Abbotsleigh in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia | School

Abbotsleigh

Locality: Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 2 9473 7777

Address: 1666 Pacific Highway 2076 Wahroonga, NSW, Australia

Website: https://www.abbotsleigh.nsw.edu.au

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25.01.2022 Today our Kindergarten classes are celebrating the 100th day of Kindy for 2020, with a host of 100-related activities! Some of these activities include 100s related maths games, cooking, craft and fitness. The girls were encouraged to bring in a collection of 100 small items from home to share with their class. Happy 100 Days, Kindergarten!

25.01.2022 Exploring Chinese history and language with a quiz made for a fun last period today for the Year 8 Chinese class!

25.01.2022 Our heartfelt thanks go out to the generous Year 12 boarder parent who donated Abbotsleigh-themed cupcakes to the Year 12 staff and students today as a fun way to take their minds off the very unconventional year that we've all had so far!

25.01.2022 Year 2 were surprised to find their classroom had been turned into a big top yesterday morning. The circus immersion activity set the scene for this term's Year 2 integrated literacy unit, based on the book Leon and the Place Between. There are sure to be many magical adventures throughout the term!

24.01.2022 Girls from the Senior School recently enjoyed participating in the Virtual Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award - a state wide competition run by the Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education. Anika Niles in Year 7 and Charlotte Allan in Year 9 successfully represented Abbotsleigh in the first round, with both girls progressing to the Preliminary Finals in Week 5. Congratulations girls!

24.01.2022 To celebrate their newly acquired dance skills from their recent PE lessons Year 5 girls donned their denim, flannels and cowgirl hats today to take part in a reimagined Bush Dance - the COVID-safe 2020 PE Dance Battle! Thanks girls for all your energy and enthusiasm. Wow that was fun!

24.01.2022 The Grace Cossington Smith Gallery came alive today, showing the wonderfully varied Year 12 Visual Arts body of work. We wish we could have opened this exhibition to the public, as our girls have worked so hard all year on their projects - we're very proud of them all

23.01.2022 Our Year 7 Technology students recently received their custom fabrics, which they created from hand drawn, then digitised patterns. Inspired by Asian cultures, the girls will be using their uniquely-patterned fabric to create pyjamas this term!

23.01.2022 It was great to hear the ideas of our 3 finalists in the Abbotsleigh Junior Public Speaking Final for Years 7, 8 and 9. The finalists were Anika Niles representing Year 7, Lily Thornthwaite in Year 8 and Charlotte Allan from Year 9. The girls were passionate, humorous and importantly they enjoyed the experience. Congratulations to Charlotte who was our overall winner!

23.01.2022 Girls have delighted in Year 3s annual Wellbeing Day. The day comprised of four workshops that were tailored to address a range of important wellbeing topics, such as sleep, friendships, mindfulness, and more.

23.01.2022 There were gasps of awe and delight as our Year 12 Class of 2020 and their parents returned to the Judith Poole Sport Hall which had been magically and elegantly transformed for the Valedictory Dinner. The night had a special feel due to the possibility of all being together to share in this very exceptional occasion. Headmistress Mrs Megan Krimmer, in her address to the girls said, With the challenges and changes of 2020 we have seen you grow, we have seen the deep apprecia...tion you have shown your teachers, our boarding staff, and your parents who have worked tirelessly for you, and I have seen you all, yes, every one of you, demonstrate great leadership you have been really good role models for the younger girls, and this leadership must not stop. What you are matters; but who you are matters much, much more. Who you are as a person; who you are as a leader. Girls, as Vice-President elect Kamala Harris said last week: ‘Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they’ve never seen it before’ In the same way that you have shone within these walls, we know that you will shine as you leave the gates of Abbotsleigh and we applaud you.

