Look Up, Reach Out: R U OK? Day 2019 a Conversation (And Seeking Help from an Adult) Can Make Such a Difference

TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019

IN THIS ISSUE

The Headmistress Senior School Chaplain News Community Events Shuttle Junior School Time flies faster than a weaver’s shuttle.

FROM THE ACTING HEADMISTRESS Look Up, Reach Out: R U OK? Day 2019 A conversation (and seeking help from an adult) can make such a difference.

Mrs Megan Krimmer Headmistress

Recent data from ReachOut has revealed UPCOMING EVENTS that many young people do not reach out for Monday 16 September assistance when they experience anxiety, SS AbbSchool Drama Recital depression and/or stress. In her second article about the importance of wellbeing Tuesday 17 September this term, Mrs Cannon writes: Year 8 STEAM Day JS AbbSchool Drama Recital ‘Looking after the wellbeing of our girls is of paramount importance to us at Abbotsleigh. Wednesday 18 September We aim to work together with parents to Year 3 Wellbeing Day ensure that we monitor and care for the girls in all aspects of their wellbeing, and if we Thursday 19 September Year 5 Father Daughter have any concerns we talk with girls and Bush Dance parents to make sure the girls are supported. We also encourage girls to talk with us and parents to contact us, should they have Friday 20 September Always talk to an adult if you are concerns about their daughters. Interschool Drone Challenge worried – they can help. SDN Debating Grand Final At Abbotsleigh we recognise and support We also urge the girls that if they are Infants Music Concert R U OK? Day – a national day of action to worried about the mental health or safety encourage conversations with friends and of a friend or their own mental health family who may be struggling. Our girls are and safety, to speak to an adult who can very good at looking out for each other and assist them and, if necessary, seek further this day helps to remind the girls to check support for them. in with their friends; to ask if they are okay, to listen not judge, encourage action if this The girls in the Senior School were is needed and then to check in again. A all given an R U OK? wristband and conversation can make such a difference. this handout outlining how to start a conversation around mental health Visit the R U OK? website for more concerns as well as helpful contact details information. should any girl be struggling. These contacts include talking to an adult at home, at school, in the boarding house,

Visit the Parent Portal to edit your profile, view the calendar and view parent notices.

01 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019 at church, their GP or calling the Kids Parents are always welcome to contact Helpline 1800 55 1800. There is support Mrs Liz Cannon, Director of Wellbeing at school for all girls when needed – and Counselling if you have any concerns including teachers, tutors, coordinators, regarding your daughter, or call Liz on counsellors, chaplains and our school 9473 7836. nurse.

There is also information on wellbeing and mental health issues available in many places including outside Mrs Cannon’s office and in the SS Library. I would encourage all parents to check in with their daughters and, if they are concerned about their wellbeing, to seek support.

Sometimes talking can be difficult, so this article on how to have a great conversation may help parents to get started.

Additional resources for parents can be found on the ReachOut website, which is an excellent source of information in regards to parenting teens and mental health.

Should you ever be concerned about the immediate safety and mental health of your daughter, you should call 000 for an ambulance or take your daughter to the nearest hospital to seek mental health support, just as you would with a physical emergency.

Chaplain

Copycat or the Flattery of Imitation Rev Jenni Stoddart Chaplain

Don’t be a copycat. Have you said She would ruffle his hair and always All of us are imitating copying those words? If I ever complained to my comment on how amazing it was. someone. What kind of young women mother that someone was copying me will our daughters grow to be if they she would always say, ‘Imitation is the She never understood why he would decide to be shaped the God who made sincerest form of flattery.’ God invites scowl so much when she did so. She them and shows his character in the us to be copycats. He invites us to assumed he didn’t enjoy getting his sacrifice of Jesus? imitate his character. hair cut. Then finally one day as she ruffled his hair he burst into tears. With ‘Be kind and compassionate to one My friend is a hairdresser. She tells great big sobs he looked at her and another, forgiving each other, just as the story of the little boy that would said, ‘But I want hair just like my dad.’ in Christ God forgave you. Therefore come regularly to her for a haircut. Of course, standing next to him was his be imitators of God as dearly loved He had amazing curly unruly hair that dad who had not a wisp of hair on his children’. Ephesians 4:32 – 5:1 on a little boy makes everyone smile. head. The little boy just wanted to be like his dad.

