Our students and staff returned on Wednesday 26 April with the sun shining and activities in full swing, ready and excited for the term ahead. Over the holidays there were many students who participated in wonderful learning and sporting opportunities that saw them representing CGGS with great distinction and pride, while other members of our community enjoyed a more quiet and relaxing holiday, taking time to read, enjoy the nice weather, and spend time with family.
As Term Two begins, we are very much looking forward to the many opportunities afforded to our students including year level camps, co-curricular and Upskill programs, House and GSV events, the School Production and many more – the culture of learning at CGGS is truly dynamic and inspiring!
We wish all our school community a successful and enjoyable term and look forward to seeing you soon.
Kath Woolcock
Head of Senior School
Kate Giles
Head of Middle School
Lest we Forget. I have heard this phrase every ANZAC Day and although I had a brief understanding of what it meant and why it was said, this message felt more important than ever at the end of the day. The service helped us foster a stronger understanding and appreciation for the wars and battles fought by fellow Australians throughout our history.
Our day at the Shrine of Remembrance included laying wreaths at the base of the eternal flame, a symbol of the never-ending gratitude to the Australian people who gave their lives and service to protect our country. We were allowed to explore the Shrine before the service began. It would have taken months to fully fathom and explore its “Crypt” – the archives of the place. The service itself included many thought-provoking speeches and poems, all of which furthered our respect for the numerous men and women who fought to protect our country. The nearing of the end of the service was marked with the last post played on bugle horn, a call used to indicate the end of a day at battle, which preceded the observance of a minute of silence to reflect on both the message of the day and to remember the service men and women who died in WW1 and the subsequent conflicts.
The service asked us to truly consider how significant it is to carry on the torch memory of those lost at war and how crucial it is to support families who have been affected.
Isuli Perera
Year 9
The Premier’s Spirit of Democracy Study Tour explores the origins of democracy, building a deeper understanding of the influence that democracy has on contemporary Victorian and Australian society. It is an annual competition open to students enrolled in Years 9, 10 and 11.
Over the Term Two holidays, three Year 10 students – Disha Awasthi (10A), Dina Mohd Ghazail (10C) and Aashi Singh (10D) attended the Premier’s Spirit of Democracy Tour. Along with 22 students from schools across the state, the students embarked on a weeklong tour across Victoria and Australian Capital Territory, where they had the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of citizenship and civics, with a focus on the development of democracy in Australia.
To enter the competition, Disha, Dina and Aashi responded to a prompt about their perspectives on democracy, change makers and the role young people play in forming new perspectives. We congratulate these students on their amazing achievement and thank Aashi and Dina for their reflections on the tour.
Kath Woolcock
Head of Senior School
A Reflection – Aashi Sing
From 13 – 20 April, I joined 21 other students on the Premier’s Spirit of Democracy Tour. This tour spanned across Victoria and Canberra, focusing on the concepts of Greek democracy and how it continues to shape and influence our present-day democratic systems, in addition to exploring philosophy, civics, and citizenship. The experience was highly immersive and enlightening.
We investigated topics not thought or talked about enough in today’s society and the connection it has to democracy, expanding our knowledge and accumulating unforgettable memories. We did a variety of activities including partaking in university programs, meeting with people from different organisations and having lively debates with each other. We also spent time exploring museums, memorials and exhibits and doing workshops on poetry and philosophy.
The highlight of this tour was looking at Canberra from an architectural perspective (which is what we did at the National Capital Exhibition) and how, for example, the buildings connect to each other like a timeline, from the beginning of time (Mount Ainslie), through the War Memorial, through Old Parliament House and the place that holds the actions of the future, New Parliament House. Speaking of Government Institutions, visiting Old and New Parliament House and the High Court of Australia was a rare but intriguing experience. I particularly enjoyed the High Court because we witnessed an actual case in action, a memory I will never forget.
Overall, this tour opened me to ideas I never dreamed of. I highly recommend the program to anyone interested in exploring these topics, as it is an eye-opening and remarkable experience.
Aashi Singh
Year 10
A Reflection – Dina Mohd Ghazali
Twenty-two students from all across Victoria gathered together as they began their journey on the Premier’s Spirit of Democracy Tour in the conference room of the Radisson Hotel on Flagstaff. Aashi and I were two of the fortunate students to have been accepted in this seven-day study tour to explore democracy in relation to the past, the present and the future.