23.01.2022 It is with great pleasure that we announce our new 2020/21 Senior School Student Leadership Team! Announced at a special assembly today, this incredible group of young women will be the ones to assist and provide direction to the rest of the student body into 2021 - congratulations girls! PREFECT EXECUTIVE (as pictured) Head Prefect: Emma Thornthwaite Head Boarder Prefect: Megan Li... Vice Head Prefect Duties: Megan Luu Vice Head Prefect Service: Madeleine McDonell Vice Head Prefect Houses: Eleanor Wheatley PORTFOLIOS Vice Head Boarder: Annabelle Duff Boarding Prefects: Felicity Bonny, Luca Cheal, Mackenzie Harding Chapel: Charlie Lamb Creative Arts (New): Tameea Lock, Charlotte Wingfield Digby Debating and Public Speaking: Olivia Cejnar Drama: Nandini Bhola Environmental Sustainability: Amber Young Music: Yasmin Lin Sport: Sophie Wines STEAM (New): Abby Kidston, Anousheh Moonen SRC: Olivia Harlamb YEAR PREFECTS Junior School: Antonia Farram, Elisha Khannah, Charlotte Turner Year 6/7:Vanessa Choi, Linda Li Year 7/8: Sophie Conn, Amy Fox Year 8/9: Noemie Ah Chong, Braveena Maheswaran Year 9/10: Mika Kato, Riana Somaiya Year 10/11: Deepti Bhanushali, Claire Williams Year 11/12: Roshiynie Baskaran, Saskia Jenkins, Anouk Wickham HOUSE CAPTAINS Chisholm Captain: Hannah Cerezo Vice-Captains: Kate Hargreaves, Annabella Jones Franklin Captain: Jemma Tran Vice-Captains: Arienna Grebert, Athena Zhang Gilmore Captain: Stephanie Gee Vice-Captains: Sarah Graham, Tess Pitman Melba Captain: Beatrice Forster Vice-Captains: Miah Poon, Jessica Woodgate Prichard Captain: Nicola Hogg Vice-Captains: Heidi Shaw, Alyssa Tham-Pich Richardson Captain: Poppy Adams Vice-Captains: Isabella Berenger, Kiera Browne Tennant Captain: Clementine Flanery Vice-Captains: Sophie Herbert, Gabriela Plunkett Wright Captain: Yvonne Jiang Vice-Captains: Bella Alvarez, Mia Navratil

22.01.2022 Our K-2 girls have braved the heat to walk up to the Senior School for their Infants Swimming Carnival today. The pool has been a welcome relief from the temperatures outside, with lots of incredible effort and technique being shown during the day's events.

22.01.2022 As we welcome girls back to school this week, it's incredible to look back on just how much the grounds at both Junior and Senior School have changed over our 135 year history. #abbotsleigh135

21.01.2022 Huge congratulations to Olivia Harlamb (Year 11) for taking out the top prize in the NSW Plain English Speaking Award last Friday. Taking place over Zoom for the first time, Olivia battled challenging circumstances and a number of talented competitors from public and private schools across NSW to take home this prestigious public speaking prize. Well done, Olivia!

21.01.2022 As part of the Children in History unit, Year 9 elective students have created an incredible "Museum of Childhood" that looks into the experiences of children throughout history.

20.01.2022 Ol! It was flamenco time for our Year 12 girls today, in an impromptu celebration of dance during tutor time. Led by our own flamenco bailaora Dr Keryn Carter, our girls embraced the traditional Spanish dance and were counting in twelves in no time at all!

20.01.2022 Abbotsleigh's percussion tutor, Kaylie Dunstan, presented a mini-concert to our Junior School girls last week, showcasing an incredible array of percussion instruments, including an incredible home-made "thongophone".

20.01.2022 Have you bought your ticket for Saturday’s Foundation Celebration Zoom? Old Girl and Channel Nine News Reporter Laura Tunstall (2001) will be our MC for a night of fun and fundraising. Please join the Abbotsleigh Community as we celebrate the School’s 135th Birthday and help raise funds for scholarships and new building works - 100% of your $40 ticket will go directly towards the important work of the Foundation. https://events.humanitix.com/abbotsleigh-foundation-celebra... We also have an online silent auction with over 60 fabulous items! www.galabid.com/abbotsleigh You can bid in the auction whether you attend the event or not, by registering with Galabid. To register as bidder text abbotsleigh and your full name to 0458 678 678. The auction is open now.

20.01.2022 Yesterday Paul Dillon from Drug Alcohol Research Training Australia presented to our girls in Years 10 and 11. Paul is committed to helping young people learn the strategies they need to keep themselves safe and also to help keep their friends safe when around alcohol and drugs. Thank you Paul for speaking to our girls about such an important topic and in such an engaging way.

20.01.2022 Lets Celebrate! Think not about the things you cant do: Instead think about the things you can do were the opening remarks of Headmistress Megan Krimmer's address to the 135th Birthday school assembly today. In an assembly event that was twice postponed and radically different to the norm thanks to Covid-19 considerations, we crossed live to the Junior School, revisited happy memories from the year that has been, and heard memories from many of our wonderful Old Girls via video. As Mrs Krimmer said today, We are all safe, we are healthy, we are so fortunate in so many ways. Happy 135th birthday Abbotsleigh Happy Birthday to the School that has been blessed by God and the school that has most definitely stood the test of time.

