Over the past two weeks we have honoured and bid farewell to the Class of 2024 through several significant events, including the Year 12 Celebration Day, the Leavers’ Service, and the Valedictory Dinner. These gatherings play a crucial role in recognising the years of perseverance, learning, and consistent growth of our Year 12 students. They provide an opportunity for students to reflect on cherished memories, forged friendships, and the steadfast support from family, friends and educators. Theses celebrations also acknowledge the moments that have shaped their identities, their ongoing development and the limitless possibilities that await.
Celebration Day on Monday 21 October featured our Year 12s embracing a ‘Circus’ theme with students dressed in an array of costumes such as clowns, acrobats, rabbits, lions and other colourful characters. From the Year 12 Breakfast in Robinson Hall to the vibrant final Assembly and the traditional bell-ringing at 3:25pm, their collective spirit, humour, and sense of community were evident throughout the day. A highlight for everyone was the lunchtime Carnival, where Year 12 students invited the entire community to join in the festivities. Activities such as balloon animals, face painting, and teacher dunking contributed to the palpable energy and fun, truly reflecting their experiences at CGGS.
The Leavers’ Service, held on Tuesday 22 October is an important tradition at Camberwell Girls, a moment that connects the Year 12 students with the past, the history of the School and their future. It serves as an occasion to commend the students for their dedication and the legacy they have woven and provides an opportunity for them to express gratitude to those who have supported and guided them along the way. It was heartwarming to spend this time with so many parents, guardians and special guests and as the service drew to a close, our Year 12 students walked down the driveway to the Torrington Street school gates for the final time, a moment filled with both excitement and nostalgia, marking the end of a significant chapter in their lives.
On Tuesday evening, parents/guardians, staff, and students gathered at Zinc in Federation Square for the Class of 2024 Valedictory Dinner. Sponsored by the Parents and Friends Association, this important occasion offered a last chance for our school community to come together, celebrate achievements, express thanks, and send best wishes to our graduates. The event featured delicious food, wonderful conversations, and impressive dancing, making it an unforgettable night for everyone present.
Our Year 12 students are now deeply immersed in their final weeks of school, and witnessing the enthusiasm and dedication they are bringing to their final exam preparations has been truly inspiring. We extend our best wishes for the coming weeks and eagerly anticipate celebrating their achievements and future journeys with them next year and beyond.
Kath Woolcock
Head of Senior School
Tom Clark
Head of Middle School
A significant event in the Senior School calendar, the Years 10 – 12 Presentation Evening, held on Wednesday 16 October, provided a chance to celebrate and reflect on the individual and shared achievements of our Senior School students this year. It also served as an opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional academic, citizenship and co-curricular efforts and accomplishments of students in Years 10 to 12, including the prestigious School Prizes and VCE Awards.
With a full Barbara Sutton Hall, we welcomed staff, students, parents, and guardians to join the celebrations, along with the Chair of School Council, Dr. Nikita Weickhardt, Life Governor, Dr Anne Goodrich, and Jess Wilson MP and it was wonderful to have each of these special guests present significant awards on the night.
During the evening, we heard from students as they reflected on their year and the real-world learning opportunities provided at Camberwell Girls, and we saw musical and dance performances that displayed the incredible and diverse talents of our students.We also celebrated the collective achievements of our Class of 2024, as each Year 12 student was recognised on stage for their valuable contributions to the CGGS community and was presented with their Testimonial and Commemorative Gift from the School.
As we reflect on these memorable events and the extraordinary accomplishments of our Years 10 – 12 students, we are filled with immense pride and gratitude. The commitment and spirit shown by them is a testament to their hard work and the nurturing and inspiring environment at Camberwell Girls, and we are incredibly proud of all they have achieved in 2024.
Kath Woolcock
Head of Senior School
At their last Chaplain’s Assembly, the Year 12s were surprised and delighted to be given “care packs” that were put together by the Youth Group at St Mark’s Church and funded by members of the congregation.
Each pack included a notebook, a highlighter pen, encouraging bible verses, and sweet and savoury treats. The Reverend Tim Collison, Assistant Minister at St Mark’s said, “We challenged members of our Youth Group to find ways to serve their local community. They are aware of the stresses facing Year 12 students, and so the idea of “care packs” was born.”
We are grateful for our ongoing connection with St Mark’s, and for this very practical support.
Reverend Helen Creed
School Chaplain
Last Thursday 17 October, 22 students travelled to Lakeside stadium to participate in the inaugural Go Girls Foundation 100km Challenge.
