Epsom Girls Grammar School Newsletter - Term 3, Issue 2

Newsletter

Term 3, Issue 2

Principal’s message

Greetings Parents and Caregivers,

The term continues to be a busy one, with students balancing their academic focus with the many opportunities that are an important part of life at Epsom Girls Grammar School. Last week, we celebrated the creativity of our students at the Incubate Art Show, Writers’ Night, Year 13 Drama production, and the KBB Music Festival. At the same time, our Rugby 1st XV achieved an outstanding result, defeating Howick College 29–19 to claim the Auckland Secondary School Rugby Girls 1st XV title. This is a wonderful achievement for the team, and we congratulate the students and staff who have contributed to this success.

There is much to look forward to in the coming weeks, with Giving Day this Friday and Paradisum travelling to the Big Sing Finale in Christchurch. This is followed by the Father/Grandfather and Daughter Celebration and Winter Tournament Week next week. These events provide opportunities for our students to celebrate, contribute, represent the School, and build connections across our community.

At the same time, our senior students are preparing for practice examinations, making this an important period for maintaining effort and building on the learning and study habits developed throughout the year. We wish all our students well as they continue to make the most of the opportunities available to them and thank our parents and caregivers for the support you provide throughout this busy time of year.

Per Angusta, Ad Augusta,

Brenda McNaughton
Principal

Upcoming Events:

For a full list of upcoming events, see the calendar page on SchoolBridge.

Sport

Rugby 1st XV

Champions, and now off to the National Top 4! The Rugby 1st XV has capped off an outstanding season by securing their place at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rugby Girls 1st XV National Top 4 tournament. After winning the Auckland Secondary School Rugby Girls 1st XV title with a stunning 29–19 victory over 2025 national champions Howick College, the team went on to defeat North Harbour champions Westlake Girls 42–5 to secure their place representing the Blues Region. This is a fantastic achievement for the team; congratulations to our players and coaching staff.

Sport Round-up

Water Polo: Congratulations to Amelia Lafaialii (Year 11), Angelina Yang (Year 10), and Emily Rope (Year 12), who represented New Zealand at the 2026 World Aquatics U16 Water Polo Championships. The team finished eighth — the best-ever result for a New Zealand team at the competition. Emily was the team’s top points scorer and was named MVP in the match against China.

Rowing: Year 13 student Jessica Walkinshaw competed as part of the New Zealand Rowing U19 four at the World U19 Rowing Championships, finishing ninth.

Cycling: Our EGGS Cycling teams achieved excellent results in the Auckland Team Time Trial series. The Junior A team won silver in the overall series and on Finals Day, while the Senior A team finished third overall. Well done to all our cyclists on a strong season.

Fencing: At the Northern Secondary Schools Fencing Championships, Isabel Wong (Year 11) placed second and Hayley Wong (Year 9) placed third. Congratulations to both athletes.

Giving Day

This Friday, 28 August, our community comes together for Epsom Girls Grammar School’s Giving Day. For one day only, every gift will be doubled.

Thanks to our generous matching supporters, every donation made during the 12-hour campaign will be matched dollar for dollar. Give $25, and it becomes $50. Give $100, and it becomes $200. Whatever you choose to give, your support will go twice as far.

This year, Giving Day will help us invest in the people and places that make our School special, including our plans for new court covers and a sports pavilion, while supporting our students and recognising the staff who give so much beyond the classroom.

For one day only, your gift can make twice the difference. Get involved at giving.eggs.school.nz.

Father/Grandfather and Daughter Celebration

Fathers, grandfathers, and other special father figures are warmly invited to join us for our Father/Grandfather and Daughter Celebration on Wednesday, 2 September, from 6.45am to 8.20am.

At this event, hosted by our Prefects, you will enjoy coffee and light refreshments while spending time together with other members of the School community before the school day begins. Tickets are $60 per pair and are available through the School's online shop. We look forward to welcoming you to this special event.

