Mrs Dunwoody shares the School’s reviewed and refreshed Uniform Guidelines.
As we near the final weeks of the school year, our community enters a familiar season marked by transition, where beginnings, endings, and change exist side by side. It encourages us to pause, acknowledge our achievements, remain present, and look forward with a sense of purpose.
Having now completed their final examinations, our Year 12 students embark on the next exciting chapter beyond the school gates. Meanwhile, students across the Secondary School are preparing for the next stage of their journey at Camberwell Girls. Year 11s are on the cusp of their final year, Year 10s are about to begin their VCE, Year 9s are stepping up into the Senior School, and our Year 7 and 8 students are ready to embrace new subjects and experiences as they continue through the Middle School.
Last week, we also had the opportunity to welcome the 2026 Year 7 cohort to the School for the 2026 Year 7 Orientation Day. An integral part of the 2026 Transition program, Orientation Day provided students, with the opportunity to connect with their Year Level Coordinator, Miss Barr, their tutor teachers and of course, their peers through some design activities, mini-games and even some gardening. It was a day filled with joy, new friendships, laughter and fun!
It is fair to say the School has been alive with activity in recent weeks, with a number of additional programs taking place during this transitional period. From the conclusion of the Year 8 Opportunity Challenge Project to the announcement of the 2025 Boroondara Literary Award recipients, the Alison Harcourt Award and ICAS results, there is much to celebrate, and these have all been highlighted in this edition of CamNews.
We look forward to celebrating the year that has been, along with the many achievements of our students, at the Years 7–10 Presentation Assembly on Wednesday 3 December, and we warmly encourage families to join us via the live stream.
As we enter the final two weeks of term, we wish our students every success as they complete their final assignments and assessments and prepare for the year ahead.
Kath Woolcock
Head of Senior School
Tom Clark
Head of Middle School
Congratulations to Dina and Abigail, from the Class of 2025, for receiving the prestigious 2025 Alison Harcourt Award in recognition of their outstanding dedication to service, both within CGGS and the broader community.
Introduced in 2023 by Dr. Monique Ryan MP, the Alison Harcourt Award honours students from Kooyong primary and secondary schools who have demonstrated exceptional community service and citizenship. The award is named after Alison Harcourt, who was born in 1929 and is a renowned Kew resident, mathematician, and statistician. The award recognises Year 6 and Year 12 students who have made outstanding contributions to their communities, including within their school, specific groups, or the wider society.
Abigail was recognised for her service as School Captain and to her extensive contributions to the life of the School and the local community. Dina was recognised for her service as School Faith and Service Captain and for contributing to an extensive array of leadership and service programs within out and side of the School.
Dina and Abigail, both deserving recipients, attended the awards ceremony at the Hawthorn Arts Centre, alongside their families, on Tuesday 18 November.
Congratulations to both students on this remarkable and well-deserved achievement.
Kath Woolcock
Head of Senior School
In Week 6, our Year 8 students proudly completed their Opportunity Challenge at Camberwell Grammar School (CGS). This initiative was a collaborative effort between Camberwell Girls and Camberwell (Boys) Grammar School, running across Term 4 with fortnightly meetings that brought the two schools together in support of the Opportunity Challenge charity.
Working in teams, students designed and ran a variety of creative stalls for the Opportunity Challenge Fete, hosted at CGS. From creative foods and refreshing drinks to fun games, the stalls attracted a lively lunchtime crowd and created a vibrant atmosphere in the CGS courtyard.
Thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of all involved, an impressive $4,385.60 was raised. These funds will directly support the Opportunity Challenge charity, helping families in developing countries establish small businesses and build brighter futures for themselves and their communities.
Congratulations to every student and staff member who supported and contributed to this meaningful initiative.
Ben McManamny
Year 8 Coordinator
Two of our students have recently been acknowledged for their writing skills. Asha B (Year 9) and Ruby T (Year 12).
Asha was awarded second place in both the Middle poetry and prose divisions of the 2025 Boroondara Literary Awards, a fantastic achievement! We are extremely proud of Asha’s commitment to writing and honing her craft and this is the fourth consecutive year she has been awarded. Congratulations!
Her writing is published in an anthology which is available in the Library.
Synopsis of Asha’s prose and poetry:
Witnessing the horrors in Gaza over the past year inspired me to write “My Home”. I wanted to showcase the suffering, loss and hopelessness of the innocent civilians embroiled in the ongoing war. The story is written through the eyes of a child, trying to live through a day in a war zone. This was an extremely challenging piece to write, because having to research and write about such devastation and human suffering was quite confronting and it was also difficult to keep within a word limit.