19.01.2022 For all of our current Abbotsleigh parents, the new Abbotsleigh parent app is now available on iOS and Android. You can use the app as a place to go to catch up on all the news from the School and keep up to date with important notices and information. Click the following link for our User Guide, which also provides information on where to download the app: https://www.abbotsleigh.nsw.edu.au//AbbotsleighAppUserGuid

18.01.2022 Celebrating Abbotsleighs 135th Birthday #abbotsleigh135 In the 1950s, famous Australian photographer Max Dupain photographed the then new Junior School site. Dupain is perhaps best known for his iconic images of life on Bondi Beach, but we think that his photographs of our Junior School are just as special!

18.01.2022 As we celebrate Abbotsleighs 135th birthday this week, were taking a look into the history of the school. The wonderful sketches below were created by Donald Begbie, and were published in 1957. Donald was father to Gillian Begbie (at Abbotsleigh 1960-1970). He was the local rector at St. Pauls Anglican church, Pearces Corner, Wahroonga when he took on the role of School Chaplain 1954-1973. Whilst he was the Schools Chaplain he was not Abbotsleigh staff, as he was still Minister at St Pauls Church. He was also appointed by Synod to the School Council 1954-1970. #abbotsleigh135

17.01.2022 Emily Cook, an Abbotsleigh Old Girl, has initiated this Youth Mental Health Forum with the help of with Professor Maree Teesson (current Abbotsleigh parent) , Director of the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, and Dr Rebecca Overton (Abbotsleigh Old Girl and current parent). This free, online forum will be hosted by the Matilda Centre and moderated by journalist and mental health advocate, Jessica Rowe AM. There will be a live Q+A chat to facilitate discussion with the panel. For more information and to register please head to: https://tinyurl.com/ymh2020

17.01.2022 Year 8 Technology students have embarked upon some new units of work this year which have a focus of Engineered Systems. The Zoomorphic Flexi-Lamp has been a great way for the students to show their creativity, learn drawing techniques and use an array of workshop tools to make an animal-inspired, USB-powered lamp!

17.01.2022 As we celebrate Abbotsleigh's 135th birthday this week, we're taking a look into the history of the school. The wonderful sketches below were created by Donald Begbie, and were published in 1957. Donald was father to Gillian Begbie (at Abbotsleigh 1960-1970). He was the local rector at St. Pauls Anglican church, Pearces Corner, Wahroonga when he took on the role of School Chaplain 1954-1973. Whilst he was the Schools Chaplain he was not Abbotsleigh staff, as he was still Minister at St Pauls Church. He was also appointed by Synod to the School Council 1954-1970. #abbotsleigh135

16.01.2022 5G and 5D enjoyed their first excursion today at the CARES Bike Education Centre. They had a wheely good time!

16.01.2022 The Write a Book in a Day competition is underway again this year at Abbotsleigh, bigger and better than ever. On Tuesday there were 8 teams competing in #WABIAD and next Tuesday another seven teams will take part. The teams each planned, wrote, illustrated and published amazing books that will now be distributed to children in hospitals. Students worked collaboratively for nine and a half hours on their books and in the process, with the girls raising and donating $3600 to The Kids' Cancer Project

16.01.2022 Yesterday was the first round of sport for Term 3, and everyone was thrilled to be back! Congratulations to our Netball 1sts for their win over St Catherine's 2, with a final score of 33-11!

16.01.2022 Year 1 have been learning about money this week, with the help of our giant snakes and ladders board. By working together to add different coins to reach one dollar, the girls spent progressed along the board - a fun and colourful way to learn about currency and addition!

16.01.2022 Today we were thrilled to receive this wonderful award from Microsoft, in honour of Abbotsleigh's "outstanding level of excellence in digital teaching and learning" and our "ongoing commitment to students and the future of learning in Australia". With innovation always being a major part of Abbotsleigh's learning program, 2021 will have even more technological advances and opportunities available to our girls.

