Welcome back. I hope you were able to enjoy a change of pace over the holiday break, to take some time out for yourself and refresh for Term 4.

Our students are expected back for face-to-face learning from 25th October 2021. Any students who live in an area still under stay-at-home orders are also expected back at school for face-to-face learning and this is allowed under the public health order. The best learning environment for students is in the classroom and we are looking forward to welcoming back all of our staff and students.

As a reminder, here’s what our families and student can expect when returning to school sites under COVID-safe Level 3 conditions:

• Staff will be required to wear masks indoors and outdoors while on school grounds.
• Students in Year 7 and above will also be required to wear masks indoors on school grounds. Masks are recommended outdoors.
• We will reduce overall mingling of our different student years which means no school assemblies or sport (outside of existing PDHPE classes), excursions or field trips.
• Only essential visitors will be allowed on site and will be required to check in and wear masks at all times.
• Canteens are open with appropriate hygiene measures in place.
• Parents and carers will need to remain outside of school grounds, follow physical distancing and avoid gathering for drop-offs and pick-ups.
• There will be enhanced daily cleaning of the school and wherever possible we will ensure classrooms will be well-ventilated with open windows and/or air purifiers.

We have worked closely with NSW Health in developing our return to school roadmap and COVID-safe school plan. NSW Health will continue to monitor vaccination rates and transmission levels in our LGA and will advise us if settings need re-evaluation.

We are continuing to work closely with NSW Health and other relevant authorities to support our school staff to receive 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccination by 8 November. This will help protect our staff and students and we encourage our entire school community to also get vaccinated as soon as possible.

All students are expected - and will be supported - to return to school for face-to-face learning. I encourage you to get in touch with us directly and visit the Wellbeing for students and families page for support materials.

Response protocols for confirmed cases of COVID-19

The Health and Safety Directorate (HSD) will validate test results with NSW Health and determine what additional action may need to be taken by the school. The school will only be required to take action if the person was deemed to be infectious at a time when they had been at the school. All other matters are a private health matter, and the person will be supported by NSW Health.

In addition, the department has protocols in place where it is notified by NSW Health of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a student, staff member or member of the school community where the person may have been infectious whilst on school grounds.

Where NSW Health confirm that a person has been infectious at a time when they had been at the school, Health and Safety will contact the Executive Director and make urgent arrangements to set up a teleconference with the Director, Educational Leadership and the Principal to discuss relevant actions including:

• Communication with parents advising them whether their child has been in contact with a confirmed case
• Ceasing operations of the school (where it is deemed appropriate)
• Contact tracing to identify all contacts to a confirmed case. In some instances, this may require ceasing the operations of the school while the contact tracing process is completed

• Thorough cleaning of the school site to ensure the environment is clean and safe prior to the school resuming onsite learning.

Presentation Day 2021

Whilst life is returning to normal, we are still bound by certain restrictions that will impact how we finish up 2021.

Our Presentation Day is scheduled for Friday 10 December although, we are not able to invite families to be a part of this due to the 4 square meter rule. Our hall is only able to hold 264 people under these guidelines. Throughout the day we will hold a Presentation Assembly for recipients only, in each year group. We will ensure to livestream the event for those who wish to watch from home.

Please note school finishes for all students on Thursday 16 December.

HSC 2021

What a year to be completing the HSC! Our Year 12 have shown tremendous resilience and maintained a positive mindset, despite the obstacles they have faced. Already approximately one third of our students have been offered early entry into university courses.

The Year 12 2021 Graduation will be held through a virtual assembly on Thursday 9th December 2021.

Congratulations again Year 12, we are very proud of you all.

School Captains 2022

I would like to congratulate our recently elected school captain Leila Ledua and Vice-captain Sarah Maikari. I look forward to working with these leaders in 2022.                   

Thank you for your ongoing support and I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy new year.

Maria Iemma

Principal 

Welcome to our last newsletter for the Year. It certainly has been a very busy one for our community, to say the least! Term 4 has seen our students return to school with a renewed appetite for learning having been in lock down for most of Term 3. Our Wellbeing team- Student Advisors, Head Teacher Wellbeing, School Psychologist and Counsellor, along with our Student Support Officer continue to support our students. This was demonstrated by the numerous phone calls made to students and parents/caregivers to ensure students were connected to the school and felt a sense of belonging. Year Advisors were also busy maintaining and managing the Google Classrooms for their respective year groups to assist in the Online Learning platform. In addition, care packs, merit certificates, letters of appreciation and acknowledgement in Online Learning were mailed out so that all our students felt connected in spirit if not in body.

