Mrs Dunwoody discusses CGGS's partnership with The Cyber Safety Project to educate and support students, parents, and staff regarding digital safety and wellbeing.
Today we celebrated Harmony Day in the Junior School with a splash of orange—a colour that represents communication, respect, and inclusivity. There was something special about seeing our community come together at assembly, a sea of orange reminding us of the power of unity and belonging. Throughout the day, students have explored the idea that harmony is more than just a word—it’s about how we come together, show respect, and celebrate the unique stories that shape our community. Harmony Day is also a reminder that both individually and collectively, we play a role in creating an inclusive and welcoming community. We thank our School Captains, Neesha and Audrey, and Social Service Leaders, Faye and Wendy, for their leadership in Assembly today. Additionally, thank you to the House Leaders, Claire, Cecilia, Cathy, Aarza, Caitlyn, Lucy, Kenolee and Aurelia, for arranging House activities for students, with a focus on teamwork and cultivating joy.
Learning Conversations provide a valuable opportunity for parents/guardians to meet with their child’s teacher to discuss social, emotional, and academic progress, as well as goals for the year ahead. At this early stage in the year, the meetings are also an important time for parents to share insights and important information about their child with the teacher, helping to strengthen the partnership between home and school. I know our staff are really looking forward to connecting with families, and these meaningful conversations about student growth and development.
Finally, as we approach the weekend, we are looking forward to the annual PFA Moonlight Movie Night. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect, enjoy a great film under the stars, and catch up with other families. All booking details can be located the Parent Opportunities section of the Weekly.
Nancy Robottom
Deputy Head of Junior School
The children in Early Learning 3 have demonstrated curiosity in the vegetables harvested from our garden. Using our pumpkins and zucchinis, we have been exploring shape, form, texture, colour and concentrating on finer details. When children engage in observational drawing, they access and develop many skills such as spatial reasoning, flexible thinking and working memory. It can be a challenge to draw from observation instead of our memory of what something may look like!
Quickly our observational drawing table for one became very popular, and we transformed our space into one for five children to draw and investigate at a time, which also promoted the use of oral language and collaboration. Wax crayons and oil pastels were also introduced as additional mediums. We soon observed an increase in detail and intricacy as the children returned to this space for their second or third attempts.
Cooking with children provides the opportunity for a great amount of learning and connection. In terms of literacy, children follow simple recipes, build their vocabulary, and sequencing skills as they identify ingredients and instructions. Numeracy skills are developed through measuring ingredients, counting items, and understanding concepts like more/less, bigger/smaller, and time. Cooking also promotes an understanding of the world around them. Children learn about different cultures, food sources, sustainability and the environment, as they explore the origins of ingredients and the importance of healthy eating. The sensory experience of cooking encourages curiosity, while teamwork and collaboration during group cooking fosters social skills. After some discussion amongst the class, we decided to cook both pumpkin soup and spaghetti with pumpkin sauce using mostly ingredients from our ELC vegetable garden harvest.
When making our pasta dish, after we prepared and cooked our sauce in a slow cooker and used the Junior School kitchenette to cook the pasta. We discussed quantities and estimated how much pasta we would need to feed the entire class. We used vocabulary such as small, medium and large, as well as a little or a lot. We decided to break out spaghetti in half (sorry Nonna!) and we introduced the concept of fractions. First, we had ‘one’ and then when we broke it in half, we had two!
As we waited for our pasta to cook, we collected a picture book that we had reserved at the Junior School Library. We read this story together, repeating and laughing at all the different names for different pastas! Junior School students walking past or waiting for their Art and Library classes joined in too! We used a few new Italian words as we read the story and then later when we ate our delicious cooking too.
Basta – Enough!
Ciao – Hello or Goodbye
Mangia – Eat
On both occasions that we cooked together, we sat around a large dining like table, and ate together, like a family. We talked, laughed and shared stories.
We made connections.
We developed connections to fresh produce, our senses and most importantly to each other.
