It has been a bustling fortnight at Camberwell Girls, with Term Two activities and programs in full swing.
Thank you to our Senior and Middle School families and students who took the time to engage in Learning Conversations with our staff. These conversations offer valuable insights into progress and areas for growth in learning, playing a crucial role in fostering the partnership between the school, parents/guardians and students. We encourage our families to maintain this dialogue throughout the year, as staying connected is paramount to fostering academic success. The myCGGS portal is a central hub for accessing subjects, assessment tasks, feedback and marks, and we urge parents/guardians to utilise this platform regularly to stay informed.
Looking ahead, mark your calendars for the highly anticipated House Athletics Carnival next week on Wednesday 8 May – it is sure to be a day brimming with energy, House spirit, and camaraderie. Will Singleton House maintain their impressive House Sport winning streak ignited at Cross Country, or will another House rise to the occasion? It promises to be an exhilarating day for both students and staff, and we extend a warm invitation to parents/guardians to join us at Duncan McKinnon Reserve to cheer on our athletes.
Kath Woolcock
Head of Senior School
Tom Clark
Head of Middle School
Zonta’s Young Women in Public Affairs Award recognises young women for their commitment to volunteerism, volunteer leadership achievements and dedication to empowering women worldwide. This organisation began the Birthing Kits Program which all Year 10s engage in each year at Camberwell Girls, and through this award Zonta Clubs hope to encourage young women to be involved in public affairs.
Towards the end of Term One, Year 10, 11 and 12 students with an active involvement in service were invited to submit an application for the 2024 Zonta Young Women in Public Affairs Award.
We are thrilled to announce that Year 12 student, Charlize C, was awarded the 2024 Young Women in Public Affairs Award for the Zonta Club of Melbourne on Yarra.
Sue Lees, Coordinator of the Zonta Club of Melbourne on Yarra, said Charlize’s application stood out because she has shown a strong involvement in leadership and issues relating to women. The judging panel were also very impressed with Charlize’s general leadership activities, volunteering and fundraising experience. As the winner of this award Charlize receives $1,000.
Charlize’s application has been submitted to Zonta District 23, which is WA, SA, Vic, Tas and NT and Zonta International for the next stage of the process.
Charlize officially received her Award at the Secondary School Assembly held on 30 April, where Sue Lees and Sandra Burns, past Governor of Zonta District 23 were our guests.
On behalf of the School, we extend a warm congratulations to Charlize for this inspiring accomplishment.
Davina McClure
Deputy Principal
During the holidays, 40 CGGS students and 5 teachers embarked on a trip of a lifetime across the United Kingdom visiting significant literary, historical and World Heritage sites.
Prior to the trip students participated in the Brooksbank Library’s Classics Club every Tuesday before School in preparation for the extensive itinerary. They soon discovered the trip was above and beyond their highest expectations. Every day was jam packed with awe and wonder from the bustling streets of London to the peacefulness and beauty of the English countryside where literary stories abound – Dickens and Harry Potter to Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll and Shakespeare, The Bronte Sisters to Beatrix Potter. UK history followed us everywhere as we walked through medieval castles, explored palaces, and learned about historical societies. It was wonderful to see the students become immersed and transported to other worlds and times.
Thank you to the students – your enthusiasm and appreciation every day was a gift, and I know that this trip has provided not only the inspiration to travel and seek adventure in the future but has also instilled a curiosity to discover the myriad of stories and books and reading opportunities we have in our lives.
Special thanks to Ms Woolcock, Ms Georgiou, Ms Gordon and Ms Wood for your care and fantastic teamwork ensuring everyone’s safety to provide the best time possible for all.
Final thanks to Mrs Dunwoody and Mrs McClure for your unwavering support in preparation for, and throughout the tour.
The friendships made and the memories created will always be a special a part of the CGGS story for this group of students and staff.
Anne Devenish and the Library Team
Head of Library Information Services
On Tuesday the 30 April, we were fortunate enough to be invited to Korowa Anglican Girls School to participate in a leader’s afternoon tea with students from 11 other schools.
It was an amazing opportunity to meet other young leaders and share ideas and initiatives to enrich our school communities. With a combination of fun trivia and brainstorming strategies, the highlight for us was the opportunity to network with the other captains and exchange experiences from our respective schools.
