Principal's Bulletin - September 2025

Tēnā koutou katoa and warm greetings to all Parents and Caregivers,

As our Term comes to a close, I want to thank parents and caregivers for the support that you have given to our students. Term 3 is traditionally a time when critical learning for the year is solidified. Assessments and practice examinations give students a clear gauge on whether they’ve understood concepts and learned skills taught thoroughly, or if there needs to be some reteaching and re-engaging with subject content. The support that parents and caregivers provide—encouraging students to persevere, to ask for help, and to focus their practice on areas that need it—is essential for students developing resilience to be successful with their studies. Thank you for this valuable support this term.

In classes this week, teachers have been giving senior students their practice examination papers back and providing clear feedback about aspects that can be improved. Many practical subjects, along with the Languages Learning Area, have been working with students to complete portfolios and final pieces of work in writing, speaking, and listening. Throughout the Term 3 break, some practical subjects are making designated work spaces available for students to complete or finesse portfolios so students should check on their online classroom pages to check availability.

Celebrations and Term 4 Dates

This week we held our annual Arts and Culture Awards where we celebrated the wide array of creative and performative talents of our students this year. We enjoyed a range of performances and displays by our students and continue to be impressed by the hard work and passion of our girls, as well as their leadership and service to our school in this area. In the first two weeks of Term 4, we look forward to continuing to celebrate student success, with:

For your reference, the final day for Year 12 and 13 students for 2025 is Friday 24 October. The final day for Year 11 students is Friday 7 November. NCEA examinations begin for Year 12 and 13 (Level 2 & 3) on Tuesday 4 November, and for Year 11 (Level 1) on Monday 10 November. A link to the 2025 NCEA Examination Timetable can be found here.

School Board Elections

We were humbled and delighted to see so many parents express a genuine interest in supporting the governance of our school by standing for the School Board. A record 30 nominations were received and voting closed on Wednesday 10 September. We thank all those in our community who voted in the School Board election and declare the following duly elected:

•             Tahei Simpson
•             Murray Burt
•             Yi-Lin (William) Ho
•             Tuiono Ta’ufo’ou
•             Lina Montero Soto
•             Andy Patrick
•             Neville Gibbs

We want to acknowledge the service and dedication of all those who have served on our School Board for the past three years. We now look forward to working with the new Board to set the Strategic Direction for the School and build on the strong foundation that we treasure at Epsom Girls Grammar School.

EGGS Foundation ‘Giving Day’

The EGGS Foundation supports the School in fundraising and stewarding endowed funds to, alongside the generous donations of our parent community, allow the School to maintain the high standards and opportunities we have for all our students and teachers.

In 2025, the EGGS Foundation is spearheading a fundraising event, ‘Giving Day’, on Friday 10 October. This 12-hour fundraising event will help us to connect with our community, inspire school pride and support current and future generations of girls coming through our school. Keep track of what is happening with this event by connecting with us at giving.eggs.school.nz. If you would like to volunteer to help with this event, or register as a fundraising partner, please contact Andrea Auld at aauld@eggs.school.nz.

Finally, as we head into the Term 3 break, we want to thank our students for the hard work and passion they bring each day – to their learning and to their co-curricular commitments. The discipline shown by so many of our students, to always give of their best, to always be on time and in class when school is open, and to treat each other with kindness and respect, makes coming to work each day a joy and a privilege. We also want to take this opportunity to let you know about a special PTA fundraising event next term — a screening of The Widow Clicquot on Thursday 13 November at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre. It will be a fun evening for parents and supporters, with proceeds going directly towards initiatives that benefit our students and wider school community. Please save the date and look out for more details on how to purchase tickets when Term 4 begins. In the meantime, we hope that all of our students (and their families) enjoy a restful and refreshing break and we look forward to welcoming all of our students back for Term 4.

Per Angusta, Ad Augusta,

Brenda McNaughton
Principal
Epsom Girls Grammar School