In my poem, “Behing the Sewing Machine (The Ghost)”, I wanted to shed light upon the often forgotten group of people who make the existence of fast fashion possible – the underpaid, exploited labourers. The poem describes the life of a sweatshop worker who toils relentlessly behind a sewing machine, at the mercy of rapidly changing fashion trends. – Asha B
Ruby was named one of the nine finalists in the Years 11-12 written poetry division of the Independent Schools Victoria Arts Learning Festival.
This year’s festival theme was gratitude, and Ruby wrote a sonnet called, ‘My Mother, a Kumquat Tree’. The adjudicators called her poem, ‘a stunning ode to motherhood, memory and growth.’ Congratulations Ruby!
Jennifer Gordon
Head of English
On 9 November, nine students from Camberwell Girls attended a Student Constitutional Convention hosted at Kingswood College. The Student Constitutional Convention (SCC) is a program designed to give students the opportunity to learn about parliamentary processes and constitutional content.
The Kingswood SCC discussed whether “Section 44 of the Australian Constitution is undemocratic and must be reformed.” The day opened with addresses and a Question-and-Answer session by Member for Box Hill Mr David Hunt, Deakin University Associate Professor Mr Paul Hamer and former Deputy Mayor for Manningham, Mr Tomas Lightbody. The day finished with a session where students were able to draft amendments and vote on changes to Section 44. Here is what our students had to say about the event:
During the Student Constitutional Convention, I learnt a lot about section 44 of the Australian constitution and how each rule gets voted in by politicians. Seeing many students that share similar interests is truly fascinating and listening about all different perspectives on how the constitution could be amended also opened my eyes to all the different possibilities that this can be changed to. – Maggie R
The Student Constitutional Convention was such an engaging opportunity to extend ourselves and voice our opinions with like-minded students on the Constitution. – Rui M
Attending the Student Constitutional Conference at Kingswood College was a productive and insightful experience that deepened my understanding of Australia’s legal and political systems… It’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in politics or law to explore constitutional issues and engage in spirited debate with like-minded students. – Valerie K
Mia Olerhead
History and Global Politics Teacher
The International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) are online assessments that recognise and reward academic excellence. These assessments challenge students to apply classroom learning to new contexts, using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills across English, Mathematics, Science, Spelling, Writing, and Digital Technologies.
Early in Term 3, approximately 23 CGGS students from Years 7–9 nominated to sit the 2025 ICAS assessments in English, Science, and Mathematics. Congratulations to all these students for embracing this challenge and demonstrating curiosity and courage in their learning.
Students who place in the top 10% of entrants in their year level across Victoria and Australia receive a Distinction Certificate. We are delighted to announce that the following students have achieved this outstanding result in the following competitions:
ICAS English
Year 7 – Grace W
Year 8- Lisa L, Livia S, Lydia H and Olivia Q
ICAS Science
Year 8- Livia S, Lydia H and Surie Z
ICAS Mathematics
Year 7 – Grace W
Year 8- Lisa L, Livia S and Olivia Q
Year 9 – Marlo O’R
Students who place in the top 1% of entrants in their year level across Victoria and Australia are awarded a High Distinction Certificate.
Congratulations to Lisa V in Year 8 for achieving this outstanding result in the ICAS Science competition.
Well done to all participants for embracing this challenge and demonstrating excellence in learning.
Kim Hepworth
Head of Educational Operations and Science Teacher
We are thrilled to share that Class of 2025 student Alice has achieved the highest score in Victoria in the 16 – 18 age category for the 2025 Suncorp ESSI Money Challenge. This outstanding achievement earns Alice a $250 gift card as recognition for her financial savvy and strategic thinking.
The ESSI Money Challenge, hosted by the Financial Basics Foundation and supported by Suncorp Bank, is an annual, free online competition designed to boost financial literacy among Australian secondary school students. Over two weeks, participants navigate a virtual world where they make decisions about earning, saving, spending, and investing, all with the goal of achieving the best possible financial outcome.
Alice shared her thoughts on the experience:
How does it feel to achieve this result, and why is it important to you?
“It feels amazing having achieved the top score in the state, especially because I believe financial literacy is extremely important for young people. I feel so proud seeing my efforts to learn about finances reflected in this result.”
What was the most interesting personal finance lesson you learned?
“The most interesting lesson was understanding risk tolerance at different stages of your financial journey. Early in the challenge, I took riskier opportunities because I had time to recover losses. Towards the end, I became more conservative to protect my position. This mirrors real-world investing – young people can afford to take more risks, while older individuals often prioritise preserving capital.”
Suggestions for improving the challenge?
“Adding an education or school section that unlocks more job opportunities would make the challenge even more realistic and engaging.”