It was an afternoon full of learning and making new friends. We can’t wait for the next opportunity to connect with more like-minded leaders!
Emily P, Sara R, Jessica T
School Captains
An enthusiastic group of Year 7-12 students collaborated throughout the Music Camp weekend to learn new repertoire and form new friendships. They worked alongside our expert Music staff in rehearsals, learning new skills and participating other organised activities. The traditional Music Trivia Night hosted by our School Music Captains Kiki Page and Mia Paulse was a highpoint of the camp, with the Broadway Musical theme providing the opportunity for students to dress up in the costume of their favourite musical theatre character. Enthusiastic participation and fun were a feature throughout the evening, as each team shared their extensive music knowledge to compete for first place!
Many thanks to the teaching staff who attended and supported us with their kindness, generous spirit and care. We look forward to sharing the repertoire we worked on at Music Camp with the CGGS community at the Melbourne Recital Centre Concert in September.
Kate Savige and Rohan Mack
Directors of Music
Reflections
Music Camp was an amazing experience jam-packed with rehearsals and a weekend where we were able to create new memories with friends, foster new friendships and play lots and lots of music. A particular highlight was the Broadway costume themed trivia night, where we dressed up as the Dynamos from Mamma Mia and our team, named “The Winners” won trivia! Being surrounded by a very encouraging and passionate community was such a lovely experience. The positive energy, love and support from each student enabled us to refine the music we rehearsed and elevate the performances we shared. We are so glad to have gone to Music Camp and can’t wait for next year!
Sophie T & Naomi C (Year 10)
Music Camp was a highlight of the year for us, as we had uninterrupted time to focus on playing music with our friends and meet new people from other year levels who also share the same interests. Learning new pieces was a fun challenge, which provided us with the opportunity to improve our musical skills and ensemble teamwork. There was such a great feeling of achievement at the end of each rehearsal, as we were all able to celebrate the progress we had made!
Eliza C, Lauren K & Anjelina C (Year 8)
Rain, hail or shine, CGGS Geography students are serious about fieldwork and will get out there no matter what Melbourne weather has in store. The Year 10 Greenspaces Fieldwork was a great day spent experiencing some of the most iconic parks in Melbourne including the infamous Studley Park at the Boathouse and Abbotsford Convent. Through this fieldwork investigation, 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.
Students commented on highlights of the day, reflecting that there are many benefits of greenspaces and that they enjoyed learning about how they have been incorporated into the design of our cities:
“The most interesting thing I learnt on the day would definitely be about the historical significance of the Abbotsford Convent. For example, the red river gum near the entrance, is the oldest tree on site, more than 300 years. It has been an extremely important natural site for Indigenous people, especially for Wurundjeri people who used this place for meeting and camping.”
“The highlight of the day was exploring greenspaces I hadn’t seen before. I especially loved going to Richmond Terrace because of the peacefulness.”
Karoline Walter
Head of Geography
This semester, students have been investigating the characteristics of and responses to specific hazards and disasters around the world, with the aim of applying these learnings to create more disaster resilient communities and cities. On Monday 22 April, the Year 11 Geography class had the opportunity to visit the township of Marysville, to investigate the impact of, and response to, the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires.
Students visited the Black Saturday Museum, to understand the sequence of events which occurred before, during and after Black Saturday. While at the museum, students also gained a sense of the scale and intensity of the fires, with many fire damaged artefacts on display, all with different melting points.
Students took a short walk to Gallipoli Park which hosts the local football oval and was the main emergency evacuation site on Black Saturday. Here, students completed a sketch of the structure of the town and its position in the natural environment, with many surprised at the topography and vegetation structures present.
We were also very fortunate to talk to Lt. Ron Jones of the Marysville Country Fire Authority (CFA). Ron spoke about the town’s ongoing recovery and the importance of fire preparedness, with the CFA playing a major role in community preparation and response. A highlight for students; Ron showed them his firefighting equipment and allowed them to inspect the truck!
Finally, we saw the regrowth and natural beauty of Steavenson Falls, with students taking the time to reflect and pause on the day’s activities.
A great day of fieldwork. Thank you to the Year 11 Geography students and Mrs Henson for their efforts.
Tom Clark
Head of Middle School
Geography Teacher