02 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019 Community

The Entertainment Book Mrs Natalie Doyle APA Entertainment Book Liaison

As has been the case in previous years, an App (iPhone or Android). It is very the APA is selling the Entertainment convenient to search by restaurant name Book to add to the funds we raise (for example) or look for offers in your for Abbotsleigh. It is excellent value, location. The offer is then redeemed providing thousands of offers, including directly from your mobile device. up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for many 2. A BOOK membership restaurants, cafés, arts, attractions, (Entertainment™ Book Membership) hotels, travel, and shopping. which will provide you with a hard copy It is possible to purchase: of the book, including vouchers. 1. A DIGITAL membership Entertainment™ Memberships still sell (Entertainment™ Digital Membership) for $70 and include over $20,000 in If you’d like to have a look through one of which is downloaded onto your phone as offers you can use until 1 June 2020. the books, there are samples on display at Reception on both campuses. To purchase a membership, please use this link which takes you to the For any questions, please contact Abbotsleigh page to place an order. Natalie Doyle.

Uniform Shop Holiday Trading Mrs Lorraine Boothby Uniform Shop Manager

Term 4 will see the girls back in their summer uniforms, so please note the Uniform Shop holiday trading times in case you need to purchase any items for the coming term. Holiday opening – 9.30 am-4 pm • Friday 27 September • Thursday 3 October Monday 18 November 2019 • Tuesday 8 October to Friday 11 October Kate Forsyth’s book Term 4 The Blue Rose discussion • Monday 14 October 2019 (9.30-5 pm) 7-8.30 pm Regular trading hours resume from Tuesday 15 October. Visit the Uniform Shop page on the VIP Room (Level 4) Abbotsleigh website for more information. Judith Poole Sports Hall

RSVP to Deepa Pillay

03 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019 Junior School

Mood Bending Exercises Ms Sally Ruston Head of Junior School

We know that to focus on academic physical fitness.’ 2018 AHKA Report achievement to the detriment of Card from Schranza et al, 2018 wholistic wellbeing is a recipe for 2. ‘Physical activity is highly correlated disaster. It is for this reason that we with positive mental health outcomes.’ give equal weight to data on our girls’ Paediatrics Journal, Alverez-Beuno et social and emotional wellbeing to that al, 2017 of their academic attainment. To this end we gathered data on our girls from It is for this reason that I spoke with Years 3-6 with the Australian Centre for girls in Infants Assembly last week Educational Research (ACER) Social about the connection between physical Emotional Wellbeing survey earlier this activity and feeling happy. I talked year. In comparison to same age peers about the fact that sometimes we feel in other primary schools throughout cranky, annoyed, sad and bad for no Australia, we know our girls score good reason. I asked the girls what especially highly on social engagement they thought would be a good action and efficacy. They know how to to take when feeling this way. Few connect, make friends and sustain could identify that by being active they relationships. They also know that by could help themselves self-regulate working hard they can improve. They and return to a happy state of mind. love to learn and care deeply for our Indeed, one of the questions on the environment. ACER Survey asks the children to state whether exercise is related to feeling The area of comparative weakness happy. 36% of our girls didn’t know this, for our girls is in the domain of self- in spite of the education we have done • Twice-weekly PE lessons delivered efficacy. They are incredibly hard on in this area. Poignantly, many believed by expert teachers themselves. They are unforgiving if a that eating chocolate would make them • Co-curricular programs in sport, mistake is made. Their self-talk can happy. dance, fencing, equestrian, skiing often be negative. While this in itself is not good news, it is very helpful to In Primary Assembly this week we have When girls receive consistent messages know where we, as the kind, caring also shared with the girls the message from school and home, we are more adults in our girls’ world, can focus our from R U OK? that promotes dance as likely to see traction and action. effort and attention. So, what actions a means of connecting and maintaining Please work with us to find the means should we be taking to support our girls mental health wellbeing levels. You of ensuring that your daughter has to thrive in all domains? may wish to view the resources on the the recommended 60 minutes of R U OK? website to facilitate follow up physical activity each day and that she Interestingly recent research points to conversations with your daughter. emphatically knows the correlation two facts: between activity and positive mood. We are indeed fortunate in the Junior 1. ‘Despite living in a country Our girls’ wellbeing is dependent on it. School to have so many ways in which advantaged by good schools, the girls can be physically active: Please also reference the Headmistress’s programs, facilities and spaces, article in this edition of The Shuttle. Australian children and youth do not • Self-identified exercise such as move enough, lack movement skill scooting, skating, bike riding, mastery, and compare poorly to their chasings with games of cops and robbers or on the monkey bars, international peers when it comes to skipping and handball

