CGGS Newsletter No. 12 – 11 May 2007
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Founders’ Day
On Tuesday of this week we celebrated Founders’ Day. It is 80 years since the foundation stones for the School on the current site were blessed by Bishop Radford. On 8 May the foundation stones were laid on either side of the front entrance to the building which is now home for our boarding students. One stone bore the crest of St Gabriel’s and the words chosen were Pro Ecclesia Dei (For the Church of God). The other stone recorded the date of the ceremony.
Founders’ Day provides us with an opportunity to remember the foundation of the School but it is also a reminder to us that we are all part of the history of the School. The participation of our current students in the School and their achievements form a part of the ongoing history of the School. I would hope that we all feel a sense of pride, not only in the past achievements of our students and staff, but in the role that we play in continuing the story of CGGS.
Our guest speaker was Fleur Froggatt, an Australian Army Major and Adventure Racer, from the Class of 1989. Inspired by a guest speaker at a School Assembly, Fleur applied to the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) and was accepted on scholarship before completing Year 11. Since graduating, she has led a dynamic, diverse and challenging career holding key roles as Senior Intelligence Analyst in Bougainville and Iraq, providing high-level, strategic advice to coalition troops on combating enemy activity. Also a highly accomplished athlete, Fleur has competed in numerous international Adventure Races, including the Endorphin Fix Adventure Race (USA, 2001).
We began this week with a Family and Friends Service in which we celebrated the role of the Old Grammarians’ Association in the School. The focus of the reflection by the Rev Harris was the importance of community and that CGGS was a community in which the individuals needed to stand by each other.
The Old Grammarians’ Association is an important part of the School community, not only because of the practical support which they give to the School and its students, but for their representation of past students who retain a close connection with their School.
I would like to give my thanks to the Year 5/6 Choir who sang at the Family and Friends Service, accompanied by Jenny Johnson and Helen Swan. These young ladies and the children who attended the Service are part of the future history of the School.
Rowing Dinner
I would like to offer my thanks to the parents who organised and attended the Rowing Dinner at the Commonwealth Club on Friday evening of the first week of term. It was a most entertaining evening and it was pleasing to see an increase in numbers of attendees. An important part of the evening is the Silent Auction and the Live Auction both of which raise funds for the Rowing Club. There were certainly some exciting bidding wars for items during the Live Auction and a number of parents are now proud owners of rowing memorabilia and other items.
Co-curricular Sport
Sport is an important part of the co-curricular program which we offer at CGGS. Our aim is to provide opportunities for students to participate in physical activity. The health and well being benefits of playing sport are well documented and we would hope that the students who participate in sport while they are at school will continue to participate in sport or outdoor recreational activities when they leave school.
The other significant benefit of participating in sport focuses on the team skills which are learnt, along with the ability to build relationships and interact with others. The ability to work as a member of team will benefit our students in their academic studies and in their future careers. Business organisations emphasise the importance of being able to work as a member of a team and having the ability to collaborate with others when problem solving.
Many members of staff are involved in the co-curricular sporting program, along with external coaches. We also greatly appreciate the involvement of our parents in the sporting program.
These are the positive elements of the sporting program and I believe that we have a most important aim in ensuring that students participate and learn new skills. At the end of any season, we would hope that each student has improved her skills and felt a sense of accomplishment in all that she has achieved. We can all appreciate the teams who have made it to the finals of competitions, but the teams who have made personal improvement should feel that same level of accomplishment and satisfaction.
There will be occasions when parents have concerns regarding the team in which their daughter is playing and her progress in her chosen sport. There will also be occasions when parents have concerns about incidents which occur at specific games. Parents are welcome to telephone or email Brad Griffiths, Acting Co-curricular Sports Coordinator or the Teacher-in-Charge of a particular sport. It is important to highlight the concern and work towards a resolution. There may be times when the outcome is not what the parent was hoping for but decisions made by staff members will have been carefully considered in light of the information they have.
