Newsletter
Term 1, Issue 2
Principal's Message
Greetings Parents and Caregivers,
As we move further into Term 1, this is an important time for students to take stock of their learning. Across all subjects, teachers are engaging in formative assessment to give students a clear sense of their progress so far — what is going well, where refinement is needed, and what next steps will help them continue to improve. This feedback is a vital part of building strong learning habits and ensuring that every student understands how to move forward with confidence.
One of the simplest and most effective tools supporting this process is the Student Diary. Used well, it helps students manage their time, track assessment commitments, note feedback, and plan deliberately for improvement. Developing these organisational habits early in the year pays dividends as academic demands increase. Parents can support their daughter with these habits by having conversations about her learning and discussing progress that is recorded in the student diary.
Student Led Conferences are fast approaching, and these provide a valuable opportunity for students to reflect on their progress alongside their family. These conversations are most powerful when students take ownership of their learning, recognising both their achievements and the areas where focused effort will make a difference. I encourage families to prioritise these conferences and to use them as a moment to strengthen the partnership between home and school.
Alongside our academic focus, the coming weeks are full of opportunity beyond the classroom. We look forward to supporting our cultural groups as they prepare for Polyfest, the Māori Stage, and to cheering on our athletes during Summer Tournament Week. These events showcase not only talent and commitment, but also the pride our students take in representing our School and their communities.
It is a busy and purposeful time of year, and I continue to be impressed by the focus, resilience, and enthusiasm of our young women. Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to ensure they make the most of every opportunity.
Sincerely,
Brenda McNaughton
Principal
Upcoming Events:
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6 March |
Teacher Only Day |
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12 March |
Swim Sports (competitors only) |
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14 March |
Fia Fia Night |
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18 – 21 March |
Polyfest |
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23 – 27 March |
Summer Tournament Week |
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30 March – 2 April |
Polyfest Māori Stage |
For a full list of upcoming events, see the calendar page on SchoolBridge.
Teacher Only Day - Tomorrow
A reminder that tomorrow, Friday 6 March, is a Teacher Only Day. The school will be closed for instruction and students are not required to attend.
We look forward to welcoming students back on Monday, refreshed and ready for the week ahead.
Student Led Conferences 2026
The 2026 Student Led Conferences provide students an opportunity to meet with Tutor Teachers and their families to reflect on their learning progress. These conferences are also an important way to strengthen learning partnerships between home and school. As such all students are expected to attend with at least one parent or caregiver. These conversations will be supported by Progress Reports, and students’ subject-specific and personal reflections.
Conferences are available between 12.40pm - 7.00pm on Thursday 19 March and between 9.00am - 3.00pm on Friday 20 March. All information about how to book a conference time is found under the Student Led Conference tile on SchoolBridge. We suggest you make this time as soon as possible to ensure you get a time that suits. For current Cambridge IGCSE students, please hold off on booking as you will be contacted separately to make a booking with a Cambridge teacher.
Fia Fia Night
Excitement is building as we get closer to Fia Fia Night on Saturday 14 March. This much-loved evening celebrates the rich cultures within our School community through food, music, and performance.
Food stalls will open first, followed by performances from our cultural groups. It has been fantastic to see our students practising with energy, pride, and commitment. Fia Fia Night is also a wonderful opportunity to see these polished performances before our groups take the stage at Polyfest later this term. We are looking forward to a vibrant and memorable evening.
Paradisum and Luminoso Choir Camp 2026
Our premier choir, Paradisum, and senior auditioned choir, Luminoso, have just returned from their annual Choir Camp. Eighty-eight students worked hard to begin learning their repertoire for the year ahead, preparing for upcoming performances and festivals. They were challenged through learning repertoire in French, Te Reo Māori, Korean, Kapampangan, Latin, and English.
The students enjoyed team-building exercises and a Pitch Perfect movie night. One of the pictures below shows our Year 13 students, some of whom have attended Choir Camp since Year 9! Sincere thanks to our choral directors, Ms Le Cren and Mx Komene and to support staff, Miss Mannering, Miss Horler, and Mrs Thomson.
Sport Highlights
New Zealand Club Rowing Championships
Outstanding results at the New Zealand Club Rowing Championships have given us much to celebrate.
Jessica Walkinshaw and Imogen Wallis delivered an exceptional regatta performance, achieving first place in the Club Pair, second in the Senior Pair, and third in the Senior Coxless Four — a remarkable accomplishment across multiple events at national level.
A special mention also to Year 10 student Katie Ye, who secured third place in the Novice Double, an impressive result and a promising sign of exciting things ahead.
Check out more sports news and announcements on our website.
Chinese Language at EGGS
The 17 February marked the beginning of Lunar New Year 2026. Our Chinese classes celebrated this important festival with a range of cultural activities. Students made dumplings as part of their learning and practised their chopstick skills through a fun, hands-on challenge.
Senior students wrote traditional red couplets featuring the characters 福 (good fortune) and 春 (spring). They also displayed the character 福 on the windows — often placed upside down to symbolise good fortune “arriving”. We wish everyone in the EGGS community a happy and prosperous Year of the Horse.
Les Misérables
Rehearsals for this year’s much-anticipated musical began at the end of last year, with students from Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girls Grammar School meeting three times a week as a combined cast, orchestra, and crew.
This term has focused on mastering the large choral numbers under the guidance of choreographer Rebekkah Schoonbeck-Berridge, an EGGS Old Girl and now a professional dancer, actor, and singer. Rebekkah has choreographed several previous EGGS/AGS productions and brings extensive performance experience to the role.
Ms Druitt and Ms Le Cren are enjoying working with an impressive company of 56 actors, 14 musicians, and 90 crew members, spanning Years 9 to 13.
Tickets will be available soon — we look forward to sharing further details shortly.
Archery
The Annual Archery League, held during Term 1, has now passed the halfway mark, and our students are delivering an outstanding season.
Special recognition goes to Caitlin Lowe and Lex Ross, who are leading the Barebow Classification and currently sit in first place in Division One. Impressively, all EGGS archers in the Barebow division remain unbeaten against every other school, with their only losses coming to fellow EGGS competitors.
We are incredibly proud of their performance and wish them every success for the remainder of the league.
SchoolBridge
It is great to see so many members of our community using SchoolBridge. Thank you for staying connected.
SchoolBridge is the central hub for all school communication, including calendar updates, assessment information, Daily Notices, attendance reporting, tuck shop ordering, and access to reports and financial information. This is where key updates will be shared.
If you have not yet logged in, please download the SchoolBridge app or visit eggs.bridge.school.nz, using your usual KAMAR parent portal login details. Please ensure notifications are enabled. If you need assistance, contact office@eggs.school.nz.
Student Safety
At Epsom Girls Grammar School, student safety and wellbeing are our highest priorities. We remind all students that the School Rules and our shared values apply not only on campus, but also when travelling to and from school, particularly on public transport, and when representing EGGS in the wider community.
Students are expected to act with integrity, respect, and responsibility at all times. This includes wearing the correct uniform appropriately, behaving courteously in public spaces, and making safe choices when using public transport, local shops, and surrounding streets.
Our students are ambassadors for the School. The way they conduct themselves reflects on our entire community. We appreciate the support of parents and caregivers in reinforcing these expectations. By working together, we can ensure that all students feel safe, respected, and proud to represent Epsom Girls Grammar School.