04 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019

Photo Day 3 – Tuesday 24 September 2019

Mrs Kate Coventry Deputy Head of Junior School

A reminder that Photo Day 3 is to be held wear their sports uniform including house and Infants, Digital Leaders, Environment in the last week this Term on Tuesday 24 shirt and coloured house hair ribbons. Club, SDN Debating team, Year 4 Friendly September. This will include house photos House Captains only may dress in other Debating Team, Year 5 and 6 Debating for all Junior School students. Listed below house coloured clothes. Squads, IPSHA Speaker’s Challenge. are the uniform requirements on the day For the following groups, full winter For sporting groups to be photographed which we ask girls to pack and bring to school uniform is required to be worn on this day uniform requirements are school on Monday in readiness for the without the black felt hat; Beginner Band, as follows: Tuesday photographs. Library Monitors, Tempus committee, For the house photos, all girls in Kindergarten Starters finishing Year 6, Kindergarten to Year 6 are required to Service Committee, Stage Crew Primary

Event Uniform required Abbotsleigh Athletics Team White representative polo shirt and full PE tracksuit, white sport socks and joggers (Competed at IPSHA) IPSHA Athletics Team IPSHA polo shirt or singlet top, Black PE shorts, white sport socks and joggers (Competed at CIS) CIS Athletics Team CIS polo shirt or singlet or Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt, black PE shorts/ (competed at PSSA) CIS shorts, white sport socks and joggers CIS Netball Team CIS Rep Netball uniform CIS Hockey CIS Rep Hockey uniform IPSHA Gymnastics Artistic Team White representative polo shirt and full PE tracksuit, white sport socks and joggers IPSHA Gymnastics Rhythmic Team White representative polo shirt and full PE tracksuit, white sport socks and joggers Interschools Regional Ski Team Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, ski team jacket (not mandatory) black tracksuit pants, white sport socks and joggers Interschools State Ski Team Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, ski team jacket (not mandatory) black tracksuit pants, white sport socks and joggers Interschools National Ski Team Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, ski team jacket (not mandatory) black tracksuit pants, white sport socks and joggers Equestrian Team Abbotsleigh Equestrian uniform Dance teams Company A Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, black dance pants, tracksuit top and jazz shoes Company A Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, black dance pants, tracksuit top and jazz shoes IPSHA Saturday Sport AFL Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, black shorts, long white sport socks and joggers Touch Football Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, black shorts or bike pants, short white sport socks and joggers Basketball Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, black shorts, short white sport socks and joggers T20 Blast Cricket Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, black shorts, short white sport socks and joggers Tennis Abbotsleigh representative white polo shirt with black collar, yellow skirt/skort, short white sport socks and joggers Year 2 Sport Full PE tracksuit with house shirt, short white sport socks and joggers

05 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019

Nude Food in the JS: Get on the Nude Food Bandwagon! Mrs Sally Eriksen EAL/D Teacher and Environment Club Coordinator

With an ever-increasing number of JS families choosing to pack nude food lunchboxes, you can do your daughter a favour, as well as the environment by doing so too. At the Junior School we strongly encourage nude food lunch boxes. This simply means packing a waste- free lunch. No plastic wrap, no zip- lock bags, no packaging, no packets, no foil, no disposable plastic waste. Just Nude Food.

