Today, Mrs Dunwoody speaks about the benefits of physical education and highlights some of the amazing achievements our athletes have accomplished this year.
As we approach the end of term, it is fitting to pause and reflect on what has been an extraordinary few weeks across our school community. The incredible success of Finding Nemo Jr has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of the year. Audiences were captivated by the talent, energy and dedication of our students, who brought the beloved story to life with confidence, creativity and heart. I am sure that like me, you felt so proud of your children. It was pure joy.
Productions of this scale are never the work of just a few individuals. Behind every performance was a remarkable team of staff, volunteers and families who gave generously of their time and expertise. From rehearsals, costumes and sets to lighting, sound and backstage support, countless people worked together to create a truly memorable experience for our students and community. Most importantly, Finding Nemo Jr showcased what is possible when we believe in the capabilities of children and they are encouraged to challenge themselves, take risks and work collaboratively toward a shared goal. The pride, joy and growth displayed by our performers throughout the journey were inspiring to witness. We thank everyone who contributed to making this production such an incredible success.
The Junior School Disco was also a fabulous celebration of fun, friendship and community spirit. It was wonderful to see our students enjoying the music, dancing with enthusiasm and sharing such a joyful evening together. A very sincere thank you to our Community and Engagement team, Class Representatives and parent helpers, and our Secondary School students who hosted the disco. The collective energy and support helped make the event such a success. Our Secondary School student leaders showed wonderful care and generosity in supporting, encouraging and looking after our younger students, reflecting the strong connection across our School. We are very grateful for their contribution.
This week, we were delighted to welcome families to our Early Learning Centre Stay and Play session. These opportunities provide a wonderful way for parents and carers to experience first-hand the rich learning environment our youngest learners enjoy each day.
The morning was filled with curiosity, creativity and connection as children proudly shared their learning spaces and engaged in the creation of tiny clay houses alongside their families.
Thank you to our ELC team for creating such a warm and welcoming event, and to the many families who joined us. The strong partnerships between home and school are an important part of every child’s learning journey, and it was wonderful to see these relationships celebrated so meaningfully.
Today is R U OK? Day, a timely reminder that every day offers an opportunity to check in with a friend, include someone in our games, offer support or simply listen. Small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact, and we will share this important message with students at tomorrow’s assembly as we wish them well for the term break.
As the term draws to a close, I would like to thank our students, staff and families for another wonderful term of learning, growth and partnership. Schools are vibrant places because of the people within them, and we are grateful for the positive spirit and commitment that continues to strengthen our community.
Whether you are travelling, spending time with family and friends, or simply enjoying a slower pace over the holidays, I hope the break provides an opportunity to rest, recharge and enjoy special moments together. We look forward to welcoming everyone back next term for another exciting chapter of learning, connection and celebration.
Have a safe, happy and well-deserved holiday break.
Kellie Morgan
Head of Junior School
At the conclusion of Term 2, EL4 PT worked collaboratively to deconstruct their learning environment. They held a meeting and together shared their ideas for what they wanted their classroom to look like, and what they wanted to learn more about upon their return to the ELC in Term 3. Amongst many suggestions, some children requested princess dresses and the additional dress ups that were brought into the EL3 classroom last year, donated by my daughter for the class to role play and use their imaginations. As we continued discussing dress ups, I proposed a challenge to the class…
“What if instead of bringing my daughter’s dress ups again, we designed and made our own dress ups?”
EL4 PT enthusiastically accepted this challenge! During Term 3, they have been working thoughtfully through many steps including design, choosing textiles, and sewing. When designing their clothing, the multiple areas of learning as described in the Early Years Learning Framework 2.0 was evident. EL4 PT demonstrated their ability to use drawings to represent real world materials. They also shared their unique preferences and identities through their designs. As the children explained their designs, they displayed strong expressive language skills and vocabulary to describe the details they wanted to include. The process of designing clothing has also provided the children with non – linear learning processes, reflective of the 8 Ways of Aboriginal Learning Framework. The children have revised their designs both when drawing and then when beginning to sew and create.
EL4 PT used large embroidery needles with the support of their teachers, to sew large pieces of calico together to provide a base for their creations. They demonstrated use of their fine motor skills to manipulate the needle, thread and calico, as well as experiment with trial and error. The children also demonstrated perseverance and experienced the satisfaction of achievement once their stitching was complete and through the commitment of a learning experience spanning months! As we near the end of Term 3, the children continue to adjust and add to their designs and creations, working towards their work being completed to be shared with their families, during our ELC Celebration of Learning event in Term 4.