There are occasions when parents who have a concern choose to include me in their communications. My first response to letters, emails or telephone conversations is to carefully listen to the parent or read their communication. I then speak with Brad Griffiths and the staff members involved and gather further information. I have confidence in the ability of Brad Griffiths and the members of staff to handle parent concerns, and I will offer my support to staff in finding a resolution.
There are no occasions when it is acceptable for a parent to make disparaging comments about staff members who have taken the responsibility for managing one or more teams. Problems presented to members of staff need to be communicated in a courteous manner in order for a positive outcome to be reached. Our staff undertake sport as part of their co-curricular responsibility and without their support we would not be able to run the sporting program or any other co-curricular activity.
Our parents are very supportive of the sporting program and the work of the staff members involved. When concerns do arise, courteous communication and a willingness to work with the member of staff in seeking a resolution will lead to satisfactory outcomes.
Susan Just
Principal
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL
An Important Partnership
Research into school effectiveness over the past two decades has generally focused on identifying the key characteristics associated with schools that perform better than similar schools. In essence, researchers have been concentrating on measures of ‘value added’ to ascertain the hallmarks of effective schools.
While researchers have differed on a number of elements, the majority have identified that schools which achieve high standards regardless of facilities and gender or socioeconomic status of their students have a number of features in common:
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High expectations are set for student learning;
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Strong and effective school leaders;
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Teachers have a thorough and up-to-date knowledge of their subjects and a deep understanding of how students learn particular subjects;
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Outstanding school cultures where students have a sense of belonging and pride;
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High levels of parent involvement.
The final point is a critical element in the success of the School as a whole but is also very important for the achievement of individuals. Students greatly benefit from high levels of parent involvement in all aspects of their schooling. For students of the Senior School, parent involvement can take a variety of forms including being aware when assessments are due, talking about work completed in class, giving advice and guidance about work (this does not include actually doing the work) and showing that you genuinely care about what they are doing at school. The Unit Outlines for each subject, which are given at the beginning of each semester and are available on the School’s Portal, allow parents along with their daughters to map family events around assessment and sporting commitments.
Building strong parent/teacher relationships is also an effective way for parents to become involved with their daughter’s progress through school. Through an email, telephone call or pre-arranged visit parents can easily check the progress of their child. It is very important that parents and teachers share a common view of how to get the best out of a student and there are clear established channels of communication at all times. Heads of House and Tutors are also important people in the lives of the students and it is helpful when they are kept informed of any issues that arise at home that may impact on the child’s academic or social progress.
If parents were unable to meet with teachers at the Parent/Teacher Interviews late last term, I would encourage you to follow up with your daughter’s teachers as soon as possible.
Traffic Flow Through the School
Parents are reminded that students are not to be dropped off within the School grounds before and after school. In recent weeks there has been a noticeable increase in the number of parents driving through the School grounds from the Melbourne Avenue entry through to the Empire Circuit exit. These measures are put in place in to ensure the safety of our students and traffic management at these times.
Students Waiting to Picked Up By Parents
In the interest of safety and comfort, the School has a ruling that any student who is waiting to be picked up at School after 4.30pm must wait in the Boarding House. Parents who know that they will arrive after this time or are held up getting to the School should arrange with their daughter that this will be the meeting point. Please note that the June Long Weekend is an ‘Exeat Weekend’ which means the Boarding House will be closed from 5.30pm on the Friday and parents will need to collect their daughters before this time.
Fiona Godfrey
Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
 Cross Country
Tuesday 8 May Junior School students gathered ready for the annual Cross Country Carnival at Fadden Pines. All students from Years 2 to 6 took part running a variety of distances ranging from 1km to 3km. The weather was kind and the students put in outstanding efforts which resulted in huge improvements in overall times.
We were very grateful for the support parents gave during the Carnival. They did a wonderful job of manning checkpoints and making sure the chute area ran smoothly. A big thank you also to the maintenance staff for all their work in preparing the course. It was also heartening to see and hear the encouragement and support parents gave not only to their own child but to all students.