15.01.2022 As we welcome girls back to school this week, its incredible to look back on just how much the grounds at both Junior and Senior School have changed over our 135 year history. #abbotsleigh135

15.01.2022 "For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo..." Year 8 have begun their study of a true classic, and to set the scene yesterday our girls collected a random quotation from the play as they entered class. Classrooms were decorated and teachers dressed for the occasion, a true Shakespearean affair!

15.01.2022 Celebrating Abbotsleighs 135th Birthday #abbotsleigh135 Boarding has been an important part of Abbotsleigh since 1885. When Abbotsleigh moved in 1898 to Wahroonga, we opened with an enrolment of thirteen boarders (now recast as House girls) and ten day girls. Initially School House was our only boarding house, but in 1914 increasing numbers had us lease in Wollumbin, just across the road from the School near where the overpass steps now stand. House girls had to cross the... often muddy and perilous Pacific Highway, and its use effectively split the school in half. Wollumbin boarders were relocated back to school grounds in 1925 after the purchase the previous year of (Old) Murray House, thus providing House girls a safer path to school with no more perilous crossings of the Highway. (Old) Murray House was closed in 1931. The School continued to grow steadily, so much so that new premises were either purchased or built - these included the Marian Clarke Wing (opened in 1929) where girls shared large dormitories on the upper level, Vindin House (1929) and Read House (1933), which senior House girls shared with the Headmistress. With the expansion of the Junior School to Woonona Avenue in 1954, Poole House was opened in 1956 for junior boarders, who had a long walk up to the Senior School campus for meals. As evidenced by todays boarding landscape, Abbotsleigh, along with boarding itself, has adapted and grown. Murray House was purchased in 1962 and named in honour of our second Headmistress, Margaret Murray, and was used as a boarding house for many years. Lynton House has been in use as a boarding house since 1966 and is the only boarding house with no school association in its name. We have two purpose-built boarding houses. McCredie House opened in 1990 and is named in honour of our seventh Headmistress, Kathleen McCredie; Wheeldon House opened in 2008 and is named in honour of our ninth Headmistress, Judith Wheeldon. Our physical boarding landscape may have changed over time but one thing which wont change are the friendships formed and the special bond boarders have with Abbotsleigh and the thousands of girls from our original House girls through to our current 141 boarders are testament to that power of being a boarder.

14.01.2022 Year 8 has been taking part in another incredible STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Maths) Day at Abbotsleigh today, with a focus on digital gaming and technology. We are very thankful to the presenters from @PwCAU , @wargaming.net , @SocialDesignit , and @block42world who spoke to our girls today, some in person and some via Zoom. They taught our girls everything from the importance of user experience design thinking to HTML/CSS and Javascript basics and video game level design. Using the Block42 software, our students created their own 3D park scene, complete with characters, scenery and any other personal touches they wanted.

13.01.2022 Year 12, it's HSC time, and your friends, your family, your teachers and the entire Abbotsleigh community are supporting you all the way. We know that your resilience, determination and the joyful way you've dealt with an unexpected year have prepared you so well for this moment - you've got this, Year 12!!

13.01.2022 .....and then it was time to dance! Another magical transformation took place in the Judith Poole Sports Hall as it instantly became a disco for the Year 12 School Formal. Our year 12 Class of 2020, literally danced out of the gates for the final, final time. Good luck, farewell. See you soon our youngest old girls, and stay in touch. Headmistress Mrs Krimmer’s final words to you in an Irish blessing; Girls: May the road rise up to meet you.... May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; The rains fall soft upon your fields And, until we meet again May God hold you in the palm of His hand. Year 12 Fare thee well. See more

12.01.2022 Today our girls were invited to hang a heart and display gratitude as part of the Hearts for Humanity World Vision 2020 Awareness event. The event aims to raise awareness within our school community on the struggles individuals face in developing countries and the importance of being grateful for the quality of life we have in Australia, particularly during this difficult period. Girls were able to select from hearts representing water, safety, shelter, nutrition, hygiene and education.

12.01.2022 Weve come across all pink at Abbotsleigh today, to support the McGrath Foundation "Pull On Your Socks" campaign! This initiative raises funds to help place McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities across Australia, and increase breast health awareness in young people. Thanks to the outstanding support of the Abbotsleigh community, weve raised over $7200 for the McGrath Foundation - the most weve ever raised! #pullonyoursocks

11.01.2022 Today, to celebrate World Teacher's Day, we recognise two outstanding educators who bring a wealth of passion, experience and an inspirational love of education to their roles here at Abbotsleigh. Sophie Burnett and Shauna Sweeney have been presented with the Gladly Teach Award for 2020 for Junior and Senior School, respectively. The award was started by former Headmistress Judith Wheeldon, with honour boards at both campuses. Congratulations, Sophie and Shauna - we deeply appreciate all that you bring to Abbotsleigh.