Eva Szymanski
Early Learning 4 Teacher
On Monday 7 September, Year 5 students attended the regal Hawthorn Arts Centre to participate in a leadership development program. Throughout the day, students engaged in a range of lively and interactive activities designed to strengthen their leadership knowledge, communication skills, and ability to work collaboratively with others.
Students were excited to discover the challenges that awaited them. Adrina enthusiastically described The Beast activity, where participants worked in teams to communicate a drawing. Each student had a specific role, involving a viewer, a runner, and a sketcher, making effective communication essential for success. Although challenging, Adrina enjoyed the experience and recognised how important clear communication is for effective leadership. She also recalled an activity exploring five leadership styles that were taught by using animals. There was a crocodile, a mouse, a fox, a hyena, and a dolphin. Adrina identified the dolphin as the leadership style she most admired because dolphins approach problems calmly and respectfully, using phrases such as “I feel…” before working towards a solution.
Bella explained that many of the activities connected to learning from Term 3, particularly the importance of Communicating Clearly, a message reinforced during the Burn Bright incursion and by school leaders Mrs Dunwoody and Mrs Morgan. Bella and Olivia also enjoyed a Popsicle stick activity in which one partner described a design while the other attempted to recreate it. They recognised the importance of active listening, teamwork, creativity, and giving clear instructions.
Another memorable activity involved collaborative storytelling. Students discovered that working in smaller groups sometimes made it easier for everyone to contribute ideas and listen respectfully to others. By the end of the day, students felt more confident in their leadership abilities and were eager to continue developing the skills needed to become effective leaders within the school community.
Angela Columbine & Craig Goodwin
Year 5 Classroom Teachers
Our Foundation – Year 2 students had a fabulous day on Monday 7 September participating in our Foundation – Year 2 Athletics Carnival. This event is the culmination of what students have been learning and practising in Term 3 in their PE lessons. It is also a great introduction to Track and Field, with students competing in modified javelin, discus, shot put, and long jump, as well as taking to the track to run a 100m sprint and work as a team in the House Relay.
For Foundation, this was their first Athletics Carnival, and they took it on with gusto. It is always great to see the enthusiasm that the Foundation students bring to events, and they cheered each other on beautifully. A few special mentions go out to Eloisa B for her impressive long jump, Samantha S for her excellent discus and Mia Y for her lightning-fast 100m sprint.
This was our Year 1 students’ second appearance at a CGGS Athletics Carnival, and you could see the improvement from last year, particularly in their confidence to give things a go and try their best. Well done to Alyssa Y for her excellent shot put, Angel C for her amazing long jump and Roma K for her big throw at javelin.
Our little leaders this year were our Year 2 students, for whom this will be their last Foundation – Year 2 Athletics Carnival as next year they will join the Year 4 – 6 students for our House Track and Field at Doncaster Athletics Track. What an impressive group of athletes we have in Year 2. There were many standouts across track and field including; Olivia Z for her massive javelin throw, Luna W and Harper H for their great long jump efforts, Manellie M for her outstanding discus attempts and Charlotte T and Ashlyn C for their impressive 100m sprints.
Everyone did a great job participating and earning points for their House, with the hope of winning the House Cup. As always, the fight for 1st and 2nd place was incredibly close with Lawrence taking 1st place, closely followed in 2nd by Singleton; 3rd place went to Schofield, with Taylor taking 4th place. Well done to the Taylor House Leaders, Doris C and Mia Y, who did an amazing job encouraging their House and leading the cheer squad, securing the Spirit Stick for Taylor.
Kim James
Head of Health, Physical Education and Sport (JS)
In Year 3 Chinese Mainstream, students explored the engaging story My Friend Doudou, which centres around a friendly alien character. Throughout the term, students developed their Chinese vocabulary and language skills by learning how to identify and describe facial features, body parts, and adjectives. As they read and interpreted the text, students demonstrated their comprehension by drawing Doudou according to the descriptions provided in the story, and applying their understanding of the vocabulary they had learned.
To further extend their learning, students used a LEGO minifigure template to design and create their own unique character. They then brought their characters to life by writing detailed descriptions, incorporating a range of verbs, adjectives, and body part vocabulary in Chinese. This creative writing task encouraged students to apply sentence structures in meaningful contexts while developing both their language proficiency and imagination. Through reading, drawing, creating, and writing, students enhanced their ability to communicate descriptive information in Chinese in an engaging and authentic way.
Scarlett Zhang
Chinese Coordinator
Today, Mrs Dunwoody speaks about the benefits of physical education and highlights some of the amazing achievements our athletes have accomplished this year.
The last few weeks of Term 3 have been busy, with the announcement of the 2027 Leaders and many trophies, medals, and pennants won in the sporting arena.
With the Junior School Disco and Father's Day breakfast, the end of the term has been busy, full of moments of connection for our families.
