Congratulations to Year 12 students Lize and Anneliese who were last week presented with the Order of Australia ACT Branch 2022 Student Citizenship Awards. These awards recognise the wonderful contribution school students make through their community service and other acts of good citizenship. Our Acting Principal Ms Julie Jorritsma and Head of Deakin House Ms Samantha Newbond attended the ceremony with Lize, Anneliese and their families. Lize and Anneliese have contributed positively to the…
This week, the final stages of the Senior Council 2023 leadership journey began with hopeful candidates for School Captain, School Vice-Captain, SRC Chair and Emily Service Captain making speeches in assembly. Following this, voting took place among the student body and the candidates were interviewed by senior staff and the current School Captains. Over the past few weeks, I have also interviewed several students for a range of opportunities in the School. In these interviews, I talk to the…
This afternoon we have released the results of our elections for the 2023 Senior Council. Firstly, I would like to congratulate the successful candidates who have demonstrated their commitment and their willingness to take on these significant responsibilities in their final year of school. The selection process is a rigorous one, and requires a written statement, student voting, an assembly speech for the shortlisted students and finally an interview with senior members of staff. The calibre…
The Early Learning Centre at CGGS is home to our youngest learners. It is a place filled with hope, imagination and innate curiosity, where questioning, wondering and playful learning live. While in the ELC I am at times mistaken for Father Chris or the owner of the world-famous golden arches restaurant chain. Like me, everyone who visits the ELC on Grey Street undoubtedly leaves buoyed by the energy of the wonderful three- and four-year old boys and girls who call this part of the School…
It’s an incredibly busy time of term. Students across the school are working hard, contemplating the tasks ahead of them for the remainder of the term. For many of our older students, it’s the thought of encroaching assessment that occupies their thoughts. For our younger students, it’s upcoming performances, a debating final, or the culmination of a season of sport, perhaps with a premiership or two within reach, that tease the mind with anticipation. For staff, there’s a definite sense of…
We warmly invite you to join us in celebrating 50 Years of Rowing at CGGS. We will honour the success of the CGGS Rowing program with past and present students, parents, supporters and everyone who has contributed to its great history. Please join us on Saturday, 17 September at Yhuuramulum for this special evening. Tickets to 50 Years of Rowing can be purchased here.
This week in my address to the Senior School assembly I spoke to students about being brave enough to try something new… and not always be good at it! I recounted my introduction to the wonderful world of golf, where I had begun thinking that it couldn’t be that hard and I would be great at it straight from the start. I had been a pretty decent softball player so could navigate a bat (club) and ball, but no, I was not the Tiger Woods I thought or expected myself to be. We often see the desire…
Growing up can be hard for both children and their parents. It may be difficult for you to imagine, but I can vividly recall numerous times when as an adolescent I tested the love of my parents and the patience of the staff at the boys' boarding school I attended. Now I look back with greater clarity, life experience and a little bit more maturity, appreciating the valuable lessons I was taught and enduringly grateful for the time, fortitude, and care of these influential adults. Over the…
The topic of my article today is resilience. Something which I have learned over my many years in working with young people is the wonderful ability of the human species to cope with the challenges they encounter. One might think that after two and a half years of health-based uncertainties surrounding Covid-19, we might all be very jaded and starting to wain under the pressure of the unknown. What I have seen is students rallying and rising to the challenge, and largely, getting on with their…