of upgrading laptops every three years, all Year 10 students will receive their new HP Laptop, which they will use until the end of their time in the Senior School. I encourage all students and their parents to review the ICT Policy, specifically the student guidelines for laptop and social media usage. This can be found on Page 18 of the Student Diary.

Vehicles

As you are aware, available parking around the School is limited. While students in Year 12 are able to drive to school once they have obtained their licence, girls are not permitted to drive to school until they have completed a Permission to Drive Form that has been lodged with me as their Head of School, in accordance with the School Student Driver Policy. I ask girls who live in close proximity to the campus not to drive to school for the sake of driving, and girls are asked not to park on Herbert Street.

Finally, I encourage you to keep the lines of communication open. Your daughter’s Form teacher and Head of House are your primary point of contact for all matters concerning your daughter. However, should you wish to make contact with me directly, please feel comfortable to send me an email or call me at school on 08 8344 6688.

School ID Photographs

On Monday 6 February, Event Photo will be taking School ID photos in the Gym for all girls.

Please view the following schedule to see when your daughter is required to be in the Gym to have her photo taken.

Girls are required to wear their Summer uniform.

Girls who are absent on Monday will have their photo taken at another time.