Eva Szymanski
Early Learning 3 Teacher
On Wednesday Year 5 students had a wonderful day enriching their understanding of the colonial period of Australian history.
During our first education session, students developed an understanding of the Eureka Rebellion. From replicating the harsh conditions of walking to the Goldfields, to the death of James Scobie in 1854 and the arrival of the red coats, students took on different roles and relived the events on Bakery Hill. Other educational sessions included a theatre session that explored the complex issue of racism and the treatment of Chinese migrants in Ballarat. The children posed thoughtful questions, and they sought to understand what life was like for migrants.
Later in the day, students explored some of the dangers that the ‘diggers’ faced, such as being trapped under ground by falling rocks or by water, as they visited the Red Hill Mine Tour. Students learnt more about the poor health conditions and difficult environment that were faced on a daily basis. The final session of the day allowed the students to explore many aspects of daily life during the booming days of the Gold Rush. Not all roles were fair or equal, as some students searched for ‘gold’ and had the rights of ‘diggers’, whilst other students represented the ‘troopers’ and had the authority to check their gold licenses or arrest the ‘diggers’. The ‘bankers’ earnt the most money as they sold gold licenses to ‘diggers’ eager to stay out of jail!
Craig Goodwin
Year 5 Teacher
An Acknowledgment of the Country is a way of showing respect to the Traditional Owners. Incorporating this acknowledgement into the daily routine is important because it encourages students to actively engage with diversity and respect. It also helps them to understand the continuing connection First Nations people have to their land.
Before starting their learning, 1W recites an Acknowledgement of Country at the beginning of their Morning Meeting every day. They have also incorporated hand gestures to accompany these words.
Here is the land, here is the sky.
Here are my friends and here am I.
We thank the Wurundjeri people
for the land where we play and learn.
Hands up, hands down.
We’re on Wurundjeri ground
Recently, the 1W students met with Foundation S at our yarning circle so they could teach them the Acknowledgement of Country to use in their classroom.
After reciting the acknowledgment, 1W taught it to the Foundation class line by line and then helped them to incorporate the hand gestures. Foundation S quickly learnt the words and gestures and recited the whole Acknowledgement of Country with 1W! This was a wonderful opportunity for the Year 1 students to engage in peer teaching and to share their understandings of connection to Country.
Both classes are looking forward to sharing their Acknowledgement of Country with other teachers and students as the term progresses.
Elizabeth Warren and Mikaela Stanaway
1W and FS Class Teachers
Ormiston Library hosts fortnightly Book Club gatherings for our students in Year 3 /4 and Year 5 /6 during Wednesday lunchtimes, and everyone is welcome to attend.
Our Book Clubs are a wonderful way for our students to engage with literature in a social setting and offer students the opportunity to explore and discuss books in a safe and comfortable environment. During our gatherings, readers are introduced to diverse characters, cultures, experiences and viewpoints through carefully selected book choices, and are given opportunities to share their opinions, listen to different perspectives, and engage in book related conversations.
Whether they are readers of fantasy, graphic novels and/or historical fiction our Book Clubs create a lovely sense of community and allow likeminded students to bond over shared literary experiences.
Some of the activities students have enjoyed during our Book Clubs include shared reading sessions, first chapter read louds, author and illustrator studies, writing workshops/competitions, books to film/TV comparisons, CBCA Shadow Judging, and many more book related creative activities, quizzes, and games.
Sally Spencer
Teacher Librarian
Mrs Dunwoody discusses CGGS's partnership with The Cyber Safety Project to educate and support students, parents, and staff regarding digital safety and wellbeing.
This week, our CGGS Secondary School swimmers successfully defended their GSV Division 2 Swimming Championship title.
At the Junior School, Year 1 has shared a special ritual they do every day with the Foundation students.
The School welcomed Old Grammarian Lisa Chiba (2001) as the guest speaker at this year's International Women's Day Breakfast.
