ST HILDA'S NEWS

We are pleased to advise that the term dates for 2027 have now been released. These dates are available on our website to assist with your family’s future planning.

To view the full list of term dates for 2027, please click here.

A reminder that the School App is St Hilda’s main form of communication. Through the App, you can access:

• Year group, cocurricular, and sport notices.
• Links to the School newsletter, term dates, transport options, forms, handbooks and the School calendar.
• Online Uniform Shop
• My Student Account (MSA).

If you already have the App, please ensure your ‘subscriptions’ are updated to reflect your daughter’s current year level and cocurricular activities for Semester 2.

If you don’t have the App installed on your phone or tablet, please download it from Google Play or the Apple App Store by searching for St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls. Look for our logo to ensure you download the correct App.

You will need to log in using your St Hilda’s issued username and password (e.g., 1234@sthildas.wa.edu.au). If you have issues logging in, please contact helpdesk@sthildas.wa.edu.au

Please note: Year Level notices are also included at the bottom of the newsletter each week, which you can view on a desktop device.

As part of our commitment to excellence in independent education, St Hilda’s participates in a formal School Registration renewal process every five years, as required by the Department of Education. This year, we are up for renewal, and the process will take place during Semester 2. School registration ensures that independent schools continue to meet rigorous standards across areas such as governance, curriculum, student wellbeing, staffing, and financial sustainability.

We approach this process with confidence and transparency. It offers an important opportunity to affirm the strength of our programs and operations, reflect on our progress, and demonstrate the high standards we uphold every day at St Hilda’s.

We extend our sincere thanks to the members of our broader school community who will be asked to contribute to this important work (including selected staff, students, parents, and Council members). Your insights and engagement are greatly valued and reflect the collaborative spirit that defines St Hilda’s.

We also acknowledge and thank our Executive and School Leaders, who have worked with diligence and care behind the scenes over many months to ensure our school is exceptionally well-prepared.

We look forward to completing this process with the same clarity, care, and purpose that continue to shape our school’s future.

Do you know a girl who would thrive boarding at St Hilda’s, but may not have the means to attend?

Applications are now open for the June Johnston Memorial Scholarship and the Women in Leadership Scholarship which are needs-based boarding bursaries for rural, regional or remote students (external) entering Year 10 in 2026.

These bursaries are awarded to students with strong academic potential who demonstrate excellence in an area of interest such as music, sport, dance, drama or community service. Each bursary covers 100% of tuition and boarding fees and is tenable through to graduation.

If you know a family who could benefit from this life-changing opportunity, please share this link:
www.sthildas.wa.edu.au/year-10-boarding-bursaries

In celebration of NAIDOC Week, we are pleased to share a meaningful update to our PE uniform. In 2026, the current PE shirt will be replaced by a newly designed Indigenous Bumblebee polo, which will be worn for PE lessons and JIGSSA/IGSSA events across both the Junior and Senior Schools.

This initiative was led by our Reconciliation Committee, who proposed incorporating an Indigenous design into our school uniform as a lasting and visible way to celebrate culture, connection and belonging. We are incredibly proud that Tahnee Ransfield, a proud Year 12 First Nations student and MADALAH Head Girl, designed the artwork that tells the story of her community and reflects the strength, resilience and connection of her people.

This change provides a tangible step forward in acknowledging and embedding Indigenous perspectives into school life and reflects our shared commitment to reconciliation and belonging.

Venue: St Hilda’s Senior School Bay View campus
Date: 6.00pm – 7:30pm, Thursday 31 July 2025

If you are an art lover or collector, please join us for a special evening celebrating St Hilda’s proud partnership with The Lester Prize and local artists.

Special guest, public art expert and Old Scholar Kate Parker will share her knowledge on how to identify emerging talent and how we can nurture the pipeline of artists in Australia. This is a rare opportunity to delve into the world of emerging talent in Western Australia’s visual arts sector.

