CamNews

Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The beginning of the school year arrives with the excitement of new opportunities and developing or establishing new friendships. This is the case for parents as well as students.

Connecting through information nights or social events is a very important way for parents to extend their networks and to understand the priorities and operations of the school. This year we have already held a number of significant events for families including the Year 7 Church Service and Dinner, ‘Meet the Teacher’ evenings and we are looking forward to the Junior School Picnic tonight. 

A couple of weeks ago our Parents and Friends Association (PFA) hosted their Welcome Evening. This was a fabulous evening with over 330 parents attending on a balmy summer evening. The timing was perfect to acknowledge Chinese New Year and we were all entertained by a very colourful and vibrant Lion Dance. These events are very memorable, and I hope that many families have already bookmarked our Moonlight Movie Night on Saturday 16 March.

Year level events have also commenced in recent weeks.  Year Level Representatives have organised or run events for parents to gather socially and I thank them for their work in connecting families, which in turn supports the students.

I am aware that some of our international families also benefit from additional assistance with understanding education, school operations and how to become more involved with the school. Our International Student Coordinator, Barbara Peng (pengb@cggs.vic.edu.au), provides this support to families.

The International Student Coordinator is an essential support to students and parents engaged in the International Student Program as well as those with an international background, ensuring diverse members of the community have an enriching educational experience while enrolled at CGGS. Operating across Early Learning to Year 12, the coordinator offers assistance in terms of learning, wellbeing, and compliance with regulatory requirements for international students.  

As a crucial link, the International Student Coordinator establishes and maintains connections between students, families, homestay providers, the designated support person and CGGS staff. They also design programs and forums for parents and guardians to foster a sense of connection and belonging within the school community as well as educating on key school systems, structures, events, and other essential requirements. Past workshop topics have covered a range of subjects, from navigating the school diary to understanding school reports, VCE Protocols, MyCGGS, Tertiary Pathways, and co-curricular programs.  

During 2024 there is an exciting program of workshops and activities being developed. These include opportunities for parents to connect with others from diverse language backgrounds as well as opportunities to actively participate and volunteer at school and House events. Barbara is organising forums that will address elective programs, subject selection processes, school uniform considerations and effective school communication pathways. These will be advertised in the Weeklies.

If you would like to know more about how to be involved in the school, please contact your child’s Head of School or Sarah Galati from the Community Engagement Office (galatis@cggs.vic.edu.au).

I look forward to seeing you at our school events.

With best wishes,

Debbie Dunwoody
Principal

2023 Parent Survey Feedback

Each year we conduct a parent survey to obtain value feedback from parents about a number of key areas at CGGS.  The confidential parent survey was conducted by MYP Corporation through their School Results Survey (SRS) from 27 November – 9 December 2023. The survey also enabled comparison of results with similar schools.

31.7% of parents participated in the survey (32.8% in 2022 and 32.1% in 2021).  Parents indicated that the 5 top reasons for choosing CGGS from highest to lowest were:  academic excellence, school reputation, the size of school/classes, values/culture and location.  The satisfaction rating is summarized in the table below.

The key areas in which feedback was sought were:

Values & Culture                  

Leadership & Direction       

School Communication

Curriculum                           

Co-curriculum                      

Learning & Extension

Teaching Standards             

Learning Environment        

Resources & Facilities

Homework                            

Reporting                              

Pastoral Care/Wellbeing

Student Transition               

Student Engagement            

Parent Engagement

Of the 15 Key Areas surveyed, 14 received an excellent satisfaction rating and 1 received a good satisfaction rating (Rating out of 5).  The rating of the highest 5 categories of satisfaction are listed below:

The lowest 5 categories of satisfaction from least satisfied to more satisfied were:

Informed by the survey including individual responses, the following will be areas of focus for the school in 2024:

  • Improved communication programs and their rationale
  • Review of Extension and Enrichment programs
  • Feedback and Reporting
  • Increasing the engagement of parents in social and school opportunities
  • Facilities and Resources.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank parents for their valuable feedback and look forward to our continued work in partnership.

Debbie Dunwoody
Principal

Principal

Today, Mrs McClure celebrates World Teachers' Day and shares interesting stories about how some of our educators became teachers.

Secondary School

For the third consecutive year, CGGS entrepreneurs have won the Plan Your Own Enterprise Competition!

Junior School

The Junior School is busy rehearsing for the opening night of The Lion King Junior, which is less than a week away!

Connected Community

The School was excited to welcome back four Old Grammarians for the Leavers' Service this week.

Create Your Tomorrow