We travelled around the Melbourne CBD for the first three days, visiting Victorian Parliament House, the Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Melbourne Museum, and undertaking the RMIT University Fact Check lecture and the Big Issue Classroom workshop. During our time in the Melbourne CBD, we explored the origins of democracy and its role in our past and present. I found it particularly enlightening to learn that democracy can be expressed in art, providing a subtle yet powerful influence on an audience. Understanding this was particularly insightful, changing the way I view art. On my next visit to an art gallery, I will be able to view the creative works from this unique perspective.
The origins of democracy and its influence on the present system of the Australian government were a major theme for our visit to the Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture. When Alexandros Giannadakis and Anthi Tzani, VCE Classical and Modern Greek teachers, explained ancient Athenian democracy, we discovered that the system of the past utilised ‘election by lot’ whereas we now use ‘election by vote/ballot’. Furthermore, in Australia’s ‘representative democracy’, we elect people to represent us in decision-making whilst the Athenian system of government allowed the people to directly influence (‘direct democracy’) the rules that governed them. After a panel discussion engaging with members of the Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture; including journalist Fotis Kapetopoulos from Neos Kosmos, sociologist Juliana Charpantidou, and Georgia Nikolaidou, the educational attaché for the Greek Consulate; I realised that having a ‘direct democracy’ in our country would be much more difficult to implement as Australia has a population of millions, much more than the thousands in ancient Athens. Thus, I pondered the question of how we would be able to represent every voice in the country and ensure the minority are able to be heard. With the rise of social media and other platforms that help to empower voice, the minority have an opportunity to express their views and gain support. The rise of these alternative modes of communication, however, raises questions on disinformation, as we become aware of during our Fact Check Lecture at RMIT University with Sushi Das. I also realised that in order to protect the integrity of democracy as well as allow every person to express their views, we will need to think critically to restore trust in an increasingly interconnected online world.
Our following four days of the study tour were spent in Canberra, the capital of Australia which seated the place of national decision-making as well as education on Australia’s democracy: the Parliament of Australia, the High Court, and the National Electoral Education Centre. It is also the place that records the nation’s history and democracy: the Museum of Australian Democracy, old and current Australian Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, and the National Archives of Australia. One of the most intriguing facts that we learnt about Canberra and the place of law-making, the Parliament of Australia, was the thought and intention behind the architectural design of the city and the parliament building. During the National Capital Authority visit, we discovered that Canberra is a planned city designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony (later known as Marion Mahony Griffin). The city is designed in an equilateral triangle, representing the equal distribution of power in the Australian democracy amongst the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive powers. At the top of the triangle sits Australian Parliament House, with a plane axis down the middle of the triangle that leads to the Australian War Memorial. The Australian Parliament House faces its doors to the Australian War Memorial, with the Prime Minister’s office situated at the very back of the parliament building. Upon learning about the design of the city, the plane axis seemed quite symbolic of a timeline: the War Memorial representing the past with the Prime Minister’s office representing the future. The Prime Minister makes decisions that impact the future of Australia, and he is able to open the doors of the Australian Parliament House, enabling him to directly see the Australian War Memorial which represents the past. He is able to reflect on the past to help build a better future. Throughout these four days in Canberra, we immersed in the stories of politicians, public servants, reporters, journalists, and the citizens of Australia to gain fascinating insight into the influences that have shaped our democracy today.
The Premier’s Spirit of Democracy Tour was an engaging, immersive, and memorable experience that enlightened all twenty-two of us on democracy in all its different forms.
Dina Mohd Ghazali
Year 10
We are thrilled to share that Lara Malachowski in Year 11 has been selected for Top Acts. Having already been selected for Top Dance, which was held in March, Lara will now perform at Top Acts on May 30.
Top Acts is a showcase of VCE performing arts students who have achieved exemplary results in the studies of Dance, VET Dance, Drama, Theatre Studies, Music Performance, Music Style and Composition, Music Investigation and VET Music. This inspiring event offers current students, teachers, families and the general public an opportunity to see some of Victoria’s finest emerging performing artists.