St Hilda’s Visual Arts program from Junior Kindergarten to Year 12 includes partnerships with organisations such as The Lester Prize as well as supporting local artists to hold masterclasses and show their works. Its current ‘Artist on Show’, Judy Rogers’ work along with a collection of Lester Prize winners will be on display.

To RSVP to this special event, please register here. Curate: A Visual Arts Partnership

Dear Families, 

Welcome to Term 3! As we returned from the mid-year break, there was a renewed sense of energy and excitement across our Junior School. The beginning of a new term was a wonderful opportunity for our students to reset, refocus, and step confidently into the next stage of their learning journey.

During the week, our focus was on starting strong—revising routines, reconnecting with peers, and setting clear goals for the term ahead. Teachers worked closely with students to revisit expectations, re-establish classroom rhythms, and spark curiosity through engaging new units of work. Whether it was exploring nature, diving into storytelling, or experimenting with numbers, our classrooms were already buzzing with enthusiasm.

We were delighted to welcome a number of new students to the Junior School this week. I was so proud to see so many girls demonstrate leadership and embrace our value of Belonging by being so welcoming to the new students. By the end of day one, there were no more ‘new girls’- just St Hilda’s girls leaving the doors.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to Year 5 student Josie Caccetta who recently enjoyed a wonderful opportunity to rehearse and perform with WA Ballet in their production of Alice in Wonderland at Crown Theatre.

Great work, Josie!

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE

Well done to the students who took part in the Premier’s Reading Challenge in Term 2.

Special congratulations to the following students who completed the challenge by reading and logging 12 or more books:

Pre Primary: Hannah Hockley, Olivia Norburn, Rachel Sun

Year 1: Emily Harrington, Enaia Abeysuriya, Hazel Frost, Olivia Hansen, Savannah Ager

Year 2: Amaris Imani, Amelia Van Rongen, Anna Chiu, Bianca Anderson, Daisy Hao, Josie McClung, Lily McClung, Madeline Bennett, Matilda Klinken, Olivia Hockley

Year 3: Esme Hamilton, Georgia Lingard, Hannah Murphy

Year 4: Ayra Ahmad Khalif, Frankie McKinnon, Mimo Oyewopo, Rochelle Deng, Stella Male, Vivienne Herron

Year 5: Anika Van Der Bie, Cathie Jiang, Charli Findlater, Charlotte Poland, Elsie Frost, Erica Chambers, Felicity Coulter, India Owen, Jordana Spartalis, Mia Sun, Mieke Sullivan, Ruby Hatton, Scarlett Kalau-Barker, Tildy LeggoYear 6: Adesola Oyewopo, Maisie Hauff, Ruby McManus

There is much to look forward to in Term 3, so please keep an eye out on the App for important information.

I’m looking forward to working more closely with you in the coming terms.

Warm regards,

Nicole Adams
Director of Junior School

We are pleased to announce that entries are now open for our the 2025 Chidley Performance Festival, to be held on the 11 and 12 of September 2025.

All students having instrumental lessons, either within St Hilda’s or externally, are encouraged to perform. Students will be placed in Year Group sections with parents, friends, and their classmates in the audience to cheer them on. Each student will receive a performance certificate and written feedback from a prominent Perth musician. Students will also receive House points for their performance. The House with the most points at the end of the festival will be awarded the Chidley Performance Festival House Trophy.

Entries close at 3.00pm on Friday, August 1 (end of Week 2, Term 3). Due to the logistics of organising the festival, no late entries will be accepted. Please discuss the repertoire choice with your child’s instrumental teacher before completing the entry.

Enter Now

TERM 3

Enrichment and Support

Monday 4 August, 7.00pm, or
Tuesday 5 August, 8.35am

Accessing additional support and development opportunities for your child at St Hilda’s. Understand the assessment process, how we work with families to develop appropriate differentiated learning programs. What services are currently in place and how early intervention delivers positive results.