Alice’s achievement highlights the importance of financial education and the value of programs like the ESSI Money Challenge in preparing young Australians for a financially confident future.
Congratulations Alice, your success is an inspiration to us all.
Ashley Nguyen
Head of Careers Education
On Tuesday 18 November, Camberwell Girls welcomed the 2026 Year 7 students and their families into the Secondary School for Orientation Day. The day marked an important milestone in their transition to the secondary schooling. The day began with an assembly where staff and current students shared stories about their own journey through secondary school. They provided our newest community members with a sense of belonging and reassurance. Following the assembly, students waved goodbye to their families and then launched into a day filled with engaging rotations and activities.
From crafting diary charms to planting sunflower seeds, these sessions encouraged students to collaborate and build friendships in a relaxed, supportive environment. Later in the day, the focus shifted to House spirit. Students were introduced to their Houses and participated in lively team challenges, including cornhole, colouring and UNO games. It was wonderful to see them embrace a new group and cheer each other on.
The energy, enthusiasm and inclusiveness throughout the day was fantastic to see. With such a positive start, I can’t wait to see what the cohort will bring, as they officially begin their secondary school journey next year.
Kaitlin Barr
Year 7 Coordinator
Congratulations to the following teams that progressed to GSV Finals this week:
The Intermediate A Basketball and Junior Cricket teams finished their respective seasons undefeated and on top of the table, claiming GSV Zone Pennants.
Well done to staff members Ms Liza Stevens (Junior Cricket coach) and Mr Shane Maycock (Intermediate A Basketball coach) on leading their charges to the big dance with a perfect record from the regular season.
Results from this week’s Finals will be celebrated in the next publication of CamNews.
In this edition, we celebrate the appointment of Grace G (Year 10) to the position of GSV Captain for 2025/26.
Grace is particularly looking forward to attending the GSV Carnivals and encouraging students from all year levels to put themselves forward for selection to the CGGS Athletics, Cross-Country, Diving, and Swimming teams. Grace views it as a privilege to represent the school and is excited to be collaborating with her fellow GSV Captains.
Determined to emphasise great energy and enthusiasm around the GSV Carnivals, Grace’s ambition is to see our athletes always compete and involve themselves in as many events as possible.
With a sharp focus on the GSV Cross-Country Carnival campaign which Grace loved participating in this year, her determination is resolute to personally engage in a comprehensive training block to be prepared for the Preliminary and Championship events. She will be engaging in the twice-weekly CGGS Run Club training sessions in Term 1 which is conducted on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7.00-8.00am (all Secondary School students are welcome to attend – email Director of Sport, Mr Cameron Childs
Congratulations to Year 10 student, Selena C on her selection to represent Australia at the World Skate Inline Freestyle World Championships in Singapore from 1 – 4 December.
Students have been impressing in the twice-weekly Diving training sessions this term under the guidance of Head Coach Jenny Donnet.
Jenny is a giant in the sport of Diving in this country, having been the first woman to represent Australia in any sport at four Olympic Games (1980 Moscow, 1984 Los Angeles, 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona). She was the Australian Olympic Team Captain and flag bearer at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Jenny claimed the gold medal at the 1982 and 1990 Commonwealth Games in the 3-Metre Springboard and the silver medal at the 1986 Games. She is a member of the Australian Diving Hall of Fame.
Jenny’s experience and expertise in coaching Diving is second to none and provides an incredible opportunity for CGGS students to learn and develop in this exciting sport under the direction of a coach of great renown.
Year 8 student and winner of the prestigious 2025 MVP Award for CGGS Diving – Cleo S-A – implores students to try this dynamic sport which she has been involved in for the past three years. Cleo loves the freedom of flying through the air and references the one-and-a-half Front Sault as her favourite dive to perform. Cleo enjoyed a stellar Term 1 campaign in which she competed at the Finals Evening at MSAC as one of the best divers in all GSV.
Cecily A (Year 8) loves the sport as there is always another phase of development to embrace. Once a dive has been mastered, then it is onto a more complex routine which provides an exciting challenge.
Entering her fifth year as a member of the CGGS Diving program, Erika T utilises her extensive gymnastics background in what has been a successful transition to the sport of Diving.
A perennial representative for the school at the GSV Preliminary and Championship Carnivals, Erika relishes the hard work required in training sessions that provides the foundation for high-level performance in competitions. She also loves the great team camaraderie and support on display at the GSV Carnivals.
Cameron Childs
Director of Sport
The school year may be coming to an end, but the Secondary School students are showing no signs of slowing down!
A Christmas Toy Appeal, House Swimming Carnival, excursions and Mountfield Maestros - it's a busy time at Junior School!
The School was thrilled to celebrate the volunteers in our community who have contributed so much in 2025.
