As the year unfolds, parents, students and teachers often ride the familiar wave of emotion that is Term 4. There are so many beginnings, endings, and transitions during this final stage of the year; a time to reflect, recognise achievements, and prepare for pathways ahead.
Today, the Year 7 2024 Orientation Day was a significant occasion which marks a new beginning for students and their families. The day brought such joy as we welcomed the newest members of our Secondary School community and there was certainly an air of anticipation as students experienced a day in the life of a Year 7 student. Simultaneously, our Year 10 and 11 students are about to embark on the Headstart program—a crucial phase of new beginnings in their VCE studies and we wish all our students the best for their transition into the next stage of their senior studies. In our middle and senior years, as students go into the final few weeks of the year, they have much to celebrate—individual growth, academic achievements, and personal accomplishments.
In the coming weeks, students will be encouraged to reflect on the gains they have made throughout the year. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate their growth and successes as a community.
Kath Woolcock
Head of Senior School
Kate Giles
Head of Middle School
Last Thursday 2 November, with a sea of colour, CGGS took over the outdoor pool at Aqualink, Box Hill for the annual House Swimming Carnival.
With cool but clear weather on our side, students from Year 7-11 competed, cheered, supported and assisted both in and out of the pool.
There was a mix of traditional and novelty races on offer within the program, catering for all swimmers and interests. Students could elect to compete in up to 6 events, from a mixture of 50m and 25m events in Butterfly, Freestyle, Backstroke and Breaststroke and/or the Freestyle and Medley relays.
Novelty events which included the egg and spoon, life jacket and board relays added some fun and lots of noise – they are always a highlight of the day.
With racing complete and scores calculated, the presentation of the House Cup was all that was left to do and the entire school body eagerly awaited the announcement from Mrs Dunwoody poolside.
In a sign of changing times, and for the first time since 2012, Singleton was crowned the winner. The newly appointed House Sport Captains Isabelle B and Lauren S were both elated and gracious in their acceptance speech.
A huge congratulations to all students that supported their House at the carnival in such a positive manner and for your ongoing commitment to the House Sport Program in 2023. We also acknowledge the staff for their support on the day.
Overall House Results
1st place – Singleton
2nd place – Lawrence
3rd place – Taylor
4th place – Schofield
Year level champion results will be announced at a school assembly in the coming weeks.
Nareen Robinson
Head of Sport
This year, World Teachers’ Day World was celebrated across Australia on Friday October 27. World Teachers’ Day is dedicated to acknowledging, celebrating and expressing gratitude to teachers, for their skilled work in leading, inspiring and supporting young people in all aspects of their education.
To celebrate the teachers at CGGS, Mrs Dunwoody shared delicious cupcakes with staff across ELC, Junior and Secondary School, to thank them for their commitment, dedication and the incredible contribution that our teachers make to our school community.
Happy World Teachers’ Day!
As part of their History studies, our Year 10 students have been studying the causes of the Holocaust: in particular, the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jewish people by the Nazi regime. This shocking event is testament to the dangers of intolerance and apathy and reminds us of the importance of empathy and informed citizenship.
To enhance their learning, our students visited the Melbourne Holocaust Museum to understand the causes, scope and significance of the Holocaust.
At the museum, they were presented with a range of artefacts. Through a discussion of these sources, their meaning and the historical context surrounding them, they were able to see the Holocaust through new perspectives and extend their current knowledge.
Our students were fortunate to meet and talk to a Holocaust survivor, Szaja Chaskiel, and were given the opportunity to hear his story and ask him questions about his experience. Despite being sent to Poznan slave labour camp when he was only 11 years old and then being transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau before being sent on a death march, Szaja’s main message was one of hope, love and the importance of family.
Our students appreciated the opportunity to meet and talk to a Holocaust survivor and reflect on the causes of intolerance, persecution, and genocide.