Lara completed Unit 3/4 Dance as a Year 10 student in 2022, and we are incredibly proud of her outstanding achievement.
We wish Lara all the best for her performance.
Dot Georgiou
VCE Coordinator
This year, the CGGS Junior A and B Tennis Teams celebrated some major wins. Both teams finished second in their zone and secured enough points to qualify for the semi-finals, held at the prestigious Melbourne Park Tennis Centre. The students played their best tennis to finish in second and third place overall. But the biggest win, by far, was the team spirit displayed by each player on the day.
In the first match, the B-team took on St Catherine’s, beating them narrowly by a single game, to advance to the finals against MLC. There, they put up a brave fight, but MLC proved to be the stronger team on the day. Special congratulations to our doubles team, Nirvani Subedi and Alice Ma, who won their match 8-5 against the number two pair from MLC. Such an incredible effort by the entire B-team, who finished second in the competition, well done.
The A-team put in a great effort against Melbourne Girls Grammar in the first round, losing by a small margin after a 2-2 draw in matches. Our number one doubles team, Chloe Wong (Year 8) and Angela Ni (Year 7), entertained the spectators with a wonderful display of craftmanship, showcasing excellent volley skills and strong serving to claim the match 8-6. Chloe and Angela proved to be a formidable pair, finishing the season undefeated in the competition. In the final match of the day, CGGS won by default against Korowa to place third overall.
Congratulations to all the junior tennis teams on a fantastic achievement this year. We thank our players for their dedication that comes from involvement in a team and their sportsmanship displayed throughout the season.
Ingrid Beck
GSV Junior Tennis Coach
Hello Camberwell Community
We ended an action-packed and successful Term One whilst focusing on sincerity. From our overarching acronym for the year, STAR, we approached the school year with authenticity, good faith and honesty.
Over the second week of the Term One holidays, dubbed the ‘Week of Wellness’, our CGGS captains displayed their sincerity as they became ‘Captainfluencers’ on our Instagram page @WeAreCGGS. They shared their strategies and tips on how they manage their well-being across the week’s various themes. On Mindful Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Out Wednesday, Treat Yourself Thursday and Future Forward Friday, our captains shared ways they practice mindfulness, the importance of eating well, how they like to stay active, ways they treat themselves and ongoing stress techniques they use. A big thank you to our CGGS captains for sharing their holidays with the CGGS community with such sincerity and providing us with the skills to be tenacious in the term ahead.
With the beginning of Term Two, we transition our focus to the “T” in STAR which is … tenacity. Despite the business of the term with performances, sporting commitments and semester exams, we aim to stay tenacious in and out of the classroom as we persist in the face of challenges and ask for help when we need it.
The Chipmunks
Our final two Upskill days of Term One took place on 29 March and 4 April, the latter in conjunction with Learning Conversations for Years 7-9. Combining elements of our 360° of Being program, as well as a range of immersive learning experiences from Careers and Financial Literacy through to Service Learning and the launch of our HEX@CGGS partnership, the two days were jampacked.
Year 7
On 29 March, our Year 7s ventured into the city for a Religious Education excursion led by Rev. Helen Creed and a fantastic group of support staff. Despite the rainy weather, the Year 7s made the journey into the National Gallery of Victoria and St Paul’s Cathedral undeterred. 4 April was a little different, with online Learning Conversations taking place, alongside asynchronous classes. Designed with the intention of maintaining good practices in organisation and self-regulation, the Year 7s worked independently from home, attending Learning Conversations and the class work set by their subject teachers.