Year 12

This term has also seen us bade farewell to our Year 12 cohort. It is with much joy and sorrow that we must say goodbye to such a diverse group of inspirational learners who will go forth and continue to do marvelous things in life post school. At the moment, as I write this, Year 12 have begun their second week of HSC Exams held at the IEC (Intensive English Centre). The exams began on 9 November and will run its course until 3 December. It is strange that after the 3 December, the graduating class of 2021 will no longer be with us! We wish all the students the very best in their future endeavours and we invite them to keep in touch with the school community and their student advisors: Ms Rahal and Ms Petkovska. I would like to personally take this opportunity to thank Ms Rahal and Ms Petkovska for all the support, hard work and dedication given to Year 12 over the last 6 years!

Year 10

This term has also been a very busy one for Year 10. The fabulous student advisors, Ms Banbas and Ms Papas have been preparing students for Stage 6 and in particular, Year 11. This has involved completing NESA’s requirements of All My Own Work. All My Own Work is a program designed to help HSC students understand, value and use ethical practices when locating and using information as part of their HSC studies. Students who have completed the program will also know about penalties for cheating and how to avoid malpractice when preparing their work for assessment. To be eligible for the HSC, students must complete HSC: All My Own Work before commencing study in 2022. If any student has not completed the compulsory modules, please contact Ms Glitsos who will be more than happy to assist.

In addition, further preparations for Year 10 include Maximising Me, a program designed to prepare students with essential study skills such as time management, organisation and study techniques. The lessons, delivered by Ms Omar, Ms Banbas, Ms Tzavellas, Ms Romey, Ms Carosi, Ms Ligman and Mr Sen, have been very informative and interactive. This year, students have also been exposed to ALARM (A Learning And Response Matrix) delivered by a dedicated team of expert teachers including Ms Adrias, Mr Klironomos, Ms Michos, Ms Ligman, Ms Zahariadis and Mr Critchley. This very worthwhile program provides the essential knowledge and skills to students to improve their writing for the HSC in the form of long responses, reports and essays. This is achieved by teaching students to use high order thinking skills such as analysis and evaluation and encouraging students with a structure to support learning and responding in the HSC. Ms Adrias is uploading the pre-recorded lessons on Google Classrooms for students to refer to if required.

Year 8

The student advisors, Ms Avgenakis and Ms Tzavellas, were super excited to welcome Year 8 back to school and have since been busy ensuring to keep the students engaged in their learning and continue to make positive and lasting relationships within the cohort and the school. Next year will see Year 8 become Year 9 and with this, students will be able to choose from an array of electives to study as they begin to consider Stage 5.  Year 8 continue to surprise their teachers with the portfolios of work submitted. Many were highlighted for their attention to detail and creativeness. Well done, students!

Wellbeing

The school continues to pursue worthwhile wellbeing programs to support students in their ability to connect, thrive and succeed. This year’s focus has been on growth mindset, positive psychology and Choice Theory. Ms Stock (Head Teacher Wellbeing) along with her team of dedicated Student Advisors, have provided programs to each cohort in order to further support the emotional, social and mental wellbeing of all students at BHGHS. Such programs include: To Connect, Love Bites, and Random Acts of Kindness. These programs have assisted students to build a positive sense of belonging.

We value input from all our stakeholders including students, staff and parents/caregivers. The Tell Them From Me survey is one way to provide valuable information to the school in the areas of student engagement, wellbeing and effective teaching practices at our school from a student’s perspective. The survey is confidential and will allow us to use the information to inform our school priorities when planning future directions. Please take the time to fill in the survey. 

Student Support Officer

Last term, Ms Turner went off on maternity leave and gave birth to a healthy baby boy! Her replacement is Ms Becovic and she can be found in the library. Hana forms part of our wellbeing team and works closely with School Psychologist, Ms Carey Little, and School Counsellor, Ms Kean, Student Advisors and Head Teacher Wellbeing to ensure all of our student’s needs are catered for.

We have certainly had a very busy and fulfilling 2021! If there is one thing to take away from this, is that we all must be flexible and plan for anything. We look forward to working with your daughters next year and beyond and wish our school community peace, love and rest throughout the holidays.

Keep safe and see you next year!

Raquel Spratt

Deputy Principal

Year 8, 10 and 12

As the 2021 school years draws to a close, now is the time to reflect on our progress this year in regard to teaching and learning and look to what we hope will be a productive and stress free 2022.

