With great enthusiasm, we extend a warm welcome to the CGGS community for the commencement of a new school year. As we embark on this journey together in 2024, we are excited to keep you informed about the highlights and events of our Secondary School through our CamNews publication, published every fortnight.
The School has been buzzing with energy over the past few days, marked by shared laughter, joy and the exchange of holiday stories, as well as the setting of goals and anticipation for the year ahead. This week, saw the commencement of the school year for staff and Year 7, 11 and 12 students, a few days ahead of Year 8, 9 and 10, who will be joining us for their first day on Monday 5 February.
Thursday 1 February marked an important day for our Year 7, 11 and Year 12 students, with each cohort celebrating significant milestones in their secondary school journey, and this edition of CamNews reflects warmly on these important moments.
Staying true to tradition at CGGS, the School Captains will soon unveil their theme for the year, capturing the culture and spirit of our School and serving as a guiding mantra for the student body throughout the year. Emily, Jessica and Sara will formally introduce their theme at our first assembly next Monday, however, in this edition of CamNews, they have given us a sneak peek into their exciting plans.
In the coming weeks, we are looking forward to connecting with parents and guardians at the official school welcome event, the PFA Welcome Evening on Friday 16 February. For our Year 7 – 10 parents/guardians, before this event, you will have the opportunity to ‘Meet and Greet’ Tutor/Form Teachers before joining the fun and festivities.
We wish students, parents and staff all the very best for the year ahead. Undoubtedly, it promises to be a year filled with growth, inspiration, and success for everyone at CGGS.
Kath Woolcock
Head of Senior School
Tom Clark
Head of Middle School
We are your School Captains, Emily, Sara and Jess (also known as the Planets – Earth, Saturn and Jupiter), and together we help to lead our School. We are incredibly proud and humbled to hold these important positions, as there is something truly special about our community. From the moment you walk through the school gates, you can sense the positive energy and most importantly, it is a place where everyone belongs.
Together, CGGS makes an entire universe, with each individual, whether a planet, star, moon or sun, playing an important part in forming the whole galaxy. Therefore, in 2024, our leadership team is focusing on the theme of space.
While we won’t reveal it in this article just yet, we are over the moon to unveil our stellar theme for 2024, with students and staff at our first assembly next week on Monday 5 February. We also look forward to sharing this with the wider community in the next edition of CamNews.
All the best for the year ahead, and we hope you are excited for 2024. We have plans that are going to be out of this world!
Emily P, Jessica T, Sara R
2024 School Captains
It has been an exciting and jam-packed two-day transition program for the new Year 7 cohort. Arriving with blazers to grow into, they immediately marked their place in our CGGS community. The spaces they moved through were filled with laughter and a flurry of intriguing questions about all the great school experiences they are about to embark upon.
After an inspiring Welcome Ceremony, the Year 7s began their official ‘safari’ themed year with a scavenger hunt around the school. By working as their collective meerkat mob, the students found their way around every hidden corner of the school. Our favourite meerkat mascot joined in on the fun and got in a few snaps in key locations. Along the journey they found our wonderful Labyrinth with elaborate indigenous designs and took a bright class photo to use as their first form room decoration. Moving through each activity to follow, their bond as a cohort strengthened and they enthusiastically pledged to get involved in the array of co-curricular activities and new opportunities they heard about.
Friday’s transition program served as a chance to experience a whole school day with specialist programs of Music, Drama and Performing Arts, Service Learning and IT designed for our budding Year 7s. Wrapping up Friday with some well-deserved reading and relaxation in the library, the Year 7s seemed immediately at home surrounded by books and friends. This evening, we will hold our Year 7 Commencement Service and Welcome Dinner where staff, parents/guardians and students will share in a delicious meal and great conversation to conclude the transition program.
Our Year 7 students embraced every activity on offer and their positive, bubbly attitudes made this a first week to remember. We are looking forward to a bright, curious, and connected year ahead.
Maria Litchfield
Year 7 Coordinator
It was wonderful to have the Year 11 students back at school this week, with the hum of excitement reverberating around the Upper Woodstock building.
We started our Year 11 Transition program on Thursday. The Form Teachers and I enjoyed spending time with the students, hearing about their recent break and talking to them about the year ahead. The students gained a deeper understanding of the expectations and requirements of their VCE studies before participating in a variety of challenge tasks in small Form groups designed to give opportunity for connection and creative thinking.
The year level decided on a Mascot – Winnie the Pooh – and guiding motto for 2024 which is Braver – Stronger– Smarter, a derivative of the famous AA Milne quote, you are Braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. A year-level motto helps focus our values, guide our decisions, and underpins how we will take action in 2024.
We also spent time exploring some personal goals and changes for the year ahead and students were given the following four prompts which will be displayed in the year level space:
On Friday, normal classes commenced and students enjoyed getting the academic year underway. We are excited for the year ahead and look forward to sharing it with you in future editions.
Nareen Robinson
Year 11 Coordinator
The Year 12s were off and racing on their last first day at CGGS, reconnecting with each other and establishing their collective goals and ambitions for the year.
In 2024, their chosen theme is inspired by the film ‘Cars’. This is the story of Lightening McQueen, a young racing car pursuing the race of his career, the Piston Cup, only to unexpectedly find himself stranded in the forgotten town of Radiator Springs. Here, he learns powerful life lessons on friendship, integrity, kindness and understanding that the journey is more important than the destination. With this in mind, as the Year 12 YLC and Pit Crew Boss, I set the tone of the year with a quote from Tex Dinaco in the film, “There’s a whole lot more to racing than winning.”
It was a full day of leaning into the exciting potential of the year beginning with everyone embracing a spirit of co-design. First off the grid was the Year 12 jumper design. With 15 designs created by groups, this was narrowed to a podium of the favourite three designs with a round of dot voting. The next step will bring together the best elements of these, with the finished product to be unveiled in a few months time.
Lots of ideas were then shared as the students contributed to the Year 12 Common Room to be utilised during the year, from the philosophy and vibe of how the space will be used (“Socks must stay on!”) to what should be included in the tea and coffee station. The upcoming Year 12 Formal, taking place in Week 3 also got some attention. One of the most anticipated events in the School calendar, it will no doubt be a night of glamour and lasting memories based on the fantastic ideas that were shared by the students.
An important tradition is the Year 12 Commencement Service, held at St Marks Church. Reverend Creed and the 2024 School Faith and Worship Captain, Erica W, lead a moving service centred around the theme of Being Community. The students and staff were invited to reflect on their educational journey thus far and their hopes for the year ahead. The service included a powerful singing performance by Sienna V, accompanied on the piano by Deputy Principal, Mrs McClure. The song urged students to be brave, trust their voice and know their worth.
Year 12 is a time of many lasts and also many firsts, as the year level embraces the opportunities and privileges that come with being in their final year of school. There is much to celebrate and look forward to and based on the energy so far, we know that it will be a great 2024 for the Year 12s. In Cars, it takes the protagonist Lightening McQueen a bit of time and some hard lessons to recognise that slowing down and being in the moment can be just as rewarding as going fast, that there is value in all relationships and that winning isn’t everything. We are so proud that our cohort of 2024 have already embraced these values and can’t wait to go along for the ride with them.
Lindsay Hill
Year 12 Coordinator