11.01.2022 Celebrating Abbotsleigh's 135th Birthday #abbotsleigh135 Abbotsleigh has proudly had a library since our relocation to Wahroonga in 1898. Initially only for Boarders (then known as House Girls), it was opened to day girls from 1927. From 1925 the library was housed in a room beside our current reception area. Previously it had been in a small room in School House.... In September 1937 the library moved into the ballroom of the newly-purchased Adams House, and we appointed our first full-time Librarian, Abbotsleigh Old Girl Thurles Thomas, after whom our school archives is named. Thurles was photographed by the photographer Harold Cazneaux seated behind the library reference desk in 1939. In 1960 the new Library Wing was opened, capable of seating 60 girls. In 1971 this was expanded and renamed the Archdale Library, in honour of our recently-retired sixth Headmistress, Betty Archdale. The remodelled library could seat 105 girls. This space was extended again in 1983 due to the building of the new Centenary Building. 2006 saw the opening of the Abbotsleigh Research Centre, affectionately known as the ARC. This award-winning building saw the library renamed the Betty Archdale Library, and is the facility used by Abbotsleigh girls today.

11.01.2022 Year 8 Technology students have designed and manufactured statement accessories based on Australian iconography. An exciting project to allow them an opportunity to develop knowledge in the characteristics and properties of textiles. The girls embraced the design process and creativity with great enthusiasm.

10.01.2022 Today the Senior School held a Remembrance Day assembly to come together and think of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and the families of the fallen. "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning ... We will remember them. Lest we forget." Included in our images are the following three people with a close Abbotsleigh connection: Dr Agnes Bennett Foundation Abbotsleigh student 1885-1887; first commissioned female officer in the British Army; medical officer at Gallipoli; commanding officer of the 7th Medical Unit of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals for Foreign Service; awarded OBE in recognition of her work for the Red Cross Society. Dorothy Maud Traill at Abbotsleigh c1901; joined the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) AIF in 1916, stationed at the 14th Australian General Hospital AIF in Cairo, Egypt. Mordaunt Lindsay Clarke Foundation Abbotsleigh student 1885-1888; Lieutenant in the 13th Battalion AIF; wounded at Gallipoli in August 1915.

10.01.2022 We've come across all pink at Abbotsleigh today, to support the McGrath Foundation "Pull On Your Socks" campaign! This initiative raises funds to help place McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities across Australia, and increase breast health awareness in young people. Thanks to the outstanding support of the Abbotsleigh community, we've raised over $7200 for the McGrath Foundation - the most we've ever raised! #pullonyoursocks

10.01.2022 Welcome back, girls, to the first day of Term 4! We can't wait to share the rest of 2020 with you!

10.01.2022 R U OK Day is a national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone to ask, Are you OK? and to remember every day of the year to support people who may be struggling with lifes ups and downs. Abbotsleigh is recognising this important day early this year, so that our Year 11 girls can participate in activities before trials. Part of the message this year is "There is more to say, after R U OK", so remember to reach out to someone today, and ask them - "Are you ok?", and reach out to friends and family on an ongoing basis. For more resources on how you can help, check out the website at www.ruok.org.au

10.01.2022 Olé! It was flamenco time for our Year 12 girls today, in an impromptu celebration of dance during tutor time. Led by our own flamenco 'bailaora' Dr Keryn Carter, our girls embraced the traditional Spanish dance and were counting in twelves in no time at all!

10.01.2022 Let’s Celebrate! Think not about the things you can’t do: Instead think about the things you can do were the opening remarks of Headmistress Megan Krimmer's address to the 135th Birthday school assembly today. In an assembly event that was twice postponed and radically different to the norm thanks to Covid-19 considerations, we crossed live to the Junior School, revisited happy memories from the year that has been, and heard memories from many of our wonderful Old Girls via video. As Mrs Krimmer said today, We are all safe, we are healthy, we are so fortunate in so many ways. Happy 135th birthday Abbotsleigh Happy Birthday to the School that has been blessed by God and the school that has most definitely stood the test of time.

