OUR SCHOOL MOTTO
Utilis in Ministerium
Useful in Service
Our tradition and deep commitment to social justice is an integral part of who we are and it is framed by our School Motto.
Our tradition and deep commitment to social justice is an integral part of who we are and it is framed by our School Motto.
100 years of service to the community
Partnering with the Green Gecko Project in Cambodia, assisting refugees, preparing birthing kits for Africa, raising funds for youth homelessness, packing Christmas hampers for the needy… these are just a few cases highlighting how our girls have been living the School Motto for over 100 years.
We are a community dedicated to service.
Our school motto, Utilis in Ministerium (Useful in Service), is the core of what it means to be part of the CGGS community.
From supporting the Red Cross in WWII to making Zonta birthing kits for women in developing countries – for over 100 years, our girls have truly been living the school motto.
CGGS students quickly learn the importance of helping others and contributing to the wider community. It’s not just about raising funds, but about giving time to those in need and learning from others.
Empowering girls to take action.
Our Service Learning Program and dedicated classes raise consciousness about injustice, encourage empathy and allow our girls to take action be it locally, nationally or globally.
Service Learning Captains, along with students, staff, parents and friends, all work tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for the charities and organisations connected to the school, many which support the needs of women.
A CGGS education empowers its students to become compassionate global citizens – young women who lead with humility and who are inspired to make a difference by contributing to building a more just and sustainable world. This proud tradition of teaching students to give will continue to be a cornerstone of our school into the next century.
Service Learning Strands
Service Learning Snapshot
In 2016, CGGS partnered with The Green Gecko Project, an organisation that supports 70 children and their families who previously lived and begged on the streets of Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Green Gecko provides security, education, love and opportunities to these children through their formative years and into their adult lives, empowering them to achieve their full potential. The Green Gecko Project also supports the children’s families and the broader community through long term health, education and training initiatives.
CGGS students and staff have the opportunity to participate in an annual trip to volunteer at Green Gecko. They spend time working with the children to learn English, as well as contributing to the development of their physical learning spaces and eco farm.
The school raises funds each year for Green Gecko and donates 100% of money directly into Green Gecko projects.
Since 2016 our Year 2 students have been visiting the residents of Hedley Sutton Aged Care. Working in pairs, the students are introduced to a resident that becomes their ‘buddy’ for the year. You may ask what an 8 year old and an 80 year old may talk about or do to fill in an afternoon? The answer is quite a lot! The girls perform musical pieces to the residents, bring in their latest art work to show them, read stories and also just chat about each other’s lives.
Visiting Hedley Sutton is an age-appropriate and meaningful way for young children to be immersed in their local community and experience giving back to others.
Days for Girls is an international charity that makes feminine hygiene kits and distributes them across the world. Its vision is for every girl and woman to have ready access to feminine hygiene by 2024.
Every year CGGS works with the Camberwell Chapter of Days for Girls to make and assemble 100s of hygiene kits to be sent all around the world.
As part of our commitment to create lifelong learners and global citizens, we are constantly building new programs, experiences and opportunities both in and out of the classroom. One program that hasn’t changed since its inception in 2008, is our support of the River Nile Learning Centre.
Forming part of our ever-growing Service Learning Program, our Year 9 students have been volunteering at the River Nile Learning Centre for 14 years now. They gain so much from the experience, that we won’t be stopping our visits and support of this charity anytime soon.
It is our own Dr Reverend Duncan Reid that created this special partnership, as at the time he was the coordinator of our Service Learning Program.
The River Nile Learning Centre is an organisation that empowers disadvantaged and refugee asylum seeker women through education, which enables them to participate in our community on a more equal footing and also prepares them for employment.
CGGS empowers students to become compassionate global citizens.
Organisations we support include:
> Volunteering at River Nile School in support of Refugees and Asylum Seekers
> CGGS Winter Sleepout in support of The Salvation Army
> Year 2 Buddy Program with elderly residents of Hedley Sutton Aged Care
> Making sandwiches for Eat Up in support of students who go to school without food
> Volunteering at Dream Stitches in support of Immigrant and Refugee women
> Packing female hygiene kits for Days for Girls in support of young women in developing countries
> Collect sanitary items for Share the Dignity in support of homeless women and domestic violence victims
> Packing birthing kits for ZONTA in support of young women in developing countries
> Volunteering at the Pink Lady Match in support of Breast Cancer Network Australia
> Supporting Reconciliation Week
> Ongoing support of a World Vision sponsor child
> Collecting goods for the Anglicare Winter Warmth Appeal
> Jump Rope for Heart Annual Fundraiser in support of the Heart Foundation
> Volunteering at the Green Gecko Project in Cambodia to support young families who were previously homeless
