Subject and Cocurricular Captains for 2023 were announced during Assembly this week.

Upcoming events this year

The first of two performances of Animal Farm will take place tonight, with the second show taking place on Saturday. Tickets are still available and can be booked here. On Friday, Music Under the Stars will take place on Selbourne Lawn. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic rug and enjoy a relaxed evening of music performed by various student groups.

Cadets Bivouac commences on Sunday with our recruits in Year 7 and their peer leaders with ranks joining Trinity Grammar School students at Holsworthy. Cadets will enjoy a range of activities and return on Tuesday afternoon.

A service of Thanksgiving for Dr Greenhalgh will be held at St Andrew’s Cathedral on Saturday 3 December. Tickets can be booked here. Girls who attend the Thanksgiving Service should wear their summer uniform.

Looking ahead to 2023

As we look to the new school year, please note that the first day of lessons in the Senior School will be on Friday 27 January, commencing with Assembly at 8:20am. Please ensure girls are ready for School, including the correct uniform and learning materials.

Please note the Uniform Shop opening hours listed in this newsletter. As students enter a new year group, some uniform requirements may change. Please get in touch with the Uniform Shop if you have any questions.

The Senior School Swimming Carnival will take place in mid-February. All girls are encouraged to improve their swimming skills over the Christmas break, either through casual swimming or more formal swim programs offered by many local pools. From Year 5, girls are expected to be able to swim fifty metres confidently.

Expressions of interest are sought from the parent community to take on the role of Social Organiser for each year group in the Senior School. Thank you to the 2022 organisers for your help in fostering community amongst the parent body. If you would like to contribute to the life of the School in this way, either as an “old hand” or as a newcomer, please send me an email.

Christmas

As the year finishes and the season of advent is upon us, we look forward to celebrating the coming of Jesus at Christmas. I am reminded of a favourite carol that expresses this desire for God to be with us, made possible through the coming of Jesus. The carol O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, draws inspiration from the gospel of Matthew and the prophet Isaiah (7:14), where we find that Jesus is the Emmanuel and that Jesus is God with us. What a tremendous comfort this is!

I wish all girls and their families a holy, rest-filled and safe Christmas break and look forward to commencing a new school year in January.