Examinations and Study Leave

Senior students will be on examination leave during the dates below and are expected to attend their scheduled examinations, arriving at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. If a student is unable to attend an examination due to illness, the usual School absence procedures apply. For questions or further guidance, please check SchoolBridge or contact your child’s Dean.

•         Year 11: Wednesday 9 September to Monday 14 September (NCEA and Cambridge)
•         Year 12: Wednesday 9 September to Friday 18 September
•         Year 13: Wednesday 9 September to Friday 18 September

Some students will also be sitting September Common Assessment Activities during this period. Separate information will be sent to families whose students are involved.

Friday 18 September is a Consolidated Learning Day

All students in Years 9 to 13 will work from home unless they are attending a special assessment on this day. If your Year 9 or Year 10 student requires supervision on this day, please contact their Dean.

Digital Examinations

Students sitting digital examinations must ensure their device meets NZQA requirements and is fully charged before arriving at the examination. Information about preparing devices for digital examinations has been shared through Tutor Class Google Classrooms.

Manukau Road Traffic Changes

Auckland Transport will make changes to the T3 lanes on Manukau Road between 29 August and 6 September. During this period, the T3 lanes will operate from 3.00pm to 7.00pm, rather than 4.00pm to 7.00pm. This may affect families collecting students, and those travelling to the School for sport or after-school activities.

A clearway will also operate north of Silver Road on Manukau Road. Please allow extra time for your journey and take care when travelling to and from the School during this period.

Medicine and Health Science Presentation

Arts and Culture

Scholarship Applications — New Closing Date

The closing date for Arts and Cultural Scholarships has been extended to Tuesday, 1 September. These scholarships will be awarded at the Arts and Cultural Awards Ceremony on Thursday, 24 September. The scholarships recognise outstanding contributions to Arts and Culture at Epsom Girls Grammar School, with successful applicants receiving financial support towards their future studies.

You do not need to have confirmed your tertiary study plans to apply – what matters is your intention to pursue further study in your chosen subject. Applications are available here. If you have questions about a particular scholarship, please speak to your Art, Music, Drama or English teacher. For general scholarship enquiries, please contact Ms Liang at sliang@apps.eggs.school.nz.

Arts and Cultural Awards

The Arts and Cultural Awards will be held on Thursday, 24 September. This annual event celebrates the achievements of our students across Arts and Culture. This year's theme is Masquerade, so come along and dress to impress! Tickets are available from iTicket.

Incubate Art Exhibition

On Wednesday, 19 August, Incubate, our annual student and staff art exhibition, opened to a packed house, bringing together students, family, and staff to celebrate the breadth of creativity across our visual arts subjects. From painting and printmaking to sculpture, design, and photography, the exhibition showcased an impressive range of work and artistic talent.

The strong turnout reflected the enthusiasm and pride of our artistic community, with visitors taking time to explore the work and celebrate the creativity of our students and staff. Incubate was a wonderful showcase of the ideas, skill, and imagination thriving across the School.

KBB Music Festival

Our musicians had a fantastic week at the KBB Music Festival, with students performing across a range of ensembles and showing the skill, commitment, and musicianship they have developed throughout the year. At the Awards Ceremony, String Ensemble and Symphonia received Highly Commended awards, Chamber Orchestra and Big Band received Silver awards, and Concert Band received a Bronze award. It was wonderful to see our students buzzing with excitement and pride in their performances.

There was also individual recognition for four of our musicians. Saye Kiuchi (Year 13) was selected to perform in the Honours Jazz Band, while Euanne Lee (Year 10), Kylie Koh (Year 13), and Aspen Grant (Year 12) were selected for the Honours Orchestra. Congratulations to all our musicians on a week of outstanding performances and achievements.

French Day

French Day brought the language to life with a full day of activities and cultural experiences. In the morning, Alliance Française led language games for students, while in the afternoon Ahuuranui Tahiti Arts School taught 140 students from Years 10 to 13 Tahitian dancing, with all instructions given in French. The result was a beautifully synchronised performance that showcased both language and culture.