09.01.2022 Year 11 Design and Technology students have designed and created a range of products inspired by iconic architectural forms for the Fast Forward exhibition. This unit of work encourages our young designers to work creatively with a focus on demonstrating an innovative use of materials, tools and techniques.

09.01.2022 Congratulations to Isabella Sun (Year 8) for her achievement in being selected for the Grand Final of the inaugural Strike a Chord National Chamber Music Championship. Isabella was the violinist and leader of her ensemble, performing the Piano Quartet no 1 in G minor by Mozart. This competition is an initiative of Musica Viva and was created for secondary school students to experience the excitement and camaraderie of performing chamber music.

09.01.2022 Thank you to everyone who supported the Abbotsleigh Foundation by being a part of our first-ever Foundation Celebration Zoom event on Saturday night! With Abbotsleigh Old Girl and Channel 9 reporter Laura Tunstall at the helm, we weaved our way through a fun-filled night of interactive games, dress-up competitions, silent auction bidding and student showcase videos - proving that even in a year like 2020, the Abbotsleigh community loves to come together for a good cause. It was wonderful seeing so many families joining in the fun, and we hope you all enjoyed what was a really wonderful night!

09.01.2022 Celebrating Abbotsleighs 135th Birthday #abbotsleigh135 Our founding headmistress, Marian Clarke, was a pioneer and innovator in girls education. As can be seen in Abbotsleighs first advertisement, sport was seen to be part of her mission statement for Abbotsleigh a fact which saw her praised for her advanced ideas in the Physical Education of girls. In October 1901, 4.5 acres of land was purchased for playing fields and this was situated at Pearces Corner, between Luci...nda Avenue and Lane Cove Road (now the Pacific Highway). Sloping, stony and filled with trees, this space imaginatively titled Fields - soon became home to tennis, basketball and cricket. Fields consisted of two asphalt courts, a basketball court and a cricket pitch covered with coconut matting, whilst on the school grounds a solitary asphalt court behind School House was available for practice. These constituted the only facilities for sport at Abbotsleigh at that time. Due to Fields, Abbotsleigh is recognised as the first girls school in Australia to provide sporting facilities for girls, and the first girls school to play cricket. This is a very early reference to basketball in schools in Australia at this time, as the first recorded match played in Australia had been only two years earlier in 1899 in Hobart. The game had only been adapted from American basketball in England in 1895, making Marian Clarkes decision to introduce basketball as a sport in her school all the more incredible for its innovation.

08.01.2022 Learning is never limited to the classroom, and it sometimes even takes place on two wheels! Learning how to check your bike before you ride, how to control your bike, and how to safely share the space with others was part of Year 2's school day today - and the weather was perfect too!

08.01.2022 Year 8 are continuing their exploration of game coding today, by creating a mini-game from code and graphics that they've created themselves!

08.01.2022 The front of the Marian Clarke Building hasnt changed significantly since it was known as School House. Pictured below in the 1920s (and today!), you can see that this iconic Abbotsleigh building has absolutely stood the test of time. #abbotsleigh135

06.01.2022 Abbotsleighs percussion tutor, Kaylie Dunstan, presented a mini-concert to our Junior School girls last week, showcasing an incredible array of percussion instruments, including an incredible home-made "thongophone".

06.01.2022 With computers being such a key element of daily life, the Junior School Technology Club decided to take a deep dive into the inner workings of a typical desktop computer. Keeping safety in mind, the girls removed and inspected components such as the hard drive, DVD drive, CPU and cooling fans, all the while gaining an important insight into how modern computers operate.

05.01.2022 After overcoming a gymnastics injury when she was younger, Kiana Elliott (AOG 2014) is in fine form leading up to the weightlifting qualifications for the postponed Tokyo Olympics in October. We're all behind you, Kiana!

03.01.2022 Thank you so much to the wonderful Mrs Robyn Claydon OAM who has been such an important part of Abbotsleigh since 1956, for telling us all about the story of how she came to write our school song, "To Abbotsleigh" in assembly today. In 1975, Abbotsleigh celebrated our 90th birthday. In honour of this occasion, Mrs Claydon produced a School Birthday pageant, the first of many she would produce, and which would involve the whole school. For this occasion, Mrs Claydon also wrote our School Song as the finale of the 90th Birthday Pageant, which we still sing today.

