This week we were pleased to be able to have our Year 9 and 10 students on camp after due consideration of the dynamic weather conditions. In the week prior and on Monday we held numerous meetings with the camp provider The Outdoor Education Group (OEG) and made the decision to shorten our camps by a day in order to again assess the impact on the new areas we were scheduled to attend.
Originally our Year 9 and 10 students were provided the choice of camp with mixed year levels in attendance, however, as has become the new norm we opted to make a change to our plans and only offer two camps and conduct these as Year Level camps instead. That said, on Tuesday our Year 9’s departed for OEG Camp Marysville and our Year 10’s for Wilson’s Promontory. By all accounts, and I had contact each day with both groups, the camps were a huge success, with the students and staff thrilled to have been able to enjoy all the experiences of camp that they have missed these past few years. Our next edition of CamNews will provide highlights of the activities enjoyed this past week.
On Monday 17 October we held a special in person Leavers’ Service where we were able to again have parents attend. We heard from each Year 12 student as they gave a short reflection of their time at CGGS, thanked their parents for the opportunity to thrive in all CGGS has to offer and also, showed their gratitude to their teachers. It has also been my pleasure over the past years to speak about the graduating class at this service and I am very proud of this year level and all their endeavours over the years. They have excelled in all they have done, academically and in all areas of School and House offerings. They leave us as young people who live our school values and motto.
Our Valedictory Dinner, an event which we have held on-line with dinners provided to our families at their homes these past few years, was held at Zinc in Federation Square. This was a wonderful evening with the barometer always being the number of students, parents and staff on the dance floor. Thank you to the team of staff who guaranteed this was night was so memorable for all.
And this week our VCE students commenced their VCAA examinations, which are the culmination of their work over the year. Thank you to our VCE Coordinator, Miss Dot Georgiou and her team of supervisors who have ensured the smooth running of these examinations.
Cathy Poyser
Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School
During Terms 3 and 4, a group of students from Years 7 – 10 participated in a radio program hosted by LIVE FM. As well as learning radio hosting skills, students interviewed four special women to learn about their success traits and pathways, and to understand the positive, powerful impact these women are having. These interviews are part of LIVE FM’s Be Like Her LIVE Week.
You can read about the program and listen to the interviews in the Be Like Her Digital Magazine. We hope you enjoy listening to our talented radio hosts interviewing some truly inspiring women from various fields and with different life experiences.
Dr Charlotte Forwood
Director of Learning Design and Development
On Thursday the 20th of October, our year level helped make and pack 200 Zonta Birthing Kits for people without easy access to a place for childbirth. The Birthing kits provide a safer and more sanitary environment for many women to give birth, which prevents death in both infants and mothers. Together, we packed razors, gauze, string, soap, and a plastic sheet into a compact Ziplock bag, and a small group packed them into boxes to be sent to women around the world. I learnt so much and making these kits really opened my eyes to how I could really make an impact in the world by doing such a small thing. Over 1.6 million Zonta Birthing kits have been sent around the world from Australia and 2.4 million women have a safer birth thanks to birthing kits. This experience will be something I remember for my whole life, and it really made me feel like I was making a difference. – Trudy Liu, 10B
The Birthing Kit Foundation Australia works with communities to make birthing kits that hold supplies to send to women giving birth in less fortunate countries. Putting together the kits was an enlightening experience that I really enjoyed. Through this experience I learnt about the program and the good they are doing for women. This program helped me to recognise that organisations like Zonta are something I want to contribute to further and be a part of in future. This experience encourages us to use our skills of collaboration, leadership, and communication to contribute to an incredible organisation so we can help make a positive impact. I am proud to have been able to help make an impact and to have been a part of this program. This was definitely a highlight of my year and something I will remember for years to come. – Tara Wilkins, 10B
Having the opportunity to create the Zonta birthing kits is an experience that I will never forget. As soon as we jumped into it, it was easy to tell how important this was. I especially loved having conversations with my peers and teachers about the value of causes such as this. Also having the opportunity to dig deeper into Zonta’s history and how the organisation has made millions of birthing kits and sent them to developing countries. It is incredible to see the difference being made here, and I am so happy that I got the chance to be a part of it. – Jessica Terlikar, 10C
While Year 10s have given their time to creating the birthing kits, they are also fundraising to cover the costs involved. Year 10 captains and student leaders are being inventive in their approach to this task, and we look forward to some very engaging fundraising to finish their Year 10 Service Learning journey.
Maggie Wighton
Head of Service Learning
At the start of this term, five Year 8 students were invited to attend a Human Rights workshop, hosted by the Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne. It was a full-day event joined by 50 other participants from schools across Victoria.
At the workshop the hosts provided an overview of the importance of human rights, and how they originated. We learned about the fundamental needs for human survival such as food, water and shelter. We also learned about the breach of human rights in some parts of the world. The three main topics we focused on were statelessness, discrimination and child slavery. We also learned how each of us could strive to make a difference by working together towards an issue. As part of the event, we were given a challenge to create a simulated task force to tackle a human rights issue. Our task was to figure out how to convince the government to make certain changes. Solutions ranged from campaigning to protesting.
We learnt to look at an issue from another perspective since the interpretation of human rights is sometimes different geographically. For example, child slavery might be regarded as legitimate in some developing countries rather than a violation of human rights. Through the exposure to topics such as child slavery, we now have a better understanding about finding an appropriate solution which considers the cultural and geographic background.
Overall, we found the Human Rights workshop engaging and informative. It broadened our minds and widened our view on human rights. The activities allowed us to socialise with other schools. We learned a lot in the workshop and appreciated the hosts listening to our thoughts. With their insights, we now have a better understanding of Human Rights and their importance.
Megan Au, 8B
On the last day of Term 3, Year 10 students Sara Rowland and Samantha Fan progressed to the State Finals of the UN Youth Evatt Competition which provides Year 9 – 12 students with the opportunity to participate in a Model UN Security Council. This is their reflection on their experience.
Over the past term, we have had the opportunity to participate in the Evatt Competition, a program run by UN Youth in which pairs of students representing UN Security Council countries try to create amendments and influence votes to pass a resolution. Throughout this experience not only have we had the chance to collaborate with other students, but we were also able to meet new people and make friends. Participating in this UN Youth program really broadened our perspectives on global situations, provided us with an opportunity to compete beyond CGGS, and showed us the calibre of other students. After three rounds of the Evatt Competition, we progressed to the State Final, which was held in the Victorian Parliament. Going to the State Final was a wonderful opportunity, and we were both so excited to compete. We remember going into the stress-filled rooms to see teams going through their research, name plates at the ready, excited to contribute or debate against teams’ amendments while trying to pass one of three resolutions for the day. Overall, this was just an amazing opportunity that allowed us to develop our quick-thinking abilities and public speaking skills.
Sara Rowland and Samantha Fan
Year 10 Evatt Competition State Finalists
In Year 8 English, the students are currently working on their own children’s short story that they will turn into an engaging podcast on the theme ‘Lessons of Growing Up’. On Thursday, 27th October, the Year 8s had the rewarding experience of a creative writing workshop with award winning author and podcaster, Nicole Hayes. As a writing teacher Nicole tailored a presentation for our students to help them understand the steps to building a great story. Nicole helped them through the process of ideating and editing a story as she shared great tips about creating interesting characters and riveting plot lines. We all enjoyed learning more about the creative writing process and look forward to seeing the Year 8s put this into practice as they complete their podcasts.
Maria Litchfield
Year Level Coordinator & English Teacher