The Go Girls Foundational purpose is for every woman to have a plan, and they do this by supporting women who are unemployed to gain employment, those who have experienced domestic violence to move towards independence, migrant women who have faced social isolation to engage in their community and women recovering from breast cancer to find a new pathway.
Prior to the event, CEO Michelle Jobson came to CGGS to speak with our Year 9 students to encourage them to participate and to explain the process of fundraising for this worthy foundation.
With two teams of 10 students signed up, plus an official team lap counter, the aim of each team was to complete a continuous relay to reach 50km and a total of 100km per school.
A 50-kilometre run is exactly 125 laps of a 400m athletics running track. Each student was scheduled to run approximately 5km’s over the 5 hour period. Camberwell Girls completed an incredible 118 kilometres, all well under the allocated time.
It has been overwhelming to witness our student’s remarkable response to the call to fundraise, with the CGGS Pink team currently leading the State and CGGS Purple coming 4th across all the girls schools that participated. This is an incredible effort, and we are so proud of this living example of our school motto Utilis in Ministerium.
Currently, the total raised by CGGS sits at $14,002.00 and the combined foundation total raised by all schools is $147,270.00.
In correspondence from Michelle after the event, she said “Camberwell really did star on the day and your school should be so proud of your students, their behaviour, their focus and their want to make a difference.”
The Go Girls Challenge was a special event, and I thank the students for their long and sustained commitment to the program and we look forward to taking more teams in 2025.
Nareen Robinson
Head of Sport
On 15th October, the CGGS Chess Team went to Korowa Girls Anglican School for the Victorian Girls Chess State Finals. Our team comprised of eight dedicated players, playing seven matches against a multitude of schools who also qualified for the event.
During round 1, the competition began with challenging matches, and Alice secured the sole victory for CGGS. The team reconvened, discussing possible openings and reviewing their games for improvement before they moved into the next round. In round 2, Captain Lucy faced a tough opponent, seemingly heading for a draw, but with determination, she found a clever checkmate. Celeste achieved her first win of the day with an impressive pawn checkmate, and Christine also secured her first victory. After congratulating, encouraging and receiving some coaching CGGS moved into round 3 with Christine, Lucy, and Celeste emerging victorious, boosting team morale. Having some victories under their belt, they continued into round 4 as Christine executed an excellent queen-rook checkmate for another win. Alice, despite being down on material and time, pulled off a thrilling rook sacrifice, leading to a queen checkmate. Celeste’s aggressive play paid off, winning her game on time. During round 5, Jessica delivered a strong performance with an endgame queen-king checkmate, propelling the team into 4th place. Jessica claimed another win in round 6, while Lucy and Christine settled for draws, keeping the team in contention for a top-three finish. In their final round, Jessica once again triumphed, with Lucy and Christine both drawing their matches. Sienna, Panya, and Sophie played well but faced formidable opponents throughout the day.
Ultimately, CGGS had a fantastic day and an outstanding season, finishing 4th in the Girls State Finals. This is a commendable and amazing achievement from the CGGS Chess team, and we congratulate the students for their tremendous effort and dedication throughout the year.
Students: Lucy C, Christine M, Sienna T, Jessica W, Sophie L, Panya S, Alice L, Celeste M
Teacher: Mr. Sam Fitzgerald
Sam Fitzgerald
Head of Digital Technologies
Entrepreneurship education is central to the Year 9 Commerce curriculum at Camberwell Girls. Transferable skills and competencies such as critical thinking, innovation and problem solving are nurtured and valued, and students learn the importance of ethical decision-making, social responsibility and environmental sustainability.
CGGS has a proud history of competing in the Plan Your Own Enterprise (PYOE) competition, run by Business Educators Australasia in conjunction with the Victorian Commercial Teachers Association. The competition harnesses the entrepreneurial spirit of young people, requiring them to develop an original business idea and then create a business plan that analyses all areas of small-business operations, from initial funding and costing, to key functions, legal structure, marketing, staffing, pricing, budgeting, and aspirations for the business’s future.
Recently we were thrilled to learn that three Year 9 teams advanced to the Victorian final of this competition, beating hundreds of other entries across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, and placing them amongst the top 7 finalists state-wide. In further good news, this week we celebrated our third consecutive win in the group division of the Victorian final. We are immensely proud of Year 9 entrepreneurs Rui M, Chloe W, Tiya S and Pardis S who were crowned Victorian champions with their business “Quizoo”, an app designed to improve student study habits. Rui, Chloe, Tiya and Pardis will now advance to the national competition as Victoria’s representatives.