Cross Country Champion: Hannah Dreher
Age Champions
Champion Boy: Jack Hall
The first six students in each age group will compete in the South Canberra Primary School Sport Association (PSSA) Cross Country Carnival to be held on Tuesday 22 May at Yarralumla Bay.
Shop For Your School
CGGS has registered for the Westfield promotion ‘Shop for your School’. This promotion runs from 22 May to 5 August and we are asking the whole School community to get involved. There are lots of wonderful prizes for the School to win and all you need to do is send in your Westfield dockets. We encourage parents to register as a shopper also as that means more points for the School.
What you can do:
1. Keep all Westfield dockets from 22 May. These can be dropped into the Junior School or ELC, where we will have collection barrels. The dockets that are dropped into school will be uploaded on your behalf if you have registered and have collected a keytag (see below) or using the General Shopper code if you do not have a keytag.
2. Register by accessing the Shop For Your School (SFYS) website: www.sfys.com.au or visiting the Concierge at Westfield and collecting a keytag. Every new shopper registration before 21 May earns us 200 points so we urge all of our School community to support us as soon as you can. Once you have logged onto the site, find the section called ‘Shoppers’. As our School didn’t compete last year, please go to the ‘Register Here’ icon on this page and fill out the details. The email section is mandatory – so please put an email addresses in. This allows parents to see their own tally, fill out surveys and facilitate SFYS online. Once you have registered, please take one docket to the SFYS Satellite Desk at Westfield Woden, where the staff will upload your points and give you a keytag.
3. Refer any friends or family members. The more people we have supporting the School the better.
4. Please stay tuned for more information.
Acting Antics Holiday Workshop
During the term break the School hosted an Acting Antics Kids Theatre production. Students from the Junior School and the wider Canberra community enrolled to take part in the four day program which culminated in a production, Peggy the Pirate.
Each morning the students eagerly arrived at the Drama Centre on the Senior School campus for the next step in the development of their production. The course developed the performance skills of the students using experienced directors but also focused on developing social skills such as consideration and respect for others, leadership opportunities and team participation, confidence, self-esteem and self-awareness.
On the final afternoon of the course the students performed in full costume to an enthusiastic audience of friends, family and Awesome Activities participants. It was wonderful to see the excitement, exhilaration and pride displayed by the performers as they presented their production.
Following the success of this course, Acting Antics will return to Canberra Grammar School for 16 to 19 July where participants will perform The Winged Dragon.
Student Achievements
 We congratulate Gemma Fallon (6R), who competed in the ACT State Gymnastic Championships on Sunday 6 May. She came third in the Level 6 competition and was awarded with a number of medals and a trophy.
 Karuna Henderson (6S), had a successful night at a recent ACT Ice Skating Competition placing first in Pre-Primary. She followed this success with a trophy the next day in another sport, mountain biking. Karuna won her division in the novice women’s category. Congratulations Karuna.
Heather Ablett
Head of Junior School
IMPORTANT DATES
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14 May Y11 in 2008 Information Evening, Multimedia Theatre and CGGS Hall, 7pm
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16 May Y6 excursion to the Electoral Education Centre
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16 May Y10 Geography excursion to Sydney
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16 May Y12 AST Trial
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16-18 May Gardasil Vaccinnations
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17 May Dragon Boats Dinner, Elizabeth McKay Aquatic Centre, 6pm
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18 May Autumn Concert, CGGS Hall, 7pm
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21 May Y9 Japanese excursion to Sydney
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21 May Y11/12 Biology excustion to ‘Human Body’, Sydney
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22 May South Canberra PSSA Cross Country
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23 May Y3 to Y6 Maths Assessment
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23 May ELC Sibling Visit
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24 May Associated Southern Colleges Cross Country
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24 May Y5 Concert, CGGS Hall, 7pm
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25 May Kitchen Tyrell Debates, Canberra Grammar School, 7.30pm
SCHOOL SHOP
Term Time Hours
Tuesdays 8.15am to 2.00pm
Wednesdays 8.15am to 2.00pm
Thursdays 12noon to 5.30pm
T: 02 6202 6486
GENERAL WEEKLY NEWS
SHINGLES
Please be advised that one of our students in the Junior School has been diagnosed with shingles. This is caused by the same virus as chicken pox. Any student with an immune deficiency (eg. leukemia or receiving chemotherapy) should be excluded from school for their own protection.