Speakers:

Nicole Adams
(Director of Teaching and Learning JK- 12)
Karen Donnelly
(Head of Academics and Analytics JK – 6)
Maylin Tai
(Head of Academic Growth JK – 6)

Register to Attend Here

This term we are conducting ICAS assessments in English, Mathematics and Science for students in Years 2-6. ICAS is an online academic competition that allows students to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills. If you wish for your daughter to participate in ICAS this year or would like further information, please click here.

The dates and times of the assessments are as follows:

Week 4 – ICAS English
Tuesday 12 August – 8.15am-9.25am – Yr 4 & 5
Wednesday 13 August – 8.15am-9.25am – Yr 2 & 3
Thursday 14 August – 8.15am-9.25am – Yr 6

Week 5 – ICAS Science
Tuesday 19 August – 8.15am-9.25am – Yr 6
Wednesday 20 August – 8.15am-9.25am – Yr 4 & 5
Thursday 21 August – 8.15am-9.25am – Yr 2 & 3

Week 6 – ICAS Mathematics
Tuesday 26 August – 8.15am-9.25am – Yr 2 & 3
Wednesday 27 August – 8.15am-9.25am – Yr 6
Thursday 28 August – 8.15am-9.25am – Yr 4 & 5

Please get in touch with Karen Donnelly if you have any further questions.

Term 3 Week 2 Program

Dear St Hilda’s Community,  

I hope all families had a safe and restful break. Three weeks certainly supports families to reconnect and disconnect from the scheduled nature of school.

In the last week of term, a selected group of Year 10 students competed and won the State Final of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge, team component. Kavindri Abeysuriya, Lucy Baston, Michelle Daire and Senudi Premarathna represented St Hilda’s at the neuroscience competition, at UWA. The team worked hard in preparation and thoroughly enjoyed the day which in addition to the competition elements included tours of the Human Biology and Anatomy facilities, viewing the human brain collections and measuring electrical nerve impulses in cockroach legs!

In addition, the Senior School had one trip scheduled just prior of the break, the National da Vinci Decathlon Competition. Our Year 7 and 8 teams represented St Hilda’s with maturity and competitive grit, team list below. The competition was held at Knox Grammar in Sydney. Our Year 7 team was awarded first in Engineering and Ideation, second in Code Breaking and third in Art & Poetry. Our Year 8 team received first place in Art & Poetry and third in Ideation.

Congratulations to the below students:

To kick start our return, St Hilda’s recognised NAIDOC Week through a series of mid-week activities which culminated in our Assembly on Friday. We were delighted to have Jayden and Ben conduct a Welcome to Country and to hear a keynote address from Dr Ariane Houghton. We were also pleased to share at assembly this morning, the newly designed Indigenous Bumblebee polo, which will be worn for PE lessons and JIGSSA/IGSSA events across both the Junior and Senior Schools in 2026.

Term 3 will feel like a sprint, noting we have nine weeks to squeeze in many events, creating purposeful opportunities to connect as a St Hilda’s community.

Some opportunities to look forward to include:

• Concerto Night
• Year 7 Hale and St Hilda’s Activity Afternoon
• Year 9 Wandering Spirit Retreats
• Year 10 ODE Program to Wooleen Station
• Anglicare Sleepout
• Science Week
• Music Week
• IGSSA Dance
• Year 12 Father/Daughter Dinner
• Year 9-11 Production
• Year 7 2026 Orientation
• IGSSA Athletics

To ensure you are aware of all calendar events, please access the calendar here.

I look forward to sharing all that Term 3 brings and embracing many memorable moments with our community, including this Saturday’s Concerto Night.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Yours sincerely,

Andrea McNally
Deputy Principal / Director of Senior School

On Friday 8 August, twenty of our Year 11 students will participate in the Anglicare WA School Sleepout, held at Optus Stadium. This initiative involves spending the night outdoors to raise awareness about the critical issue of youth homelessness in Western Australia. The purpose of our participation is to generate support and secure sponsorships for Street Connect, an outreach program delivered by Anglicare WA that provides essential assistance to young people in such situations.