Alongside our winners, we also congratulate the following Year 9 students for reaching the final:
The judging panel praised the depth of research, originality, feasibility and social impact of all CGGS entries. Each business showcased a level of execution and quality that was meticulous and advanced. With immense pride the Commerce department congratulates all eleven students on their incredible achievements.
Erin McEwan
Head of Commerce
Our Year 11 Chinese Language, Culture, and Society students recently had the opportunity to participate in a Chinese cultural and language workshop at Monash University. The day was designed to deepen their understanding of China and immerse them in its culture through a series of enriching sessions.
The event began with keynote speakers who introduced pathways for studying Chinese at the university level. Monash University students then shared their personal experiences learning Chinese and studying as exchange students in China, inspiring our students to explore future opportunities in this field.
In the first session, students took a deep dive into Chinese cultural philosophy, exploring Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism—three key philosophies that have shaped Chinese thought and culture for over 4,000 years. This sparked fascinating discussions on the cultural and historical reasons behind China’s unique worldview and the profound impact these philosophies continue to have on Chinese society today.
The second session provided practical strategies for preparing for oral exams in Chinese, equipping students with valuable skills to enhance their language proficiency. The third and final session focused on Chinese media and popular culture, offering insights into how contemporary Chinese society communicates and entertains through various media platforms.
Overall, the workshop was an inspiring experience for our students, giving them a deeper appreciation of Chinese culture and language and motivating them to continue their learning journey.
Scarlett Zhang and Crystal Zhang
Chinese Coordinator and Chinese Teacher
The recent GALESS (Global Alliance of Leading Edge Schools for Sustainability) Tiltshift Challenge Conference Melbourne 2024 was organised by the Boroondara Gifted Network and hosted by four schools: Camberwell Girls Grammar School, Bialik College, Ivanhoe Grammar School and Camberwell Grammar School.
This international student conference included students from Dillmann-Gymnasium, Germany, Mahidol Wittayanusorn School, Thailand and the School of Science and Technology, Singapore alongside teams from five Melbourne schools. The focus of this year’s Tiltshift Challenge was Life Sources: Waterways. Over several months, each team researched an area of interest relating to waterways and produced a 5000-word report which they presented at the conference. Erika T, Megan A and Angela L worked closely with Murrundindi to research the cultural significance of the Yarra River for the Wurundjeri people and indigenous practices which support the health of the river.
Day 3 at CGGS included an interactive session in the MakerSpace with Dr Vicky-June Ellis sharing insights into the issue of microplastics in our waterways and leading a plastics extrusion activity with Elsa W. The program also included a waterways-themed breakout box challenge, gallery walk, Q & A session with Froggies members, Florence J and Lily W and concluded with a design sprint responding to the prompt: How might we address the problem of microplastics in our waterways? Innovative responses included a washing machine filtration system, robotic beavers and ocean buoys with inbuilt filters. Students were guided through the design thinking process before they shared their thinking and solutions. It was inspiring to observe the students’ critical and creative thinking skills – under their leadership we can be optimistic about our future world.
“The GALESS Tiltshift challenge was an incredible experience to be involved in. Throughout the research and writing process and the conference days, we gained valuable insights and connected with like-minded students from around the world. Not only was the challenge fun, but it also created exciting opportunities for the future. I highly encourage future students to participate if they get the chance!” Erika
“Through my research, I have gained a deeper appreciation of the cultural importance of the Yarra River, particularly its historical and environmental connection with the Indigenous community. It has also been very exciting meeting and bonding with many like-minded and friendly students throughout the 4-day conference.” Megan
“We were able to learn so much about the Yarra River and all the responsibilities that come with maintaining its natural beauty, as well as being able to listen to and learn from Murrundindi. It was such a proud moment for us to be able to write and present our findings and being able to interact with students from all over the globe during our conference week.” Angela L
A special thank you to Ashley Van Krieken, Anna Clarkson and Dr Vicky-June Ellis for their contributions.
Dr Charlotte Forwood
Director of Learning Design and Development
This year more than 850 students across Victoria entered the annual ISV Student Poetry Competition. We would like to congratulate Rhea J (Year 11) for her winning entry ‘Gum Tree in Viet’. We would also like to congratulate the following two students, who received an Honourable Mention for their entries: Simrah A (Year 11) and Amelia L (Year 8)
We hope you enjoy reading their poems.
Other winning entries can be viewed on the Arts Learning Festival website.
Dr Charlotte Forwood
Director of Learning Design and Development
Fieldwork is a core part of Geography at Camberwell Girls. Every year, students learn, develop and build on their geographical skills by collecting, presenting and analysing primary data through a fieldwork investigation.