DR LEONARD SAX VISIT ON THURSDAY 10 MAY
It was fantastic to welcome over 300 parents to Dr Sax’s presentation on Sex, Drugs and Fast Cars: What Canberra parents need to know to keep their son or daughter safe on Thursday 10 May. Dr Sax enlightened us all to the worldwide culture that both teenage girls and boys face today, as well as a number of fascinating statistics and studies showing how girls and boys learn differently.
An advocate for single sex education, Dr Sax spent the morning talking to all CGGS Year 12 students, and the afternoon with a range of students from Years 7 to 12, about their influences, from music to media, and what they see as the advantages of attending a girls’ school.
Dr Sax presented a three hour professional development seminar for all CGGS staff in the afternoon including a number of teachers from other ACT Independent Schools. His presentation, Beyond Pink and Blue: aspects of best practice for single-sex education, specifically focused on the differences between how girls and boys learn.
Feedback received from both staff and parents has been extremely positive.
For those of you unable to attend the session, or anyone wanting more information regarding Dr Sax and his studies, you can visit www.singlesexschools.org, www.whygendermatters.com or email Dr Sax at leonardsax@prodigy.net or mail@singlesexschools.org.
Dr Sax’s publications Why Gender Matters and Boys Adrift (to be published 13 August) can be purchased online at www.boffinsbookshop.com.au or www.amazon.com.
A more in-depth summary of Dr Sax’s studies will be provided in next week.
SNOWSPORTS
Is your daughter interested in skiing for the School this year? Each July, CGGS provides teams from the Junior and Senior School for the ACT and Southern NSW Interschools Skiing Competition. Many of our teams have then gone on to compete at the Australian Interschools Skiing Competition. If you are interested in finding out more about skiing at CGGS or sharing information about skiing, particularly ideas on how to improve the Snowsports program, please forward your contact details to Brad Griffiths at brad.griffiths@cggs.act.edu.au or Ladner Phillips at rodlad@optusnet.com.au.
Brad Griffiths
Teacher-in-Charge of Snowsports
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JUNIOR SCHOOL NOTICES |
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Excursion / Activity |
Date Handed to Students |
Date of Activity |
Staff Member / Department |
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Mother’s Day Activity – JP students |
2 May 2007 |
Thursday 10 May |
Damaris Patterson, Asst Deputy Principal (ELC – Y2) |
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Head Lice in Y3 |
3 May 2007
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N/A |
Heather Ablett, Head of Junior School |
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Athletics Coaching |
4 May 2007 |
Commencing Monday 7 May |
Cherlyee Kuypers, Athletics Coordinator |
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SC PSSA Netball Selection Trials |
4 May 2007 |
Monday 7 May |
Antonia Matthew, PDHPE Coordinator |
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Students’ Reports
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4 May 2007
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Exclusion form to be returned by Friday 18 May |
Heather Ablett, Head of Junior School |
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Queenwood Billet Letters |
9 May 2007 |
13 – 15 June |
Heather Ablett, Head of Junior School |
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CGS Northside Announcement |
8 May 2007 |
N/A |
Heather Ablett, Head of Junior School |
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Father/Daughter Breakfast Invitation |
8 May 2007 |
Tuesday 29 May |
Jeanette Widmer, Director of Pastoral Care |
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Loud Shirt Fundraising Day |
11 May 2007 |
25 May |
Nichola McNally and Elaine Teran, Y2 Class Teachers |
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South Canberra PSSA Girls’ Soccer Team Selection Trials |
9 May 2007 |
Tuesday 15 May and Thursday 17 May |
Antonia Matthew, PDHPE Coordinator |
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SENIOR SCHOOL NOTICES |
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Excursion / Activity |
Date Sent To Students/Parents |
Date To Be Returned |
Staff Member / Department |
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Letter to parents of Y9/10 Drama students performing in Mirror, Mirror production. |
6 May |
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C Page, Director Mirror, Mirror |
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Y8 Japanese excursion to Sydney – 21 May |
4 May |
10 May |
S Brennan, Japanese Teacher; H Vellnagel, Head of Modern Language Department |
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Hultgren and Stanhope Concert Band workshop – 12 May |
8 May |
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A Collins, MIC Bands CGS; V Martin, TIC Bands CGGS |
More articles on School news, activities and events are available in the section ‘In the News’ on our website.