Year 8
For our Year 8s, Upskill on 29 March, completed their final two rotations of a group of four activities begun earlier in the term. One of these was the Food Studies program under the guidance of Ms Goad. Linked to a theme of making with the intention of giving across the year, students made mixed berry jam. The session also touched on themes of using seasonal produce and how preserving is a way to minimise food waste. The LeadUp session was lead by both Mr Rock and Year 10 Mentors as they explored the importance of clear values and vision in leadership. Our third rotation is a new program called Exceler8 where students, with Mrs McEwan at the helm were introduced to foundational skills in the spreadsheet and business program, Excel. All four Year 8 classes have now been digitally credentialed with these skills, providing formal recognition of their new skillset to share with future employers. The final rotation in this block of four sessions was led by our Library team, taking the students through a research skills session and providing the opportunity to explore the CGGS collection. To close out this Upskill day, the Year 8s undertook a second foray into learning about study skills. Students were tasked with earning their Foundation Study Skills Technical Credential, consolidating the learnings from earlier in the term with Elevate Education by completing six challenges called the ‘Twenties’. The Twenties are a collection of 20-minute micro learnings that develop study skills and mindsets created by the team at the Princes Trust. The Twenties completed today have been adapted specifically for CGGS by design in alignment with our learning architecture. To earn their credential, students completed proof points for:
Year 9
The Year 9 cohort participated in a day long Service-Learning Conference on 29 March that explored the true meaning of Dignity. The conference was jam packed with generous acts of service, aimed at supporting and extending the Anglican and CGGS values of providing dignity to all members of our community. The day began with an inspiring discussion of the true meaning of Dignity and a pack-a-thon with social impact group Pinchapoo. Pinchapoo is an organisation that provides more than 8.5 million personal hygiene products to disadvantaged men, women, and children throughout Australia each year. The Year 9 cohort teamed up and spent the morning packing an incredible 1000 toiletry bags, that were then delivered straight to Ronald McDonald House for families and patients in need. Following this hands-on act of service, the students were given the opportunity to share experiences, and learn with people from local uncommon communities. The school was fortunate to welcome students and leaders from River Nile School, The Inclusion Foundation, Mustard Leadership and The Salvation Army. With hearts full of empathy, the students concluded the day by decorating bags of hope that will be filled with toiletries for the Salvation Army Community. The conference was full of rich opportunities to engage with communities, explore what it means to act with dignity, and practical solutions to support those in need. It was an absolute pleasure to see the CGGS students maturely interact and engage with visiting students and educational leaders.
We were excited to continue our HEX@CGGS partnership with an immersion into the world of design thinking. Taking place in parallel to Learning Conversations and led by Summer Howarth from the Eventful Learning Co.students had the opportunity to think and act like designers. Exploring design literacy through tiny design challenges, learning about the importance of ‘failure’ and ultimately embarking on a fun and functional design brief, students also considered the process of design as an act of service, learning about the powerful impact that can be had, when you bring an abundance mindset to problems. Later in the year, the Year 9s will undertake a second course called ‘Innovation’ with the team from HEX, where these design thinking skills will be put to great use.
Year 10
For our Year 10s, Upskill on 29 March introduced students to the Batyr Group, an organisation dedicated to enabling your people to lead a mentally healthy and fulfilling life. With a focus on mental health, the Year 10s undertook an introductory program where they learned to reach out for help and were given practical tips on how to look after their own wellbeing with actionable takeaways. Throughout the day, students also heard from Ali Larkey, for a second financial literacy session, this time with a focus on Fair Pay and Standing Your Ground in the workplace. Another literacy themed session, this time digital literacy, rounded out the day, with the Year 10s, working with our Head of Digital Learning, Mr Wilkins. On 3 April, the Year 10s undertook their immersion into the world of HEX@CGGS with a focus on ‘Future’. Future, is a course where the potential of technology to positively impact people, society and the planet will be enabled. An exploration of what it is to be a futurist thinker, as well as the future of industries in fashion, food, entertainment and technology and nations, kicked things off. From there, the challenge of designing for future worlds with a design sprint and future showcase was undertaken.
Year 11 and Year 12
The Careers program was again a feature on our 29 March Upskill day for Year 11 and 12 students. With presentations about studying abroad and opportunities available in GAP years, Mrs Dolan facilitated a joint session. In addition, the first of several financial literacy presentations from Ali Larkey on ‘The Real Cost of Owning Stuff’ was delivered for our Year 11s, whilst for the Year 12s, multi-class SACs and regular classes completed the remainder of the day. On 3 April, all our VCE students undertook their practice GAT. As a whole day logistical exercise, Upskill provides a great space to be able to facilitate this important undertaking for all our VCE students.
In Term Two, our first Upskill days are half day events – on 4 May running parallel with Year 10-12 Learning Conversations and on 16 May, taking place before recess and combining with our Founders Day Service. We’re excited to continue to develop this program and look forward to sharing ongoing updates throughout the year.
Kate Manners
Head of Strategic Initiatives