Below are some student reflections on the experience:
‘I came to realize that hate is indeed a disease, a cancer that erodes the very fabric of our humanity. It has no constructive purpose and only begets more hatred, suffering, and conflict.’ – Sophia X
‘This was a powerful and unforgettable experience that emphasised the importance of learning and remembering the Jewish survivors during the Nazi period.’ – Ency C
‘The visit to the Melbourne Holocaust Museum was a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. Holocaust survivor John’s message of not giving in to hate was a powerful testament to the enduring importance of compassion and understanding. Such excursions are essential in fostering empathy and ensuring that history’s lessons are never forgotten.’ – Mut Y
‘Having the opportunity to visit Melbourne Holocaust Museum and hearing the testimony of Szaja Chaskiel was truly an eye-opening experience for me. Hearing the statistic of 6 million Jewish lives lost was shocking, however it was impossible to actually visualise such a number. Going to Melbourne Holocaust Museum made me realise that each of these 6 million lives had a name; an individual story so vastly different to each other. Though I find 6 million hard to comprehend still, this visit has given me significant insight on the experiences of a survivor, Szaja Chaskiel, during the Holocaust’. – Alice L
‘Being in the presence of the Holocaust Museum and engaging in Szaja Chaskiel’s life experience as a Holocaust survivor, my learning of the Holocaust felt fulfilled. Jewish people’s incredible resistance and the many stories of survival against the odds we learnt were some of the most impressive things. Besides, I feel truly grateful and empowered by the kindness and courage displayed by those who supported Jewish people to strive for chances of survival’. – Gina Y
Karin Lemanis
Head of History
We would like to congratulate Tyra D from Year 11 for being chosen as the recipient of the 2023 Deakin Young Influencer Award. This award is open to all Year 11 students and Tyra was selected as the winner from CGGS, which is an incredible achievement.
The Deakin Young Influencer Award recognises excellence and celebrates students who are truly motivated to make a positive difference in the world – now and into the future. Deakin believes strongly in acknowledging outstanding students and has rewarded Tyra’s efforts and achievements with a $5000 scholarship to support her first year of study at Deakin in 2025.
Tyra has been awarded the Deakin Young Influencer Award for her outstanding contributions to her community, through her commitment to volunteering, as well as coaching endeavours. Community leadership, change advocacy and progressive thinking are all values Deakin seeks to uphold and we commend Tyra for her commitment to them.
Congratulations Tyra, we wish you all the best and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.
Trish Dolan
Careers Counsellor
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC), is the world’s oldest international schools’ writing competition. The QCEC provides an opportunity for young Commonwealth citizens to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences on key global issues and have their hard work and achievement celebrated internationally.
Year 10 student Aashi S, received a Bronze Award out of 34,000 entrants. Congratulations, Aashi, on this incredible achievement!
We encourage students to consider entering this prestigious competition. Remember, you can be the change you wish to see so please continue to write for a better world.
Karin Lemanis
Head of History
The Service Learning program was an insightful and motivational way to both learn about and help people in rural areas (in developing nations) who are in need of specific support. I particularly enjoyed the hands-on activities such as packing Zonta Birthing Kits, as this was a way of directly helping people by providing needed supplies – Amber R
This year as a part of the Upskill program and the Service Learning curriculum, Year 10 students investigated the central theme of ‘Global Issues for Women’. Throughout the year, students researched issues affecting women around the world, with a particular focus on women’s health and equality, including issues such as access to menstrual products and barriers to alleviating poverty amongst women and children. In the early stages of the program, through independent research tasks, as well as learning from and working with organisations, such as the Days for Girls, students were able to develop their understanding of some of the key issues facing women around the world.
Using this knowledge and research, students were asked to raise awareness and create a fundraising campaign for Zonta International and the Birthing Kit Foundation, which provides communities with birthing kits that allow for safer and more hygienic births. To raise money, students held a Service Learning Fair and a range of other initiatives which raised a total of $1500, $500 more than their original goal. This money enabled them to purchase 200 birthing kits to be assembled and packed by students.
The Year 10 students should be incredibly proud of what they achieved in Service Learning this year, and we thank them for their efforts. Well done Year 10!
Tom Clark
Year 10 Coordinator