Students also tested their French through drawing challenges, conversations with students of different levels, recreating famous French paintings, singing the French national anthem, and answering French cultural questions. A big thank you to our 2026 French Events Leaders, Eulalia Johnson (Year 12) and Naomi Poynter (Year 12), and their team for bringing the day together.

Mathex Competition

On Wednesday, 19 August, Year 9 and Year 10 students represented the School at the annual Mathex Competition, putting their mathematical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills to the test against the clock. Year 10 Team A achieved an outstanding 100 marks in just 20 minutes, while all our teams showed determination and enthusiasm throughout the evening. A special thank you to our student leaders for supporting and encouraging the teams.

Our Year 13 Student Leaders were Shiley Fang, Sisley Fang, Ruxin Chen, Jin Jia Wu, and Amrutha Madhusudhan. Representing the School were Year 10 students Sophia Liu, Ella Jiang, Aarvi Uarshney, Jin Tian Wu, Yujeong Lee, Sunny Han, Ava Puig, Avelyn Tea, Sarah Lee, Ruby Song, Bella Jiang, and Hannah Xu. Our runners were Year 10 students Olivia Robinson, Wendy Wang, and Isla Soh. Congratulations to all our students who took part.

Speech Finals

Earlier in Term 3, all Year 9 and Year 10 English students presented a speech to their English class, developing an important curriculum skill and a valuable skill for life. The top speaker from each class progressed to the semi-finals, with the top seven speakers from each Year Level then invited to compete in the final on Tuesday, 25 August. With whānau in attendance to support and celebrate the speakers, the evening showcased an exceptionally high standard of oratory. Deputy Principal, Ms Knowles, and Deputy Head Prefect, Matafua Daniel, had the difficult task of judging the finals.

Congratulations to all our finalists for their hard work, confidence, and commitment to developing their public speaking skills. The results are:

Year 9: First: Saheli Wijethunga Arachchilage | Second: Hania Shah | Third: Millie Kazemi
Year 10: First: Maryam Sarwar | Second: Lucy Walker | Third: Lukah Dromgool

Chinese Students Shine at Wushu Tournament

On Saturday, 22 August, 11 students represented the Epsom Girls Grammar School at the 2026 ‘Wushu Heroes’ New Zealand Wushu Open Tournament at Barfoot & Thompson Stadium, performing a Tai Chi Fan routine and taking first place in the school category against five other schools. Accompanied by Ms Zhang, the team demonstrated skill, discipline, and a strong connection to Chinese culture through martial arts.

A special thank you to Year 12 Chinese student Lulu Chen and Year 9 student Ziyan Zhou for sharing their talents and supporting the team throughout their preparation. Congratulations to all 11 students on this fantastic achievement, and for taking their passion for Chinese beyond the classroom.

Writers’ Night

On Tuesday, 18 August, the Writing Group hosted the annual EGGS Writers’ Night in the Library, bringing together students and teachers for an evening of poetry, prose, songs, and book promotions. The event showcased the range of creative writing and performance talent across the School, with contributions from junior students, senior students, and staff.

The evening also celebrated the winners of the EGGS Writing Competition held earlier this term: Chahel Gupta, Sophie Wright, Maya Kaitiaki, and Annabelle Chen. With a strong turnout and an entertaining programme, Writers’ Night was a wonderful celebration of the School’s creative community.

Year 13 Drama Production

Congratulations to our Year 13 Drama students and invited performers from across the School, who recently presented Timberlake Wertenbaker’s The Ash Girl. This inventive and thought-provoking reimagining of the Cinderella story explores grief, resilience, identity, and hope through a dark and symbolic lens.

The production was a wonderful showcase of our senior Drama students’ skill and creativity, bringing complex theatre to life for audiences from across the School and wider community.

Year 12 Drama at Newmarket Primary School

Mrs Hesketh’s Year 12 Drama class devised and performed an original drama based on popular fairy tales for a specific young audience. In Week 5, they performed their stories for a delighted group of Year 0 and Year 1 students from Newmarket Primary School, encouraging audience participation throughout.

The performance was a wonderful opportunity for our students to develop their performance skills while connecting with a local school and creating theatre for a specific audience.