In Year 10, students explore the benefits of greenspaces for human wellbeing and address environmental challenges such as the Urban Heat Island Effect, climate change and increasing biodiversity in urban areas. They visit and compare some of Melbourne’s most iconic parks including Studley Park in Yarra Bend Park and the gardens at Abbotsford Convent. Students work together to collect primary data by surveying people, counting visitors, recording temperatures using a thermal image camera, completing a biodiversity audit and recording and mapping key features at the site.
The group photos show this semester’s classes standing on the historical, rebuilt Kane’s Bridge (the original bridge built in 1928 was washed away by floodwaters) at Studley Park and under the great 300-year-old River Red Gum near the entrance of Abbotsford Convent.
Karoline Walter
Head of Geography
Throughout Term Three, six Year 7 students – Nawita D, Lydia H, Sarvani P, Amiya R, Aanya R and Ishana S – participated in the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s (ANSTO) Think Science Competition. This nationwide initiative invites primary and secondary students to design and conduct a scientific investigation on a topic of their choosing. They then create a video submission that showcases their findings and the scientific process.
Our Year 7 teams explored a wide array of investigations this year. They delved into the fascinating world of Microbiology, testing the effectiveness of brands of disinfectant wipes using agar plates to grow bacteria. They ventured into Chemistry, experimenting with separation techniques to separate a mixture of materials commonly found on a beach. Additionally, they explored the principles of Physics and electromagnetism by constructing a Homopolar motor.
We are incredibly proud of their hard work and creativity in tackling these scientific challenges.
Reflecting on the Think Science Competition, we had the opportunity to persevere and complete our inquiry on the separation of a mixture consisting of metal, sand, water and plastic. We were fascinated by how each material needed a different separation technique. Even though our project was mainly focussed on separating a self-made mixture, we learned about the importance of clean water access on beaches and around the world. Sarvani P (7W) and Amiya R (7W)
The ANSTO Think Science Competition was a very educational and memorable experience for me. My partner, Ishana, and I created our project on the idea of electromagnetism, where we showcased its effects through a device called a Homopolar Motor. This project was very interesting and informative, and I learnt so much about electromagnetism while researching and investigating. I would definitely participate in this competition again. Aanya R (7T) and Ishana S (7W)
We thoroughly enjoyed this competition. We enjoyed participating, and it was extremely fun working together. Although we didn’t win, it is definitely one of our biggest joys of the year. Nawita D (7P) and Lydia H (7P)
Katherine Barbadonis
Mathematics and Science Teacher
“Study the past if you would define the future.” ― Confucius
The Australian History Competition is a nationwide event open to students in Years 7–10. The competition emphasises testing interpretation and analytical skills over prior knowledge, making it accessible to all students and giving everyone a chance to excel.
We are proud to announce that many of our students were awarded Distinctions and High Distinctions.
We are also thrilled to celebrate Elsa W, who has been named State Champion. In a highly competitive division with over 2,300 participants, Elsa claimed the top prize in this popular competition.
Congratulations to all our historians.
State Champion
Elsa W, 8D
High Distinction
Kealey L, 8C
Audrey R, 9C
Marlo O’R, 8A
Allegra R, 9B
Audrey R, 9C
Lillian W, 8D
Lily W, 8B
Anni Z, 8D
Distinction
Carissa D, 8D
Beatrix F, 8C
Erin L, 9C
Samantha L, 9D
Jessica M, 8D
Kyra M, 9A
Ayesha R, 9C
Alexia S-A, 9C
Vivienne T, 9C
Ashley W, 9D
Hilary F, 10A
Karin Lemanis
Head of History
To celebrate the final Book club with our 2024 Literature Captains Lizzy C and Melanie C, a large group of students in various year levels gathered in the Hub to thank and farewell them. Students enjoyed a challenging and fun author quiz together and celebrated with hot chocolates.
Lizzy and Mel were presented with books to thank them for their hard work organising Book Club and Classic Club this year, especially in preparation for the UK Literature Tour.
Anne Devenish
Head of Library Information Service
In the last week of Term Three, it was a joy to welcome our regional bishop, the Right Reverend Genieve Blackwell, to Camberwell Girls for a Service of Confirmation and Re-affirmation.
One of our Year 9 students, Claire P-N was confirmed, and our Year 9 Coordinator, Mr Andrew Burnell, re-affirmed his confirmation, from when he was in Year 8 at school. The service, held in the School Chapel, was attended by members of staff and students, including members of the Mustard lunchtime group, who helped to lead parts of the service. It was a wonderful celebration for all those who attended.
Helen Creed
School Chaplain
