Principal Report
From the desk of Maria Iemma, Principal
Dear School Community,
As 2025 draws to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been an exceptional year for our school. It has been a privilege to witness the growth, dedication, and achievements of our students, staff, and families throughout this remarkable journey.
Our students have embodied the core values that define us: resilience, curiosity, compassion, and courage. Whether in the classroom, on the sporting field, on stage, or in the science laboratory, they have seized every opportunity to learn, lead, and inspire.
Academic Excellence
This year has seen outstanding academic achievement across all year levels. Our Year 12 students approached their HSC examinations with impressive maturity and determination, conducting themselves with grace throughout what we know was a demanding period. We eagerly await their results on 18th December 2025.
We are thrilled to announce that over one-third of our Year 12 cohort has already received early offers to UNSW, with more university offers continuing to arrive. These early successes reflect the hard work and dedication of our students.
Our teachers have cultivated learning environments where inquiry thrives, challenges are embraced, and every student receives the support she needs to flourish. The launch of our enhanced STEM initiatives has been particularly rewarding, with students diving into innovative projects that will equip them for future careers. Our Tiny Houses program now incorporates 3D printing technology, opening up exciting new possibilities for hands-on learning.
St George/Beverly Hills Network Awards
The dedication and excellence of our staff and parent community have been recognised at the St George & Beverly Hills network awards. Congratulations to Niamh Caetan, who received the Early Career Teacher Award; Jessica Donohue, who was honored with the Teacher Award; Geremy Crithary, who received the Executive Award; and Naomi Grigoriou, who was presented with the Parent Award. These accolades reflect the commitment and outstanding contributions of our wider school community.
Excelling at Beverly Hills Girls High School
We are also proud to share that Beverly Hills Girls High School's recent external validation resulted in the school achieving excellence in twelve out of the fourteen elements from the NSW Department of Education's Excellence Framework. This outstanding outcome is a testament to the collective efforts of our entire school community and validates the high standards we strive for every day.
Creative and Performing Arts Achievements
Our co-curricular programs have thrived this year, with our musicians and performers delivering inspiring work. We are immensely proud to celebrate two exceptional HSC nominations: Caryssa has been nominated for Encore for her outstanding Music performance, and Thato has earned an OnStage nomination for her powerful Drama monologue.
A standout moment of the year came when Year 12 student Azka received wonderful news: her poetry collection, The Day the Colours Went Missing, has been accepted for publication by an international publishing house. This extraordinary achievement showcases not only Azka's remarkable talent but her commitment to her artistic vision. Seeing our students' creative voices resonate beyond our school community and reach global audiences fills us with pride. Azka's success will undoubtedly inspire our many aspiring writers and artists.
Attendance
We kindly remind all families that booking holidays during school term time significantly impacts student learning and progress. Regular attendance is essential for academic success, as students miss valuable classroom instruction, assessment tasks, and collaborative learning opportunities that cannot be easily replicated. This is particularly critical for our Year 12 students, who must attend every day as they prepare for their HSC examinations. The HSC year requires consistent engagement with coursework, practice examinations, and teacher feedback to achieve the best possible outcomes. We understand that family time is important, but we strongly encourage all families to plan holidays during the designated school break periods to ensure your child doesn't fall behind and can reach their full potential.
High Potential & Gifted Education
At our school, every learner’s potential is our priority. We foster a culture of high expectations and equity in excellence, ensuring every student, regardless of background, has the opportunity to develop their potential.
Our school offers a range of opportunities across the 4 domains of potential: creative, intellectual, physical and social-emotional. Some examples of our offerings include:
- Streamed high potential and gifted classes
- High potential & gifted courses
- Accelerated learning
- Creative Arts
Sporting opportunities
Our offerings engage and challenge every student, including a strong focus on talent development for high potential and gifted learners.
I wish you all a restful and joyful summer break. Take this time to celebrate all you have achieved, reconnect with those you love, and return in the new year refreshed and ready for new possibilities.
Social Media
From 10 December 2025, many social media platforms will be required to prevent Australians under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts on certain age-restricted services. The changes aim to protect children from pressures and risks they can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts.
The eSafety Commissioner is leading the implementation of the law. They are responsible for identifying platforms and supporting the community with information and resources.
Under-16s will still be able to see publicly available social media content that doesn’t require logging into an account. There are no penalties for young people who use age-restricted platforms or for their parents and carers as the responsibility is with the platforms.
We encourage you to access eSafety’s resources and support for families on their website and register for one of the upcoming webinars for parents and carers.
Looking Ahead
From the moving final assembly of our Year 12 students to the eager faces of our incoming Year 7 cohort, this year has been marked by meaningful milestones and memorable moments.
As we look toward 2026, our vision remains clear: we will continue to prioritise student wellbeing, ensuring our school is a place where young women feel safe, valued, and empowered to pursue their goals. Our dedication to teaching and learning excellence will remain steadfast as we adapt to meet the evolving needs of our students.
Important Dates
The last day of school for students is Friday, 19th December 2025. All students will return for the 2026 school year on Monday, 2nd February 2026.
Farewells and Thanks
To our graduating Year 12 students: thank you for the example you have set and the contributions you have made to our school community. You leave us with our warmest wishes and the knowledge that you carry our school's spirit with you into your next chapter. To our returning students: we look forward to continuing this journey together in 2026.
My deepest gratitude goes to our exceptional staff, whose commitment to our students extends far beyond the classroom. To our parent community: your partnership has been invaluable in creating the strong foundation that enables our students to thrive.
With kind regards,
Maria Iemma
Principal Beverly Hills Girls High School