There are many fabulous lunchboxes to plastic wrap/foil, available from that have individual compartments health food shops or online. for your daughter’s nude food. Or you Each Nude Food Monday, at may choose to use the lunchbox you lunchtime, house points and stickers already have and add smaller re- are awarded to the girls who have useable plastic containers for nude Nude Food lunchboxes. Please food. Thermoses are also great. consider what you pack for your You may like to use beeswax wrap, an daughter and avoid any waste. environmentally-friendly alternative

JS Doubles Tennis Competition Year 3 to Visit

Mr Paul Guirreri St Lucy’s JS PDHPE Coordinator School This Saturday 14 September sees the The two most successful teams on running of our JS Doubles Competition Saturday will play in the final on the Miss Brittany Black which will be held from 1 pm on the Junior School tennis courts at lunchtime Year 3 Coordinator Senior School tennis courts. Spectators on Monday 16 September. We wish all are most welcome. the girls who are playing every success During Weeks 9 and 10, each of the in this competition. Year 3 classes will visit St Lucy’s School for a lunchtime playdate. This excursion marks the beginning of our annual Combined Creative Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 Term 4 IPSHA and Performing Arts Program. Teachers and students from both Saturday Sport Basketball and schools are looking forward to the event. Each of the Year 3 classes Cricket Trials will walk over to St Lucy’s School on the following days: Mrs Jacqueline McCarthy JS Science Teacher • 3G: Monday 16 September • 3O: Monday 23 September Just a reminder that trials for basketball • Year 5: Wednesday 18 September, 3.20- and T-20 cricket will be held on the Junior 4.30 pm – Year 5 basketball and cricket • 3L: Wednesday 25 September School oval and basketball courts on the • Year 6: Thursday 19 September, 3.20- following days next week: 4.30 pm – basketball and cricket • Years 3 and 4: Monday 16 September, 3.20-4.30 pm – basketball and cricket 06 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019

Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology

Mrs Jacqueline McCarthy JS Science Teacher

On Thursday 5 September, 19 girls Year), interactive experiments and from Years 5 and 6 headed to UNSW a guided tour of the Quantum for the Open Day at the Centre Laboratories to see, first-hand, the for Quantum Computation and technology being used to build a Communication Technology. The quantum computer in silicon. students had a unique, hands-on science experience and were given access to world-leading researchers to inspire their interest in science and encourage them to explore the skills of the future.

The day included a presentation and group time with Prof Michelle Simmons (2018 Australian of the

JS Snowsports Team Update Mr Paul Guirreri JS PDHPE Coordinator

We were thrilled to have six Junior School girls compete at last week’s Australian Snowsports Championships at

Mt Buller, Victoria. The girls performed with distinction right through the snowsports season to reach this level of competition. The week was highlighted by our Division 6 Alpine team (Eloise Gavagna, Alison Giang and Andelaine Mackie) who soared beyond all expectations to finish on the podium collecting a team bronze medal. This is a wonderful • Division 5 Cross Country Classic: Amanda Allsop (16th), achievement for these girls at a national event. Charlize Mackie (26th), Andelaine Mackie (31st) Team – 8th • The full Junior School results are as follows: • Division 6 Alpine: Eloise Gavagna (17th), Alison Giang • Division 4 Moguls: Melanie Allsop – 38th (30th), Andelaine Mackie (34th) – Team 3rd • Division 5 Moguls: Charlize Mackie – 11th • Congratulations to all girls on a fabulous snowsports season. We look forward to celebrating their success at • Division 6 Skier X: Eloise Gavagna – 21st the last Infants and Primary assemblies this term. • Division 5 Cross Country Relay: 6th (Amanda Allsop, Andelaine Mackie, Charlize Mackie)

07 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019 Senior School

Debating and Public Speaking Newsflash

Mrs Jennie Kelly SS PDHPE Teacher and Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator

Grand Finals held at Monte Sant’ Angelo. • The Year 8 team was victorious against Knox Grammar School • The Year 10 team won the grand final against Barker College • The Senior B team was runner up to MLC in a very close debate • Our SDN Debating teams are enjoying their season and we wish the Junior team well in the Archdale Team Success! tie-breaker round tonight against Roseville College: Zara Vellani, Year On Tuesday evening it was Abbotsleigh’s 9; Elise Carroll, Year 9; Georgia privilege to host the Archdale Debating Tinyow, Year 9; Charlotte Crawford, grand finals. Our girls were delighted Year 8; Eliza Brown, Year 8; Camille to clinch the 2019 Archdale Shield, Murray, Year 7; Sophia Sun, Year 7 achieving top spot in the Sydney girl’s Public Speaking News schools debating competition. This exciting result is testament of the Best wishes to Megan Wang in Year 9 commitment and consistency of all who is competing in the State semi final Archdale teams. Under the positive of the Legacy Junior Public Speaking leadership of the Year 12 girls and the Competition. Debating and Public Speaking Prefect Megan and Lily Thornthwaite in Year 7 Julia Kelland, the team bonded and were the Abbotsleigh competitors in the enjoyed the season. Points are tallied Legacy local final. Both girls spoke with across all seven competition rounds conviction and were great ambassadors and additionally the grand finals, so this for themselves and for Abbotsleigh. has been a whole team effort! While the • The 8A team won the Grand Final results are very exciting, it is equally against Loreto Kirribilli important to note the opportunity • The Year 9 team won the Grand for learning, enjoyment and personal Final against Kambala development that debating and public • Our Senior team was runner up to speaking provides for all participants. Monte Sant’ Angelo Other Exciting Results • In 2019 the ISDA Debating team has also achieved the best results • Our 7B team won the Grand Final we have seen for a number of years. against PLC Sydney Three teams progressed to the

08 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019

IGSS Athletics Results

Charlotte Banks Athletics Captain

On Wednesday and Thursday of Week massive amount of work into the lead 6, the athletics squad headed out to up to this event, and organising and Sydney Olympic Park for the IGSSA coordinating everyone on the day. A athletics competition. This year we had huge thanks must also go to all the a large team of about 41, who competed coaches who also put in an enormous in a wide range of events. The weather amount of effort in both the lead up to on Thursday was not ideal, with heavy IGSSA and on the day, these include; rain and strong wind, but our girls Larissa Pasternatsky, Sarah Healy, were resilient and pushed through the Sharyn Dickson, Anton Heyns and weather competing outstandingly. We Jimbo FitzGerald. Well done to all our had some amazing results this year. IGSSA athletes, everyone should be very While we could not quite catch Pymble, proud of their achievements. we came away placing 2nd overall for Abbotsleigh also entered two teams in the whole competition, which is an this year’s Nitro State Challenge. Our incredible result. Junior team finished 5th with some We also had some other fantastic amazing individual performances. Our individual achievements with girls Intermediate team placed 3rd against making the 44 of the 60 finals for their some very strong schools from across events, and 15 placing in the top three in the state. their events. Georgia Fichardt won the Good luck to all the students competing intermediate champion trophy, which is at the CIS and NSW All Schools an outstanding achievement. carnivals, which are both held in the Despite the weather, it was a successful final week of school. Abbotsleigh and enjoyable day, especially for my had 19 athletes qualify for CIS, with last IGSSA carnival ever. Special thanks many of these girls making the IGSSA must go to Mr Everingham, who put a representative in more than one event.

So, Tell Me About Yourself...

Mrs Marg Selby Careers Advisor

At the moment, Year 12 students are busily There is no need to tell your life story who you are with the needs and wants of completing applications to universities when asked to talk about yourself – the the place to which you are applying. in both Australia and overseas and at bits that are relevant to the situation Another pitfall to avoid is rushing your the same time, they are also applying for are likely to be clearly described in the application at the last minute. Only apply residential accommodation, scholarships, application to start with. Thus, in answer for things that genuinely interest you and cadetships, holiday jobs and finalising gap to a question asking you to talk about not simply because your friends are doing year positions. yourself, you are advised to have thought it! Structure your writing well and leave One of the areas that many seem to get about the sorts of attributes you have, that time to proofread and correct things that stuck on is writing a personal statement link closely into the ethos of the place to you deem to need improvement. Try to or talking about themselves in an interview. which you are applying. For example, you show some originality and creativity in your What are they meant to say and how need to be able to offer examples about application and present yourself positively do they do it without sounding like they how you might be a ‘team player’, a ‘good as the person that they MUST have! are boasting? communicator’ or an ‘independent, yet collaborative worker’. You need to match For other careers information, please visit the Careers page on AbbNet.

09 TERM 3 - WEEK 8 ABBOTSLEIGH NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2019

Abbotsleigh Ag Club Visits Knox R U OK?

Our girls get close up and cuddly with the softer side Thursday marked national R U OK? Day. Our girls learned of the Knox Ag Club. that a simple conversation can make such a difference.