Year 11 – Support for the HSC

Based on student and teacher feedback as well as the Semester 2 reports, the school is in the process of developing an extensive HSC program with the goal to support the achievement of better HSC outcomes.  Components of the program include the review of current teaching and learning  practices, evaluation and feedback from staff and students on what works best and analysis of reports and ROSA grades. A draft plan will be presented to the executive in the coming weeks with the intent to implement from the beginning of 2022. Many of the strategies, workshops and/or tutorials planned to support Year 11, will occur during Period 6 Monday and Period 4 Friday.

Literacy and Reading Programs

For many  of our stage 4 and 5 students the return to school also saw a return to face to face tutorial work in either reading or numeracy. This disruption to our support programs has been frustrating for all involved. We highly value these programs and intend to commit to delivery in 2022 and even looking at increasing the number of students involved as well as more timetabled sessions to eliminate students missing vital lesson time in other subjects.

Subject Selection for Semester 1 2022

It comes around very quickly and this semester even more so. Students in years 7, 8 and 9 are currently looking at their individual learning pathway and making decision on their subjects for 2022. Recently, the timetable team visited classrooms where information relating to the process was presented and subject selection forms handed out. Students can access the ASPIRE booklet via an email sent to them or on the school’s website. We strongly recommend that students discuss their learning pathway with their parents and think about what is best for their learning. All forms need to be signed and returned to the front office. Webchoice details were also emailed through to Years 8 and 9 for completion by the end of Week 8.

Learning From Home – Assessment and Reporting

Semester 2 learning this year has looked very different than previous semesters. With 14 weeks working within the Learning From Home Model, the delivery of lessons and the teaching strategies utilized, have been different from what occurs during  face to face learning at school.  Students working online logged onto their year Google Classroom where the daily learning activities would be posted. Teachers were given a group of students to monitor and mentor as they worked on the full range of subjects posted.  Interactive online lessons were held regularly where teachers gave demonstrations, conducted an online lesson of instruction, scaffolding for responses and held discussions on many topics to support student learning. Learning From Home was challenging, however we have seen wonderful examples of quality learning occurring across all year groups and within all subjects.

The question for teachers was “how do we assess the learning while students were Learning From Home? and secondly, how can we identify the gaps in student learning? As limited summative assessment occurred this semester emphasis was placed on formative assessment which occurred during the Learning from Home period as well as when the students returned to school. Students’ engagement with learning as well as the achievement of learning outcomes have been assessed and will be reported on in the Semester 2 report.

Therefore, the report this semester, will include a separate page dedicated to Student Engagement with Learning. This report will relate to students engagement in learning activities and their overall commitment to independent learning during the Learning From Home period. The information/data collected to complete these reports came from the supervising/monitoring teachers in each of the year groups. In assessing the achievement of learning outcomes in each of the subjects, students were required to complete and submit identified tasks on their Google Classroom and post in their Digital Learning Portfolio. On return to face to face teaching, students were asked to submit their portfolio to their classroom teachers for the purpose of assessing the achievement of Learning Outcomes. The Semester 2 report will have individual subject reports where timetabled teachers will give a modified account of student performance in the course. We believe this format for reporting this semester will give a clear picture of student achievement and progress in all learning endeavours.

Are our students continuing to grow as learners and what, if any, are the gaps in their learning? Are we achieving our learning targets in areas such as reading, writing and numeracy?  In response to these questions, the school has focused on external testing to help us answer the questions. On return to school, students in Years 7 and 9 received their NAPLAN results and Year 11 received their yearly reports. All year groups have completed the Tell Them From Me survey and Years 7, 8 and 9 have completed the Check- In assessment. In regard to NAPLAN, as the school is moving to online testing in 2022, the current year 9 will be completing the NAPLAN SRT test in week 9, Term 4. All of these tests enable us to get a clearer picture and allow us to set the direction for our school learning goals.

Christine Williams

Deputy Principal 

Year 7, 9 and 11

After a very disjointed year, we’re thrilled to finally welcome back Year 11 as they start off their Year 12 courses on their journey towards their HSC. 

We started off back at school with some great news; that their senior jerseys arrived ahead of schedule.  The girls truly look like seniors now and are wearing them with pride.  A BIG thanks to the Jersey Committee for their time and effort in creating this year’s design.

“Learning from Home” has been a difficult time for everyone and we want to remind you of the many avenues of support we can offer at school.  Do seek support early rather than later either through the school psychologists or Hana, our Student Support Officer, or your year advisors.