03.01.2022 Celebrating Abbotsleighs 135th Birthday #abbotsleigh135 Abbotsleigh has proudly had a library since our relocation to Wahroonga in 1898. Initially only for Boarders (then known as House Girls), it was opened to day girls from 1927. From 1925 the library was housed in a room beside our current reception area. Previously it had been in a small room in School House.... In September 1937 the library moved into the ballroom of the newly-purchased Adams House, and we appointed our first full-time Librarian, Abbotsleigh Old Girl Thurles Thomas, after whom our school archives is named. Thurles was photographed by the photographer Harold Cazneaux seated behind the library reference desk in 1939. In 1960 the new Library Wing was opened, capable of seating 60 girls. In 1971 this was expanded and renamed the Archdale Library, in honour of our recently-retired sixth Headmistress, Betty Archdale. The remodelled library could seat 105 girls. This space was extended again in 1983 due to the building of the new Centenary Building. 2006 saw the opening of the Abbotsleigh Research Centre, affectionately known as the ARC. This award-winning building saw the library renamed the Betty Archdale Library, and is the facility used by Abbotsleigh girls today.

02.01.2022 The front of the Marian Clarke Building hasn't changed significantly since it was known as School House. Pictured below in the 1920s (and today!), you can see that this iconic Abbotsleigh building has absolutely stood the test of time. #abbotsleigh135

02.01.2022 We have it on good authority that the Transition visits to the ACEE (Abbotsleigh Centre for Environmental Education) are a regular highlight for many of our youngest students!

02.01.2022 Celebrating Abbotsleigh's 135th Birthday #abbotsleigh135 Our founding headmistress, Marian Clarke, was a pioneer and innovator in girls education. As can be seen in Abbotsleighs first advertisement, sport was seen to be part of her mission statement for Abbotsleigh a fact which saw her praised for her advanced ideas in the Physical Education of girls. In October 1901, 4.5 acres of land was purchased for playing fields and this was situated at Pearces Corner, between Luci...nda Avenue and Lane Cove Road (now the Pacific Highway). Sloping, stony and filled with trees, this space imaginatively titled Fields - soon became home to tennis, basketball and cricket. Fields consisted of two asphalt courts, a basketball court and a cricket pitch covered with coconut matting, whilst on the school grounds a solitary asphalt court behind School House was available for practice. These constituted the only facilities for sport at Abbotsleigh at that time. Due to Fields, Abbotsleigh is recognised as the first girls school in Australia to provide sporting facilities for girls, and the first girls school to play cricket. This is a very early reference to basketball in schools in Australia at this time, as the first recorded match played in Australia had been only two years earlier in 1899 in Hobart. The game had only been adapted from American basketball in England in 1895, making Marian Clarkes decision to introduce basketball as a sport in her school all the more incredible for its innovation.

02.01.2022 Year 10 Geography students have recently completed a project where they created books themed around the environment. Today they read those books to some very attentive Year 1, 2 and 3 girls over at the Junior School campus.

02.01.2022 Old Girl Karina Richters (Edwards, 1990) son Alex AJ sustained a serious spinal cord injury whilst mountain biking last October. AJ is a Year 12 Knox student who is determined this setback wont stop him living a full life. Old Girls and their families are invited to participate in a three-week fitness challenge to help raise funds for modifications to be made to the Richter family home. Anyone can participate and set their own fitness goals. Katrinas mother Jennifer Edwards (Bastian, 1961) and the late Patience Bastian (Evans, 1938) are also Abbotsleigh Old Girls. See www.ridewithrichter.org for more information.

02.01.2022 Celebrating Abbotsleigh's 135th Birthday #abbotsleigh135 In the 1950's, famous Australian photographer Max Dupain photographed the then new Junior School site. Dupain is perhaps best known for his iconic images of life on Bondi Beach, but we think that his photographs of our Junior School are just as special!

01.01.2022 Today the Junior School hosted this year's Year 6 AbbKart Derby! The girls spent time leading up to the event working on their carts, designing team flags and signs, and studying the science of motion. Congratulations to "Flying Colours" for winning the Grand Final race, in a tight battle against "Titanium"!

01.01.2022 Today the Abbotsleigh Class of 2020 celebrated a joyous milestone, finishing thirteen years of school. Surrounded by friends and teachers, this incredible group of young women have inspired us all with their dedication and passion for education, social justice, the environment, and of course their love for the entire Abbotsleigh community. Your amazing spirit and drive during what has been an unconventional year has been awe-inspiring, and we're immensely proud of each and every one of you. We cannot wait to hear from you again, and to see what the future brings.