Mrs. Dunwoody reflects on two significant occasions in the School's history that occurred in the past week.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Our shared experiences certainly build connectedness in our community. I would like to share two important community events that have taken place recently.
Founders’ Service
On Tuesday, students in Years 5-12, staff and special guests gathered in St Paul’s Cathedral for our Founders’ Service, celebrating our 105th year as an Anglican School. St Paul’s is our home church; the spiritual heart of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and the Province of Victoria, so it is a very special place for us to worship. Led by Reverend Helen Creed, our School Chaplain, with Tayla, our Faith and Worship Captain, and Dina, our School Faith and Service Captain, we reflected on the theme of ‘Letting our light shine for others’.
Helen referred to our school hymn, particularly the words ‘The School has lit the torch, let us take heed, that in our hands the beacon cannot die.’ She challenged us to consider our Founders and what that light meant to them and the St Mark’s Camberwell community as they established our school. Four students also shared a word to explain their thoughts about our Camberwell Girls light, with Cathy from Year 6 highlighting ‘resilience’, Livia from Year 8 sharing ‘hope’, Amelia from Year 11 focusing on ‘catalyst’ and Atara from Year 12 speaking about ‘belonging’. These moving reflections instilled a great sense of purpose and pride, with Atara concluding that ‘our founders didn’t just build a school, they created a community.’ A community I know we proudly nurture and grow today.
The Right Reverend Kate Prowd, Bishop for the Monomeeth Episcopate, delivered the sermon urging us be aware of beacons of light upon us, as well as being bearers of light and ‘letting our light shine for others.’ The relevance of these messages is important as we live in complex times, and as an extension, I would suggest profoundly for our young people as they endeavour to build and navigate their pathways in trying to make sense of their world.
As a Principal, there are special times when you feel a great sense of pride for your students. As I entered the Cathedral to take our special guests to their seats, our students and staff were sitting in the pews listening to the music in silence and with a respect for the occasion that was palpable. As I shared my pride with Davina McClure our Deputy Principal, Davina described the atmosphere as one of reverence. I have never felt it so strongly and I am deeply grateful to our students for their deep respect for this occasion.
I would like to thank our musicians and music staff for the beautiful music during the service, the multitude of student representatives who participated in special roles and special guests who contributed to the service. Finally, special thanks again to Reverend Helen Creed. We are so fortunate to have a Chaplain who connects with students from 3 to 18 years old, as well as staff, in nurturing spiritual growth. We have all felt Helen’s light shine for us.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
The Groundbreaking Ceremony to formally commence the Barbara Sutton Hall project was held on 15 May 2025. It was a fitting tribute to our space, our educational purpose, students, staff and all those who have ensured that our vision has been realised over decades.
Our Chair of Council, Dr Nikita Weikhardt thanked Murrundindi for Welcoming us to Country and acknowledged that the ceremony represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the life of Camberwell Girls Grammar School and the reimagined Barbara Sutton Hall. Dr Weickhardt shared the hall’s history when construction commenced in 1986 and after several delays was opened and dedicated by the Primate of Australia, The Most Reverend Sir John Grindrod KBE in 1988. The building was dedicated to the retiring Principal, Miss Barbara Sutton, a visionary leader focussed on the provision of a rigorous, holistic education for every student.
Reverend Helen Creed also shared Miss Sutton’s deep appreciation for the performing arts and how so many people including past students and staff have shared their admiration of her. Before saying a prayer for the renovation of the building, Helen expressed that the design of the hall creates a feeling when you are on stage, no one seems too far away. She had always felt that there was warmth in the space and decided that this was partly because the walls had absorbed the joy and love of the people who performed and presented in the hall.
I shared that we are proud to be reimagining, not rebuilding, Barbara Sutton Hall. We are honouring our existing building and recognising the importance of our environmental footprint, which is dramatically minimised through the retention of the existing building.
In preparing their design response after a number of workshops with students and staff, the MGS team of architects articulated four key design principles:
Through this project we are introducing some new practical elements:
A number of students, staff and families viewed the Groundbreaking Ceremony through the live stream. Our architects, projects managers and builders expressed their gratitude for their inclusion and recognition, and all expressed to me how they feel part of a united team working with Camberwell Girls. We were excited to see the fencing and site sheds start to take shape on the grounds earlier this week.
We now look ahead with anticipation. The redesigned and renovated spaces in Barbara Sutton Hall will enhance new opportunities for creativity and collaboration, striving for excellence, exchanging ideas, celebrating milestones and cultivating new traditions. It will no doubt continue to be a place of joy and endless possibilities for an education of the mind and of the heart.
We are grateful for your support and partnership in realising this significant project and look forward to sharing updates with you over the coming months.
With best wishes,
Debbie Dunwoody
Principal
Mrs. Dunwoody reflects on two significant occasions in the School's history that occurred in the past week.
Two House Events, Year 9 Camp, Diversity Week, incursions, and excursions—it's been a busy fortnight!
The ELC children are exploring storytelling and colour theory, while students in Years 3 to 6 competed for their Houses.
In the past two weeks, the School welcomed community members for several events, including the Generations Breakfast, Founders' Service, and Groundbreaking Ceremony.