We are finally at the pointy end of your schooling and it’s time to get serious about your studies.  Key features to success include:-

• Being at school every day and in every lesson.
• Use a planner to enter class assessments and other key dates
• Check your DET email regularly for important information.  (Ms Pangis frequently communicates great information regarding Universities and Open Days via email.)
• Also check our Google Classroom for additional information pertaining to our year.  For example – fundraising events, formal etc.
• Establishing a good sleep routine. 
• Keep your official HSC documents (given to you on return to school) in a safe place and refer to them for all the rules and procedures, especially around the issues of absence and non-submission of assessments on the due date.
• Reach out to your teachers if you are finding the work or assessment tasks difficult. Support is at hand!

Shannon Gray and Allison Brooks

Year 11 Student Advisors

Congratulations Year 12!

You’re nearing the end of your schooling journey and you have accomplished so much! Your future is bright and you will all find your path. Remember, believe in yourself and work hard for what you want to achieve.

A third of our Year 12 students have received an early entry offer to attend University next year, which is outstanding; I’m sure there will be more early offers in the upcoming rounds.

Beverly Hills Girls High School & ABCN - Empower & My Career Rules (Optus & NBN)

At Beverly Hills Girls High School, students continue to be offered opportunities through ABCN and their partner companies. The benefits of these programs are endless; building creative and problem solving skills, female leadership, broadening awareness of STEM and post school pathways.

To finish off what has been a challenging year, student have the opportunity to continue to grow and develop through these programs; thinking about their future and developing new skills.

Year 9 students participated in ‘Empower’ whilst Year 11 in ‘My Career Rules’ – always engaging and rewarding.

U@UNI - UTS

As we embark on our second year in partnership with UTS, the U@Uni Academy provides a unique opportunity to selected students on their journey through their senior years and beyond. An excited 16 new students will be participating in this 2 year program, along with 10 students who will be completing the program this year.

We’re excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our students which will help them achieve success, not only in their HSC but into the future.

Wanago Program - UTS

In partnership with UTS, we continue to provide opportunities for our students to study subjects which are not available at school. These particular subjects (Software, Design & Development / Engineering Studies) allow students to undertake these as part of their senior studies to align with their interests and aspirations.

FEE-FREE COURSES - TAFE

Students who are 15+ years can select from a range of FEE FREE courses which are available during summer this year. These courses are particularly targeted to students who are no longer at school – if you’ve just finished Year 12, you’re a perfect candidate! These courses will provide you with training in your chosen area and help you secure employment with the knowledge and experience you acquire.

Fee-Free* Online Short Courses - TAFE NSW

Summer Skills Short Courses for School Leavers - TAFE NSW

During the period of online learning Textiles Technology lessons addressed different aspects of Textiles including the five focus areas (apparel, non-apparel, costume, textile arts and furnishings), the elements and principles of design, cultural influences on textile items and sustainable textiles. As part of their main assessment, students developed a digital portfolio which encompassed the creation of a fashion magazine. Within the magazine students devised articles and reports on various aspects of textiles, comprising of the history of fashion and its effect on current designs, contemporary designers, fashion trends and careers in the textiles industry. Students were also introduced to a realm of fashion marketing and advertising.

Examples of student’s Magazine Presentations below: Sara Fiaz K

During online learning in Semester Two, Year 8 Technology Mandatory students completed the unit of work titled, ‘Grow and Thrive’. Students explored a range of topics related to agriculture including the history of agriculture, Aboriginal agriculture and Australian inventions that changed Australia’s agriculture. As part of their assessment, students investigated the status of Australia's Agricultural Industry with a focus on designing their own pizza and finding solutions for growing their own food. They were also encouraged to cultivate their own plants via growing food scraps as a practical solution to combating food supply issues. As part of the ‘Digital Technologies’ context of the syllabus, students were asked to attend a live webinar hosted by Cool Australia. This was a presentation of women working in a variety of field areas that encompass STEAM education.

An Example of a student’s Grow and Thrive Presentation below:  Sarika T

Wellbeing Theme Term 4: ‘Show Kindness to Others’

The Library was a buzz of activity from the ‘Tell Them From Me surveys’ to our fabulous jewellery making workshops.

Harnessing the spirit of inclusiveness, caring, respect and random acts of kindness, our Year 7 girls and Year 8 girls bedazzled us with their jewellery making under the instructions of our wonderful Student Support Officer/Youth Worker, Ms Hana Begovic.

Their laughter, joy and smiling eyes filled the Library space as they delighted us with their out pouring of creative genius. Furiously making colourful beaded bracelets, dangling earrings and special keepsakes for family and friends.   All done whilst fulfilling our aim in the Wellbeing Program of fostering friendship, a sense of belonging and connectedness between the girls and staff.

