This week our staff and parents were fortunate to attend presentations by Dr Judith Locke on Helping Teens to become Confident and Capable. Judith is the author of two very good books for parents, The Bonsai Child and The Bonsai Student. Both books address the psychology behind students in their teenage and formative years and how the role of a parent influences this development. Judith walked us through the journey of the adolescent, and some of the implications and risks of overparenting. She…
Next week is National Boarding Week. We will join schools across Australia in celebrating and recognising this wonderful group within our school community. Each day of the week is devoted to showcasing a specific sub-group of the broader boarding community: on Monday, we focus on our boarding students, on Thursday, our boarding parents, and on Friday, our boarding staff. With a range of activities planned across the week, this is a wonderful time for us all to take stock of the many joys but…
Dance Company update The CGGS Dance Company is thriving with over 110 students enrolled this year! From Prep students learning the fundamentals of Ballet, to our troupe of Year 7 to 9 students exploring the nuance of contemporary dance technique and expression, there's plenty to enjoy. Dance is a unique form that uses the body as an instrument to celebrate human experience, and a practical pursuit that incorporates artistry, exercise and mindfulness. This year, many students are taking the…
Each year at CGGS we commemorate Anzac Day in both the Junior and Senior Schools. An annual event that provides us with the opportunity to guide our young Australians in recognising and understanding the sacrifices of our servicemen and women who helped to shape our country’s history. In my address at the Senior School Anzac assembly, I spoke about the team effort that was needed in Australian war efforts. From the men on the frontline, to the women on the home front, the medical staff who…
Greatness is determined by service. – Martin Luther King, Jr. Arguably this year more than ever, it is important that as a community we reaffirm our commitment to honouring the ANZACs – gathering to pause, reflect, and give thanks for the unique spirit and history of Anzac Day, and for those for whom the day belongs. Across the country and here at CGGS, we commemorate Anzac Day, wholeheartedly recognising the importance of remembering those who served for our country. Service and action are…
In 1915, a year after the ‘Great War’ had begun, a collection of soldiers from Australia and New Zealand (later known as the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps or ANZACs) travelled across the world for what was intended to be a straightforward expedition to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the area to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and an ally of Germany. As we now know, this expedition did not…
When we think of all the hustle and bustle we jam-pack into our days and weeks, the school term, and our daily lives, the metaphor of a stuffed suitcase, bursting at the seams with odds and ends escaping comes to mind. Perhaps you imagine riding a wild brumby, plunging down the side of a Snowy Mountain. With the holidays just behind us, perhaps the former is more relatable. We live our lives. We fill our minutes with busyness, work, learning, laughter, activity and increasingly, with…
Debating and Public Speaking update From the Debating and Public Speaking Captains, Bella Mun (Y12) and Serina Guo (Y11). As we dive into Debating and Public speaking in Term 2, anticipation is high for the opportunities the term will bring, which includes the continuation of the ACT Debating Union competition. This competition includes schools from all over Canberra, and CGGS has 23 teams competing in three age divisions, including one junior school team. Our teams are achieving incredible…
Congratulations to CGGS Science teacher Mr Lachlan McGinness, who has been recognised by The Educator Australia as a Rising Star for 2022, the only awardee in the ACT. The Rising Star list recognises the best and brightest talent in education across Australia.Lachlan was nominated by his peers at CGGS for his exceptional work in promoting and teaching Science to girls, and for his work at the Australian National University (ANU) as a teacher of university-level physics in the ANU Extension…