Deputy Principal
A warm welcome back to a new year at Beverly Hills Girls High School.
As always, BHGHS started the year off with a vibrant and exceptional Teaching and Learning agenda planned for 2026. We started with several days of professional learning, creating the conditions so that every teacher demonstrates improvement in their practice and is highly equipped to generate growth in student outcomes. A key cornerstone of professional growth and attainment this year is a revised Professional Learning model that will see an increase in the frequency of professional learning delivered matched with regular opportunities for staff to collaborate and share best practice. We believe this renewed focus on ongoing collaboration and application of professional learning will strengthen existing teaching practice and ensure teachers and school leaders are responsive to the learning of all students.
Speaking of students, given I said a sad farewell to my Year 12s last year, I have the auspicious opportunity to say a boisterous hello to our new Year 7 students, of whom I will be guiding, mentoring and motivating over the next six years as they learn to be somebody successful. After six weeks of high school, I can confidently say that all Year 7 students have settled into their new school extremely well and our exceptional Year 7 Advisors, Ms Papadimatos and Mr Ferizis, have worked incredibly hard to support their successful transition into Beverly Hills Girls High School.
NAPLAN
Throughout Weeks 7 and 8, NAPLAN exams will be conducted at the school for Years 7 and 9. These exams are an important source of data for the school and for you as parents to support their learning. They assist the school in planning and implementing initiatives and activities that ensure all students’ learning needs are met and that every student demonstrates growth in their learning. I encourage all parents to have a conversation with their daughter about these exams, encouraging them to apply their best efforts to ensure our data is accurate and reliable so that we can best support their learning needs. The timetable for NAPLAN exams is outlined below:
ATTENDANCE
Attendance Matters
It’s always wonderful to have our students in classrooms, ready to engage and learn. Our teachers and school staff are committed to fostering growth and opportunity, and we are here to work with you to support your child to reach their full potential.
Students are required to attend school every day, whether it’s the first or last day of the term, Mondays, Fridays or days dedicated to sports carnivals, school excursions and incursions.
As we look ahead to the remainder of the school year, I’d like to remind our school community that we are here to work with you to support your child to thrive. We know that families experience a variety of challenging circumstances, and we are committed to working with you to address any barriers to regular attendance.
If your child is absent from school, please let us know why as soon as possible, even if it’s just a few minutes at the start or end of the school day. Of course, there will be times when your child is unable to be at school, like when they are unwell. Medical appointments should take place outside school hours where possible, and family holidays should be taken in term breaks.
If your child is feeling anxious about coming to school and you need support, please reach out to your child’s teacher or to me directly. There are also helpful resources for parents and carers on the NSW Department of Education website. Sign up for ReachOut Parents One-on-One Support and get personalised support. The support sessions will help you to understand your child’s school refusal and create an action plan.
Thank you for being a part of our school community and for partnering with us to ensure students access the endless benefits of regular school attendance.
Celebrating Outstanding Attendance
Beverly Hills Girls High School held its first ever Celebrating Outstanding Attendance Morning Tea on Tuesday, 9 December 2025. The event celebrated students who achieved outstanding attendance throughout the year and recognised their commitment, resilience and dedication to learning.
Students were joined by their families for a special morning with me and Ms Stock, where their outstanding effort was acknowledged and celebrated. The Morning Tea was a wonderful opportunity to recognise the important role families play in supporting regular attendance and student success. A special mention and sincere thank you is extended to the TAS staff and Senior Hospitality students who helped prepare and organise the event. Their time, effort and support contributed to a warm and memorable celebration for all involved.
Stage 6 Senior Study Workshops
The school continues to offer tailored additional workshops every Monday that are delivered by pedagogical experts to maximise student learning. We recognise that the shift into Stage 6 can be daunting and that’s why at BHGHS we are rolling out this dynamic program again that provides our Year 11 and Year 12 students with an opportunity to consolidate their skills and extend their abilities. For example, the first workshop Year 12 attended was a Q&A style format where they asked questions and sought guidance and insights from our graduated 2025 Year 12 cohort about how to manage the demands of Year 12.
This is but just one example of how these vital Workshops give our students an opportunity to collaborate with their peers in a reciprocal learning exchange. These workshops will also cover topics to support students in developing study skills, such as tips to get organised and better
NSWEduChat
We are excited to announce that since Term 4 last year, students in Years 7 to 12 will gain access to NSWEduChat, a safe generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool developed by the NSW Department of Education.
NSWEduChat has been successfully trialed in 50 schools since 2024, and staff and students have provided positive feedback about the tool and how students can use it.
NSWEduChat works differently to other commonly used GenAI tools. It does not just give direct answers to students. Instead, it provides guidance and asks open-ended questions encouraging students to think critically and express their ideas, reasoning, and assumptions.
Important actions for families - Please read the parental privacy notice here, which includes information on NSWEduChat, data collection, and privacy.
What’s ahead:
- NAPLAN (see diagram above)
- Year 7 Meet the Teacher BBQ – Tuesday 24th of March
- Parent Teacher Night: Wednesday 29th of April
- A detailed list of all Assessment Tasks and approximate due dates to be published here
The beginning of Term 1 has been extremely productive, and we have seen outstanding engagement and many impressive achievements from our students. I look forward to a highly successful end to the term.
Warm regards,
Geremy Crithary
Deputy Principal