http://www.cggs.act.edu.au/pages/page416.asp
P&F ASSOCIATION
Shrek 3
Get in now or be disappointed! Tickets are selling quickly so order your tickets now for this special event. Please click here for a ticket order form.
Hidden Treasures?
Antiques and Collectables Valuation Day: As advertised in last week’s CGGS Newsletter, this will take place on Sunday 3 June, 10am to 4pm in Clements Hall, Junior School campus. It will be open to the general public as well as to the School community so please spread the word. The valuer will be Davidson Auctions, who are coming from Sydney and are providing their services free of charge. We will charge $5 per item valued.
Fête (27 October)
We still need volunteers for the jobs listed below - please join the team to help make the Fête a success this year. It is hard work but we have heaps of fun too!
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Raffle - two people to work together on the raffle (particularly on gathering donations from local businesses). Penny Macdiarmid and Nicky Sarris, who have done a wonderful job organising this for the last few years (thanks so much!), will provide a detailed hand-over. Please think seriously about doing this job - it can be fun if you do it with a friend!
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Sign painting - our large Fête signs need replacing. If you might be able to help with the art work for these, I would love to hear from you.
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Food stalls and supplies convenor - please give some thought to this job, and contact me if you would like more details.
With thanks for your support.
Juliet Behrens
P&F President
email PandF@cggs.act.edu.au, t: 6161 8140 (h)
COMMUNITY ANNOUCEMENTS
The inclusion of announcements in this publication is in no way to be interpreted as an endorsement of support by the School. Readers are responsible for forming their own opinion as to the value or reliability of the information contained in such announcements.
Applications for Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) 2008 Now Open!!!!
AYO offers unique training and performance opportunities for young Australian Musicians. The ideal program for school age musicians is our annual National Music Camp: two weeks of workshops, rehearsals, master classes, and concerts, for participants aged 14 to 22, to be held over two weeks next January.
In addition, the Young Symphonists program is a nine day residency for budding musicians aged 12 to 17. Programs for strings, wind, brass and percussion will be offered, providing instrumental training and repertoire development within a nurturing and inspirational environment.
Students with an AMEB Grade 6 or equivalent are eligible to apply. Apply online at www.ayo.com.au. Applications close 15 June 2007.
PUMPS FOR PATCH
Capital Dance Studios Pty Ltd presents ‘Pumps for Patch’ on Saturday 26 May at 7pm. This gala fundraising event will showcase many of Canberra’s talented dancers from many different dance studios and organisations. All proceeds from this event will go towards ‘Patch’ to help them purchase insulin pumps for young Canberrans living with diabetes. This event will also include several musical items from local artists along with a special guest Salsa performer from Sydney. Come along and be entertained as well as helping out many families who have children with diabetes.
Mother’s Day Treat!
Weston Winds, a local community band, will hold a Winter Wonders Concert during Mother’s Day weekend, on Saturday 12 May at the Weston Uniting Church, 19 Parkinson Street, Weston at 7pm. The program will feature a variety of popular classics and would be a great opportunity to treat Mum and the family to a relaxing night out. Tickets will be available at the door - $10 adults, $5 students/concession, $20 family and includes light refreshments during the interval. For more information contact Betty on 6296 1707.
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