Youth homelessness in Western Australia remains a pressing issue, with around 2,000 young people aged 12–24 experiencing homelessness. Contributing factors include the lack of affordable housing, rising rental prices, and limited income support, forcing some people to spend up to 94% of their income on rent.

Anglicare WA is a respected not-for-profit organisation that delivers a broad range of social and community services across the state. Its mission is to support individuals and families through periods of hardship, offering meaningful assistance and a pathway towards improved wellbeing. Street Connect, a key youth service under Anglicare WA, operates as a mobile team working directly with at-risk young people in Perth. The program offers access to emergency accommodation, health services, counselling, and long-term support to help young people transition from crisis to stability.

By supporting this event, we contribute to a broader community effort to address the urgent issue of youth homelessness. We invite you to support this important cause by making a donation, sharing information, or simply taking time to understand the challenges faced by vulnerable youth in our community.

Donate Here

Medical Interview Workshop (Live online interactive)
Dates: 9 – 10 August 2025 (head-start training for Year 11 and 12 students)
View details

Future Doctors Australia (medical experience program)
4-day program for 14 – 18-year-old students
Dates: throughout January, April and July 2026
Locations: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth
View details

To access cocurricular notices, please access the St Hilda’s App on your device.

Please ensure you subscribe to your daughter’s year level and all cocurricular activities to ensure you receive all communications.

For details on downloading the School App and setting up subscriptions and notifications, click here.

There are many opportunities for parents to volunteer and support events and cocurricular activities via Saints Connect. Saints Connect is your way to be involved with your child’s education in a way that suits your interests and lifestyle.

St Hilda’s values the power of connection, and volunteering your time is a truly rewarding way to meet new people who share your interests while being involved in the activities that your child enjoys.

Explore Saints Connect online

Volunteers are wanted for the below events. To sign up, please click the above link, scroll down and click on the Saints Connect group you wish to volunteer with.

Volunteers Wanted

Culture Connect

If you’re passionate about celebrating cultural traditions and fostering diversity, consider volunteering for Culture Connect. It’s a wonderful way to support cultural events in the Junior School and help connect parents from similar cultural backgrounds. Junior School and Senior School parents/families are encouraged to get involved. See the list of celebrations in the table below.

Volunteering opportunities:

• Help create a display about your cultural celebration in the Cultural Corner
• Contribute cultural artefacts for display in the Cultural Corner
• Share your traditions or stories with students in class
• Connect with other families from similar backgrounds.

Click here to sign up.

If you’re looking to elevate your career, then the Women Lifting Women Summit will leave you inspired, informed and engaged!

Exclusively for St Hilda’s Old Scholars, we invite you to register for this exciting new event, brought to you by the OSA, St Hilda’s, Euroz Hartleys and Derwent.

With topics on finance, career mapping, work-life balance and leadership, this event will help boost your career, build your networks and your confidence.

Our keynote speaker, direct from the United States, will share her journey to career success. Old Scholar and current Chief of Staff at Microsoft, Lizzie Landels has had a notable global career. She will share her insights into how she navigated the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry.

The full summit agenda includes:

Know your worth: Julie Colvin (Stephen, 1989), Managing Partner, Derwent
Establishing financial security: Amanda Boyce, Head of Advice, Euroz Hartleys
Leaning into Leadership: Fiona Johnston, Principal at St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls
Keynote Speaker: Lizzie Landels (2002), Director and Chief of Staff, Microsoft

This will be an event that connects you with the right people to help take your next step – whether that’s a promotion, a pivot or re-invigorating your career. We hope to see you there.

Time: 4.00pm to 7.00pm, Thursday 6 August 2025
Venue: Euroz Hartleys, Level 37 QV1, 250 St Georges Terrace, Perth Western Australia 6000
Cost: $50 per person, includes post-summit networking function

Tickets are limited – register below:

Register Now