The Wellbeing & Learning Support Programs, led by Head Teacher Ms Sylvia Stock, has implemented a variety of wellbeing themes every week that have been exciting to the girls on their return to school after lockdown.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Library is required to adhere to strict health guidelines by allowing access to a single year cohort each day to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.  Each day, the Library accommodates one year group:

• Year 11 -  Monday
• Year 10 - Tuesday
• Year 9 - Wednesday
• Year 8 - Thursday
• Year 7 - Friday

In addition to our wellbeing services, the Library offers a vast array of learning materials and resources from which our students may benefit.

Our extended Fiction range of books are a treasure chest of fun reading for all. The genres include: Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Humour, Sci Fi/Dystopia, General Fiction, True Stories, Quick Reads, Graphic Novels and a growing list of Wellbeing novels.

Worth looking into, is our extensive range of Study Guides to encourage students building their Reading and Writing skills. The collection has been updated with many of the latest senior, subject specific Study Guides.

There is also a new Self Help/ Wellbeing collection that can be found in the Non-Fiction area of the Library.

Many students had borrowed Library books to read or study from as the Pandemic pushed us into Lockdown. It is time to dig these overdue books out from your bedside drawers, under beds, hiding in piles of clothes etc and bring them back to the Library as soon as possible. You don’t even need to face a librarian! Just sneak in and pop it into the RETURNS shoot on the side of the Library front counter ?

Reminder emails for overdue books will be sent home next week.

Some students were able to borrow laptops and/or dongles or routers to aid them in Learning From Home during lockdown. It is also time to return these to the Library. You can’t sneak these into the Returns shoot though! Please bring them to Ms Nelson or Ms Kerrie to return.

All Library books and laptops have a final return date of Wednesday, 1st December 2021.

Don’t forget, for a good read (or listen) over the holidays, you can access our shared collection of eBooks and audiobooks through the Wheelers ePlatform App. Just go to the Apple Store or Google Play Store to download the free app onto your phone, tablet, Kindle or computer. Login using your DOE account and choose Beverly Hills Girls from the dropdown menu. There are thousands of books to choose from for all ages and in all genres (including Manga).

Have a wonderful holiday break!

From all the Library staff.

The Future is bright for Emmanouela F as she joins the National Squad of 2022.

Young gymnast, Emmanouela F from Sydney continues to climb up the ranks in the Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics arena in Australia.

Only a few days ago the talented Greek Australian from Sydney, was officially selected to be part of the Juniors Rhythmic Gymnastics National Squad, which will be representing Australia in the international competitions of 2022.

Arguably one the most beautiful sports in the world, rhythmic gymnastics is also incredibly demanding, as the athletes have to be in their best physical form to perform their whole act within minutes, as they leap, run, contort, and flip tossing their different apparatuses in the air, whilst staying tuned to the beat of the music.

Not one to shy away from all the hard work, the determined 14-year-old trains on average four hours a day, after school, still managing to stay on top of her studies, whilst painstakingly practicing, even in her home during the lockdown in NSW, to achieve the effortless grace and fluidity required of this sport.

Her dream is to one day perform in the Olympics, and representing Australia in the National Squad is one step closer to realising that dream.

Emmanouela first started rhythmic gymnastics when she was five years old, in Greece, where she was born. Before her ninth birthday she had already won her first medal, a bronze in the Greek national competitions.

Within the first year of the family’s migration to Australia, Emmanouela managed to win first place at the Australian National Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships (2017), before climbing the ranks to become NSW State Champion in 2019.

“Our first priority, when we moved to Australia, was to find a club for her to continue practicing this sport, as she was doing so well in Greece,” her mother, Athanasia Delinicolis tells Neos Kosmos, adding that her daughter loves rhythmic gymnastics so much, that she never wants to give it up.

Ms Delinicolis explains how lucky they have been with Le Ray Academy in NSW, her amazing coach there, Katie Mitchell Sigsworth, and her Greek coach, Greek National All-around Champion, Varvara Filiou, with whom she also trains  daily through zoom.

“It really is a beautiful sport and so impressive,” she adds. “But behind all that glitter and shine, there is a very hard training regime that requires a lot of dedication.”

Earlier this year, in March, Emmanouela was part of the NSW team that won the gold medal in the Australian State championship for 2021.

The only thing certain is that a bright future awaits the disciplined and talented teenager, who along with the sport, loves to travel to all the places and countries she trains and competes in.

Neos Kosmos

1 December 2021